I have tried to paint the dead tree which lies opposite the front of the house. The weather bleached branches reach out like an open hand against the deep green of the trees. It lies in a patch of ground left to go wild; a wilderness of grasses, nettles, shrubs and bracken which provides a home to a fox which daily suns itself within the contours of the trunk. Land here is at a premium, houses round the corner in the same road are being offered for £2 million. Property developers must be having palpitations at the thought of its potential, and yet it resists the tide of development, and avoids being partitioned, traded, "ameliorated".  
The watercolour fails to convey the atmosphere I was hoping for, I am working from some sketches I have made, but it seems that i do not have enough information, or skill, to capture what I had hoped for.  

Suddenly I have no idea where I am in the year; i think it could be January or February. I am staying at my sister's house near Guildford, and the rain is sheeting down, making the patio indistinguishable from the surface of the pond. There is a feeling of gloom and being stuck inside. 
 The hard floorboards and tiling are taking a toll on our 17 month old child's knees. My wife attempts to work on her laptop with an internet connection which seems recalcitrant to say the least, given that this is Guildford and not a rain forest. We are both tired and stressed trying to judge the correct tog grow bag for our daughter to sleep through the night.
 I have found an art supply shop within five minutes drive , and replaced some important colours;( green and yellow) and before I know it I have spent £100 and carry out my purchases in an A5 plastic bag. 

Oil on board painting trees and Temple Copse, Wilton

An overcast day and I stopped at the edge of the field below the clump at Ugford, the hill behind was catching sunlight as the clouds shifted, a close humid thundery atmosphere,  

Oil sketch for trees above Wishford

A view above Wishford having walked up the hill, found I had forgotten white paint, so had to cut it short, only using what was on the pallette....

A medium sized 25cm diam. bowl with my hand painted decoration

Using the same design as the tableware at Bay Window gift shop in Wilton applied to a serving bowl 

Temple copse in Wilton

Temple copse lies within the grounds of Wilton house, and this is one of the few places from which it is visible as any kind of a hill.

View towards Fovant from Grovely

The hottest day of the year so far and I found the shade of a hedgerow, to look over the Nadder valley toward the ridge of hills at Fovant , where the Regimental badges are carved in the chalk hillside. A pleasant way to spend a couple of hours, but the flies seemed to be attracted to the smell of turps...or maybe it was me...