Man Made

Is the theme for this year's Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy. I love the ritual of entering this prestigious competition....pondering on the composition, the reverent trek across London town to hand deliver your offering...the weeks of waiting....and for the vast majority of us, the rejection letter and the 'ho hum it was fun anyway' and return trip to fetch your work followed by a self-consolatory pint in the Glass Blowers' Arms.

I have pondered awhile on the theme for this year: Man Made. When I think of this, it conjures images in my head of suffering brought about by man's inhumanity....dark certainly, appropriate probably and it fits in nicely with my long unfulfilled ambition to do a mother and child portrait. Maybe this latest idea...which only crystallised this afternoon, has been brought about by me and M posing for Lorna yesterday....but once the idea formed....I couldn't get it down on paper quick enough.

This may sound trite or even pompous, but it was as if the sketch ran away with me and I know I should have used a softer pencil but that would have involved stopping to fetch one from the studio and I dared not.

So here is my idea. Acrylic. Big. In black and white for impact. It isn't nearly finished as a drawing, but it has all the elements in place for me to start considering the actual painting.

This drawing is A4, done in HB, white and black crayon and black ink felt tip.


I have been playing around with ideas for a border for this painting.
I envisage it being around 3 x 4 feet in size. What do you think of this? Its just a software created border, I was thinking along the lines of blood red marks as if made by fingernails...perhaps in a texture similar to that used in the Sun Shadow painting last month. ..

I need to be sure one way or another as the border would be painted last and if I didn't like it, it will have effectively sabotaged the entire work.....but I kind of like the semi-destructive nature of the scrathing round the edges..... Hmm

Happy New 2007, a teapot and a tray.....

Well thats it then. December over with.

The whirlwind of nativity plays, carol concerts, mince pies, mulled wine and packed out stressed out supermarket shopping has come to an end. I quite enjoy the hustle and bustle of christmas but I'm always glad of relative quiet (literally and figuratively) in January when it comes around. And I'm looking forward to getting back into my studio now the children have gone back to school and life is normal again.

I got some ceramics paints for christmas (amongst other things) and spent a busy fun afternoon decorating mugs and teapots with the kids. These paints are great. They go on really easily and all you do is let the paint dry for 24 hours then bake your painted item in the oven for half an hour. Here is my first attempt. Its totally different to painting on canvas and I have to admit a lot of fun! Hmm...thought I might have a go with a plain white dinner service next and use my poppy designs...

And while we're on the subject of kitchenalia (is that a word?) I was given this lovely old wooden tray to keep my brushes in. I suspect this wasn't its original purpose, but I'm stumped as to what it might have been originally used for.....???

Any suggestions welcomed but meanwhile its just perfect for keeping my brushes in order and it has that lovely old patina and solid feel to it. Thank you G.....


I have an exciting painting year ahead of me, I've treated myself to a new filbert from Shillbrooks of Witney, and have downloaded the application form for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

All in all a busy day and I daresay plenty more where that came from.