Home For Christmas

"Robin"

From the new edition of " Colour and Light in Watercolour"

It has taken me some time to find my way back to my blog! After all the fantastic excitement of my Fall 2016 USA tour I then left almost immediately on my return home to film my new book which will be launched next year. This week I have been catching up in my cottage and also the cooking bug has hit me big time as I started my preparations for our family get together at Christmas. Some recipes like Christmas Pudding and Christmas Cake, chutneys and pickles need to be created well in advance so flavours can mature in time for the celebrations.

Ever since I was little I can remember the aroma of nutmeg and cinnamon in the kitchen months before Christmas arrived. My stepmother was a brilliant cook and her recipes were favourites she used year after year with success.  Now I enjoy the same joy in cooking for my family, thinking of how each delicious dish will be enjoyed. Its' a way of showing my love for those I care about.

In many ways my creating in the kitchen is similar to how I learned to paint in watercolour. By trial and error. I knew what I loved and tried to succeed in achieving my goals. Whether it be a delicious Christmas Cake or a composition that works well.

I think in life if we put our heart into what we do the end result is far more pleasing.

I love painting and meeting people from all over the world who enjoy it too.

And I love cooking, so I will be sharing my recipes on an old blog of mine and sharing a link here on this blog later in case anyone wishes to follow another side of my life there!

For now though I am proof reading my next book and there is a lot to work through as it is very different and I am working with a different team at my publishers who will be working on the layout with my ideas over the next few weeks. So I need to ensure those ideas work and are right!

Most importnatly I am home and on my blog again so a huge thank you to everyone who has let me know they missed me whiel I was travelling.

But now I am back!

Heres' to a great week ahead painting and enjoying life. 

Those of us who can are so fortunate.

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