Living a contented creative life.

Hello and Happy New Year! Christmas is behind us and it can seem like only Winter is ahead. However, there’s also a feeling of renewal and a determination to do better in the coming months. This keeps the cold miserable days in perspective and enthuses us.

I was inspired to write a poem to sum up these feelings.

A New Year

The old year is behind us.
It's time to look ahead,
A time of hope and mindfulness
And other paths to tread.

A sense of renewal fills us
With determination to do better.
We set out fresh and more ambitious,
We'll do things to the letter.

Success is not the issue here,
It's our intentions that really count.
They drive away regrets and fear
And our human weaknesses surmount.

So embrace the new and be glad.
Be glad and full of cheer,
forget the past and don't be sad.
Rejoice in the promise of another year.

Even on these colder days it’s a pleasure to walk around the garden, We’ve had some frost since Christmas so I snapped a few treasures,

When the frost melts it leaves diamond drops which are just as lovely to see.

The first few snowdrops are showing their dainty heads and the hellebores are so beautiful when the flowers open. There are many different versions of this lovely plant.

Bare branches have a beauty of their own. Lichen on twigs shows up more clearly around this time and is lovely to see. It’s neither a plant nor a fungus and is said to be a sign of clean air. Whether or not it really signifies clean air I enjoy seeing it in the garden. Often, remaining leaves have glowing colour to enjoy too.

I’ve sorted out my seeds. I won’t attempt any sowing until Spring except for tomatoes. I will start my “Roma” tomatoes in late February in the house. They need a lot of consistent warmth to germinate and plenty of light to grow. I keep them on a south-facing windowsill and turn the seed trays at least twice a day. If this isn’t done they will struggle towards the light, become long and thin and they will not develop into sturdy plants. It’s also important to give them space. Two or three seeds to a plug are enough, then should be thinned to a single strong seedling.

Most of us will feel a need for healthier food after the indulgences of the season. That’s certainly true for me with my chocolate madness. I’m enjoying the vegetables from the garden. Winter vegs are comforting as well as nourishing and I have a small selection to use. The parsnips are at their best, so are the sprouts. These benefit from a bit of frost. Safely tucked away in the polytunnels I have celeriac, parsley and leeks.

I’m also reducing meat meals. Lentils are good cooked with a selection of vegetables in a little stock. Warming, nourishing and simple. I prefer red lentils. I like the way they dissolve into the stock and thicken it. Delicious just as a stew or mopped up with some crusty bread.

I buy frozen, deliciously sweet cherries which are easy to defrost and keep their shape, texture and flavour. I defrosted some of these and added mandarin orange bits and small pieces of peeled apple. I drizzled a little ginger syrup over them, stirred and left them to stand for a few minutes. Absolutely delectable and refreshing. Such a treat after rich foods.

I’m thinking it’s the ideal time to defrost my summer strawberries and make jam. It’s not difficult and tastes fabulous on hot buttered toast. There’s not much pectin in strawberries so I add some cooking apple to the pan to help it to set. I will say more about this when I make it.

May be knitting or sewing until I’m active in the garden again. I might have to re-cover a chair. I’m hoping it won’t be tricky. It’s a favourite and I haven’t seen anything suitable to replace it so I may just as well get on with the job. Might attempt a bit of cleaning first to see if I can improve it.

Since writing this post we’ve had snow overnight. Very wet and slushy so I’m not venturing out to take photos. It’s melting quickly and very slippy underfoot. Will have to give our garden birds a bit of extra food to help them to keep warm.

Meanwhile, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with good food and happiness and you feel full of enthusiasm for 2025. With you again in two weeks time. Bye for now.

Almost Christmas! The weeks have flown by. Although it can be hectic it’s a nice distraction as Winter sets in and now I’m older I have the time to enjoy the process.

With all the preparations it’s nice to walk around the garden for a few peaceful moments. There are still things to see if I pay attention. Lovely leaves here and there and beautiful hellebores just beginning to flower. My cream-petalled oriental hellebore is always the first to flower. This isn’t Helleborus niger. It’s Helleborus orientalis but I can’t remember the variety name. A pale green one with spikier leaves is not far behind. Of course, the evergreens retain their fresh green appeal throughout the year.

On sunny days there are lovely reflections in the pond.

The leaf bin is full and the frost, wind and rain will break down the leaves for next year’s leafmould. So useful as mulch and for making seed and potting compost. I tried storing the leaves in bags years ago but I didn’t find it worked very well. This simple open bin made of wire netting is very effective and it’s easy to fill.

I’m hoping I’ll have enough carrots left for Christmas. I will have to use them sparingly until then. The sprouts and parsnips have sweetened with the frost and will be very tasty. I’ll prepare them on Christmas Eve during the afternoon, to save work on the big day.

We feed the birds regularly and it attracts hungry squirrels. Allan moved the feeders from the pear tree to the hanging-basket stand thinking it would deter them. They scamper up the metal pole effortlessly so he needn’t have bothered except that it does give us a daily show. Their antics are really entertaining as they try to reach the feeders. Although they can’t bite through them they do manage to shake some sunflower seeds and peanuts out. I took these photos through the kitchen window.

Plenty going on in the kitchen! Mince pies are made and in the freezer. We’re already enjoying them. A few seconds in the microwave from frozen and a dusting of icing sugar gives a delicious warm Christmas treat. I always make plenty because we love them so much.

I love to make my own cranberry sauce. Can’t have too much of it, it’s so full of flavour. Just tip fresh or frozen cranberries into a pan with a small amount of water and allow them to stew until the fruit is broken down. Then stir in sugar to taste. It might need a lot because cranberries are not at all sweet. Cook for a few more minutes and allow to cool. It will set a little to a jam-like texture and glow like a bowl of rubies. It freezes perfectly so you can make it ahead and thaw as needed. Fabulous taste with turkey, chicken or vegetarian alternatives.

Talking of vegetarian alternatives, I usually bake my Festive Flan for Christmas dinner. It contains traditional seasonal vegetables and ground cashew nuts to make a creamy sauce. So enjoyable with roast potatoes and parsnips and cranberry sauce. I’ve decided not to do it this year but if you want a truly delicious alternative Christmas dinner you will find the recipe in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook.

I always make a wreath to hang on the garage door for passers-by to enjoy. Sadly, last year it was wrecked by a storm. Fingers crossed that this year it will stay intact and look its best. I used rosemary, euonymus and skimmia berries from the garden. The frame is just a wire coathanger bent into a circle and the greenery tied on with florist’s wire. I hope I tied it firmly.

The tree is up and decorated. The cards are in the post. A few days of rest before the family get together.

I hope you will all have a very Merry and Happy Christmas. With you again in a couple of weeks Bye for now

Autumn is well under way. The damp earth smells of scented leaves, berries are glistening and colours are changing. Days are shorter so plants are snuggling into the soil to protect themselves from Winter’s chill.

The garden hasn’t entirely given up though. Winter crops are almost at their peak. The sprouts are doing well, the parsnips are delicious and celeriac fills the air with a lovely celery scent.

The garlic has pushed through the soil and looks healthy. It has long been said that it needs the frosty weather to encourage it to grow and taste good. I’m not sure if this is true. I grow mine in the polytunnel and it’s fine. It should progress nicely until harvest in May or June.

When I grow vegetables I space them quite close together. I don’t want big vegetables and space is limited. Unless they’re being grown for a show or for a large family, it really isn’t necessary to strive for enormous ones. Small and tasty are best I find. Enough for a meal, so I can use fresh every time. I don’t feed the plants a great deal either. If the soil is right it isn’t needed.

The Conference pears have been wonderful. They seem bigger this year and perfect apart from blemishes on the skin. Sweet, delicious flesh once they’ve been peeled. I was a bit impatient waiting for them to ripen so I cooked a few. Just peeled and quartered after removing pips and then popped in the microwave with a little water and a sprinkle of sugar. Mmm. Lovely.

The Cox apples have been good this year too. I think the wet spring increased the yield. I had far more fruit than usual. The tree seemed diseased for many years and the apples were small and blemished. Fortunately, it seems to have recovered. I just let nature do it’s work and usually it succeeds.

I love baked apples. I choose ones with perfect skin and scrub them. Then I core them, being careful not to split the apples. I sometimes fill the centre with sugar and sultanas but for a change I filled them with Christmas mincemeat. I wanted to try them in my air fryer but I miscalculated and cooked them for too long. I wrapped them in foil and baked them at 145C for half an hour but some of the apple oozed out of the skins. Still tasted wonderful though. I didn’t take a photo of the end result because they didn’t look very decorative.

A very simple, old-fashioned dessert but so tasty. Very nice warm with vanilla ice-cream, or cold with custard or cream.

The birds are taking advantage of the food we’re putting out and the squirrels are joining them. I don’t mind the squirrels. They’re so entertaining and such beautiful little animals.

Not many flowers now. Some late asters in lovely shades of purple or pale pink are still giving a little colour to the garden. A few marigolds are flowering too.

Some days have been very wet so I started knitting for Christmas. I’m making a scarf. Very easy, no pattern to follow, and I can just pick it up and do a few rows whenever I have a moment.

I intend to knit a few toys to give away as well. Need a few more balls of pretty colours for those. So pleasing to make as they knit quickly and it’s fun to see them shaping up in the final stages.

I’ve painted a little picture of a marigold from a photo I took in the garden. Drawn with pencil and painted with gouache. I’m a bit tired of doing flowers though. I need to explore my photos for a Still Life subject. Something to look forward to during the Winter.

That’s all for now. I hope you’re finding lots of pleasant pastimes of your own and enjoying the autumn colours. Bye. With you again in a couple of weeks.

October is often a lovely month with blue skies and the scent of autumn leaves. The lovely shades of purple on the asters, the glowing yellow of rudbeckias and the vibrant scarlet of berries on holly and hawthorn give so much pleasure.

September ended with wet weather but I ventured out and took a few raindrop shots.

Since then we’ve had some lovely days with azure skies, the whitest of fluffy clouds and a few tiny creatures enjoying the sunlight. There was a gathering of five shield bugs basking together on leaves and a brown moth was fluttering about under the strawberry netting. Fungi are popping up here and there as they always do at this time of year.

Ivy can be an awful nuisance but it’s really beautiful. Bees enjoy the flowers and the birds eat the berries during Winter.

Autumn colours are either mellow or vivid. Here’s a selection.

I’ve planted my Spring cabbages in the polytunnels. Although they’re hardy and will withstand frost I like to grow them undercover. They’re cleaner and ready a bit sooner than when they’ve been outside. Easier to control slugs as well. They’re tiny now but will grow slowly until February when they’ll put on a spurt. Lovely ball heads will have formed by May. Delicious shredded raw or steamed.

The tomatoes have been removed and composted. I had a bucket of green ones so I used some for green tomato chutney. Not done this before but I had so many this year. It’s not a very strong tasting chutney but I don’t like things to be wasted. The rest are in two baskets in a cool room. They’ll ripen gradually. I often keep tomatoes like this until New Year. No need for the paper bags or bananas that people often recommend. Tomatoes give off enough of their own ethylene gas in order to ripen.

I froze some of my red tomatoes. Although I no longer buy polythene bags because I discovered they’re not recycled I still re-use old ones. Here’s a tip for filling bags for the freezer: to keep the bag open put it in a jug or bowl and fold the edge back over the rim. Easy to fill it this way.

My little pepper crop has been ripening nicely. From green to black then to scarlet is so satisfying to see.

We decided to take a chance on storing the apples again in the shed. We’ve had problems with mice and rats but fingers crossed that they might not find them this year. I can’t freeze or preserve all of them and it’s useful to have fresh apples as well.

We have several compost bins because home-made compost is such an essential resource but I was amused to see that one we’d left open has lovely self-seeded alyssum flowers growing at the top! Plants are wonderful opportunists.

Time to start those knitting needles clicking. I often knit toys for Christmas. They’re quick and easy patterns and it’s lovely to put them together and see them come alive.

A couple of years ago I knitted an Autumn wreath using patterns from a favourite book. I still haven’t decided what to do with it. The project was more important than the finished item. It was a real pleasure to make. I’ll have to get my thinking head on and sort out my yarns to keep me happy again during those dark nights.

I hope you’re enjoying all that the season offers. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.

“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”. So true of late September. A gentle decay is taking place around the garden and a definite scent of autumn fruits and leaves.

My Alstroemerias are flowering nicely. I brought in three stems for a vase and I love the autumnal look in the jug I put them in.

Asters and sedums are beginning to flower. The beautiful colchicums are at their best because the weather has been dry and sunny for a week. (Since writing this we’ve had storms and the poor colchicums were flattened.)

Lovely seedheads are developing and adding a faded beauty to the garden.

Hardly any butterflies, sadly, although the Cabbage Whites have been on a frustrated hunt for my brassica plants. I did spot a lovely Comma the other day and managed to capture a couple of photos.

We’ve started feeding the birds again. I read that a Bluetit goes down to 10g in weight during the breeding season and needs to fatten up to 14g to withstand the Winter. The trouble is our small flock of sparrows is wiping everything out! Plus squirrels have been busy trying to access the feeders. Here’s one I snapped through the kitchen window.

I’ve bought little violas to fill the pots. Cheerful yellow for most of them but two pots of a lovely pale purple as well. Such hardy plants and yet so delicate-looking and pretty.

My squashes have been a miserable failure this year. I had two very small ones which looked like they might amount to a small helping but when I went to look at them something had eaten most of the bigger one! Looks like it might have been a mouse. Doesn’t seem like slug damage. Oh well, next year I will try again,

Gardening is always a gamble. Weather, pests, time and energy levels can interfere with the best plans. Over the winter I renew my anticipation for a fresh start when Spring excites me again.

I have apples waiting to be preserved in some way. I used to store them in the shed but mice and then rats got in so it’s no longer a good idea. I have a book by Beryl Wood called “Let’s Preserve It”. It’s a very comprehensive collection of old recipes for preserving fruit and vegetables. I found one in the apple section for apple and ginger jam. I liked the sound of it but as usual I thought I could adapt it to make it easier and a bit more to my taste. It was easy to do once the apples and ginger were prepared. The end result is delicious. You will need ginger syrup. I make my own but a bought jar of stem ginger has plenty of syrup to use for the recipe.

Have a board by the side of the hob covered with a teatowel or kitchen paper to prevent cold shock to the jars. If you haven’t a large wooden chopping board, cover the counter with a folded teatowel. You will need a ladle and a funnel.

Apple and Ginger Jam

Makes about five small jars.

900g ( 2lbs) approximately, Cooking Apples
285ml (half a pint) Water
100g (4oz) approx. Stem Ginger
1 Lemon
3 tablespoons Ginger Syrup
680g Sugar
Wash the jars and rinse well. Place in the oven and turn the heat to low. Put lids to one side and keep dry.
Prepare the apples by peeling and coring. Slice into salted water to prevent browning.
Rinse the apples in a colander and drain.
Put in a pan with the water and simmer until soft.
Mash a bit to remove lumps.
Chop the ginger finely.
Add juice of the lemon, sugar, ginger syrup and chopped ginger to the pan. 
Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar and mix ingredients.
Boil for ten minutes.
Test a spoonful on a cold plate for setting.
If the surface wrinkles as it cools it is ready for potting.
If not, boil for a few more minutes, checking after each minute.
I found ten minutes was enough.
Cool slightly and stir foam back into the jam.
Remove the jars, one at a time, from the oven and ladle the hot jam in, leaving a slight gap at the top. 
Screw the lid on immediately and tighten.
As the jars cool they will seal. You will hear the lid pop if this has happened correctly. They will keep for a couple of years if they're sealed.

As the colder months approach I’m thinking of satisfying hot meals. I love one-pan cooking and most of my meals with vegetables, meat or fish are made this way now. It’s not only an easy way to cook, it uses less fuel and there is little washing up to do afterwards. Above all though, it’s the most nutritious way to cook a meal because the vitamins are not poured down the drain. The small amount of water I use ensures all the goodness is retained along with maximum flavour.

Many cooks talk about their secret ingredients. No secrets with my cooking; I’m happy to share ideas. Of course I use ingredients and methods which I believe make a dish that bit better.

There are two ways I ensure the tastiest out come with these one-pan meals. One is, as I said above, not to use too much water, so that the vegetables partly steam and the other is to use good stock. I always use Kallo organic vegetable or chicken stock cubes. This is an essential base for flavour and for making a sauce if needed. Sauce or gravy can be made in the pan by stirring in a little dissolved cornflour. Deliciously savoury.

Ideas for these simple, tasty and nutritious meals are in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook. Here’s my link if you would like to see them.

https://geni.us/eANQu

I hope you’re enjoying the harvest and the pleasures of September. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.

Just a few hints now that Autumn is on its way. I’m noticing the scent of damp leaves, ripening fruit and a feeling in the air. A slightly melancholy time and yet an atmosphere of anticipation.

Time for sowing and transplanting for winter and Spring crops. I have tiny Spring cabbages and cauliflowers in the greenhouse. These were sown in August and will be put into the polytunnels to grow over the next few months. I also have “Little Gem” lettuces to provide leaves for a little while.

In the greenhouse the tomatoes were slow to ripen because it hasn’t been sunny enough. They’re coming along nicely now and they’re delicious. The peppers are fattening and will soon be ready. Lots of little chillies on too.

In the tunnels, the celeriac is growing well. The air is filled with a lovely celery aroma. The second sowing of peas have pods forming.

Parts of the garden have lost their colour but the rudbeckias are glowing and alstroemeria are adding their sunny faces. Asters are beginning to open flowers and the Japanese anemones are as pretty as ever. These anemones are such a valuable addition to this garden because they thrive in poor, dry soil with no fuss. They display their beauty late in the summer when other plants are fading.

The Colchicums are appearing beneath the trees. Their beauty is so fragile and fleeting. The slightest puff of wind blows them over. A brief pleasure each September.

As usual I’m on the lookout for wildlife and here and there something catches my eye. A small green shield bug on a rudbeckia, an interesting insect on a white flower, a scattering of feathers, and a frog with golden eyes which leapt from a pot when I watered the plants. So much to see.

Some of the pears are ready and falling off the trees. I love pears and have been enjoying them very much. Because I garden organically without harmful sprays the fruit often looks very blemished. However, it’s really not a problem. Although the skin might look dreadful the flesh just beneath is perfect and full of delicious sweetness.

Here’s an example of what I mean. Look at the skin which I peeled off but see how perfect the pear is inside.

So if you’re new to growing fruit, please don’t discard it if it looks rough.

When the pears on the tree come away in your cupped hand without resistance, they’re ready to pick. If they cling on, they need to be left a bit longer. Remember that pears need a few days in the fruit bowl to ripen.

With a plentiful supply of cooking apples I decided to make my Christmas mincemeat. It’s a big job but I make enough to last for two years. It improves with keeping and I prefer it to the shop-bought kind. Sweet and boozy but not too sharp tasting.

I find my electric mincer/juicer is a great help for this. Years ago I used one of those clumsy hand operated things which clamped on the table. Nightmare! My electric one minces perfectly and then the ingredients just need to be stirred together to combine all the flavours.

If you’d like to try it, here’s my recipe.

Christmas Mincemeat

400g Vegetarian Suet
500g Raisins
500g Sultanas
500g Cooking Apples
500g Sugar
100g Candied Peel (Add more if you like a sharp taste)
1 Lemon
1 teaspoon Salt
1 rounded teaspoon Cinnamon
1 rounded teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon Ground Cloves
Brandy and/or Rum

Peel and core the apples.
Grate the lemon and save juice.
Mince dried fruit, candied peel and apples.
Mix in a large bowl with lemon zest and juice, salt, spices, suet and a dash of rum and brandy.
Stir very well. Leave to stand covered with a teatowel for a couple of hours.
While it's standing, wash and thoroughly rinse jars. Place them in the oven and put on a low heat. Allow them to dry then cool a bit.
Dry the lids with kitchen paper and leave to one side.
Stir again and spoon into the jars. 
Make sure rims of jars are clean, then tightly screw on the lids. 
Store in a cool dark place. 
When I use it I stir in extra brandy if it's a bit stiff. The spirits keep it preserved for a couple of years if necessary and it improves with age.

A lovely season with good things to eat, sensual pleasures and a hope that it fulfils all expectations. Here’s a little poem I wrote a year or so ago, inspired by these things.

Autumn Thoughts

Silver threads hang on the hedges
Revealing a secret spiders' world,
On mornings when the mist dredges
All the land with moisture pearled.
Apples lie beneath the trees,
A blackbird's generous feast
And heady scents our noses tease
Of leaves and earth and fruity yeast.
Mushrooms add a mystic mood
To a time of pleasurable decay
When the body has ample food
And the soul satisfied in every way.
Despite regret that Summer's ended
Our senses give us every reason
To never be offended
By the gentle melancholy of the season.

I hope you’re enjoying the changing of the season. Much to look forward to before winter sets in. Bye for now. With you again in a couple of weeks.

Summer winding down now but perhaps a last fling of warmth and colour to look forward to before Autumn begins.

A busy time in the garden with falling fruit and beans galore. I’ve made my Apple and Cinnamon Squares, frozen apple slices for later and lots of French and runner beans. Best to place the apple slices in salted water to stop them browning while preparing them. It works far better than lemon juice.

The wind is bringing down apples and pears daily. The problem is that they bruise when they hit the ground. It means they won’t keep for long and need to be used as quickly as possible.

I’ve given away some of the windfall cooking apples because I have plenty more to be harvested when the time is right. They’re so versatile. They are great for adding when making mixed fruit or strawberry jam. The apples are rich in pectin and this is what makes the jam set to a good consistency. They’re brilliant of course for the classic crumbles and pies but they also make lovely cakes, apple sauce and chutney.

The sweeter “eating” apples don’t fluff like cookers and hold their shape, so they make a lovely Tarte Tatin, the classic French dessert. They’re also brilliant chopped finely in the food processor to make my Nutty Sausages and Sausage and Apple Flan.

I managed to make a few jars of chutney with the last big courgette, apples, onions, beans and other tasty things. So good in the winter with satisfying meals. Especially good with potatoes mashed with tinned fish and browned in the frying pan. Delicious, filling and nutritious, served with some favourite vegetables.

The rudbeckias are lighting up the cloudier days. Their golden petals contrasting beautifully with their dark central cone. I planted Alstroemeria a few weeks ago. New to my garden, not grown them before. They are now bursting with buds and the bright flowers are opening. The label showed pink ones. Slightly disappointed that they’re not but they’re lovely all the same.

Among the mixed lilies I planted in spring I’ve been delighted to find that two of the plants are “Stargazer” lilies and have several flowers on each. I love these. Dramatic, elegant, colourful and fragrant. The scent wafting around is fabulous.

Lots of weeds mixed in which I haven’t been able to remove but I tell myself they’re benefitting the insects. It’s never a tidy garden. Too old to keep on top but as long as I can produce beautiful flowers, delicious fruit and vegetables I think that’s what’s important. Plus my time in the kitchen means I can either do that or garden jobs but I can’t always do both. The garden is still a pleasure.

I’ve sown seeds for “Spring Hero” cabbages and “All the Year Round” cauliflowers to grow in the tunnels over winter. They’re just beginning to germinate. I’ve also sown French beans because if the weather stays warm I might have another crop in the tunnel before frost starts. They have been so productive and tasty so I’d love some more if possible.

Other pretty things which caught my eye over the last two weeks.

Lots of wildlife in the garden. I don’t mind spiders as long as they don’t crawl onto me. They have their place and eat some pests.

I had a family visit coming up so I made a Victoria sponge cake with my own favourite recipe. So easy to do. No need for all that old-fashioned creaming the butter and sugar together and trying to work in the eggs without curdling.

Sponge Cake

4 large Eggs
200g Caster Sugar
200g Self-raising Flour
2 rounded teaspoons Baking Powder
200g Sunflower Oil

Grease two 20cm/8inch sandwich tins. 
Heat the oven to 180C/ 160C Fan oven.
Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat thoroughly.
Put mixture into the tins evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Press the centre gently. If it springs back it's done. Or push a skewer into the centre. If it's done it will come out without any sticky mixture. 
If necessary, bake for another couple of minutes. 20 minutes is usually enough.
Allow to cool slightly then turn out of the tins onto a wire rack.
When cold spread butter cream over one half, then place the other layer on top.
Jam can be used instead or whipped cream. The top can be left plain or iced.
 

I finally got back to painting. I thought I’d use acrylics this time because I wanted to use glass as a subject and acrylic paint would perhaps achieve the best effect. I call this picture “Trio”, for obvious reasons. Not entirely satisfied with it. Glass is challenging to portray. Difficult to observe the way the light is reflected and to convey the transparency in the painting. Enjoyable to try though.

That’s all for this post. I hope you’re enjoying the last of the summer days. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.