This morning’s art club outing was to Tuckton. Bridge on the river Stour in Christchurch. There is plenty to draw and paint there especially if you like boats although most of them are modern plastic ones there are still a few wooden ones around but they may feature in another painting.

The Citroen light van used to be a familiar site on French roads, powered by red wine and Gaulois. Now you are more likely to see them converted to coffee bars or chicken coops! I have never driven one but I suspect they are pretty basic. This one looks a little rusty.

Today’s challenge from Purely watercolour was a photo of a young girl sitting on a kitchen worktop. I think she is probably around 8 or 9 but I seem to have made her look several years older!

Another picture from Our visit to West Bay last week. The harbour is very picturesque, it’s the filming location for Broadchurch, I have never seen it but apparently it has given tourism a massive boost. I like West Bay for the wooden huts around the harbour that sell fish and chips, seafood and best of all, crab sandwiches.

I visited some old friends in Bridport last week, we went for a socially distanced walk around West Bay and had crab sandwiches on the beach while trying to avoid the seagulls who were intent on stealing them. I have drawn us closer together so I could get everyone on the page, except Alan who took the original photo.

Just trying the credit card and stick method on a dog portrait. I found myself trying to get too detailed with this one so I may need to take a step back and try again. This is Nuala my fox red labrador.

The Routemaster London bus was a big part of my life growing up. It took me to school, it took me to work, out to see friends, concerts, cinemas and pubs. I even drove one once. A friend was a bus mechanic and he let me drive one round the roads when I visited him at work one Sunday, I did have an HGV licence and drove removal vans so he wasn’t being totally irresponsible especially as my 4 year old son was a passenger!

Today’s outing with PEDAS was to Highcliffe Castle near Christchurch in Dorset. It is built on the cliff top so the car park was full up with beach goers. The castle is now a wedding venue and exhibition space so it is currently closed but the grounds are lovely and the cafe was serving coffee from a van outside so we had a pleasant morning sitting in the shade and painting this beautiful building.

This week’s challenge in the Purely Watercolour group I belong to is to copy a famous painting so I chose Renoir’s Luncheon. Of the boating party. It has always been one of my favourites and copying it in my own style made me study it closely.

Today’s plain air outing with Broadstone Art Society was to Badbury Rings the ancient hill fort in Dorset. It was really hot and there wasn’t much shade so the washes were drying really quickly. There were quite a lot of people walking dogs and children so it wasn’t too had to find a figure to give it a bit of scale.