Colourful Caterpillars

I had these last year on my Dill. I think they are Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars.

These ones are on my Mullein. Those great thick furry leaves seem to  feed a great sausage  of a creature.

Pointy Tomatoes

These are my ducks,  running home from the the pond. I think they may have been intimidated by a goose who thinks it's her pond.

We had a rain storm today, thankfully. The rain brought out some huge orange slugs by the pond. The ducks love them even though they are rather difficult to swallow; and all quite horrible to watch .(I have just had to dash out in the pouring rain to bring them in the house. They have a pen in the kitchen with hay to sleep on, until they are stronger)

This is one of my hollyhocks, grown from seed. As you know they don't flower in the first year??? so I am eagerly awaitng these beauties to flower for the first time. They are really deep dark mauve/black.

                       We have a bouncy white French Deux Chevaux, and a battered Dyane, which George bought for a bottle of wine. Both cars are covered in old cocoanut carpets, because we get dreadful hailstorms in summer that would tear the roofs.

Painting in progress. With oil-paints one has to build in layers, leaving days for the oilpaint to dry. I am toying with some white charolais cattle in the foreground.



Still have work to do on the trees, and then to define further the detail. This is a small painting, 55cms x 46cms.
I am influenced by Cezanne, Sisley,Pisarro, Corot, and, surprise!, Soutine!

My lovely partner, George, who retired from making television documentaries, to keep ducks!