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Christmas is here once again, the season of joy and goodwill!

Sometimes however Life doesn’t go according to plan, and joy or goodwill seem to vanish into thin air. It’s very, very tempting to just crawl back under the duvet and stay there until the mince pies are all eaten, and the last of the tinsel has been put away.

Whilst I paint, I contemplate all the things that I have to be grateful for… good health, a wonderful family and a really great circle of friends.

Social media has made the world a very small place and gives us the opportunity to connect in ways that we never have before. Every day is full of joyful surprises… it could be the simple pleasure of seeing someone’s beautiful artwork,  learning something completely new, or the buzz of getting words of encouragement about your own work. It’s just comforting to know that there are like-minded people out there.

One of the things that I have really enjoyed being part of this year has been the Natural Sketchbook Exchange. Not only has it been a great way of keeping motivated and inspired, but I’ve also made some truly wonderful friends. Throughout the year, we’ve all had our trials and troubles, but we’ve also managed to support and encourage each other.

“Qui audet adipiscitur” ~She who dares, wins~

It was through Facebook that this conker commission came about. I admit that I was a little nervous about this because the recipient happens to be an RHS gold medallist (no pressure then), but I hope she’ll like this. I’m giving it the title “Qui audet adipiscitur”, or “She who dares, wins”.  

Finally, I gave in and succumbed to the Christmassy theme. This sprig of mistletoe was calling me, and perhaps a bit of joy and goodwill is what I need. And whilst I might have missed the boat for this year’s celebrations, I thought this would make a nice Christmas card for 2015.