Life's a beach and then you dine

Back in 2 weeks.......
by the time most of you read this, I plan to be sipping a mediterranean sized G & T watching the sun set.

On the cards

I thought I might start selling more cards. You can buy them at the moment from Cornucopia and the Post Ofice in Eynsham. I made these last night as specials to accompany my exhibition.

Have reflected a lot lately on what I'd like to do in the next 12 months - and one of them is to start producing some limited edition prints to sell - both giclee and hand printed series.

Memory lane

No work in the studio at the moment because of the exhibition, but I stumbled across a very old school photo - you can probably guess the era from the hairstyles.

Taking Lucy's lead, I have posted it here and there is a bar of chocolate to anyone who can correctly identify me ;-)

First Day Nerves

Today was the first day of my exhibition...you know..the one that can have hardly escaped your notice as I have wimpered and complained on here over the last few weeks and days.

Well. Here are some photos to share with you. Nadin has done a magnificent job of creating a really pleasant space and it looks like a couple of canvases may have sold already.

If you are in the area, please drop in and pay us a visit.
Here is a link for further details and map.

And extra special thanks and kisses to those of you who have helped keep me going.

Lucy: I framed this just for you. You're welcome to pursue your emerging painterly talents in my studio any time. x

I've been tagged!!

Complete novice to this cyber-play but I'm game. Apparently the rules are that you must list 7 things about yourself on your blog and then tag 7 others.

Things about me you might not know.......hmm...

1. I love cooking
2. I'd rather eat strawberries than chocolate
3. I am a secret bookworm
4. I sing along with my 3-year old daughter in my car to Etta James REALLY LOUD whenever we get chance
5. I can't resist anything shiny
6. I collect stones from places I visit
7. I never iron

Ok
Time to tag.....

Lucy
Lorna
Adam
Graham
Gretel
Mortimar Bones

Elated

Having a celebratory peice of cheese on toast. Would run a lap around the studio if there was room.

Did. It.

Just varnishing now before I can hang upthe boiler suit for the rest of the day.
Will be hanging them tomorrow so will post a picture.

Just look at the state of my palettes! I shall do my customary leave it to dry hard and peel it off. Immensely satisfying.

Random thoughts

Its 8 am. I didn't finish the poppies last night. So I am up now. Starting to think defeatist thoughts. I think I might be painted out. 3 hours sleep can do that do you I guess.

Cramming: update at 10 pm

I have two paintings which have to be completed before tomorrow. Its going to get a bit lonely in the studio in a few hours time when all you sensible folk are sleeping soundly.
So to keep myself company I am going to blog the progress of these last two through their stages of development.

Maybe one day I will look back on this and l.e.a.r.n. to plan my studio time more efficiently -not always possible with two young children and earnest attempts at Having A Life.

So indulge me, while I talk to myself for the next 12 hours......

Here are the lillies - with another layer of colour on. I plan to tone back the orange but it does add an exotic extra something.




Now I have added red back in and done more with the background. Leaves next.

10.00 pm
Painted in the leaves. Just seen the time. Going to be a looooonnnngggg night ahead.


Ok its midnight now....leaving this to dry off a bit and moving on to orange poppies. Listening to Amy Winehouse....I am dancing around the studio to keep lively.

Two left feat

I actually might make this deadline.
I have been spending very long hours in here.

More Exhibitionism

EYNSHAM ARTS GROUP PRESENT

Spring Exhibition
19th May - 3rd June 2007
Daily 10 - 4.30
Sunday 2 - 4.30

Bartholomew Room
The Square
Eynsham

Disappearing tiger

Here is another Artweeks piece.
Its not the best picture. Photographing glass is a nightmare and you can probably make me out in my pink boilersuit if you squint hard.

Since blogging this paintlet earlier, I took the tiger out of the equation, and I have to admit I sort of miss him. However, I have another poster slot in the Underground so I am going to use this image. Bit of tropical finery to brighten up a grey tunnel.

Anyway...... after the exhibition I am going to paint another, larger version of this theme, and put the peeping cat back in. Rousseau got away with it, perhaps I can too.

I had some trouble finding a mount with the custom size aperture I needed for this piece and quite by accident stumbled upon a really brilliant online shop for mounts etc. Very fairly priced and a fantastic service. I am not going to be using anyone else from now on. They are called The Picture Gallery, if anyone needs their services....

Back to my studio then, more paintings more paintings.

Passion flower

It's late. Very late. Nearly 1 am. I am still in my studio.
But here is this evening's offering. Have been experimenting with irridescent medium. This photo doesn't really do it justice. Its quite a POW picture. Going to bed now. I'll leave you to ponder on the symbolism. More painting tomorrow....

Apples and rhubarb

Inspired by Graham's recent exploration of fruit and vegetables, here is a little composition named Apples and Rhubarb


Only joking.......

Whenever I am frustrated in my painting efforts, I have to go and make something. Usually something involving scissors and glue with my kids, but today I decided to get creative in the kitchen instead.
So I made rhubarb, apple and ginger crumble for Lucy since the rhubarb was plucked from her garden on sunny Bank holiday afternoon.
I love these old Salter scales I got from ebay....they date from the 50s I think, keep meaning to find out. But they work perfectly and have outlived nasty electronic devices.

Lillies

I painted another layer very quickly on these lilies. Coming along nicely. I need to finish this and 5 others by Thursday else I won't be going out for tapas.....
..........I am determined and hopeful. lol.

You will be able to see this completed, with others at my ARTWEEKS exhibition next week. The link has details and a map for anyone who fancies coming along to say hello.

Enjoy the ride

This started life this morning as a tulip. I even boastfully announced I wil be finishing it today. Hah.

It didn't look right as a tulip.
I had a load of paint left on my palettes, so I painted all over obliterating the old flower and while the paint was wet, thought I would have a go just dabbing a new one.
Lillies are my favourite so here we are. I have just used the colours I had out and clearly it isn't finished yet, but I am unsure as to which direction to take it.

I am enjoying the ride though.

Another wet one..

At last, my gallery orders fulfilled. Just need to wrap and pack. Lucky for me its a Bank Holiday weekend so they can dry properly and be ready for shipping on Tuesday.

I am an Exhibitionist

Next.....

This is still wet, and is one of my Four Blank Walls orders.

Inspired by Aboriginal paintings, the centre is made up of thousands of gold 'dots' which I paint on in a semi-trance after a while. It's only when you stand back from it you can see the swirls and patterns. One thing I always do though is put a word in the gold dots. Bet you can't spot it - no pun intended of course.

I shall block in a tulip triptych and then call it a night, I think.
Three more paintings to finish and one to start for Art Weeks, and one more gallery order to go....so I have 'nearly' caught up, lol.

May Day May Day

I had tears of laughter rolling down my face this morning. I was running late and frantically trying to make James' hat for his school May Day parade and dancing today. Its an annual occasion.

Forgoing toast I raided the studio for bits of wire and tape and fashioned some verberis and forsythia around his beloved nike cap....

Proudly putting it on his head and turning him so he could see his reflection in the cooker, his look of disdain cut like a knife.

In his words.....'Yet. Again. You. Have. Made. Me. Look. Like. A. Woman.

A studio outside...

I have been busy this afternoon. Not painting. My three-year-old sees to that. But we have been having huge fun sorting out the 'bottom-end-of-the-garden' so I can use it as some studio space, not to mention sit by the chiminea and sip wine space all-in-one so to speak.


Painting outdoors is a lovely experience provided you can keep insects at bay. I recall last summer spending most of my painting evenings picking small insects out of the drying acrylic rather than 'doing' anything productive. So this year I am prepared.

I have bought a 'wasp catcher'. I hate wasps.....little antisocial gits of the insect world.


I also splashed out on this really cute cast iron bird feeder which I just couldn't resist.

And while I was feeling in a frivolous mood in the summer sunshine this afternoon, I just 'had to have' 2 rhododendron plants and a vine - optimistic I know - but I harbour dreams of one day plucking ripe fruit.



This evening I have to make a May Day hat for James...so I am going to use some of this.....I adore the colour and I am sorely tempted to paint this for my next project.