On the farm looking at the sun picking out glowing Autumn colours in the trees and a smattering of snow on the ground.

Going to visit the annual charity art exhibition for St Gemma's hospice at Leeds Grammar School today - I have pieces in but like to see all the other great work there too. It's open until 4pm Sunday 28th October www.st-gemma.co.uk. Would also recommend The Mercer Gallery Open Exhibition for a visit in Harrogate - my favourite was Margaret Morris's 'Weather Patterns'. Margaret is a Harrogate printmaker whose work I first came across at the North Yorkshire Open Studios a few years ago http://www.nyos.org.uk/Artist.aspx?id=70 - there's some great pictures on this page of her beautiful landscapes.

Now that my big North York Moors exhibition is done and dusted I can start to think about other projects. I've been rather taken by taxidermy fish in glass cases on ebay - there's all sorts of wierd and wonderful things on there! I seem to have a bit of a fascination with pike...so my aim is to move away from landscapes for a while and try my hand at creating fishes in boxes!

Nidderdale Art Week starts today under a blue and blustery sky! Dacre Banks Studio will be open - see events page for times and dates.

Also on at present is the fantastic Art in the Pen at Skipton Auction Mart, full of creative folk and their wares - well worth a visit www.artinthepen.org.uk

Warmth of the sun and green all around + fabulous honeysuckle and lilac scents...

Set up my contribution towards the Treasure & Relish Spring Open event in Harrogate this morning - more details on the Events page - will go along tomorrow to peruse lovely secondhand and new books - www. treasureandrelish.com & facebook.com/treasureandrelish

www.facebook.com/BanksHouseStudio - worked on Almsciffe Crag piece - plum reds, greens, gold with darker grey/blue stripes and yellow gold splashes on habotai silk + fingerprints of colour on silk chiffon - collaging tomorrow.