Snow! Just enough for a good covering but not enough to get stuck indoors. So this morning I headed up the Blorenge to paint the snow covered hills, they were a little less snow covered than I would have liked but it was a nice challenge painting the mix of snow, frost and thaw.

My painting of Solva from Pen y Raber is through to the public vote selection of the BCA Awards. So please can I ask you a favour and visit the British Contemporary Art Awards voting website and vote for my painting if you like it. Here's the link - www.britishcontemporary.art/voting

Here’s my Nine for 2025 including my mug.

Painting at Croyde a full weeks ago. 8”x6” oil on board I love my autumn painting trips to North Devon. #croydebay #croyde #northdevon #devon #pleinair #pleinairpainting #pleinairpainter #oilpainting #art

My Studio in Abergavenny is now open Tues-Sat 10am-4.30pm for the run up to Christmas. I’m always happy to see visitors and you can see work in progress on the easel & finished paintings. Abergavenny is a lovely town to visit in December with lots of wonderful shops and cafes as well as the market

Oakdale and Newbridge from Blaen y Cwm 8”x6” oil on board I’ve painted this view a few times this year and it always changes, there was a beautiful autumn light and colour on this October day for a bit of plein air painting.

Really looking forward to taking part in this Artisan Market in the Abergavenny Market Hall this Sunday. I’ll be keeping warm amongst many fabulous artists and artisans with my paintings, prints, cards and calendars. Really looking forward to it.

I've just added some of my most recent new paintings to my website. www.louisecollis.com There's also cards, prints and calendars....

Blaenavon Heather Hillside towards the Bristol Channel 8”x6” oil on board Painted at the end of August not far from home. #heather #blaenavon #bristolchannel #pontypool #blorenge #wales #oilpainting #pleinair #pleinairpainter #pleinairartist

Chasing the Autumnal colours again today in Pontypool Park this afternoon. The Cherry Trees have a beautiful display of pink blossom in the Spring, so it’s a bonus to paint them again when they briefly have red/orange foliage. The Cherry Trees Walk Pontypool Park 8”x6” oil on board.

Barry Island Pavilion from the Rocks. 8”x6”oil on board It’s no secret that I love painting Barry Island and can’t resist painting it. This was a lovely day with the tide in and waves lapping around the rocks. I’ve just added this painting to my website but it will take a couple more weeks to dry

On Wednesday I painted the trees on Castle Meadows Abergavenny and the Blorenge both starting to show their autumnal colours. I’m hoping to do more autumnal painting this week if the fog clears. 8”x6” oil on board. #castlemeadows #blorenge #abergavenny #wales #pleinair #oilpainting #art

With the persistent grey gloom for the last week I was very happy to find these Acers in Cefn Onn Parc today, they seemed to generate they’re own illumination. Perfectly Autumnal #japenesemaple #Cefn #Onn #cefnonnpark #cefnonnparc #cardiff #parks #autumn #pleinair #oilpainting #art

Last week I painted one of my favourite local spots, Keepers Pond on the Blorenge There was such a lovely atmosphere there that day with swimmers taking a cold dip in the pond and various walking groups meeting up before setting off along the paths. #wales #art #pleinair

Wispy clouds over Pen y Fan 6” x 8” oil on board Painted a few weeks ago on a beautiful day at Mynydd Illtyd #pleinair #pleinairpainting #pleinairpainter #art #oilpainting #penyfan #corndu #bannaubrycheiniog #bannaubrycheiniognationalpark #breconbeacons #breconbeaconsnationalpark #wales #cymru

Cantref Reservoir 8” x 6” oil on board Painted last week from a favourite viewpoint above the reservoir in the Bannau Brycheiniog. October is always a surprisingly good month for plein air painting, beautiful colours and sunny days #reservoir #bannaubrycheiniog#breconbeacons #art #pleinair #wales

Last week I spent a morning painting at Fochriw, on the edge of Gelligaer Common and not far from the Heads of the Valleys it has a large expanse of grassland before the village that catches the light perfectly 8”x6” oil on board #valleys #wales #welshvalleys #pleinair #oilpainting #art

I painted one of my favourite views of Cantref Reservoir this afternoon, looks idyllic, however I just wish people wouldn’t spoil it by dumping their rubbish. To be honest it’s usually worse at this spot and I often come home with other peoples rubbish.

It’s great when the sheep stick around long enough to get themselves in a painting. I had a lovely day last week painting at Mynydd Illtyd, after the mist cleared the light was just perfect. Pen y Fan, Mynydd Illtyd common and Sheep, 8”x6” oil on board. #penyfan #sheep #wales #art #pleinair

All open for the food festival! It might be a bit wet today but it’s going to be a good weekend for all the foodies visiting Abergavenny. I’ll be open all weekend 10-5. Have a great weekend everyone. #abergavennyfoodfestival #abergavenny #festival #wales #openstudio #art

It's nearly Food Festival Weekend! It's always great to see Abergavenny fill up with gazebos, visitors and all sorts of food, so my studio will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Gone Painting I'll be heading to Ceredigion this week to paint, walk and dolphin spot in New Quay. I'll be back in the studio on Saturday and all online orders will be sent out on Mon 15th Sept. There are lots of painting of New Quay available on my website from my last trip. www.louisecollis.com

Good luck to all the cyclists in the #tourofbritain tomorrow heading up the Blorenge (or the Tumble as the cyclists call it) TWICE! Absolute madness. I’m sure the spectators will appreciate the incredible views. #blorenge #keeperspond #thetumble #abergavenny #blaenavon #wales #cycling

The Severn Bridge from Aust. 8'' x 6'' oil on board. This painting is a few years old and has been on display in a gallery, it's now back in my studio and listed on my website and is definitely one of my favourites (if that's allowed)

Blaenavon Heather towards the Channel 8”x6” oil on board I wanted to catch the last of the heather before it fades so I popped out on Wednesday, I kept having to stop painting as showers passed through but it was very enjoyable. #blaenavon #blorenge #wales #pleinair #oilpainting #art

Sugarloaf Pen y Fal through the Heather Hedge. 8”x6” oil on board A little studio painting from a walk on the Blorenge last week where the mounds of heather were higher than the path so looked like a heather hedge. #sugarloaf #penyfal #blorenge #heather #pink #purple #wales #oilpainting #art

I painted the Skirrid last week under a big tree for shade on a very sunny hot day. 8”x6” oil on board Available #pleinairartist #pleinair #pleinairartist #skirrid #abergavenny #wales #oilpainting #art

My 2026 Calendar is here! This year the cover is a plein air painting of the Skirrid from June, it also includes paintings of Barafundle, Port Talbot, Manorbier, Whitesands Bay, Sunflowers and more. It’s printed on quality card so you can frame the pictures at the end of the year.

Yesterday I painted in a sunflower field, it was a plein air start but definitely a studio finish as it was a bit more challenging than I anticipated.

It’s been an Agapanthus kind of day today. Plein airing in the garden #agapanthus #gardenflowers #garden #pleinair #gardenpleinair #pleinair #pleinairpainting #pleinairpainter #florals

Really pleased to see this painting find a new home from the studio yesterday, especially as it’s such a new painting and shows how this years hot dry summer has bleached the fields. The Skirrid and Keepers Road. 8”x6” oil on board.

The Sugarloaf and Pwll Du Heather. 8” x 6” oil on board Painted on Wednesday my first of this years Heather and I’ll try to paint it as much as I can before it fades. #Sugarloaf #penyfal #blorenge #heather #oilpainting #wales #pleinair #pleinairpainter #PleinAirPainting

The heather is so early this year! It’s caught me by surprise again and I’d forgotten most of my painting kit. This is first of hopefully many painting sessions with the pink and purple heather before it fades on the Blorenge and Gilwern Hill. 8” x 6” oil on board #pleinair #wales

Blatantly posting this again because apparently it’s #NationalSunflowerDay

A bright vase of Sunflowers for a grey day. 8”x10” oil on board I really enjoy playing with the vivid yellows and greens in this painting. #sunflowers #sunflower #vaseofflowers #summer

The Skirrid from Keepers Road 8” x 6” oil on board I love this view of Skirrid especially in the summer when the fields glow a golden hay colour. #skirrid #keepers #blorenge #abergavenny #Blaenavon #wales #oilpainting #art

Vase of Sunflowers and Garden Pots 8” x 6” oil on board Painted under shade in the garden a few weeks ago, even though this painting features a very bold full vase sunflowers I think the single sunflower in the garden pot on the right steals the painting. #sunflowers #garden #pleinair

Full vase of Sunflowers 8” x 6” oil on board Painted in the garden a few weeks ago during the last heatwave. #sunflowers #sunflower #garden #florals #pleinair #pleinairpainting #pleinairpainter

Well this was fun, what I love about plein air painting is the people you meet and the unexpected. I went out with the intention of painting a field of cows today however I was drawn to this field of hay bales instead. While I was there a car pulled up with baskets full of about 100 racing pigeons

Garden Poppies, Daisies and Cosmos 6” x 8” oil on board It’s lovely to see some rain over the last few days even though I’ve thoroughly enjoyed painting in the garden this summer. #poppies #daisies #cosmos #garden #pleinairpainter #pleinairpainting #pleinairartist #flowers

Tenby and Giltar Wildflowers 8” x 6” oil on board One from my trip to Pembrokeshire in June, sitting on the headland was definitely the best place to catch a cool breeze on a very hot week. #tenby #tenbywales #dinbych-y-pysgod #wales #Pembrokeshire #giltar #wildflowers #oilpainting #art

Yesterday with the strong winds, rain and possible lightning it was a painting from the car day, such a contrast from the heatwave of the last few weeks. The Usk Valley from Blorenge Foxhunter. 6”x8” oil on board.

Painting during the heatwave yesterday. Outside under the shade of the parasol was cooler than indoors so I decided to paint my vase of gifted sunflowers and garden pots. It was beautiful. #pleinair #oilpainting #art #wales #pleinairpainting #pleinairpainter #welshart #sunflowers

Really enjoyed painting this random selection of flowers picked from the garden today. 10” x 8” oil on board. #floral #stilllife #summer #garden #gardenflowers #cutflowergarden #allaprimapainting #oilpainting #art

A lovely day spent painting poppies and leucanthemum in the garden. I’ll be back in the studio tomorrow and Saturday. #pleinairpainting #pleinairpainter #pleinairartist #pleinair #garden #floral #poppies #leucanthemum #daisies #art #oilpainting

I’m busy preparing for the Crickhowell Food & Artisan Festival this weekend. I’ll be there on Sunday in the Buttermarket, which should be cool on the forecast warm day. I’ve just framed up my new painting of the Blorenge and Castle Meadows painted a few weeks ago in the meadows to bring with me

On Sunday I’ll be taking part in the Crickhowell Artisan Fair in Crickhowell High Street. I’ll be taking my paintings, prints and cards to show in the Buttermarket and there will be a marquee full of arts and crafts in the High Street. It should be good!

Monkstone Point from Saundersfoot. 8” x 6” oil on board I have no idea what Saundersfoot is like on a sunny day as it’s always my wrt weather plan when I’m visiting Pembrokeshire. I enjoy painting these seaweedy rocks near the cave at Coppet Hall beach #saundersfoot #beach #pembrokeshire #wales

My routine for the last couple of days has been to get out and paint early in the morning, preferably under a big tree for shade then retreat when the heat builds. Today I had a lovely morning painting at Castle Meadows under a very big tree and then retreated to the studio.

Such a beautiful morning to paint this view of Abergavenny and Skirrid from Gilwern Hill, lots of green and distant blue, lots of wildflowers and birdsong. #abergavenny #skirrid #blorenge #gilwernhill #pleinair #pleinairpainting #pleinairpainter #art #wales