I am originally from Pembroke, SW Wales and have been living in Tuscany for the last twenty six years, but now that my husband Robert has sold "Ballooning in Tuscany" to Virgin balloons, we are now dividing our time between South West France and our home in Montisi, near Siena.

Since I am liberated from hot air balloon work, I can now paint again in the mornings with time to rediscover my original passion, which is painting "en pleine air". I love setting up my painting kit in some field and gently becoming part of the myriad movements of nature; every painting for me has its accompanying sound of swallows, swifts, bee-eaters, crickets, frogs and many more countryside noises. Occasionally a mammal skips by, as did a polecat on several summer evenings, unaware of my presence. When I paint the local mountain Monte Amiata, I know that the Mediterranean, an airy blueness, is just on the other side and there are certain mornings that I am sure I can smell the sea breeze floating my way. These are the many things that you miss driving by in a car, only stopping to take a quick photograph of that pretty landscape.

France is a new challenge for me after so many years in Tuscany and it seems to me to have more in common with Wales with its wild wet weather, but the surrounding countryside is Constable beautiful and I am looking forward to having more time to paint there.

I will also again be showing landscapes from a different viewpoint, which is that from the hot air balloon. I fly frequently as a passenger and usually take my sketchbook as well as my camera. What I love about this simple flying craft, is that you understand that you are floating in a volume of air that is shaped and formed by the landscape itself, like a flowing river. For me, it is the real life magic carpet experience and the reality of those flying dreams that we all know.

As usual, I will be showing small still-life paintings, which are another one of my passions. My cat Spatz interfered this time by insisting on sitting in the middle of my set up. I tried to shoo her away and she destroyed everything by knocking it all to the floor, but when I left her alone she was very careful to leave everything as arranged. I saw that her eyes looked beautiful with the oranges reflected in them so I was excited to let her model for me.

EXHIBITIONS

Mixed Exhibitions in London

Mixed Exhibitions out of London

Solo Exhibitions

Liz had a successful solo exhibition at 54 The Gallery, Shepherd Market, London W1 in November 2009. She started exhibiting in 1985 and has had solo shows in Tuscany, Salisbury, Bath and Dorchester as well as in London.

Her work is in private collections around the world, but mainly in the United States, and the United Kingdom.