Winter is filled with inspiration and challenges for the artist. It’s a time to find a comfortable spot, close to as much natural light as possible and simply experiment and paint. Inevitably the first subject that comes to mind is a traditional winter landscape, and although we rarely encounter snow here in south-east England these days, creative thoughts often turn to snow-laden wonderlands at this time of year. Who better to introduce the theme than David Bellamy, who offers experienced advice on sketching winter scenery (page 11)? Remembering to put a pencil stub and a small sketchbook in your pocket, he advises, goes a long way to ensuring you are always ready to commit the world around you to paper. There is such value in adding steadily to a sketchbook that can be filled with as little or as much detail as you like.