I'm having fun painting from all of my photos and sketches from the Classic Boat Show. Clinker boats are my favourites I've decided - they have such graceful curves. This one was just tied up to a tree while the owner wandered off somewhere ...

Yesterday a visitor called in to my studio who turned out to be a painter as well - he loves painting portraits. We had a healthy debate when I mentioned that I enjoy painting people who aren't young and beautiful! I really enjoy bodies and faces that have lived and look like they have - scars, wrinkles etc add to the story . He likes to paint young ,beautiful women( maybe that's a male thing?).Anyway, he got me thinking about perfection .....and I realise that I'm happiest when I'm painting subjects that portray a bit of history, old vehicles, falling down buildings, old boats etc etc. We're presented with perfect images every day in ads but that level of perfection seems unreal to me! So here's a little painting of the kind of subject I enjoy - you can make up your own story!

This year the bumblebees have reached astounding numbers at the Lake. My garden sounds like a factory full of machines as they drink themselves silly inside my bergamot. They are also very excitable and quite a few people have been stung. Anyway, it reminds me of painting on the top of Dansey's Pass in Otago (see photo above) where the bumblebees either loved or hated my bright blue jacket. I must have looked pretty funny painting away while flailing my arms wildly around to stop them either stinging me or hurling themselves into the wet paint...