In April 2026 I went on a visit to Germany to stay with my Aunt Franziska. I only met Franziska and her sister Gerlinde, (who are both in their 70’s) for the very first time in 2019. They are my mothers two half-sisters. There's a complicated family history that had kept my German mother Edith, and her two half-sisters, apart. After Edith’s mother Violet died in 1944 during the war in Germany (when Edith was only 14) - her father Franz Lange remarried and had two new daughter

I’d like to tell you about my allotment garden, which has become a huge inspiration for my artwork. Having an allotment means I can spend time in nature, watch things grow, and paint the flowers and vegetables that I harvest. I inherited the allotment about 15 years ago, when it was totally bare. The soil was great and had been dug over, but there were no trees or plants at all. It was during the time when my kids were small, but somehow I managed to get down there and began

A Cardiff Artist Retreat I travelled from my home city of Cardiff, Wales, to Spain for 9 days in October 2025 to do some art with friends at a beautiful house in the mountains near Albox. Joined by Mari, we drew and painted at Ellen’s Spanish home situated in a quite awesome environment. The old farmhouse has been lovingly restored and added to over the years to include a swimming pool and art studio. The house is in a hamlet, just near a local town, tucked away and access t