This bridge over the burn (stream to those of you who don’t live in the North East) is literally a stone’s throw from the bottom of my garden. The little bridge is one of those local landmarks that I had completely took for granted until, following the dog’s lead (excuse the pun!), I found myself observing it from a fresh angle, framed in a sea of copper and gold.

Chris and I went on a short bike ride last weekend just up the road from the studio. The ride started in Dukeshouse Wood and took us from our ancient Anglo Saxon market town of Hexham to our even more ancient neighbour, Roman Corbridge, on a misty atmospheric morning. I loved how the soft mist contrasted with the dark trees and the golden bracken.

Dog walking takes me down to the Sele Park, just five minutes from the house. It is looking amazing at the moment. And, as you may have guessed, the artist in me could not observe all those wonderful shapes, textures and colours without having a play back in the studio. Playing with new ideas doesn’t necessarily lead to gallery-ready prints but it fires the imagination and leads me in new creative directions.

The monotypes below were made using leaves I’ve collected every time we’ve gone out cycling or walking the dog and I’m learning to identify my poplar leaves from my beech, rowan, bracken, oak, Japanese maple, and horse chestnut. All of these can be seen in the prints below.