Those familiar with my portrait drawings may be forgiven for thinking I only see in sanguine and white. This is something I am very aware of, and for a long time I have been working on incorporating colour into my portraits.

I am not an artist who avoids colour – if you’ve seen my Artfinder and Etsy pages then you’ll know that my problem is more about which medium to settle with! I have worked in oils, watercolour, pro-markers, pastels, coloured pencils… mixed media! There a pros to ALL these media. I would like to say each have their cons, but to be honest I’m not sure I could list them. I love them all!

Another thing the more observant of you will know – I’ve not been around for a while. Our house has been so hectic these last few months. First there was the extension which never materialised, time I’ve spent on other artistic projects, then the summer holidays (impossible to make any plans during this time!) and then we put all the ‘clutter’ into storage with a view to selling the house. Yes, I’m afraid that clutter includes my paints. Believe me, if you’d seen our house before this decluttering then you’d probably agree. Pencils and sketchbooks stayed out – I have to keep some grip on sanity – but even most of my sanguine pencils have been banished to a corrugated tin shed on the other side of town.

The good news is that we have now made some progress with the sale of the house and no longer need to live such a sparse existence. So the watercolours are back in the house!

Why watercolours? Well, they were the first medium I used when I started painting 24 years ago and I’ve always loved their freshness, versatility and personality. Also – they are easy to clean away! Until we move house, my studio is confined to the dining table, and as the kitchen table left in the big clear-out, we really do need that dining table for eating!

You have no idea how excited I am to be painting again. I hope to share some of my work with you soon, and soon after that I might let you see my coloured portraits!