Two commissioned paintings I am working on. I love painting people, but I have a distinct style and perception; it's perhaps a little rough for some people. I like a slightly unfinished look, because to me the painting is more alive that way. It still breathes. I prefer working from life. There is an element of speed because time is limited, especially when painting young children. I have to go for for the most important features rather than getting bogged down in detail. Though in these two cases, I have worked quite a lot subsequently from photographs I took at the session.
The moment of truth has arrived- I have sent off the images and wait nervously for a reply. Whether my approach meshes with the sitter's, or rather the commissioner's expectations is another matter.

Luckily for the birds, I tossed some suet balls studded with seeds into my shopping basket a few days before the storm. The birds are for the most part mousy brown sparrows, though there are some lovely yellow and blue masked tits(?) and some tiny red breasted robins too. Peaches spent the whole day in front of the window, trembling with excitement.

On my way down to collect the milk this evening, a ferret slinked across the road. The birds have to be pretty vigilent around here in winter. Foxes and badgers also hunt at night.

45 centimeters of snow fell on Rignac yesterday. The locals shake their heads in disbelief. Even M.Cabrolet, the oldest farmer in the village, has never seen the like. This is my neighbour's house. Mme Bouyssou provides me with fresh eggs and a pint of warm milk every morning.
Thabo is doing his nut. Who would have thought that we had lunch at this very table in the sunshine and shirtsleeves three days ago...

This is a detail from the jacket art for my new book Vinnie and Abraham, written by Dawn FitzGerald. It's a great story about the very young woman who was commissioned by Congress to sculpt Abraham Lincoln for the Capitol building in DC. I post it off tomorrow, and hopefully will have a bit more time for my own sketching and painting.

Here is a small oil painting of flowers and quinces on my table that was inspired by my love of Cezanne. I wonder how many people over the years have been inspired by the "father of us all", as Picasso called him. I did this painting in about an hour, and am not sure whether it is finished. Does the unpainted canvas bother you?