#311 Bonsai Scissors

It's coming up to autumn and it's starting to be the right time for pruning, trees both large and small are ready for thier yearly hacking up! Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#310 Salmon

Turf last night, surf tonight! Fish pie was this evenings meal, minus this bit of salmon which is destined for other dishes... Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#309 Half a Sausage

Sausage Casserole for tea tonight so I snaffled this half of sausage before it got added to the pot! I enjoy contrasts whether they be through colour, tone or subject matter like this following on from the beauty of last nights orchid. The harder to define beauty of a raw sausage! Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#308 White Orchid

I think this has been my biggest plant triumph this year, getting this gorgeous white orchid to flower again. I wish I could remember when it started to flower but I think we have had an entire summer with two flower spikes looking amazing first in the bathroom then the front room. Sadly it started to drop this weekend so, I thought I had better take the opportunity to paint one of the still fresh flowers. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#307 Carrot Top

I have been waiting all year for a carrot top with good leaf on it to paint and today I finally got my wish! Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#306 Chocolate Chip Cookie

Possibly my all time favourite biscuit. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#305 Cashew Nut and a Half

It's great putting stuff back into the kitchen and realising what you have, like these cashew nuts! But also what you don't have like pots and pans for cooking in. So, we are off on an evening Ikea trip. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#304 Papaya Spears

You may have been wondering how I have overcome my dry fruitless muesli from a few days ago. Well I found a packet of these papaya spears to chop up and add to the muesli to taste each day. Be aware not to put the fruit into the muesli when it is this fresh becasue the muesli will soak in the juice making it wet and wierd. Paintings and breakfast tips....interesting twist. Oil on gesso 16cm x12cm.

#303 Stag's Horn Beetle

Not only did the cakes from yesterday come my way as potential painting fodder, this beautiful stag's horn beetle was another monday morning visitor! Thank you Matt, I am already looking forward to the butterflies. I should explain, Matt is a photographer and this beetle and future butterflies are intended for a shoot. I hope they were dead when you lent them to me....Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#302 White Iced Doughnut

I have always enjoyed listening to test match special on the radio, mostly for the colourful descriptions of red buses, pigeons and helicopters. I am also hugely jealous of Aggers and co. and the seemingly endless procession of cakes that appear in the commentary box. Today I was very kindly presented with a tasty cake selection by one of the returning students (1st day back today) so, a big thank you to Tim for my 'T.M.S. Day'! Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#301 Chicken Heart

Not for the faint hearted this one. We are having roast chicken for tea tonight and I was delighted when Debbie presented me with the bag of giblets, I have been hoping we got a chicken with giblets in for some time now. I decided against the lungs, liver and the neck as I felt the heart was a much more iconic bit of offal. It is now in the gravy stock. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.




sorry about the pun

#300 Conker

This particular horse chestnut seed, or conker, fell, of it's own accord, from a tree in Cheltenham Town Center narrowly missing Debbie, thus avoiding an unpleasant knock to the noggin. But it did get painted for its troubles. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

300 paintings painted only 65 left! And yes I know what I am doing when this project ends on the 23rd of November. But you'll have to wait!

#299 Tiny Bobble Hat

You'll like the explanation for this one! Innocent drinks run a campaign in which crafts people of the UK knit or crochet a small bobble hat which is placed on top of a bottle of innocent smoothie or juice then sold in Sainsbury's supermarkets, 35p is then donated to Help the Aged. My partner, Debbie (who makes things) has just joined the blogging world and has been making these hats using her recently developed crochet skills 16cm x 12cm oil on gesso, half the final price of this auction will go to 'Help the Aged'.

#298 Onion

This falls in the category of "I can't believe I haven't painted one of these yet!" which is odd given how many get used in cooking every day. Oil on gesso panel 16cm x 12cm.