Tuesday 21 August 2012

Tea Time Visitors

I have just finished a new print Tea time visitors. The  original block was done as an illustration for Garden's Illustrated a couple of months ago but I decided I needed to add more colour. So now all the colour work is done and I have started to add the main images. The print will be available from from most of my galleries once it is dry or from my website.

Friday 3 August 2012

Rutland Water Artist-in-Residence

 In July I started a one day a week residency at Rutland Water. I will be drawing in the hides over the summer and plan to host an exhibition of the work at the end of September in my studio. It is the most wonderful thing to sit in the quite hides and just see what comes along. Swans, geese, Osprey and duck of every shape are just a few. There are two nature reserves at the water, one at Egelton and the other at Lyndon both a short cycle ride away. I have 2 sketchbooks O am working in and then back in my studio using them for reference for new paintings and prints. I will be posting more about this over the coming weeks.




Shropshire in the Sun



I have recently been staying with my father in the Shropshire hills on the boarders of wales. How lovely to see the sun again and have some time walking with my father who at 88 still walks every day. After recently losing his old dog I have been helping him settle in a new dog Slim who is a real gentleman of a dog.
Very inspiring to see the Shropshire hills again and the amazing views across the plain to the welsh mountains.

Wing Telephone Art Box

Wing village adopted the telephone box from BT when the phone was taken out several years ago . For some time it has been looking very sorry for itself and definitely in need of fresh paint. Mark my partner came up with the idea of using it as an art's venue ! He wrote to the parish council for their permission to launch the first event. This we did on June 23rd with an actor friend of ours Philip Norman who performed Alan Bennett's "A Chip The Sugar" which is on of his talking heads monologues. It was absolutely brilliant . Phillip is a great actor and had the 70 people who turned up spell bound. He used the phone box to make a couple of costume changes and the audience sat with nibbles and the odd bottle of
wine on the grass around the box. At the end of the performance we passed around a bucket which raised £260 plus we were given sponsorship from our local pub The Kings Arms, our local farm shop and Wing Hall cafe. We paid £48 to Mr Bennett for the use of the play, contribution to  the actor and the rest went toward restoration of the box. We were then able to get the box repainted and repaired .  Many thanks to Francis and Robert for their contribution for the paint. I contacted Richard Coltman who has a website dedicated to the British Telephone box. He was very generous in the information he gave about the correct paint needed. If you want to learn more about your phone box it is a great website to have a read through http://www.the-telephone-box.co.uk/
On July 20th we had event 2, Henry Jones a local singer and song writer only 18 but defiantly heading for great things. Over 80 people came and sat with picnics and drinks and all seemed to love the evening (no rain ). We also included an art auction to raise more funds. I asked 3 other artists in the village, Mary Rodgers, Ian Newsham and Alison Seviour  to contribute post card size paintings which we framed up and half way through the evening had a very exciting auction selling the work at £30 - £210 per work . I do thank the artist and all those who have made these events such great fun - We look forward to the next which will be in September - date to be announced.