MaryLinda from Claremont, California
Your site is wonderful, I am really enjoying looking at all the lovely paintings. I paint as well and now I want to go back to using oils. The realism of oil is unsurpassed. The peonies in the picture is in the center, it is pink and looks like a rose. (for Jane from Portugal) I will keep this site for future reference. Really informative and beautiful. Thanks

Pam G. from Durham
Dragonflies are described in the (Collins) dictionary as 'brightly coloured', and that one's not, so maybe it's an imaginary creature. I think the painting was created from individual studies done over a length of time. The quality of that big shell is so good you can almost feel the texture of it, and the same with the red & white tulip hanging over the basket. I like the zoom, too.

Dr. Abdul Rauf from India
Really nice!

emma norkett
well, i came on here because i wanted some imformation for my art homework, but i ended up really injoying looking at the pictures

amy bray from purbrook
its great but you need more pics!

Jane Page from Portugal
Presumably the dragonfly (vide Nigel Holmes) also emphasises the ephemeral nature of life since it was probably painted from a dead specimen. Or imagination, which is even more ephemeral. Also - what peonies?

Carole Young from Glasgow
Excellent painting with lots of detail and the site is pretty good too - liked the 'enlarge' facility, as could see the painting in more detail!

c2 from London
I would like to learn how to paint like this (or try atleast). Any suggestions?

ashfaq ahmed india
flowers give beauty to life and thoughts, mayfly is one that gives life to beauty itself its its wonderful to watch

RANJAN PATEL FROM BRISTOL
Iam not a great lover of flower painting but my brother and niece paints quite well .Great site-Thanks I will definetly watch the series

Jay the rare flower from South Korea
Finally life seems "actual" in the presence of frailty of human beings, considering the use of colors and tones very much close to the "actual" world these days reflected in this picture. Whoa, not so fast!!! Fortunate as it is, we have "electricity power", not a natural power, of light, to speed up for improving our life. As concerned the exotic sea shells and mayflies, they still carry out their own burdens to move on. In other words, the existence of them is absolutely a living and tangible evidence of life, something we call, humane. Therefore, this is presenting and demonstrating the advent of an "actual" aspect of our life, in aspiration of another challenge to be tackled. Let's just be aggressive and daring, to be ready for it!!!

Nigel Holmes
Mayfly? What mayfly? It's a dragonfly. It was also painted from memory as you don't get tulips, roses and dragonflies out at the same time.

Y.Shepherd from Finland
It seems to me that the flowers are a little like the people in society at that time - some radiant and opulant, others small dark and in the background, and there set aside from the flowers are exotics from the other side of the world. The Mayfly is a bit of a watchful spirit looking over the scene, in the centre of the sunbeam.

Maureeen from Burton
What a great site - thanks. The detail is wonderful, and maybe I'll visit Castle Barnard.

Tulip_Lover from Abercrombie
Wow, did anyone notice the Mayfly? That zoom feature is wonderful, I didn't see it there until I had used the zoom. I wonder what be there instead of shells these days - Beck's golden earings!