Embracing the Beauty of Somerset: My connection to this landscape through the years

Exmoor in North Somerset. This is one stretch of the River Exe that I've known since childhood. The stones are dark and lovely under water. As children we used to climb under the bridge in our wellies and be dragged onto the moor for long walks. It often rained but the beauty and magic of this landscape has become a part of me. I bring my own sons and they now have an appreciation for the wild beauty of this environment. Constantly changing with the seasons, the rainfall, the sunshine it never ceases to being me peace and inspiration. I love to paint en plain air in Somerset and walk here at regular intervals in the year. When I return to my studio in Brighton I use my sketches and my photographs to think about what I want to paint. August 2025