Lucky me! I got to paint a beautiful podenco called Maisie, probably short for 'amazing' because she is a tireless jumper and hill climber. For this reason she appears on a mountaintop in the portrait. In person she is affectionate and just a real pleasure to be around. Huge thank you to Ruth for this fun project.

You don't have to have a backbone to be beautiful. Invertebrates comprise the majority of the animal kingdom, up to 97 percent! Whether they have eight legs or no legs, tentacles, or live in shells and under rocks, painting these creatures is a pleasure.

To draw and paint feathers always seemed a daunting and tedious endeavour but if I don't think about it too much, and just focus on the shapes and tones, it magically comes together. Furthermore, birds have such dramatically different eyes, which are fascinating and fun to paint! Check out the video and see if you agree.

As a fisherman's daughter from Nova Scotia I have a lot of appreciation for the work required to bring the ocean's bounty to our tables. Fishing family, friends and fables have inspired my artwork. Here is a selection of sketches, studies, clay tile designs, and finished paintings.

After seeing this video you cannot doubt the ability to manifest dreams... or paintings! Todd the Dog is a fictitious character featured in many paintings as Edmund's loyal companion between 2009 and 2014. Otto, a real dog, was born in Valencia in 2016. He suddenly materialised as a temporary lodger at age six months. He is still with us, thankfully. Paintings of Todd the Dog were premonitions of Otto's colouring, short legs, long body, big snout, wild flapping ears and irresistable brown eyes, not to mention the unexpected way each dog found its new home. (Todd was lurking in Edmund's recycle bin.) Be very careful about what you paint!

My Capricorn husband and I live in an area with many goats, both wild and tame. Here is The Climber, 126x80 cm acrylic painting on three wood panels.

Yesterday on our walk we enjoyed glimpses of lambs, kids, geese and cheeky chickens, some of which were captured on the iPhone (end of this short clip). The main star in this film is Pinky the chicken, 80x80cm painted on wood, 2019.

Today is the 50th birthday of our friend Mark. His wife kindly commissioned a red stag painting to honour the occasion. The short video shows the making of the triptych entitled "Viktoriya's Stag" and the surprise delivery.

There is another important birthday on January 19, that of Edgar Allen Poe, born in 1809.

A selection of artwork produced in 2020 with jaunty music to help me remember the positive outcomes of a challenging year. Heartfelt thanks to all who supported my art practice this year and every year.