Spring at last!

Ahhhhhhhhh! It's so nice to finally see Spring poking it's little head out of the soil. The sun has some heat in it now, and the days are getting longer. I love this time of year. The promise of warm days and summer evenings.
Work is still busy, but with my parents away on a cruise (lucky them!) I am 1 work day down for the next 2 weeks. (they normally have Annabel on Tuesdays) This has set me back a bit...my list of artwork to do is getting a touch long. But with 1 and a half days, I can still get a fair amount done.
I have done a little Spring watercolour tribute for my agent and tile publisher, it made me smile throughout painting it. It's only 18cm square and was taken from my own vase of tulips. This was commissioned by Fiesta Collectables while I was visiting the Spring Fair.

This will be reproduced as ceramic tiles. I can't wait to see it! There are another 4 designs coming along too with a gardening theme.
I have now purchased a Bamboo Fun Graphics tablet to add to my art materials pile! I was considering getting an i Pad, but the Graphics tablet was ALOT less expensive, with more programmes to work with. A graphics tablet has a pen, which you can use as a pencil, brush or pastel depending of what you are trying to achieve. It's great for doodling an idea or doing a complete work of art. This is one doodle....

Inspired by David Hockney's digital drawings he produces every day, using his i Pad. I am completely hooked on my Bamboo Tablet!

Another project I've been working on is a graphic drawing for the NACC. National Association for Crohns and Colitis. I am a member and wanted to give something to them as a thank you for being a supportive group. They asked for an interpretation of having IBD in the workplace. The idea of isolation and secretiveness. Irritable Bowel Disease is a tricky subject to talk about to people who don't know about it. It affects your whole being, but no-one can see the effects on the outside. This is my interpretation shown in their mock up leaflet, which will be distributed at various conferences.

Isolation. Graphite.

Contemporary Iris 30cm x 60cm Collage and Acrylic.

I have also still been doing my demonstrations at art societies. The last few have requested my floral paintings. These paintings need to be completed in two hours! Thank goodness I brought my hairdryer to dry the background! Otherwise, tissue and PVA glue does take a while to dry.....

Red Tulip on collage background. 50cm x 50cm Acrylic