Sorry it's been so long!

I believe Blogger has had some problems in the last couple of weeks, and managed to lose 3 hours work on here! I think it's back now, so let's try again!
Once again, times are busy....just how I like it.

I have had a couple of exhibitions, both local. One was in Weybridge at the beginning of this month, and one before that at Oxshott Art and Craft Society. I gained a Highly Commended for my coloured pencil drawing The Cutlery Drawer.
And this was the set up for the Weybridge show.....

Footfall was low, due to the wonderful weather, however I did sell a tulip lino cut, which I believe is being sent across the pond to the USA. Nice to know I'm going far and wide!!

On Thursday 19th May I was fortunate enough to have an invite to attend Parliament! I am a member of the Crohns and Colitis Association and I donated some artwork to them as a thank you, for their reports and publicity. I wanted to evoke a feeling of isolation and pain when suffering with this disease within the workplace. This is the painting I came up with.

The reason I was invited to Westminster, was that I was informed that my work was used on a big report about IBD in the workplace. This was being presented at a launch to Parliament by Lord Prescott. Carrie Grant (Fame Academy and voice coach) was also there as she is an ambassador for the NACC. She also, like me suffers from Crohn's Disease. I was fortunate enough to meet them, as well as Lord Prescott's daughter in law Roz, who was really lovely! Here is a photo I took of them holding up the report. I am also hoping Prescott's son will send me a photo of me and John Prescott too! Let's hope he remembers!

Lord Prescott, Carrie Grant, Roz Prescott and David Grant.

My last bit of news was my appearance in Artist and Illustrators Magazine....well, on an advert at least kindly used by Derwent. All good publicity eh?!

New Derwent Coloursoft Collection

Derwent have been really busy coming up with new and exciting products this year!
Recently they released a wonderful new product using their best selling Coloursoft Pencils. They have called it the Coloursoft Collection, which includes all the tools you'd need to create a perfect drawing!
I was fortunate enough to be commissioned to do a set of three pencil images based on my glass drawings, which I love to do, for the tin lid. Of course I jumped at the chance!

This is the finished lid, and doesn't it look smart?! And inside are these goodies....

What more could you ask for?! Putty rubber, sandpaper, eraser, blender, paper blender, burnisher and a pencil sharpener and 28 pencils. Fantastic for using out and about.....which I have done!

Here is a more detailed set of drawings which were commissioned.....

And this drawing is being used in the leaflet inside......I call it Red Glass.

So a HUGE thank you to Derwent for giving me this wonderful commission! I highly recommend trying out Coloursoft's, they are vibrant, creamy and really blendable. Really, really lovely to work with.
Go get buying!!!

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

Spring is Coming!

Isn't is lovely to see the snowdrops popping out the ground and tiny buds appearing on the trees? Spring is my favourite time of year, a sign of the nicer weather to come...(here's hoping anyway!)
The Spring Fair up at the NEC Birmingham is one of the first big events for me to visit. It is a huge exhibition of this years trends in greeting cards, paintings, homeware and gifts. I have been going for a few years now, and enjoy it immensely. I have a few agents and publishers who exhibit up there, and it gives me the chance to have a sit down with them and discuss new projects and ideas. I see IBD Licensing and also Fiesta Collectables, as well as any potential publishers who might be interested in my work. I am always armed with a couple of photo books and my memory stick!
It was great to see some of my newer tiles on display at the fair, and overheard some lovely comments about them.

I now have quite a few new commissions to work on from the result of the trip. One being a set of 4 gardening tiles.
The only bad thing that happened that day was the 2 hours it took me to get out of the car park, thanks to two accidents on both main roads leading out of the NEC!

Another exciting event for me is the launch of my work on the front of the tins of the new Derwent Coloursoft Collection. I was commissioned to do 3 drawings of glass, showing the versatility of the pencils. I absolutely love Coloursoft pencils, they are so creamy and the colours so vibrant. I rarely use any other coloured pencil.
These are the drawings they used.

I am still doing my demonstrations at art societies, which I absolutely love. I have got two floral collage demos to do in the next two weeks, so will post the finished articles when done!
This is the last Fractured Pastel drawing I completed on the 16th February at Thameside Art Society. They named it for me- 'Moonlight Tipple'. 50cm x 40cm on Colourfix paper.

Newland House exhibition

The Newland House exhibition in Twickenham has been brought forward! The organiser had an artist cancel on him, and he rang me up in a frenzy asking if I could bring my coloured pencil show forward a month! Therefore it is now on and runs until the end of January. Thankfully I was prepared enough to be able to get everything finished and framed within 3 days notice!
So far it has gone fantastically well. I have sold 5 drawings and had 4 commissions on top of that, which is keeping me extremely busy especially as coloured pencil work takes a long time to complete. I hope it carries on as well as it has been.

I have also been fortunate enough to have a few customers buy most of my Fractured work. My studio is looking very empty!  I have also been asked to do a few commissions too on top of the sales.

I have been beginning some new work now, hoping to get more stock in. Here is the first of a new 'batch'

It is called 'Two at Sea'. Acrylic on chunky canvas. 70cm x 50cm. It is priced at £500.

The next one I have yet to decide upon a theme! Maybe fish. However, I need to begin work on drawings for the UKCPS 10th Anniversary Exhibition. Which is going to be held at the prestigious Westminster Gallery, opposite the cathedral and Houses of Parliament. I intend to do a series of London buildings in my Fractured style, starting with the Millennium Wheel. It's going to be quite large scale and offset/abstract. I can't wait to get started!
Happy New Year to everybody!

The run up to Christmas!

I love this time of year! It's a real mix of rushing around, excitement (especially from my 3 year old) and exhaustion!
I have been busy planning for a solo exhibition, which starts next month at Newlands House School, Twickenham. They have recently built a proper gallery onto the school, and they have invited me to do a one man show, starting on the 31st January for a whole month! One of the requests I have had for this, is the sale of small 'pocket money' sized artwork. I am using coloured pencil for these, and have created a few images which the children visiting may like to purchase.

These drawings are all 6 x 4 postcard sized. I also have a larger selection of drawings for the parents to purchase, should they wish of course!!

I have also been fortunate enough to be selected to have about 6 paintings displayed at UHNS Maternity Hospital. These are printed onto perspex, which enables thorough cleaning which is of course highly important in hospitals. The Art Bay Gallery, who represents my work, made this possible.
These are the paintings in situ.

I have various other projects on the go, and am looking forward to a break at Christmas!
On this note, please let me wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Demonstration days

Trying to fit in art and parenthood is always a challenge for me. I dearly love being a mum, but I do hanker for art filled days of bliss too! I am fortunate that Annabel, my daughter, goes to various places to play for 2 and a half days a week, which makes perfect time for me to endulge and develop my artwork.
I have now added another string to my bow. I signed up with Art Profile, who books artists to demonstrate at various Art Societies. So far I have booking up until 2012!
These last couple of months I have been busy demonstrating at Art Societies. One a week to be exact. I am lucky to have these booked in the evenings, which lets me leave husband holding the baby! Most of the demonstrations I do request my Fractured style of painting. It fascinates people before I show up with that title, as they've never heard of it before! Luckily, all of the demo's so far have gone incredibly well, and the members are all very welcoming and enthusiastic. I take along my hand made cards as well, which always adds a bit of revenue. The last one was last night, in Midhurst, near Petworth. They have invited me back to hold a workshop, which involves working as a class, helping members to create their own piece of Fractured artwork.
The first ever demonstration I did, I was really thrown in at the deep end, as they videoed me! Nerve wrecking? Yes, a touch. But this time I was demoing my floral collage style, something I have been doing for quite a few years, so felt quite confident. They all walked away inspired! Brilliant!
I have also been photographed for a local newspaper, the article will hopefully be published fairly soon.
Here is the photo they took of me in the swing of demoing my Fractured style using Derwent chalk pastels!

Trying to talk and paint at the same time is a bit of a challenge, however, add a bit of humour and it certainly makes things more fun!

Here is the finished piece! And have hopefully enlightened the crowd to my Fractured technique!