And finally snow...

Cold snap on the moors around here continue with the first snowfall of the winter. Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor received a good covering last Monday. I got a rush of energy Tuesday morning, and charged up the camera in readiness for a foray up onto Twelve Man's Moor to get reference shots for some "winter-scene" paintings. However, as is often the case day-to-day work activities took over, the picture on the easel refused to paint itself and I told myself "I'll go up there tomorrow". Tomorrow came, car needed to go to the garage, weather warmed up and all the snow thawed out and came sluicing down the Lyner river on it's merry way to the English Channel. Damn!

What I might have seen - a fox enjoys the snow on Dartmoor...

"Vixen on Holwell Tor"

Oils on canvas

This painting is available to buy just contact me for details

All time low

Local tv announced a temperature of -12 degrees on top of Bodmin Moor a couple of nights ago. Apparently this is the lowest recorded temperature in 20 years. Of course according to said news programme, a few days of cold is the end of the world - the "Big Freeze" etc. Personally I like a bit of cold, it's supposed to be winter for heaven's sake!

Frost and foxes

Post christmas cold snap has hit Bodmin Moor with a vengence. The ground water and streams coming down off of Kilmar Tor (Cornwall's third highest point at around 350m) have been frozen solid for days. Not that I'm complaining as the crystal clear blue skies and low sunlight have provided some fantastic views and plenty of inspiration for new paintings. Makes a change from the usual months of rain we have most winters down here!

One highlight of the last few days was an extended view of a dog fox foraging for moles in a frozen field nearby. Must have watched him ranging from molehill to molehill for at least twenty minutes until it got too cold to stand around any longer and me and the dog had to walk on before we both got frostbite. Now if I'd only had my camera...

The lower ridge of Kilmar Tor on a (much) warmer day

"Kestrel Hunting - Kilmar Tor"

Oils on canvas 20 x 24 inches

Available to buy - just contact me via email