Stone circle (71)

This is my latest finished painting, based on a photo I took during a six day hike in the Peak District last August. I went with my partner and the walk was the highlight of our trip to the UK. Spectacular scenery, good weather, picture perfect villages and great food and beer every night are hard to beat! We stayed in pubs and B&Bs along the way, which was a pleasant change to walking in Australia where you usually have to carry everything with you.

We came across this stone circle on Stanton Moor near Youlgreave. The moor was a centre for the Bronze Age inhabitants of the area and contains many traces of their occupation. At least 70 barrows as well as stone circles, ancient enclosures and standing stones have been found here, and the area is of such archaeological significance that it is now protected.

Winter wonderland (69)

This is my latest finished painting that I’ve done for this year’s Christmas cards. It’s based on a photo I took during a winter walk in Derbyshire with my cousins a couple of years ago. It was a very cold day and there was frost on the hedgerows and high ground.

I remember that ‘’Rambling Roy, a friend of my cousins, came with us. Although in his 70s, he was much fitter than us young ‘uns! His other great love besides hiking was travelling and he organised independent adventure trips all over the world. Everyone admired him for how fully he embraced life, but sadly, he died of a heart attack less than a year after this walk.