Paintings #6 - A toad in the hole

Some of you may have picked up, from previous posts, that I am rather fond of wildlife and wild places. Having spent years following my passions as a natural historian and artist, I find it hard to pass up opportunities to mix the two.

Sometimes there are happy coincidences - those unexpected moments that cross our paths. They are there for those that are ready for them, but more often than not, they just pass unnoticed.

Art, and the study of the natural world, have taught me a couple of things:

• you should always be ready for the unexpected,
• the world is endlessly fascinating,
• and most people miss it

One example is this little fella, sitting in a dry stone wall in Cumbria, UK. I was on a popular walk up onto Helm Crag in the Lake District (also known as 'the Lion and the Lamb' because of a rock formation at it's top). Pretty much everyone was focussed on following the path up onto this little but beautiful hill. And they all missed this toad.

I took a couple of quick photos and continued on my way. Here's the painting I worked on after I came back home. Enjoy.

And don't forget to keep those eyes open - you'll never know what the world has on show for you unless you're ready for it.