nearby we are fortunate to have the splendid gardens at Wisley, which are the main gardens of the Royal horicultural Society. The best of the best imho. I was asked to paint the view through the wisteria looking along the canal, towards the fine looking building in mock Tudor, with the more prosaic title of The Laboratory. This lady wanted the painting for her parent’s wedding anniversary. Always a privilege to be asked to paint something for a very special occasion and always a responsibility too.

This painting went off a couple of weeks ago, and received with great delight, so a sigh of relief on that one.

This painting of The Dreaming Spires of Oxford was bought by proud parents to mark their son’s recent graduation from Oxford. The romantic skyline filled with Gothic spires and towers and honey-coloured stone buildings really does deserve its title. A painting that I especially enjoyed doing, which is not done justice by the photograph. Everyone thrilled by it, and sold on line, and a lovely review received which was nice.

And this one, still to do, only received a couple of days ago. This is a wedding group as must appear obvious, underneath the bandstand at Brighton. So much detail in the architecture which will have to be simplified somehow, not to mention all those people. They again will have to be simplified. I am just starting to draw this one out, and the drawing will be the long bit

I ask myself why I take some jobs on sometimes. I have never tackled anything like this before. It must be the challenge which won’t let me say no. I always told people that I didn’t paint cats, but owners were thrilled with those that I did. I said the same about Spinnaker Tower floodlit at night, which was very tricky, but the young woman who commissioned it as a present for her boyfriend was delighted, so had I turned these down, I would not have given pleasure to people, so i take it on if I can

Anyway wish me luck with this one. It will be a long haul