I’ve just completed a small new oil painting based on an area of Cannock Chase. Although I’ve used this forest many times as inspiration, the difference this time was that I wanted to create something that focuses on a peaceful atmosphere. For me, the forest is a place of great wonder but also somewhere I go to unwind and get away from the stresses of life. The media is generally quite negative and paints a bleak and hopeless view of the world. Although life has challenges, there is beauty and acts of kindness but you rarely hear or read about it. As a student I was given the impression that serious works of art should be political or deal with social issues but I’ve recently felt like making work that is calm and still. The new painting is called ‘The Path Home’ and can be found in the ‘Small Works’ section of this website.