I’ve been taking a break from painting over Christmas but wanted to share my most recent commissions with you.

First up is this colourful picture of Grantown East, the new visitor centre created in a dilapidated railway station on the outskirts of the town. After years of hard graft to get the place up and running, Karen Blessington and Dave Garman wanted a view of the finished site.

If you’ve visited, you’ll know how beautiful it is. The railway carriages house a restaurant selling excellent pizza, while the old station has been lovingly refurbished to become a shop and visitor centre. It was great to be able to show the place in its new glory.

My second commission was also railway-related: a view from Lagyie on the A95 whisky road, looking towards the Strathspey Railway and beyond to the Cairngorms.

It’s a really stunning view and I enjoyed painting the steam engine and its carriages.

Finally, I was asked to paint Loch an Eilein for a present.

I haven’t done this scene for a while so it was good to return to it: it’s such a popular and beautiful place. I’m delighted with how it turned out, particularly the castle.

Happy New Year when it comes and here’s to lots of new painting challenges in 2019!