Yesterday was one of those days that really makes me appreciate my lifestyle choices. It was scorching hot, about 35 degrees Centigrade, and I’m in my country house. I spent the morning doing some finishing work on one of my hide paintings I’m currently working on, then moved into the garden to saw, sand and […]
Category Archive: philosophy
It always takes me a while to re-adjust to living in the “back of beyond” (as my friend Dominic calls it) after returning from the UK. The best way, I find, is to spend as much time at the house as possible and go out every day into the forest, or for long country walks, […]
Make sure you order a copy of Bushcraft Magazine. This Spring 2016 edition is the 10th anniversary issue and features both an article of mine (Watch out, there are boar about!) and a couple of my true forest horror stories. You can order a copy here – http://bushcraft-magazine.co.uk/. Like it says on the cover – […]
For anyone who’s travelled, cities, regardless of the country they’re in, start to resemble one another. Of course, each has their idiosyncrasies but, on the whole, as globalization spreads they become harder and harder to tell apart. It’s not often that a traveller encounters a city which has a palpable soul. Marrakesh is dusty and […]
I can’t explain how much I love being able to wander freely out here – through meadows and forests. From my atelier’s French doors I look across a huge field leading up the side of a hill to a forest I love to spend time in. All I have to do is get dressed, grab […]
It looks like Spring has finally arrived and the many colours of blossom on the trees are in stark contrast to this year’s miserable grey Winter. It’s funny how the mind changes and one develops a different perspective when the weather changes and nature comes to life again. The forest beckons and I want to […]
I’ve finally updated the shop part of the website. I’ve been developing a selection of hand painted clothing and accessories. Check them out at Hand Painted Clothes
The druids used to leave messages to one another in a complicated leaf language using real leaves. As this language was never written down, modern man has no idea what it was. Also, passersby who were unversed in this leaf script would just see a pile of leaves rather than what they stood for. It […]
One of the hardest things to do in life is to be your own self. From birth we are massively affected by our surroundings, our families, our education, our socio-economic situation. Everyone has dreams of who or what they want to be and how they want to live. Part of what causes unhappiness in […]
Many years back, a wise old school friend (who now owns the excellent graphics company www.birdandbee.co.uk) suggested that I make a list of 10 things I wanted to do or have in life, and then go do them. The object is to keep this list in focus and concentrate all effort on fulfilling each […]