Today is the 11th of the 11th, Remembrance Day and a time to reflect.

I am giving a thought to all those who have fallen in conflict, gone before their time fighting or standing up for their beliefs and their families.

Yesterday I painted this poppy, the symbol of both remembrance and hope for a peaceful future.

I spent most of the day on it, using watercolours only and leaving each layer to dry before coming back to it. This way of painting is the opposite of my usual speedy quick sketching but I love the depth it gives when you look close up.

I also had plenty of time to think about this time of year and how we mark the date. Personally I feel it’s important to look back, remembering and marking the past and working hard to make sure we learn from history to make the future a better place.

I will be selling this poppy painting HERE as a signed and mounted 15cm square giclee print for £25 (UK postage included) with £5 from each one sold going to PoppyScotland.

My previous 2018 poppy sketch is also available HERE and has now raised £210 for the Scottish charity which raises money for veterans and their families.

You can order a print of today’s sketch via my Etsy shop HERE.

Click below to see a video of me sketching the picture above.