‘Let us reflect on what is truly of value in life, what gives meaning to our lives, and set our priorities on the basis of that’. From ‘Buddhist Offerings’
watercolour/gouache – Rays of sunlight as I walked through the woods
Moving from August into September has always meant new beginnings for me. Along with the onset of cooler weather and visible changes in nature….there is also a perceptible change in mood. Children go back to school and many return to work. The world around us becomes busier. I am speaking from an English point of view. For my friends living in the southern hemisphere….there are also new beginnings – for them Spring is arriving.
Those who follow this blog will be aware that I usually go to Portugal in April. This year, I am also returning on 18th September for a workshop at the school in Olhao http://www.artinthealgarve.com The School is one of my all time favourite venues – a wonderful places to explore the creative process.
Olhão Portugal – http://www.artinthealgarve.com – watercolour
After working with a group for the first week, fellow artist and good friend Bonnie Halsey Dutton http://www.bonniehalseydutton.com arrives from South Dakota to give a course. As always we take these opportunities to spend some time together. I will also see another artist friend, Vickie Snaddon, who has a house not far from Olhao. It is Vickie who runs the beautiful lodge in Belize http://www.pookehilllodge.com Needless to say, I am really looking forward to it.
Given that Olhao is part of the Ria Formosa National Park...beautiful wildlife abounds – watercolour
watercolour
Nesting storks on one of the local churches. 
I With its courtyards, communal areas and excellent studio space, plus shops, cafes, markets, Lagoon all within a few minutes walk from the school – plus of course the wonderful Margarida and Joanna who take care of all our needs….what more could an anyone wish for.
The Pool House courtyard….I love all the levels, shapes and shadow play. 
The studio. 
The 150 year old Olive Tree that meanders from one of the courtyards up through the three levels of the school. You can see the blue of the roof top pool through the tree. 
watercolour
Another exciting development this year is that I have been invited to exhibit five watercolours at the Chongqing Museum of Art, China. This is part of a French/Chinese annual cultural exchange. I was invited by French artist Claude Lesur who organised an exhibition I had in France eleven years ago. The opening in Chongqing will be on 17th November and next spring the exhibition will come to Paris. I will write more about this after I return from Portugal.
The Art Gallery in Chongqing where the exhibition will be held.
watercolour
This has been one of the best years I can remember. I have visited places, friends and family I love and along the way enjoyed wonderful conversations and much laughter. I am so grateful for this moment in time and that I have been able to focus on what is truly of value in my life.
The magical hummingbirds have been with me all the way……
A bientot
What is Holistic wellbeing? 
In our ever more complex and stressful day to day living, finding ways to balance the different aspects of our lives can at times seem overwhelming. It is for this reason that…
I start this blog where I finished off last time. I had just been driven by Heather from the beautiful Rhiwiau to the busy little market town of Crickhowell where I met up with my friend Jane at the Dragon Inn. 
I lived in Crickhowell for twelve years from 1993 til 2005. During that time, along with commissions and teaching, I worked on a project, entitled Focusing on the Future which used the power of art to teach children about their environment and issues such as trust, loneliness and homelessness. Without going into all the details, it almost made it, but sadly in the end it had to be put aside.
On this visit I stayed at the Dragon Inn which brought back many happy memories. When I first returned to Wales in 1993, I stayed with my cousin and family who initially introduced me to Crickhowell, and then I moved into a small flat over the antique shop right next to the Dragon. The people who ran the Dragon at that time, allowed me to use the functions room to paint portraits and entertain my guests….how wonderful is that……
One of the many portraits I painted in Crickhowell. This is Ken…a man of Wales. As I painted people, I asked them to talk about their lives in Crickhowell all of which I have on cassette tapes. watercolour
In hindsight, when I arrived in 1993, it was the end of an era, With the advent of technology the area has become busier, but thankfully because of protection offered by The Brecon Beacons National Park, it still keeps its charm and has a great sense of community.
It has taken a few years for me to feel totally comfortable again in returning. I think along with feelings of sadness, I felt a sense of letting many people, especially the children down because the Focusing on the Future project didn’t come to fruition. However, I am now pleased to say that all of those negative feelings have gone, allowing me to thoroughly enjoy this very special place again.
Another good friend, Lizzy Wilson joined us for a day…..bringing back many happy and some difficult memories. Lizzy was so supportive when things didn’t work out with the project, and helped me to clear my studio before moving to London.
I could go on and on, but needless to say, Crickhowell and the whole area holds a very special place in my heart. I will now look forward to many more visits.
I first visited the Rhiwiau, the home of my friends Anne and Mike Ranstead , about twenty-four years ago. Along with enjoying happy hours with Anne and Mike and painting in the surrounding hills, this place represents a ‘hot spot’ for me.
Then five years ago my two good friends, Heather and Andrew bought the Rhiwiau from Anne and Mike. Hill walkers and dog lovers, they are the perfect people to take over. They have now made the Rhiwiau into an Air B’nB – attracting people from around the world who love hill walking and all the other bounties that the Brecon Beacons National Park has to offer. Here are the links to their air BnB.
Old head stones interspersed amongst the Yew trees. A magical place
During my stay Heather introduced me to Janis Fry – artist, writer and expert on the Yew Tree. 
Interior of The International Welsh Rarebit Centre….An art gallery and meeting room up stairs. 
I haven’t mentioned yet how hot it was. Usually when it’s hot in London or even in Crickhowell….when you get up into the hills the temperature drops by a few degrees, however, not during this heatwave…and more worryingly a drought! Anyway, given that the house was filled with Air B ‘n B guests, I slept in the Shepherd’s hut which sits just in front of the barn….and I loved it.
My view from inside the Shepherd’s hut along with the sounds of sheep and birds…….perfect.
Another special visit was to the artist Janet Foster who lives and works in the village of Llanfynach. I met Janet when I was tutoring for the Brecknock Art Society and have always enjoyed her work. 
I couldn’t complete this part of my post without mentioning Bounty….a beautiful horse I met that lives just down the road from the Rhwihau. I really liked her. 
After two blissful days at the Rhhwiau – Heather drove me to Crickhowell (about ten miles) where I met up with friend Jane who had driven from London for her first visit to The Magical Town of Crickadoon, where we stayed at the fantastic Dragon Inn. Having heard me talk about it for twelve years, at last she could see it.
A few watercolour sketches painted when visiting the Rhiwiau over the years – always trying to capture the ever changing light of the Brecon Beacons. 
Brecon Beacons Wales – watercolour
I will be back here in about ten days. Janet
Nestled into the Pennsylvania countryside, with a River running by it, the farm is beautiful. Jarrod took me for a tour on the Gator. It was such a happy day – and I was reminded of how much I love the countryside and of course all the animals………..
The three bordering farms are owned by Amish families and although I have been in that part of the world before, and once lived in a house built by the Amish, this was my first experience to observe first hand the ‘plain’ lifestyle chosen by this community of people.
The Amish children (who speak Pennsylvania Dutch until the age of six), have never experienced TV, computers or mobile phones. Within their tightly bound community it is believed that technology weakens the family structure. It is also part of their belief that the conveniences the rest of us use, create inequality.
Kendle’s mother, (a fellow artist and friend I have known since 1974) walked with me to one of the neighbours to purchase some flowers. A group of about seven Amish men were sitting on the porch in front of their house. I introduced myself as Jarrod’s Mother….and from there we had a really interesting conversation. I would have liked to talk with them for much longer. It was one of their holidays, which is why the men were not working. Children were playing happily and women were preparing food. At that moment in time, the world seemed to be a very simple and beautiful place.
Called the ‘Plain’ lifestyle – this is not an easy way of life, however, since 1989 the population has more than doubled in America and Canada from 100.000 to an estimated 251.000 today. Researches estimate the population will double again to half a million within about 21 years. This is down to large families and their settlements spreading around the States…from New York, to Missouri, Wyoming, Montana and Oklahoma. However, the strongest growth is on the east coast, with five new settlements in Maine all less than twelve years old.
Having escaped religious persecution in Germany about three hundred years ago the Amish accepted William Penn’s offer of religious freedom as part of Penn’s ‘Holy Experiment’ of religious tolerance.
Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed myself on the farm and look forward to returning for a longer period in 2020 when I can paint more and hopefully have more conversations with the Amish.
There was Shiela the dog, several wonderful cats, ducks, chickens, horses, and so on…..again all of this means lots of work, but from my point of view – it’s more than worth while.
