‘Don’t spend time and energy fretting about the monsters in your head. Start a new painting and you will have a whole collection of new monsters!’

Blue skies, the waters of the lagoon sparkling under summer sun. Yachts hardly moving in the gentle breeze. This, the view from the studio windows and my painting, ‘Summer Fun’. Influenced by John Henry Twatchman, the painting pushing impressionistic boundaries.

Smoke. Sirens. Helicopters. Wind heavy with the smell of fire. Burning forests contained, the rain welcome to quench embers.

The studio apartment full of cooking smells. Braised lamb shank in red wine with black and green olives. The hint of lemon, perfect.

Polly had me up early on a crisp morning after a day of rain. Dark now that early, the indication that our 15 hours of sunshine a day are shortening towards a distant winter. Managed a jog with lots of creaking bits.

A new collection of paintings on the studio walls for the month of February. Unsurprisingly, Romance the theme. We also focused on smaller canvases that would be easier to carry as most of the people passing through the studio are tourists, and packing is a decision factor.

Golden late afternoon skies the underpainting colour for a large canvas of flowering Erica’s. The focus on the architectural form of the plants, with their clumps of flowers. For now, no blood!

Early dinner and a blues band with the sunset, the perfect end to a week.