Since my last update, July has galloped by — quite literally! I have published my final painting in my little horse racing series and I have been 'galloping' all over the English countryside visiting friends and spending time with family.

I wrapped up my small series of racehorse paintings with Unleashed, a piece focused on coiled energy and motion. It was a joy to paint — and also a lesson in what doesn’t always work on the first try. One version of the background fell flat, but oil paint is forgiving, and the final result feels like a good farewell to the hooves-and-silks phase (for now).

After that, I swapped horses for humans — returning to portrait painting while staying with family in England. I’ve been painting my Mum under the shade of a tree beside the pond, sketching swimmers by the pool in Madeira, and attempting portraits with and without grids. Some were successes, others got wiped off, but all were helpful. I’m learning a lot by simply doing — and noticing small improvements with each attempt.

A few days away in the Lake District gave me time to reset and admire the  beauty of the area (and peek at estate agents’ windows... one can dream). I didn’t sketch while I was there but brought back reference photos and plenty of inspiration.

So, July has been about movement — literal, artistic, and geographic.

As always, I’m grateful you’re here following along.

Jacki