To produce this view of a west country village in England, this mixed media painting blurs the edges to force a focus to the buildings in the centre. The idea of forced focus is an idea that I wish to pursue.

The Morris dancing tradition goes back to the 15th century. Handkerchiefs, bells and sticks are part of this rhythmic folk dance. We saw these dancers in Brighton, but we have seen other Morris dancers all over the U.K.

Bobbing in the gray/green waters of the Grand Canal, the gondolas dance in the misty light. Nothing else represents Venice, Italy, to me like these strange sleek crafts.

Straddling the Arno River in Florence, this structure is the home to high priced shops that delight the tourist. Built in 1345, right at the start of the Renaissance, this is the oldest surviving bridge in the city. While my bride shopped on this bridge, I took countless photos that served as the basis for this piece. Oh yeah, I also had a couple of drinks there.

How vast and long lasting is the fortune of the Borromeo family that they still own this seventeenth century palazzo that occupies an entire island in Lake Maggiore near Stresa. I found the palace itself much to my taste but the gardens that occupy sixty per cent of the island just too ornate with an army of sculpted pieces that were obviously meant to impress.

My concern in this piece was the warmth of the Italian sun. This courtyard in Florence was near the hotel in which we stayed.

After touring the Lindisfarne Castle on the north-east coast of England, we walked around this fortress. It is easy to see why this rock, also called Holy Island, was chosen as a defendable position. Now only facing the sea, the site is picturesque.

Coastlines change and as a result this castle is no longer on an island. There is a small garden created by Gertrude Jekyll which lies to the west of the great rock. The subject of many artists, from Turner to Charles Rennie Mackintosh, this site is well known and is now in the hands of the National Trust.

Thames River traffic provides an active counterpoint to the massive buildings of the London skyline festooned with spidery cranes. I find this active sort of scene exciting to paint and I try to show that exhilaration in the handling of the paint.

This view is from Waterloo Bridge. My rather rough handling is intended to take out the detail and show the major players in this exciting scene. Once again working on a rough ground, I want a robust masculinity to be obvious.

A crowded but pleasant town high up on a hill in Sicily, Taormina is on the itinerary of many cruise ships. In 2010 we stopped on a cruise that took us from Istanbul to Civitavecchia (Rome). The warm hues of the toast-coloured buildings broken by many trees and plants was just a dream.

Although the streets were busy, they were populated by happy people enjoying the sunshine and the beauty of the hill town.

Forde Abbey is a medieval monastery with extensive grounds that include many acres of gardens. Water features such as this great pond play an important part in the garden design. It is now marketed as a venue for weddings and corporate events.

Unfortunately we struck a rainy day but I still found the gardens, which are more informal, very attractive. I hope to paint more impressions of this property.