Winter has arrived on the Côte d’Azur. Grey skies and a damp chill in the air. For the first time this year I’ve moved my easel indoors from the terrace to the comfort of a warm room, music playing, mugs of ginger tea on hand and mince pies in the oven.  My painting matches  the mood of the season, a muted palette of soft grey tones.  A few strokes of oil pastel on the surface of the acrylic painting enliven the distant glitter on the sea, the sunlit edge of the cloud, the golden light of the cresting wave.  A…

After torrential rainstorms on Tuesday, today is bright and clear, and the roads open after flooding and fallen trees. The river at Gorges du Loup is a swollen torrent of rushing foam. I’m the only person there, drenched in the spray. This is my favourite subject to paint, the crash and clash of water on rock, fluid motion meeting solid mass. At home I start a quick study in acrylic, wanting to catch some of the energy and drama of the original scene. My first marks are a simple outline of the main shapes, focusing on the dynamic pattern of…