How we all long for a bit of time to just relax and take it easy! We all seem to work so hard, yet find such little time in our lives to just purely relax and unwind. Particularly when we need this so badly. Never the less, we all look for our bit of peace in different ways.

As a contemporary artist that loves nature, I often head for the country to admire the wonderful landscapes, mountains, trees, lakes, flowers, birds etc. The effect they have on me is calming. The rare beauty of these stirs my emotions. Often I capture these on camera, so that the memory remains with me.

Don’t you just love the colors of the seasons. Summer so bright and colorful in stark contrast to winter, with the naked trees, bareness, snow and ice, and not forgetting all our frosts.

The Autumn is fantastic. This surely is one of the best seasons for color. Swirling leaves in mixed colors blowing in all directions, golden yellows, browns and varying shades of reds. They seem to pelt along together with the falling twigs from the trees, conkers and ebbing leaves.

I have spent some time in County Kerry, where the scenes there are naturally rugged which is fascinating to the eye of a painter. If you head on towards Dingle the natural flow of the waterfalls at Muckross Pass takes your breath away. The early morning mists too, are something to behold.

Different things appeal to different people of course. We all like to observe things, whether it is your children running around, birds flying, kittens playing with wool etc. It could be many things, strolling along empty shores, or just watching the waves crash on the water.

One thing is for sure, one of the finest things to encapsulate is the early morning sunrise or the evening sunsets in all their glory. This is beauty at it’s finest. Spring too, is an interesting season, when you see the first buds appearing on trees, hedges and bushes. Snowdrops and delicate Celandines pushing their way up though the ground.

Easter brings little surprises, chicks and eggs. Moving on into May with a blaze of Bluebells peeping through our hedgerows, gardens and forests. Summer – something we have all been awaiting. Flowers and trees cheering us all on our way.

Flowers are in full bloom creating magical displays which lift our spirits. Hues and patches of delicate tones which warm the soul, to very bright and passionate colors which knock our socks off.

If you are still stuck for inspiration just look up at the clouds. All changing, moving lazily across the sky. Skies are fascinating with colors interchanging, period! Red skies herald a new day and we are in heaven.

Landscapes are so inspiring and never boring. That is why artist’s love doing them. You are never short of natures subjects, so come on, take your first steps and bite the bullet.