Beecroft Museum

How exciting to be part of the Activate exhibition at the Beecroft. I love having the opportunity to share my work with the world. These paintings really express my joy at being in France this summer. I can feel the vibrancy and warmth when I look at them.
I would not have been able to have take part in the exhibition without the support of Cherry and Tom who very kindly delivered my work to the Museum and the required day. Look at Cherry looking very proud of her lovely work.

Tooing and froing

Well here i am back again. I seem to have been fliting back and forward between France and England rather too much. I seem to get the energy and inspiration to start new paintings but usually abandon them nearly finished in one country or the other. The exciting thing is finding them on my return and just adding the last little touch and they are ready for signing.
I feel rather sad that I missed most of the events related to the Chelmsford Art Trail but I am glad that I took part. It seems as if there has been lots of really creative events going on. I am very excited that I will be back in time to attend the Beecroft winter exhibition preview evening. And delighted to see my picture there in the centre of the poster. It has inspired me to bring this painting back to England when we return.
The high spot of today is that I have been accepted as an associate artist at Cuckoo farm Studios.
I have been busy packing my paintings today. As you might have guessed by now I am really missing being in England with my family, friends and fellow artists.

Magic light

It is so great to be back here enjoying the wonderful Mediterranean climate. Even on a dull day the sun manages to shine through. Although the sky is brilliant blue if seems like yellow to me.
I have been busy working on some new paintings, and finishing up some existing ones; altogether very productive and satisfying. With each new work I think less and feel more. The colours just seem to evolve in an organic sort of way. Painting in an Abstract style seems to suit me sometimes my thoughts are not readily apparent when you look at the finished work, sometimes resemblances to reality appear without a conscious effort on my part.
I am so in love with oil paints at the moment that the acrylics have been put away. I am still always an easel short of a studio as the work in progress pile seems to be getting larger all the time.
I have just launched my new website which is complete except for the French translation which will follow soon.

time out to enjoy other peoples art.

I am just back home after spending a wonderful weekend staying with my dear friend Ros in her guesthouse, Broseley House, Shropshire. The interior design is all Ros's own work and has to be seen to be believed; no wonder she has four gold stars in the AA best places to stay guide. We enjoyed morning coffeee with local artists Janet and Mike Brown. We were invited to view their collection of local paintings as well as their own work: a very interesting range of styles from life to abstract. We then met with another Broseley artist, Maggie Humphry's who has published a book of her locally inspired paintings. Later we had dinner with Keith who is a photographer with a very artistic eye. The next day we decided to go and visit a local potter, Elspeth in her studio then finally to round the whole weekend off we went to Much Wenlock to view the exhibition of Peter Blake prints at the Twenty Twenty gallery. Altogether a really interesting weekend where we were fortunate to meet these interesting characters. Back to my painting tomorrow with renewed energy and lots of new ideas.

sunflowers come home

Well we are back here at last. Spent most of the journey home thinking about my next painting. can't wait to get some available time. Meanwhile the sunflowers are sitting in the kitchen in their packing. I can't bring myself to unpack it yet, just in case it looks all wrong here.

a perfect day

Difused sunlight through the skylight. Jonathan developing in his dark room to the sound of english songs playing on french radio. I am thinking of all the knowledge that Gary shared with me during my painting lessons. We went to Bezier and bought a tube of his secret colour which I am putting to good use as I push and pull the paint around the canvas, large paint brush in one hand, turpsy cloth in the other.
Found the time to get my paperwork together and have applied for the christmas exhibition.

Tending my picture garden

Each morning I go down to the studio to work on my paintings. Some need a little bit more light, some a bit more shade. The placement of colour within the frame needs to be considered with care. Balance and form must be continually reviewed. Sometimes I find a really delightful patch when viewed in isolation but it is growing in completely the wrong place and needs to be ruthlessly removed. Time and patience are sometimes all that is needed. Sometimes is all seems a bit disjointed and I wonder if all is lost. They suddenly that ilusive moment arrives when it turns from a project into a work of art. Nothing left to do but sign it, sit back and enjoy.

In search of the magic colour.

No time for painting today as too busy expanding my every growing studio stuff. I have been introduced to a really magic colour by Gary while having my art lessons. Just couldn't move on with the painting without it so we have driven to the amazing art shop in Bezier just to buy a tube of it. While we were there Jonathan decided that I should have a wooden box for my tubes of paint, another easel, and some more paint brushes.( you can never have enough paint brushes. The weather is so hot today that we ate lunch outside at a Guingette, (cafe by the side of the canal)then walked along the canal enjoying the sunshine.
Four paintings on the go now; three oil paintings and one Acrylic. what fun I am having here practising all of my new painting skills. I am missing my arty Friend Cherry and look forward to the summer exhibitions in England. It seems that Cherry will have some interesting skills to teach me as she has advise coming on how to display her work effectively. Very practical.

The magic of oil

At last I have taken the plunge and started to paint with oil paint. Spent two days this week with Gary learning some tricks:Amazing.

Now I find that I need a few more easels as you need to let the painting cure for a few days so you start another one and then while this is resting you start another one. Thank goodness that I have the space to expand. No paintings to show yet as they are all "work in progress". I can say though that I am quite amazed at the results so far. Key words: large-abstract-yellow. Can't explain the yellow as I didn't think that I liked yellow.

The magic of oil

Bring on the light

Arrived here to find ourselves without electricity. Nobody to blame but ourselves as we had failed to notice that we had not been paying SNF for electricity.
they had failed to register us on the system so eighteen months later they decided to pull the plug. Took five days before the could reconnect us. The lovely thing was we really enjoyed sitting around the log fire,candle light and hot water bottles. Not so good was the cold showers and no internet. All back to normal now.

Arty business

Well as it seems that there is more to being an artist that spending all waking hours in the studio painting.I have been looking through my sketch books and found some quite delightfull sketches,(sometimes they seem must more interesting than the finished painting). I think it is the freshness that appeals so much.
Just approved the proofs for my business cards. Also finally made the effort and have instructed a web designer to build me a website. Very exciting.
Also found time for some life drawing which is really a good wasy to keep the drawing skills well honed.

the business of art

No pictures today. Much too busy working on the business side of things. Very productive lunch meeting with Cherry Ann. I am so impressed with her wonderful original ideas. Can't wait to see our work in galleries.

inspirational friends.

What a wonderful week i have had. My good friend Ros managed to get away from her amazing guest house in Broseley and come to stay with me. She is so full of creative ideas which she channels into the guest house. We had lots of chats about colours and the affect that they have on mood. I can hardly wait to go to Broseley house to see the results.
My next inspiration came from our visit to Jonathan's son and daughter in law. They are nesting at the moment and creating a really interesting home. Barnaby has a great eye for shape and form, Anna has a wonderful free way with colour. The result is amazing. Black, pale grey and white furniture. Lilapaws pink,withsmall amounts green, blue, yellow. Wow! The funny thing is there is so much to look at that it takes you a while to take it all in and as a result the room seems much bigger that it is.

Finally we spent the weekend with the grandchildren. Their imagination knows no boundaries.
I can't wait to get all of my ideas onto canvas.
Down to earth with a bump today as I need to work on my Art Course. Two dimenisional perspective, lots of pen and ink drawing, sketching still life. I know this will improve my work in the long term but it feels a bit tedious at the moment.

Another day in London.Went to the Design Museum, quite a walk from the Milleneum Pier. It was a bit dissappointing; seemed to me a bit like ART pretending to be useful.
I was delighted to read in todays Guardian that the latest 'must have' is a trilby hat. My Mephis impulse buy seems to put me ahead of the game. Excuse the pun.



My application form for the RA summer exhibition arrived today. Looking forward to the experience of submitting a piece of my work. Don't even mind the prospect of the Walk of Shame.

New Orleans has really fuelled my creative ideas. My latest picture explored the relationship between the Mardi Gras parade and the Crowd. As first there seems to be so much energy, colour and noise in the parade compared to the quiet onlookers. But without the crowd the parade would be without meaning. It seems to me that the the seemingly dominant part is really a victim at the hands of the passive element. My latest painting invites the viewer to pay attention to the crowd rather that the razamataz of the parade.

will they like it?

Today I submitted my application for entry in the Chelmsford Art Trail 2010. This is my first attempt at exhibiting work. A bit naively I didn't mention being a member of Activate; oops!
This chore over with I got on a train and went to London carrying my lunch in a RA Van Gogh plastic bag. This proved to be quite a conversation piece. Very interesting conversation with a woman on the Metropolitan line about Van Gogh, Arles, Nimes and Art. Another conversation on the journey home with a business man who had also been to the RA to see the Van Gogh exhibition.
Got home to find my roll of canvas had been delivered. Altogether a very Artfull day.