“Felicity” - pencil crayon on tracing paper. The tracing paper allows a finer texture and blending but it’s slower, gentler work too #art #portrait

#merlin has recorded Osprey, Bittern, Kingfisher, Hobby, Grey Wagtail, Sand Martin, four Gull Species, 8 wader species and common crane at my garden pond…. #cornell #privatereedbed #seeingisbelieving . I’ve seen three of these

Looks like #arsenal are getting ready to host weddings

All this stuff about Britain is broken, all is terrible, there is no recourse, society is falling apart, if there was a war nobody would go, etc is beginning to irritate me. There are doubtlessly considerable problems. But I worry that the catastrophizing could turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Merlin has been reporting Firecrest in my garden for weeks and I've discounted it as an error. Well done @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social

I love that there so many little wonders of nature happening all around us - you don’t need Life On Earth. Came across hundreds of these Spindle Ermine caterpillars emerging this morning

“The Middle Road” acrylic. I live in a beautiful part of Somerset and it’s nice to capture it at this time of year

Looks like Canada and Australia can spot someone getting a little too interested in getting cosy with Trump - patriotism for the wrong country. Open your eyes Britain!

Fabulous visit last week on a belting hot day at Steart. Something’s been predating the Avocets but there were still a few chicks to see

Am I missing something? Wasn't the US supposed to be the magic sauce making the #Ukraine war stop? #in24hours

I’d love some critical feedback on this. It’s an acrylic painting of Pitney in Somerset. I’m tempted to stop but something’s not quite there for me but I don’t want to overdo it

Two of my favourite birds at #portlandbill this morning. Plenty of shiny, freshly-arrived chiffchaffs too. A beautiful place in the sunshine.

A tiny silver lining is that in the UK there was basic decency, common sense (and the men in dark suits) to stop the #truss madness. The dark cloud is likely to stop the orange peril. We rely on boredom, a new distraction or an impact on his personal wealth. But the trust is destroyed.

This is a really interesting piece by David Dimbleby. I lived through this but it is interesting to see in historical context www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I’ve spent a lot of time with this painting and I need to call time. “Brunch” at the Old Dairy in Bower Hinton. Watercolour 33cm x 25cm

If a business owner employing people on below living wage can’t make it work then in my opinion they don’t have a business. It’s already being subsidised by tax-payer funded in-work benefits

The first swallows are around, blossom is on the trees, the birds are sing their hearts out and the nest boxes are getting attention. Spring is here

I think America will quickly realise that we have been fighting America's wars with them for years - because that's what we signed up to. We don't have to do that now. We don't want to just drop bombs for economic reasons

Chris Weston did his reputation no favours in the documentary last night. Defensive and refusing to acknowledge excessive greed in the past. Defended bonuses “to attract the best talent” while ignoring that the bonus-enriched talent of the past is what got us here. Maybe they aren’t that talented?

Perhaps we can call it the USSR Union of States Stolen by Republicans #canada #panama #greenland

I’m expecting to hear any day about an amazing round of 18 hole-in-ones playing left-handed at Mar-A-Lago

There is something hopeful about painting a letter A - like the next 25 days are taken care of if I have no other inspiration - inktense, ink and watercolour #art #ink

I don’t think the impact of #tariffs and interference are fully understood. There is real anger outside the US. We aren’t coming back when tariffs are lifted. We don’t want your cars, tourism, liquor … anything identifiable as funding the decisions. Not sure where this wealth is coming back from

You can almost hear the dry rasp as Liz Truss rubs her hands at the prospect that she’s not the only person to crash an economy in days

Around this time of year five years ago I retired, Covid hit, and I concentrated on painting for my satisfaction for the first time in my life. This was my first piece - an obvious selfie with daffodils. Overworked at my kitchen table using a student watercolour set and I was hooked

When you’ve had enough sun, and it’s too early for wine (I know!), holiday painting is great. This one is an oldie from the #aberdyfi #art

“Lifeguard Station” - watercolour, ink and sand #art

The US have ceased supporting #Ukraine - but they did and are therefore not impartial. Why would they have any interest or seat at a negotiating table? Unless the sole interest is trying to make money out of the terrible situation? Why would they have any say over Gaza?

I used to doodle a lot as a child…. Still fun sometimes to just play with ink #art #doodle

The price of failure for most workers is that they lose their job. Poor Murray Auchincloss has lead BP to failure and gets a bonus cut to £734k! The share price fell in 2024 but he got a £2.8m share-related payment. But the problem in the UK is apparently productivity and migrants #greed

Balcony sketch

Mexico sketch

In the space of only a few months it looks like America has gone from being the world’s police force to some sort of mercenary pirates. By all means decide it’s not in America’s interest to support #Ukraine defence but don’t try and exploit the situation!

Two photos from my garden yesterday that I don’t think I could have achieved with my old bridge camera. Both hand held at full 25x zoom on my Sony rx10 iv. Still learning but nice to see the difference.

I admire your optimism @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social . I’ll settle for a bullfinch!

Today’s exercise was to use a daffodil as inspiration for a wallpaper design #stdavidsday #daffodil

Spring is coming and when the sun shines the bees and butterflies are out. Glorious

Can a land grab that could easily explode into a global conflict really be all about shares of mineral assets? Is this what we have become? It's about splitting the pie rather than ownership of the pie? With these global values we are all a target.

Just finished this line and wash still life. It’s that stereotypical ‘brick and trout’ subject matter LOL. Wash is watercolour on recycled paper #art

Wouldn't it be great if journalists and politicians used #ValentinesDay to just talk about the people they love and the examples of love in the world. It's just one day and we all need a break

It’s done! An abstracted still life using ballpoint pen, some ink and a little pencil. I quite like the vibrancy

Watching the football at St Andrews and stunned by a grassy pitch … in February … in Division 1 … in England #jumpersforgoalposts

Politicians acting on ‘instinct’ are failing to realise just how many unexpected consequences there are - all over the world. People lose jobs, suppliers lose customers, tax take is never what it seems, some immigrants are vital to us. Politics is actually really hard. Populism is easy

One more session and this ballpoint and ink picture is done. Time to find some ripe bananas to work from

People were hand feeding the birds @rspbengland.bsky.social Ham Wall today and the birds are getting tame as a result. Not clever. There are signs asking people not to but just being ignored

At least some things in the grim world we have right now make me happy. There is a metaphor here

A quick watercolour sketch celebrating the Glasgow Tenement Museum. Well worth a visit and a real tribute to the tenement model which could be configured as swanky apartments or dense communal housing.

It’s funny that the British Nostalgia posts never mention looting during the Blitz, Oswald Mosley, terrible manufacturing quality, awful food and service, football hooligans, devaluation of the currency, child abuse by church and private education, Christian sectarian violence. Aah the good old days

I’m going to have to leave Facebook soon - way too much British Nostalgia far-right nonsense, AI photo junk and not a lot else. It’s a shame. Take away moderation and find out there are no grownups

Having an art-tastic weekend. Today enjoying paintings by the Glasgow Boys and others at Kelvingrove. We have some amazing collections in Britain