Chris Holmes Antiques & Art

Still-life depicting late-summer dahlia, echinacea and flowers from my garden gathered at the height of abundance, where colour, weight and structure are allowed to exist without interruption. Light settles across the petals as presence rather than drama, concentrating attention on the intensity of bloom at its fullest celebratory moment.

Oil, walnut ink and mixed media with gesso on board in Antique gilded frame with satyrs masks 140 w x 117 h cm Framed 113 w x 90 h cm Unframed

Within my garden at a moment when light moves fully through it, illuminating petals, stems and seed heads alike, so that structure and softness are equally revealed. The light seems to open the space outward, creating a feeling of continuity — as if the garden extends beyond itself, unfolding endlessly. What emerges is a sense of ultimate joy: not fleeting or ecstatic, but vast and sustaining, where growth, light and presence align and feel boundless.

Oil, mixed media and gesso on board in antique frame 143 w x 94 h cm Unframed 185 w x 137 h cm Framed

Casa De Las Salinas is a 16th Century Renaissance period house in the centre of Seville. The central courtyard is designed in a traditional layout which has been used since Roman times, creating a cool and tranquil space. In the 16th Century the owners noble family Jaén, appear among the most active merchants and financiers in Seville.
The red ochre walled courtyard is adorned with Moorish, Medieval and Renaissance objects and architectual elements. A pair of dark Triana green jars to transport precious oils and spices sit upon iron trivets.

The spaces whispers of the past and the jars have a monolithic presence evocative of a strong soul and spirit.

Oil, mixed media and gesso on board 120cm h x 60.5 cm w

Inspired by the work of an anonymous (female?) artist "Virgen de Reposo" is housed in the Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla, in which the abundant branches of an apple tree shelter the resting Virgin and Child as the madonna hands the child a freshly fallen apple. The painting refers to the idea of the garden of eden, but the Madonna presents as a second Eve. The painting is ethereal and sensitive and the delicately painted subject matter refers to the the Christian doctrine of falling from grace and the salvation of the human race. For me the work is more about the connection of humanity and the beauty and gift of nature, of which I seek to represent in my own interpretation with a fallen apple below the apple tree.

Oil and gesso on board 120cm h x 60.5cm w

Foxgloves appear briefly as apparitions, catching light before dissolving back into space. The work reflects my fascination with how luminosity is carried through living things, how colour can create emotion without being illustrative: a moment where growth, fragility and illumination coincide.

Pastel and acrylic on paper 43 w x 57.5 h cm Unframed 52 w x 72 h cm Framed

In the great tradition of bringing citrus specimens from far flung climes I returned home with a windfall fruit from the royal palace of Real Alcázares De Seville. A perfect 'Citrus Limon Osbeck' Lemon from the great citrus collection.

In the sixteenth century there were sweet and bitter lemon trees in the gardens of the Real Alcázares, planted in the Garden of Cidral. In the 1669 Chronicles of Cosimo de Medicis around Spain and Portugal,the Tuscan prince narrates that he stopped to admire the vegetation: the great wonder of these gardens was however for us to find lemon trees covered with flowers in December... The citrus collections were so revered - it is known that The architect Vermondo Resta, who conducted much of the reform of the gardens in the early seventeenth century, was given everyday oranges and lemons and seasonal flowers from the gardens of Alcázar. These were some of the grants enjoyed by the architect as the greatest master of Seville’s palace. True treasure from the gardens of Paradise in Seville!

Oil, acrylic and gesso on board in antique frame 41 cm w x 32.5 cm h unframed 54 cm w x 46 cm h framed

I am thinking about the moment of suspension — not just physical, but spiritual and temporal. The apple hangs between growth and fall, held in a quiet pause that feels both intimate and charged. This work reflects my ongoing fascination with stillness as a form of contemplation: the way a single fruit, briefly arrested in time, can become an offering.

Oil and gesso on canvas in antique frame 26 w x 36 h cm Unframed 32.5 w x 43.5 h cm Framed

17th Century pewter plate with pomegranate. The semi-reflective surface of the pewter plate holds luminosity. The objects are caught still and expectant in soft thin Winter light, delicately highlighting the dry spiky fronds of the thistles and holding the forms of the pomegranates.

Mixed media and oil on paper in glazed modern slim gold frame 70 w x 50 h cm unframed (71 w x 51 h cm framed) (Pomegranate in bowl with thistles)

The remaining forms of summer thin into memory. Petals loosen, colour fades, and what remains is held gently — a record of passing rather than loss. A point where abundance begins to ebb and attention sharpens. It is a painting of transition and endurance, holding the flower not at its height nor its conclusion, but in the subtle interval where vitality lingers and the season turns inward.

Pastel and acrylic on paper 50 h x 70 w cm Unframed 63 h x 93.5 w cm Framed

Apples gathered together, their forms overlapping and merging. Stillness as a form of devotion. The apples are brought together not for abundance or display, but to be held in a single moment of attention. The drawing holds collective presence — not individual objects, but a shared weight shaped by closeness and restraint.

Art Graf water-soluble pastel, walnut ink and graphite on paper 43 w x 30 h cm Unframed 52 w x 42 h cm Framed

Ceres is a gestural, impressionistic work on paper, created en plein air in my garden, capturing the fleeting moment of autumnal light as it dances across the perennial border I planted a year ago. In this piece, I’ve sought to convey the raw energy and fluidity of nature evoking the vibrant, evolving forms of the plants. The fennel fronds, Helenium 'Moerheim Beauty', and Echinops thistle emerge in bold, sweeping gestures, their forms suggested rather than defined. The interplay between soft washes and vigorous mark-making reflects the contrast between the quiet decay of autumn and the persistent energy of growth.

Through Ceres, I aim to capture not just the physicality of the plants, but their essence—their moment in time, caught in the ebb and flow of the seasons. The composition speaks to the transient nature of life, the energy of nature, and the meditative process of observing it in its purest, most unfiltered form.

Graphite and conte pastel drawing on Arches watercolour paper w 114 x h 76.5 cm (framed size w 134 x h 96.5 cm approx.)

Astaea captures the abundant energy of my garden as it transitions into winter. The thick impasto layers of oil paint, gesso, and encaustic wax create a rich, textured surface, evoking the tapestry-like quality of the perennial border—where seed heads and foliage form in preparation for the frost, offering sustenance for the birds. The asters, fennel, and heleniums emerge from this layered surface, with some flowers gilded to catch the light, bringing an ethereal glow to the piece.

The dense, tactile surface reflects the garden’s flourishing energy, woven and celebrating both growth and the quiet beauty of decay. Each layer adds to the depth and complexity, mirroring the cycles of nature and the evolving patterns within the garden. Through Astaea, I seek to convey the sense of an ever-changing, living canvas, where the garden’s purpose continues even as it prepares for the stillness of winter. The painting becomes a testament to the garden’s ability to inspire and sustain, even in the midst of transformation.

Oil, gesso, raw pigment and encaustic wax on board in antique frame w 57 x h 84.5 cm (Framed in antique frame w 82 x h 107 cm)

Not an ending, but a gathering of what lingers. This work attends to the residue of warmth, colour, and light after the flowers peak has passed, holding them with care rather than nostalgia. It is a painting about continuity — how abundance leaves traces that still sustain. A single quince anchors the composition.

Oil, mixed media and gesso on paper 50 h x 70 w cm Unframed 63 h x 93.5 w cm Frame

Part of 'The Seville Triptych'. Outside the battlements of the Real Alcázar de Sevilla, the Moorish Royal Palace with fountain-filled gardens and one of the most exceptional botanical and citrus collections dating back to the 16th Century, is the passage Calle Judería next to Plaza de los Venerables (Hospital of the Venerable Priests). The street is notable for its intense golden ochre walls, and in early April wisteria tumbles with joyous abandonment over the top lintel giving furtive glimpses of an secret internal courtyard housing palms, cyprus and magnolia trees.

Mixed media on canvas in handmade frame 183 cm h x 85 cm unframed 202 cm h x 100 cm w m 4.5 cm d

An unexpected moment in the garden — different poppy varieties rising together. The weather has tangled them, bending and interlacing stems, yet their arrival feels urgent and celebratory, a signal that summer has begun to assert itself. There is a sense of surprise, of growth arriving unannounced, carrying both fragility and momentum. The shifting of seasons.

Pastel and acrylic on paper 50 w x 70 h cm Unframed 63 w x 93.5 h cm Framed

The rain has passed and the garden begins to right itself. The blooms are no longer weighed down but not yet still, caught in a quiet re-ordering as petals lift, settle and re-find their place. What matters here is balance regained rather than perfection — a sense of lightness returning, of forms breathing again after pressure.

Pastel and acrylic on paper 50 w x 70 h cm Unframed 63 w x 93.5 h cm Framed

Freshly opened poppies are unsettled by a sudden change in weather. Movement fractures the blooms, leaving vulnerability exposed and energy alive to the elements.

Pastel and acrylic on paper 50 w x 70 h cm Unframed 63 w x 93.5 h cm Framed

Vibrant cerise peony flowers unfurl against shadows, the silouttes of date palm trees cast blue grey forms across white washed walls.

The work is inspired by the resplendent chiaroscuro and luminous qualities of the work of one of Seville’s lustrous Baroque artists ‘Bartolomé Esteban Murillo’, best known for his religious works but also capturing the soul and life of the place and people. in In particular after “Iconography of Porciúncula” - the miracle of celestial falling flowers from the heavens.

Oil and mixed media on Arches Oil Paper 130 w x 80 h cm unframed 145 w x 95 h cm framed

Together in Light & Earth is a meditative composition, evoking balance and harmony. The pewter plate, holding a ripe quince, sings of the earth’s bounty and the passage of time. The quince, with its golden tones and imperfect form, is ripe and this moment of perfection in nature fleeting.

The mussel shell, contains raw pigment for painting, speaks to the transformation of nature into art, bridging the raw and the crafted. Historically Mussel shells and other shells have been used by artists for centuries, dating back to ancient times. In the Renaissance, for example, artists would use shells to hold pigments and as mixing dishes for their paints. In the background, the heart-shaped 18th-century Rushlight candle holder adds warmth, symbolising light, inspiration, representing enlightenment, while its soft glow contrasts with the grounding presence of the other objects.

The careful placement of each element creates a perfect equilibrium, offering a quiet moment of stillness and contemplation.

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame w 51 x h 41 cm (framed w 59 x h 69 cm)

22 x 19 cm unframed (Framed 29 x 26 cm)

Oil and gesso on board.

A stack of medieval bowls and storage jar in my studio. Once used for transporting across the seas and to hold oils or pigments from far away places. Their surfaces are worn as if eroded by the sea. Their potters slips and glazes so natural like the shifting sands, their usage perfectly every day.

Kabir (c. 1440-1518) wrote, in The Clay Jug:

Inside this clay jug are canyons and pine mountains And the maker of canyons and pine mountains All seven oceans are inside, and hundreds of millions of stars The acid that tests gold is there and the one that judges jewels And the music from the strings that no one touches, and the source of all water If you want the truth, I will tell you the truth: Friend, listen.... The God whom I love is inside

92 x 61 cm ( Framed 117 x 89.5 cm ) Oil, raw pigment and gesso on board in antique frame.

Finestra is a meditation on light, material and memory. Composed on my studio table in front of a window, the objects—two earthenware bowls of lemons, one holding a pair of serving spatulas, a 17th-century Italian maiolica jug, an unglazed water vessel, and small wax containers—are rendered in silhouette, transformed by the backlight into quiet, almost imprinted forms. The lemons, often depicted in southern Italian ceramics as symbols of vitality and abundance, bring warmth and familiarity, their presence connecting centuries of domestic ritual and visual tradition.

The red wax vessels—once used in a London bronze foundry to cast works by Elizabeth Frink and Henry Moore—introduce a subtle narrative of process and legacy. In Finestra, I explore the relationship between the functional and the poetic: how humble, timeworn objects, when placed in a certain light, carry a kind of still resonance. The work is not only a still life but a window into a contemplative space where past and present quietly converge.

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 148 x 83cm.

Negrita captures a moment at the beginning of spring, when the world starts to loosen its grip on winter and colour quietly returns. The painting centres around parrot tulips and roses—flowers that, to me, symbolise both fragility and strength. Their forms are sculptural, almost unruly, yet they hold themselves with a grace that feels deeply rooted in the earth’s seasonal rhythms.

These blooms are painted not as decoration, but as living forms caught in transition—unfurling, tilting, reaching towards light. The composition is expressive and textured, reflecting the energy and unpredictability of early spring. In Negrita, I was interested in capturing not just the appearance of flowers, but the atmosphere around them: the air, the stillness, the sense of something beginning. It is both a botanical study and a quiet celebration of seasonal change—where new life is felt before it is fully seen.

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

126 x 67cm (140 x 80 cm approx Framed)

Kama is a word rich with ambiguity—it can mean kiln, oven, or stove in Japanese—but beyond that, it carries a sense of transformative heat and elemental change. In this work, I’ve tried to embody the feeling of kama not just as a functional vessel, but as a space of alchemy, where energy bursts forth, uncontrollable, and life is quite literally burned into clay.

The painting is layered with texture and weight—ash, earth, pigment—evoking the moment where matter begins to shift, to fuse, to become something new. Colour is caught in flux: darkened, scorched, and glowing at once. Kama is about that liminal state—between destruction and creation, energy and stillness—where the essence of something ancient is formed in fire.

Raw pigments, graphie, oil paint and gesso on board in handpainted antique frame. 70 x 98 cm ( Framed 92 x 118 cm )

Oil, raw pigment and gesso on board in hand-painted antique frame.

Rha is a meditation on place—its textures, its history, its quiet rhythms. At its heart is a bundle of Yorkshire rhubarb, known for its vivid pink stalks and cultivated in candlelit forcing sheds, a tradition unique to this part of England. The rhubarb rests in a deep, darkly glazed English earthenware bowl, its surface catching a wash of sky-reflected blue—an accidental but poignant connection between earth and air.

Alongside it lies a pale, almost spectral pomegranate, a fruit long associated with myth and memory. A pair of curling scissors and a worn tar pan complete the arrangement—humble, almost forgotten tools with a kind of archival presence. Rha speaks to rootedness and time, to the way objects carry traces of their landscapes, and how domestic fragments can echo larger histories. It’s a painting about cultivation, about the alchemy of growth, and about the way we quietly inherit and observe the places we live.

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame. 119 x 74 cm

Still life composition or 'Opus'. The bowl is a pottery Roman bowl, simply and freely made, feels like its barely been touched by hand. But it still remains, illuminated by light, holding precious once-rare lemons. Its existence is incredible...how it is still with us after all the time past..I think of all the shifting sands and ebbing tides.

60 x 51 cm ( Framed 88 x 78 cm )

Oil, graphite and gesso on board in antique frame.

A group of once-rare and precious lemons sat within a crumpled brown paper bag at the edge of my studio table. They emerge from shadows cast by the foot of the huge lichen covered French earthernware Frejús jar. They are almost salt encrusted, they emerge as a precious object revealed hiding in dunes of sand

60 x 51 cm ( Framed 88 x 78 cm )

Oil, graphite and gesso on board in antique frame.

Srulu is a quiet study of form, contrast and the enduring presence of handmade objects. The painting depicts two traditional Puglian earthenware water jugs—one glazed in warm ochre, the other left raw and unglazed. There’s a quiet dialogue between them: one luminous and sealed, the other matte and porous, each shaped by human hands, earth, and fire.

The title Srulu, drawn from a local dialect in Puglia, evokes something intimate and untranslatable—perhaps a whispered name, a fragment of place, or a rhythm remembered. In this work, I was drawn to the way these vessels hold history without needing to explain it. They are practical forms, but also deeply sculptural—worn, imperfect, and dignified. This still life is less about objects as symbols and more about presence—the quiet sense that something or someone has just stepped out of view.

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

34.5 x 42.5cm (54 x 62cm Framed)

Ad Lucem means 'bring to light' in Latin. A new period of learning and discovering, of bringing to light. Simple objects in the studio: the pewter spoon, the tiny wooden chair and pewter plate; my Biot or Frejus jar covered in bright ochre lichens - all illuminating in the light from the dark studio floor. The plate and spoon as an offering.

Oil, raw pigment, powdered mica and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 133 w x 109 h cm (117 x 94 cm aperture)

Horis Diei—Latin for “daylight hours”—is a celebration of the high summer garden, a moment suspended in warmth, colour, and movement. Painted from life, this piece draws on the energy of heliantus and rudbeckia, among other flowers growing freely in my garden. Their vivid, sun-soaked blooms embody the very essence of summer: brightness, abundance, and impermanence.

The Latin title connects not only to the sun-following nature of these plants—Heliantus, from helios, meaning “sun”—but also to a deeper reflection on time. These are the flowers of the longest days, flourishing during the most generous hours of light. In Horis Diei, I wanted to capture the vitality of that fleeting window, when life is at its fullest, and light stretches endlessly across the hours. The brushwork is gestural and layered, allowing each bloom to feel as if it’s caught in motion, responding to breeze and brilliance alike.

Mixed media and oil on board

80.5 cm w x 106 cm h Unframed size.

A pewter charger is set on a long ancient oak table in Gwydir Castle. Shafts of pale blue and golden light dance across it's surface. It speaks of ancient times, times past and lives shared. I visited Gwydir just after my previous exhibition in Autumn last year. The plate reminds me of my pewter plates in my studio. The object is caught still and expectant in the thin winter light. Impressive in its austere simplicity.

Gwydir Castle is situated in the Conwy Valley, Wales near Llanrwst. It is a fortified manor house dating back to c.1500, a wonderfully atmospheric place with an incredible history.

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame 58.8 cm w x 45 cm h unframed 76 cm w x 64 cm h framed

A small carved wooden Welsh spoon rack with it's collection of wooden Cawl spoons is glimpsed in a pool of winters light from the small rustic window.

The Welsh 'Lovespoon' dates back to the ledgend of St Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers who founded a convent at Llanddwyn off the west coast of Anglesey. A place of pigrimage since her death in 465 AD. St Dwynwen's Day is celebrated on the 25th January by young suitors traditionally giving their beloved a token of their affections, a lovespoon.

This work was created in the winter to spring months, it is part of a series of pieces which hold the same quality and was inspired by my move to the countryside and the new found feeling of calm and contemplation. I love my new old home - there is a wonderful constant feeling of ancient past times and lives, the sense of this place filters into the paintings.

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame 41 cm w x 60 cm h unframed 50 cm w x 70 cm h framed

Many Roman garden-scene frescos depict a small fountain amongst the abundant foliage of their dream gardens. I'm enchanted by the Roman's ability to bring the sound of water to their homes, irrigated by the mighty Aqua Augustus aqueduct: the smallest fountains with the cooling harmony of running water, concealing conversations and blocking the humdrum everyday of the outside world.

64.5 w x 78 h cm (Framed 84 w x 97 h cm) Oil, mixed media and gesso on board in antique frame with classical motif decoration.

'Hydria' was the Greek name given to a type of water-carrying vessel. It also held oil and the votes of judges. Of course water is essential to life, as the egg symbolises new beginnings, or in fact the beginning of life.

65 w x 48 h cm (80.5 x 62 cm Framed)

Oil and venetian red gesso ground on board in antique frame.

"But like love the archers are blind

Upon the green night, the piercing saetas leave traces of warm lily.

The keel of the moon breaks through purple clouds and their quivers fill with dew.

Ay, but like love the archers are blind!"

- Before The Dawn - Federico Garcia Lorca

53 w x 42 h cm (Framed 71 w x 60 h cm)

Oil, mixed media and gesso on board in antique gilded French Rococo Revival Frame c.1860

Inspired by the 'Hare with Grapes' painting of Pompeii. Grapes were central to the Roman diet, and of course their worship of Bacchus the God of Wine. Often featured in fresco, coins or relief. They are symbols of Classical Antiquity. The pomegranate was considered an atribue of Venus, who was orignally the goddess of agriculture. They make an appearance in many fresco paintings as well as literature such as that of Ovid the Roman poet. For me these fruits are truly symbolic, and seen here placed within a kind of lararium or shrine of the home as offerings to the Gods.

57.5 w x 47.5 h cm (Framed 71 w x 61 h cm) Oil, mixed media and gesso on board in antique frame.

The European grapevine has been used as a symbol since ancient times. In Greek mythology, Dionysus or the Roman 'Bacchus' was the god of the vintage, therefore bunches of the fruit were among his attributes. Throughout history wine has been drunk as a libation to the god, as a symbol of Jesus Christ.

The grapes and pomegranate placed on a Georgian pewter plate upon a medieval trivet become part of a vanitas celebrating beauty and life.

80 w x 57 h cm (Framed size 104.5 w x 82 h cm)

Oil, raw pigment and gesso on board in antique frame from The Palace of Versailles.

The giant over-painted and waxed medieval monastery offering bowl. It sings of centuries of sanctity, sharing, of care, contemplation and faith. There is a feeling of constant but nothing is taken for granted. What is consistent is the light. The echo of dappled sunlight moves across the surfaces of the bowl - optimistic and pure. The simple unobtrusive bowl is full of humility and yet it is also most sacred and full of grace.

76.5 w x 66 h cm (Framed size 96 w x 86 h cm)

Encaustic wax, raw pigment and oil paint in antique frame from The Palace of Versailles.

Glass vase with pomegranate fruit inspired by the glass jar with fruit fresco at Oplontis within the Villa of Poppaea, owned by the Emperor Nero. Poppaea was surrounded by extensive dignified and elegant gardens with majestic arcades. The fresco celebrates the abundance of fruits (probably grown within the gardens) and highlights the precious and sumptuous nature of the glass. Within the frescos of the Villa, realistic perspective is abandoned in favour of flatness of elongated forms which formed a kind of shrine around an often mythological central room scene.

39.5 w x 55 h cm (Framed 56 w x 71.5 h cm) Oil, mixed media and gesso on board in 19th Century Spanish gilt frame.

A marriage between two vessels. Pale white faience French ceramics, once housing mythical elements of an 18th century chemist's ingredients which were redolent with occult associations and mystical tradition. The colourful names given by chemists to describe their concoctions often had little link to the actual substrates housed, but conjured the idea of the power of the ingredients.

31.5 w x 43.5 h cm (Framed 45.5 w x 57.5 h cm) Oil, mixed media and gesso on board in antique frame.

I came across a sunflower field in a most unexpected place, just after lockdown on an unexpected day of escape from what had become the norm. The sunflower field epitomised life at every stage. Indeed, the species name annus referes to the plant's annual life cycle. 'Gaudium Vitae' translates from latin as 'the joy of life'. I wanted the paintings to be explosions of light, shape and colour. Like fireworks - celebrating - or deep space star constellations - places of creation.

80.5 w x 106 h cm (Framed 123 w x 146.5 h cm) Oil, mixed media and gesso on board in dramatic 18th Century Italian gilded antique frame with perfect patination

The Hortus was the name given to the central garden within a Roman home. A place to enjoy the notion of 'Otium'! A latin abstract term with a number of meanings, including: time at home, resting, contemplation and academic endeavours. It can have intellectual and virtuous implications. Activities that were considered in the Roman world, to be artistically valuable...and above all enlightening!

44 w x 35.5 h cm (58 x 49 cm Framed) Oil and encaustic wax on board in antique frame.

From latin aurea *"golden" referencing the disk of light surrounding the heads of sacred figures. The sunflowers remind me of this light, their radiant crowns and faces turning to follow the sun.*

Oil, raw pigment, encaustic wax and gesso on board in hand-painted antique frame.

105.5 w x 75.5 h cm (Framed 124 w x 94 h cm)

In I’r Môr, I paint the moment where land loosens its hold and water draws everything outward. This view of Hunmanby Gap becomes an inlet of passage—waves driving through a narrowing channel that feels as though it opens into the greater oceans beyond. The sun is low, its final light dissolving into the surface of the sea, and the tide carries both force and invitation.

I worked instinctively with raw natural pigments, gesso and oil, allowing the materials to echo the physicality of the place. Dense passages and scraped surfaces suggest rock, undertow and weather, while lighter veils of pigment hold the fading light at the horizon. The painting moves between weight and release: waves collide and break, yet the eye is continually pulled outward, toward distance, depth and the unknown.

This work is less a literal seascape than an emotional threshold—about movement, surrender, and the quiet pull of the sea as a place of leaving and becoming.

Oil paint, raw pigment, mixed media and gesso on board Unframed: 163 cm (w) × 77 cm (h) Framed: 180 cm (w) × 94 cm (h)

Tranquietas is Latin for peacefullness. It means to pause, relax and think. My antique paint brushes pause on the pewter dish in my studio - the tool behind ideas, a tension before I paint or perhaps the peacefullness of when I am still.

Oil and gesso on board in hand painted antique frame.

Framed 67 w x 56.5 h cm (52 x 43 cm aperture)

Oil, raw pigment, graphite and gesso on board. Unframed size 90 cm w x 72 cm h. Framed size 103 cm w x 85 cm h.

Oil and gesso on board. Unframed size 51 cm w x 39 cm h. Framed size 61 cm w x 48 cm h.

On a ’Pompeii Red’ Natural pigment ‘fresco’ surface, ‘Lararium’ is a luminous, delicate and offering painting. Based around the notion of the Roman Lararium or the shrine in the centre of the home. A shrine to the guardian spirits of the Roman household. Family members performed daily rituals at this shrine to guarantee the protection of these domestic spirits, the most significant of which were the lares.

Oil, raw pigment and gesso on board in antique frame.

52 w x 44 h cm (Framed size)

The last vestiges of Summer evident in the sculptural organic seed heads of Sunflowers from my winter garden held in Medieval Seidberg jugs 'capturing light'.

Oil, mixed media and gesso on board in antique frame 46 cm w x 65 cm h unframed 60 cm w x 78 cm framed

Oil, raw pigment and gesso on board. Unframed size 51 cm w x 39 cm h. Framed size 61 cm w x 48 cm h.

'Alba' a Latin word for 'white, clear, bright'. Its' connotations of the dawn as the sunrise begins with bright clear light. Alba illuminates.

35.5 x 26 cm ( Framed 47 x 37.5 cm )

Oil, graphite and gesso on board in antique frame.

Oil and gesso on board. Unframed size 51 cm w x 40 cm h. Framed size 64 cm w x 54 cm h.

Persephone is the Greek Goddess of Spring. This still life of the pewter bowl, pomegranates and the budding Winter's branch. The pomegranates seeds awaiting the renewing warmth of Spring and Summer.

61 x 51 cm (Framed 75 x 65cm)

Oil and gesso on board in hand-painted antique frame.

Moments of fleeting beauty are captured and mirrored - the tension between glimpses of pure joy in the every day revered. The arrival of Spring is signalled by the blousy peony flowers, abundant and expressive, their faces tilting to the stars. They feel expansive, incandescent like a new constellation in the nights sky or transported by a twighlight tide.

Mixed media and oil on Arches Oil Paper Glazed in Antique Frame

95 cm w 65 cm h Unframed - (Framed size TBC)

The great magnolia signalling the first signs of Winter turning to Spring. In my February visit to Cornwall, the peninsular is a month ahead..great beautiful pink and white noble blooms are the gentle awakening of Spring.

115 x 70.5 cm ( Framed 136 x 90.5 c

Oil, graphite and gesso on board in antique frame.

Stars of magnolia in the dusky light, signalling the beginning of spring against brooding atmospheric grey-white skies.

69 x 59 cm ( Framed 93 x 82 cm )

Oil, graphite and gesso on board in antique frame.

The fleeting beauty of magnolia buds bursting into bloom change as life also begins to bloom again and the days get longer and the seasons change. The magnolias short but glorious life, like Japanese 'Sakura' blossom, speak of the impermanence of time and ground us in pure enjoyment of this moment.

47 x 67 cm ( Framed 66 x 86 cm )

Oil, graphite and gesso on board in antique frame.

Dusk falls and highlights the outline of architectural agapanthus flower heads; bold brilliant Echinacea; soft vibrations of cornflower blue Scabiosa and Delphinium; and starry white Aster luminous against a pale viridian sky. The night time garden draws on.

Named after Titus Livius who was known as one of Rome's distinguished historians, he was known as 'the man from Pompeii' and the tones of this painting bear semblance to the classic greens found in the frescoes of Pompeii.

71.5 w x 48 h cm (Framed size 89w x 66 h cm)

Raw pigment, oil paint with encaustic damar and beeswax wax on board in an antique frame.

Oil, mixed media and gesso on board in antique window-shaped frame. Unframed size 46 cm w x 65 cm h. Framed size 56 cm w x 75 cm h.

Nasturtiums were brought back to Spain in the 1500s after the Spanish conquests! Their trumpet shaped flowers signal the change of Spring to Summer. Their red, orange and yellow flowers are full of heat and energy - passion like Spain! They remind me of these warmer climes, dreams of places I've visited and wish with all my heart to return to!

59.4 w x 42 h cm

Water-soluble pastel on Khadi paper

An abundant celebration of Summer! My terrace full of nasturtiums, their yellow flowers heralding the change in seasons, their shape like the trumpets of Angels! We are being visited by butterflies and bees enjoying the flowers' sweet nectar. They bring joy, energy and creativity. This drawing is the first in a series of direct observational pieces based solely on the nasturtiums. The marks and feeling are immediate, strong and vital like the flower.

59.4 w x 42 h cm

Water-soluble pastel on Khadi paper

Chloris was 'the Greek Goddess of Spring'. The undulating tangle of Nasturtium flowers are both delicate and gravity defying in their presence. Chloris represents a celebration of Spring, of flowers and new growth. These flowers feel like the essence of this.

"As she talks, her lips breathe spring roses: I was Chloris, who am now called Flora." - Ovid

59.4 w x 42 h cm

Water-soluble pastel on Khadi paper

Oil, raw pigment and encaustic wax on board in antique frame.

60 w x 38.5 h cm (Framed 83 w x 62 h cm

A gift of the first flourish of Summers sunflowers.

Oil, raw pigment and encaustic wax on board in antique hand-painted frame.

54.5 w x 46 h cm (Framed 70 w x 60.5 h cm)

46 h x 31 w cm (Framed 61 h x 45.5 w cm)

Shared ritual of the Japanese tea ceremony. This little solitary Tea Bowl created by Master potter Shoji Hamada speaks so much in its quietness and simplicity. The light in my studio flows around and illuminates this very special tiny sacred object.

34 x 28 cm ( Framed 50 x 43 cm )

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

47 h x 57 w cm (Framed 60 h x 69 w cm)

Oyster shells and Belleek Neptune shell cup and saucer. The luminosity of the white inside the oyster shell reminds me of the brightest cloudy skies above the sea, the vibrancy of the light dancing through the fine porcelain like that of a sea worn shell fragment. 'Atargatis' was a goddess of fertility but also the first described Mermaid goddess.

56 x 40cm (Framed 81 x 64cm)

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

I'm fascinated by the process of making the tiny Tea Bowl. Each phase has a certain synergy of energy from the shared Leach Pottery, where the potters make these simple everyday treasures, the intimacy of working with clay and allowing it to take your intuition and therefore create something so everyday and imperfect but perfect..to the final ceremony in tea. There is human connection through this special object.

43 x 31 cm ( Framed 63 x 51 cm)

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

A pewter plate full of oyster 'Ostrea' shells. Abundance and life.

61 x 47.5cm (Framed 76 x 62cm)

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

This giant delicate Japanese pottery storage jar would have transported precious perishables at sea. A monolithic vessel which speaks of past times.

63 x 137 cm ( Framed 92.5 x 166 cm )

Oil, raw pigment, charcoal and gesso on board in antique frame.

54 x 44.5cm (Framed 71.5 x 61.5cm)

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

Frejus is the name given to huge storage pots from a specific region of France. This huge lichen covered storage jar holds promise - from the precious oils and goods it once contained, echoing stories of trade and cultures connecting. It is now quiet and contemplative but is a key to our past. Frejus is full of light.

Raw pigment, oil, charcoal and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 92w x 103.5h cm (70 x 83cm aperture)

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 55.5 w x 36.5 h cm (38 x 19 cm aperture)

Ollam Latin for Pot. This huge lichen covered storage jar holds promise - from the precious oils and goods it once contained, echoing stories of trade and cultures connecting. It is now quiet and contemplative but its silence and pause sings with voices from the past. Ollam and the keys are emerging from the its sintered bronze grey darkness, illuminating with glances of light.

Raw pigment, oil, sintered bronze powder and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 89 w x 103.5 h cm (62.5 x 78cm aperture)

'Umbra' means dusk in Latin. I draw in graphite powder - my umbra. What remains is a fleeting impression of the present moment. A celebratory collective image of my everyday objects that bring me happiness: my paint pots holding brushes, my brushes laid out. A pewter plate and spoon could be waiting to be painted or perhaps for my lunch! The precious mussel shell that was snuck into my hand bag by my partner Chris to remind me of our day at the beach.

Graphite, oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 111 w x 75 h cm (95 x 59 cm aperture)

'Olei Simpuvium' Oil and ladle in Latin. The Spanish small ovid storage jar transported oil. Its exterior was once accidentally splattered in green oily glaze (perhaps in a Triana Seville workshop)..its a complete one-off a rare-happening, and has survived all this time...here honoured by emerging from the shadows waiting to pour oil into the ladle, unlocked history suggested by the hanging rusty keys.

Raw pigment, charcoal, oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 71 w x 50.5 h cm (61.5 x 40.5 cm aperture)

Oil, raw pigment and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 51 w x 61 h cm (37 x 47 cm aperture)

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 74.5 x 58cm

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 96 x 66cm

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 66 x 57cm

"Selkie" comes from the mythology of the mermaid - a creature that lives as seals in the sea and shed their skin to become human. The giant fronts of seaweed remind me of these transformative creatures, beautiful glossy skins lying in the shallow turquoise and purple sea anenome filled rock pools.

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame. Work at Chris Holmes Antiques.

74 x 102 cm (framed 90 x 117cm)

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame. The coolness of the Spring breeze and the glow of the warming sun. 'Olwen' is a celebration of spring - known as one of the Spring Goddesses, wherever Olwen trod pure white clovers sprung from the ground. Work at Chris Holmes Antiques. 125.5 x 65.5cm (Framed 107 x 86cm)

Oil and gesso on board in handpainted antique frame. Freya was the Norse goddess of love and fertility and mythological wife of Odin in Scandinavian mythology. This powerful impressionistic painting is full of power and surface, thick lacerated textures and depth. Observing the arrival of Spring with white amaryllis in bud, lilac and roses. Work at Chris Holmes Antiques. 88 x 66.5cm (Framed 107 x 86cm)

90 x 61 cm

66 x 50 cm

Oil, mixed media and gesso on board. Unframed size 91.5 cm w x 61.5 cm h. Framed size 104 cm w x 74 cm h.

Oil, graphite, raw pigment and gesso on board Unframed size 53.5 cm w x 66 cm h. Framed size 66 cm w x 80 cm h.

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 102 w x 81.5 h cm (85 x 64 cm aperture)

The Waterlily eaters "Lotos" a tension, a tangle of colours and masses and fluidity in the depths of the lake. 74 x 115 cm Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

22 x 19 cm unframed (Framed 29 x 26 cm)

Oil and gesso on board.

Oil and gesso on board in antique frame.

Framed 88 w x 78 h cm (67 x 56.5 cm aperture)

81 w x 69 h cm (Framed 98.5 w x 86 h cm)

Oil, mixed media and gesso on board in antique gilded frame c.1840

The last moments of Summer, as the bright shining face of Rudbeckia remains long into the first glimmers of Autumn. The skies move swiftly with wispy clouds, the afternoon light takes on a violet blue. The seed heads decorate the garden with their graphic forms for Winter.

Oil and gesso on board.
19 cm w x 15 cm h unframed size.

The change from Summer to Autumn brings a new luminous delicate blue-violet light. If you glance out from your windows you will see that the light is completely saturated with this colour - it creates halos around objects. The last of the Summer flowers dance in their new dream.

Oil and gesso on board.
19 cm w x 22 cm h unframed size.

Oil, graphite and gesso on board in antique frame.

82.5 w x 77 h cm (Framed 89.5 w x 84 h cm)

Dusk light across silvered pools of water in St Ives harbour, lines from the fishing boats and the ropes mark the shifting sand banks.

Oil, sintered bronze and gesso on board in antique frame. 74 x 63 cm (Framed 92 x 80 cm)

Part of the Conwy "found objects" series. Inks and papers are encased in wax as I explore the forms of my flotsam and jetsom findings. There is an organised chaos but a joyful feeling to these objects casually strewn by the sea.

50 x 37.5 cm. Wax and oils on plywood.