Nearly the end of another month...

I am busy painting away, trying to get some commissions finished . Hopefully when they are I will get one or two more in before Christmas.
At the moment I am finding it difficult to get down to work, the light is constantly changing. Bright low level sunshine coming in the window one minute. Dark clouds and rain the next.
It makes it difficult to keep the colours consistent.
I find myself stopping for a cup of tea...(I'm cutting down the coffee) regularly, and the fish are getting too fat...they look for food every time I open up the studio, I have them trained to come looking for food when I am starting work.
Oh well, back to the palette and brushes....

Work and Play, but someones got to do it.

I got this 6 lb 14 oz beauty on the final day of the season on lough sheelin.
It took a silver invicta on the point.
I moved one other fish for the day but it just followed the flies without taking. Later I increased the fly size to try to induce a take, and this fish followed the flies again. This time I stopped the retrieve and waited for a few seconds, then lifted the rod. Thankfully he had the fly in his mouth at the time. :)

Due to the ending of the fishing season, and a trip to London I have not been painting since our trip to Carcassonne. I have two commissions to get organised, started and finished in the next 5 or 6 weeks so I am going to be busy.

A trip to the south of France, but no painting.

I am just back from the South of France, Carcasonne and the Lanquedoc area. Warm sunshine, and occaissional showers but a nice change from the miserable weather over here.





We had a great time walking around Carcassone old city and along the river Aude.


















I spent a lot of time watching the fish in the river and the Gheckos in the walls.

We took a short boat trip down the Canal de Midi too.

Sadly we only had three days, but we enjoyed every minute of our stay.
Incedently we stayed at The Royal Hotel
22 Boulevard Jean Jaurès CARCASSONNE 11000, which at only 45 euro per night for the two of us was excellent value for spotlessly clean rooms with albeit small ensuite, all mod cons, phone and TV.
The staff were very pleasant too.

We did not manage to get to the Art gallery which was just sround the corner.... ...we were too busy enjoying the sunshine,..... but next time...













I did not take a sketch book or similar as I knew I would not have time to paint while we were there, but in a way I'm sorry I didn't because I could have done a couple of quick watercolours while we sat down by the river and outside the old City.