A lovestruck Romeo, in Sorrento

At the end of April I was lucky enough to have a weekend in Sorrento, Italy, with my sisters.
The weather was a bit iffy so I did not go sketching but I took some photos.
We spent a wonderful day exploring Pompeii, and in the evening back in Sorrento I spotted this Tavern Allegra, down a quiet alley that looked straight out of Pompeii.

I took a photo and worked from it when I got back. Imagining my Romeo by his Vespa and my Juliet on the balcony, about to put her washing out, and remembering all the wonderful colours on the walls at Pompeii.

Dockerills in Burgess Hill

sketching in my book

all painted up bigger on watercolour paper

About 7 years ago Dockerills hardware shop in Burgess Hill closed. A rare old shop, amongst the buildings in the oldest shopping area in the town, the loss has been mourned.

Luckily the building is still there in all its beauty and has recently been brought back to life with a new business. But here I am remembering it as it was.

A painting of Borough Market, Southwark

In the autumn last year I spent a lovely day sketching around Southwark Cathedral and Borough Market with the Society of Graphic Fine Art
My first painting of 2016 was to work up these sketches and produce a painting to exhibit at Southwark Cathedral.

Here it is..and it is now up in the Cathedral refectory

Sweet memories - Burgess Hill

sketching out a plan

All drawn up

when whites really aren't white

getting the blues on

when the sky and trees go in the lights go on!

nearly there, working on the sweet shop

I will be taking part in an exhibition with the Weald of Sussex Art Club later this month, in Burgess Hill. I grew up in Burgess Hill and my Dad, an artist too, was a member of this art club back in the seventies.
He would encourage me to draw and paint, buying me the Disney magazine to copy from, and calling me to watch cartoons with him...and sometimes letting me have a go with his oil paints.
This painting is of a favourite sweet shop near my home, which I often visited, and my Dad used to collect my magazine from. It was so exciting to hear him come home from his commute, having collected the magazine on his walk home from the station,  and hear the clunk clunk, as he undid his briefcase, it would send me running down the stairs!

Nearly finished this painting now, just working on the seventies feel clothes and sweet shop windows