Fisherman at Pyramid Lake

Bid for this painting on Ebay!

The fisherman in question is Bob, my friend Anna Lou's boyfriend. He guides up there so he knows the ropes - great because I don't really know what I'm doing with a fishing pole in my hand. Taylor and I went up to Hobart Lake last summer, and I caught a few trout then. The thing is, I can't bear to see them in pain, so it was a kind of frenzy when I got a bite to hurl the poor bugger in Taylor's direction screaming "kill it quick!"

So here's the reason I go fishing - I'm a 'pescetarian' (a fish-eating vegetarian) and I feel that if I'm going to eat a fish, then morally, I should be prepared to catch and kill it myself. If not, I shouldn't be eating them, and be a proper veggie. It's taking a lot of desensitizing though, and I still can't actually do the deed myself, but I can watch now, wincing. Mostly I just love being outside, and the lakes here are very beautiful, so whether we catch fish or not, I have a lovely day.

Toothpaste (Duet)

Yay! It's finally finished, I think. This is 'part 2' of a series of paintings of Taylor & I brushing our teeth. I know it seems like a bizarre thing to want to paint, but I think other people have those quirky, intimate moments they share too. I wanted to capture something very private, but not explicit. Part 1 is called Toothpaste (You make me feel so young) And that's part of what all the 'Home' paintings are about, the fact that clowning around with someone you can feel utterly comfortable with can remind you not to take life too seriously. The story behind this toothpaste theme is that Taylor thinks it's hilarious the way I brush my teeth. Aside from the British reputation for bad teeth, there's plenty to poke fun at my technique I suppose. The thing is, nobody has ever said anything before, about my habit of spraying toothpaste all over the place, and looking like a rabid dog when I brush my teeth. I see these American movies, (Frankie & Johnny, for one) where people walk around with a toothbrush poking out of the side of their mouthes, happily conversing and not dripping froth down their fronts, and I wonder - how?

I was talking to my artist friend Melissa Gregory over tea this morning about these paintings, and she asked me how other people respond to these paintings...well here's your chance, public - I know you're out there, I can see the stats for this blog, and I'm happy and flattered to note there are a fair few visitors every day! So I'm not writing to myself after all! Let me know what you think.

Fishing at Pyramid Lake, NV

Bid for this painting on Ebay!

I went with my husband and some friends up to Pyramid Lake yesterday, and it was stunning. I'm really into long shadows at the moment, so the position of the sun was perfect for capturing some dramatic shadows on the sand. It was mightily cold, so despite the sun we were all bundled up in winter jackets and hats. I did some rough sketches whilst we were there, looking at body position and the cool silhouette shapes created by the combination of bulky clothes and the motions of casting and reeling. We didn't catch any fish, but that was ok, we had a fun day out - thankyou Anna Lou and Bob!

More Pyramid Lake paintings tomorrow.

Same Cup Different Day

Bid For this painting on Ebay

Yes, as the title suggests...No more cups tomorrow though, as we went fishing at Pyramid Lake, Nevada today, and I'm really inspired! I did one painting as soon as we got in, which I'll upload tomorrow.

Blue Cup

Bid for this painting on Ebay


I'm experimenting with compositions and colours I'm not used to today. There are certain colours I never used to use if I could help it, like green - which I had a bit of an aversion to for some reason - which I'm reconciling myself with.

The cup is a really pretty handmade one we bought in a yard sale when we first moved to Tahoe. We got lucky because it was Labour Day weekend and everybody, it seems, has a yard sale then, and we kitted out our whole new house in one very exciting weekend. I love yard sales and thrift stores, partly because I try to recycle everything, and partly because of all the unique things you can find which people have bought from all over the place.

Welsh Sale 2008

I've just mailed 8 paintings to Rogers Jones Auction House in North Wales, for their annual Welsh Sale in April! I'll be in good company - works by the late Kyffin Williams will also be on sale at auction. Contact Rogers Jones, UK for more details.

Taylor's Back

Bid for this painting on Ebay

As a climber, I have 'favourite' parts of the body, which fascinate me. Shoulders, backs and hands are particularly important to a climber, and usually the parts which sustain a lot of injuries too - so you become quite familiar with them on yourself and others. Taylor and I went to the 'Bodies' exhibition at the Carnegie Science Museum in Pittsburgh over Xmas, a fascinating collection of preserved cadavers. Some where whole bodies, in 'action' (such as kicking a ball) and the rest were dissected, skinned, cross-sectioned, in all manner of ingenious ways to show what amazingly complex forms we as humans are.

So of course at the hands section, Taylor and I were fascinated by the structure of the tendons, pulleys, and ligaments we've so often injured whilst pulling our body weight up on our fingertips. "Oh, there's the pulley I partially tore on both my ring fingers!, no wonder it made such a horrible sound" Anyway, I spare you the rest, unless you climb, it's as nerdy as Star Wars.