“You’d be surprised how often a farmer sees their animals in my paintings and recognises each of them straight away.”

On our second painting trip to the Lake District I took the opportunity to meet some Herdwick sheep and study them at close hand.

I’ve always had a soft spot for working dogs. For years I sketched sheepdogs out in the field -  sharp-eyed, alert, utterly focused on their task. But it wasn’t until I started meeting the pet dogs around my village that I really began to see another side of them.

There’s something about the coastline that gets under your skin.
The sea’s constant movement, the changing light, the wildness of it all - it pulls you in, and before long I find myself reaching for my paintbox.

There’s something about a sheepdog that speaks straight to the soul. Whether you’ve watched them working the hills, or simply met one trotting beside a farmer down a country lane, you’ll know what I mean. That quiet intelligence, the tireless energy, and the sheer beauty of a Border Collie at work – they’re one of the icons of rural life, and I’ve loved painting them for years.

“There’s something about the sea that doesn’t just reflect light, it reflects feeling.”

Standing at the water’s edge, brush in hand, I never quite know what I’m going to find.