Outside the box

This is a little segue from my usual work...but something I am very excited about.


A friend has given me a wooden trinket box - very plain and basic and obviously handmade 20-odd years ago, to restore and decorate. I thought I would share the restoration on here.

It is made of ply (I think) and what looks like a recycled drawer. The inside has a crude tray and the entire box is about 12" x 9" x 7" deep.First job was to remove the hinges and clasp...not an easy task as they had clearly been in a while. Not something you can use a power tool on!!
The hinges were once brass I think....
So time for some trusty brasso courtesy of Evenlode DIY and 3 episodes of the Simpsons later....voila!











Now for the box itself....

I already know what design I am going to paint.
The background is going to be green-gold and the design aboriginal in style.

So 3 coats of gold over primer to start with:














And next the first layers of phthalo green and sap green....














The entire process of layering gold and greens will have to be repeated a few times to build up the intense effect. Then it will be time to start overpainting the picture. Watch this space!!

Good causes

Unfortunately, my shadow people were not accepted for the Churchill Cancer Centre. Considering the overwhelming number of entries, the odds were never going to be huge. Still, I am really pleased with the work and might treat myself to getting it framed properly in the covered market.

If I can't do my bit by painting, I am doing my bit by running however.

I am doing the Race For Life this year in memory of Pamela Cook, my mother-in-law, who lost her battle against cancer 10 years ago. Cancer has been quite rife in my family and this is the first time I have finally decided to actually 'do' something.

I have given myself a target of £500 to raise which is why I am asking for sponsors so early. If you feel you could spare a couple of quid, please visit my sponsor page here:

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/suecook1

Events like Race for Life are an important way in which Cancer Research UK is able to fund its life-saving work into preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer. By sponsoring me now you could help more people survive cancer.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me - Cancer Research UK will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, at least an extra 25% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you when you tick the Gift Aid box.

So please sponsor me now!

Many thanks for your support - together we will beat cancer.

Bleeding for art

Here is an update on the piece I sabotaged.....and then transformed the other day.

Its too late for more painting tonight as my fingers have cracked open and it hurts too much to hold the paint brush....not to mention I would rather avoid getting blood on the canvas.!

So fingers bandaged, I am hoping for an early start and successful finish tomorrow morning for the poppy painting....because they have to be handed in by 5....no pressure (sighs).

Bringing the outside inside

I have a fair few projects underway at the moment. The one with the most iminent deadline is the submission of work for the new Oxford Cancer Centre.
The brief was 'to bring the outside inside' and to be sympathetic to the environment in which they are to be displayed.
I started off with an idea with tulips......looking from an unusal angle...but after a week of staring at the canvas trying to figure out what was wrong.....

I realised I was going into self-sabotage mode (which I always do when I can't 'connect' with the painting). Something, a seed of an idea was brewing in the back of my mind.


I felt I wanted this painting to 'say' something rather than just be a pretty flower picture. So here's the idea.
A grassy slope bathed in sunshine with the shadows of figures with hands clasped in friendship.
This is a work in progress, but I have some studio time tomorrow and I hope to be able to show you the finished piece. Till then........

Long time no blog (again)

Do you ever have days, weeks or months where you can never catch up with yourself?
I realize its been nearly 2 months since I last updated this blog....which is scary in a way. Its not been a case of 60 odd days where nothing has happened. Far from it. But more that too much has happened.

Some of it heart rendingly sad.

But I will be updating this journal from now on. And I hope you can forgive the 'time out'. Sometimes, we all need time away from the usual to get a grasp on the unusual.

A note about the Gecko paintings

I feel I should explain here that with these three I am returning to my dreamtime theme and these were painted as a triptych. Of course I can sell them separately, but they will always be linked.

Day 17 Blue Murtoa

Mounted and backed ready to frame. 15 x 15 cm acrylic on canvas paper. Overall mounted size is 25 x 25 cm. Signed and dated with the day it was painted. £40 delivered.

Day 16 Green Murtoa

Mounted and backed ready to frame. 15 x 15 cm acrylic on canvas paper. Overall mounted size is 25 x 25 cm. Signed and dated with the day it was painted. £40 delivered.

Day 15 Black Murtoa

Mounted and backed ready to frame. 15 x 15 cm acrylic on canvas paper. Overall mounted size is 25 x 25 cm. Signed and dated with the day it was painted. £40 delivered.

Day 14 Red Garden

Mounted and backed ready to frame. 15 x 15 cm acrylic on canvas paper. Overall mounted size is 25 x 25 cm. Signed and dated with the day it was painted. £40 delivered.

Day 13 Blossom

Mounted and backed ready to frame. 15 x 15 cm acrylic on canvas paper. Overall mounted size is 25 x 25 cm. Signed and dated with the day it was painted. £40 delivered.

Day 12 Purple Orchid

Mounted and backed ready to frame. 15 x 15 cm acrylic on canvas paper. Overall mounted size is 25 x 25 cm. Signed and dated with the day it was painted. £40 delivered.

Day 11 (back into it)

Mounted and backed ready to frame. 15 x 15 cm acrylic on canvas paper. Overall mounted size is 25 x 25 cm. Signed and dated with the day it was painted. £40 delivered.

Catching up

I have some more paintings to show you. But it won't be till later as I am in bed poorly with the laptop for company.

So now would be a good time to tell you about the Saatchi.

'My Soul to Keep' is currently highly ranked in the Saatchi Online Gallery Showdown.
Basically, the Saatchi Gallery invites artists to submit images of their work and website vistors from all over the world review and rank the paintings.

Voting takes place for a week then the 2 highest ranking enter a 'showdown' where one is chosen by vote. Each of the showdown winners (they happen every 2 weeks) will exhibit in the new Saatchi Gallery in London when it opens early next year (massive massive Art World event).
The standard is extremely high and so you can imagine I am thrilled that the painting is doing so well ..in fact voting opened on Monday and already it has over 1000 votes.

You can link to it here:
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/showdown/index.php?showpic=96889

Its quite exciting seeing how the rankings go and the voting will end midnight on Sunday. Fingers crossed!!

Art Posters

PictureDreams has teamed up with the printer Picture Lizard.
You can now order art prints, posters and other photo gifts online
with replicas of some of my paintings.

Click here:
http://www.picturelizard.co.uk/community.php?g2_itemId=1241

To see the gallery and place orders

Thanks for looking

Sue x

Day 10 Temptation

Mounted and backed ready to frame. 15 x 15 cm acrylic on canvas paper. Overall mounted size is 25 x 25 cm. Signed and dated with the day it was painted. £40 delivered.

Sneak Preview

These are going to be added to the main website soon, and numbers are limited so if you would like to order anything before they go on general sale, please email me at suecook@picturedreams.co.uk

I have had printed a limited edition of 10 magnets each in four of my designs. Perfect stocking filler or to brighten up your kitchen or workspace! They measure 14.5 x 11 cm and are glossed, flexible and just £2.50 each including postage.

You can choose from (R to L) 'Heaven', 'Pink Poppies', 'Joy' and 'SunSeekers'.

Day 9 Rising Sun

This one needs a little touching up top left (I smudged it on the scanner in my haste). So I'll be doing that this afternoon.Mounted and backed ready to frame. 15 x 15 cm acrylic on canvas paper. Overall mounted size is 25 x 25 cm. Signed and dated with the day it was painted. £40 delivered.

Starving artist post

Did I mention these are for sale as part of my 'Painting Each Day' series. I will be picking the 8 best so far to go in an exhibition in a couple of weeks, so early birds will catch the worms :-)

Each one is signed and dated with the day it was conceived and painted.

To be honest, I am desperate for some more big canvases for my dreamtime series of paintings as (fingers crossed) I could get some gallery interest...so I need some funds for materials.

So .....roll up roll up and get a completely unique and one-off Christmas gift or just to treat yourself, as I won't be repeating any of these. ..........and......Think how much they'll be worth when I peg it. :-)

Day 8 Daisies

Mounted and backed ready to frame. 15 x 15 cm acrylic on canvas paper. Overall mounted size is 25 x 25 cm. £40 delivered.