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Long Overdue Update

12 Monday Jun 2017

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My apologies for having been silent for so long but I’ve actually been terribly busy. Fitting in my roles as Artist, Housewife and Mother can sometimes be quite a challenge and just getting the work done overrides telling everyone about it!  Forgive me.

I don’t think I need to update you on the housewife and mother bit that’s just the same old, same old. Coping with two teenagers both of whom are doing heavy duty exams at the moment and so are somewhat grumpy can be debilitating, constantly trying to stay positive and cheerful in the face of grunts and dead pan looks is quite exhausting.  Plus lots of construction going on at home as we finally have our bedroom refurbished and lovely new brick paths laid in the garden.

At the same time coping with lots going on in my Art World.  I have been hard at work FOS 2017_Frome Festival advert-3rd pagecompleting a book I have published about my work.  Its a small tome that basically gives an insight into what has inspired me to create some of my pieces.  I am pleased to say several copies were sold in my recent exhibition with the Wylye Valley Art Trail and I will be bringing it along to Venue 25 Vicarage Street Gallery in the Frome Open Studios which launches on 8th July in Frome.  Wylye Valley was a very successful week for everyone in my venue and we were chuffed to pieces that over 800 people came to see us, a very successful event for us all.  You can find details of the artists I was exhibiting with on this website.

I have many other irons in the fire too.  I am thrilled to be taking part in Somerset Art Weeks in September with two new artists I have met, Michael Brobson and Joanna Briar.  We met through Love From the Artist where we all sell our images as cards (see link below).  We will be exhibiting from one of my favourite local pubs, The George at Croscombe, in between Wells and Shepton Mallet.  So I am looking forward to spending several days sitting in a pub, oh dear what a hardship!

I’m also terribly flattered to have been asked by Fusion Five to exhibit with them in the Shaftesbury Art Centre in September as well.  It’s a lovely venue encompassing rehearsal studios, theatre which regularly shows both amateur and professional productions with a superb gallery next door where the five of us will be showing our work.  Look out for details of our preview in September.

I’m also in talks with fellow artists with a view to taking part in a specifically surrealist exhibition in the near future.  PLUS I’m very flattered to have been told by Bruton Art Factory, ahead of time that I am accepted for their next big show, The Brut Contemporary opening with one of their usual excellent previews on 7th July.

As if this wasn’t enough I have three pieces of work about to be exhibited in Elm Hayes Surgery for three months with The Old Bakery Artists and further work with them in The Round Tower Black Swan Arts during the Frome Festival.  Finally I’m hoping to be able to show in another prestigious Somerset Gallery in 2019.

So I hope you can forgive me for my silence as there has been a lot to do.  I do hope some of you will be able to find time to visit one of these events, hop over to my exhibitions page for details.

TTFN (for those who don’t know that means Ta Ta For Now)

February 2017 – Skiing! Whoosh!

21 Tuesday Feb 2017

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Anyone who follows me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram will have been bored stupid last week with all my posts about skiing.

Yes – I admit it.  I am an artist who skis.  It’s good to have some things that are apart from the day job and by that I don’t just mean everyday things like washing, ironing, kids etc., etc.  Skiing is something I never thought I would take to but having married a man to loves to ski it was either take it up or get left at home.  18 years on and we ski, like many, for one week every year and we go to New Hampshire, USA.  He loves it, the kids love it and yes I love it.

All that fresh air, challenging yourself and whipping down a mountain on two planks with the odd turn thrown in and trying not to fall over, there’s nothing like it.  And the views, my goodness from the top of a snow capped mountain you feel like you can almost see the whole world spread out below you like one ginormous Christmas card.

 

Yes, you get to see pictures of my kids all kitted out at the top of Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire.  This year’s holiday was fantastic, we had over 3 feet of snow in one week, drove and skied through blizzards and rolled around in the soft powder that was snow.  Ate the most disgustingly calorie, fat filled meals and drank more than we do in a month. It couldn’t have been better.  It’s the holiday we all look forward to, a chance for the family to be together, doing something we all enjoy.

Back to the views, well this year with all the snow we didn’t see many views because it was snowing a lot of the time!  Quelle suprise!  It’s hard to describe the fun unless you are a skier, I know when I am talking to other skiers we all get very dull for those around us who don’t ski as we laugh over our worst falls, expound over our best runs and describe what daredevils we have or haven’t been.

I’m not a great skier, what you would call Intermediate, I know my limits and avoid the really tricky stuff.  You need to start almost before you can walk, like my kids, to be good at that stuff.  But at 55 I am really happy with what I can do and it’s an opportunity for me to challenge my age and imagine I am no older than I was 30 years ago.

So whilst we are back now and I will recommence work on a current commission I have on the go, think and prepare for a couple of exhibitions I have lined up, explore new images and ideas I will dream now and again of whipping down those slopes and count the days until we can book the flights for next year.

Meanwhile, please do enjoy a few select images from our hols.

Huge Relief!

05 Friday Aug 2016

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Just a little piece today to say how relieved I am to hear that the painting I sold through Saatchiart.com has reached it’s destination safely so I should get paid shortly.

Not, as I have said before, that the money is what it’s all about but remembering the love and effort which went into the original creation of this piece a financial return is rather a nice return.  Plus it will allow me to make further forays into exhibiting and entering my work for competitions and open submissions which as we all know is not free!  Whilst I have never expected painting to make me rich it has always been important to me that it does at least pay for itself and a bit of profit on top is the icing on the cake.

So after several hours carefully and painstakingly packing up this piece of work for it’s long journey across the pond to New York it is a huge relief to hear that it arrived safely.  I do feel sorry for the poor person at the other end who had to unpack it as I think I used almost one and a half rolls of packing tape to say nothing of the amount of bubble wrap. Much as I decry so much plastic in our world these days, it takes 50 years to decompose, bubble wrap is an amazing thing.  Fantastic for protecting paintings it is also great fun to sit bursting the little bubbles in moments of contemplation. I have yet to meet anyone who can resist.

In a complete digression, I remember a very happy morning spent with my son when he was little opening a large parcel at Christmas time which was wrapped in large layers of this useful packaging.  We spent at least an hour or so with me sitting on the kitchen floor while he in deep joy ran and jumped all over the bubble wrap listening with glee as all the little bubbles popped.  Often the simple pleasures are the best.

So to get back on track I’m just glad “The Daily Climb” has a lovely new home, arrived safely and hope it’s release to the world may lead to new sales, perhaps one of these two might be next.

Hot Chocolate 40 x 56 cm
The Right Address 40 x 50 cm

July and August

24 Wednesday Aug 2011

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It’s been a very busy time with I am afraid little painting being done but lots of ideas bouncing around and spending lots of time with the children, which is a full time job.

July kicked off as usual with the Frome Festival and the Artists Open Studios which for me went very well, over the two weekends we had over 500 visitors and many who returned from previous years and yes bought things which was brilliant.  I’m already thinking of how things can be organised for next year!

I’ve also taken over managing the Friends Scheme for Black Swan Arts in Frome (www.blackswanarts.org.uk) so there will be lots to do for that and we are planning a regular “plinth” exhibition featuring a different local artist each month.

In November there is the Frome Decorative Arts Exhibition coming up so lots of planning is going into that too! I’m teaming up with Kate Cochrane and Chris Talman to bring hopefully a really inspiring display. Dont’ miss it! www.fromedecorativeartsexhibition.co.uk

Wookey Hole, Phoebe's Birthday

Inigo and Phoebe at Bristol Zoo

We’ve done a lot of visiting and trips, Bristol Zoo, Norfolk to visit my mum, Great Yarmouth to visit old Art College friends, Woodstock for a super treat weekend, more very good food, Wookey Hole for Phoebe’s birthday, Lyme Regis for a few days and shortly off to Yorkshire.  I had a big birthday this year – no I will not say which one, work it out.  However, I was royally treated to a lovely trip to Bath, staying at The Milsom Hotel (fantastic fish in the restaurant) and visiting the Theatre Royal to see “The Madness of George III” which was fantastic.  Very interesting that in the same week we had popped down to see friends who are staying in Lyme Regis where Kate Adams is appearing in “The Salty Socks of Dunkirk”.  two very different pieces of theatre but both wonderful.  If you get a chance to catch Salty Socks on tour, then do, really great fun, thought provoking and the kids enjoyed it too.  What more could you want.

On the Beach in Lyme Regis

Phoebe and Kate in Lyme Regis outside The Marine Theatre

Finally we have had family gatherings, impromptu parties and lots of visits from friends, so a busy but satisfying time.  The children are both starting new schools in September so I will really relax once they have settled in.  But for now on to Yorkshire for lots of walking, Kilnsey Show, good friends, good food (more) and good fun.  Aren’t we lucky!