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!

Ceramic tiles and demonstrations

This month is a busy one. I have recently joined Art Profile, which is a demonstration agency which organises and books artists for demonstrations to art clubs and societies.
Being an artist can be a solitary career, so being able to do demo's to other like minded people is wonderful, a little nervewracking, but good fun! I did my 3rd one on Tuesday at Oxshott Art and Craft Society and showed them how to create a Fractured drawing. I explained how I developed my technique, the inspiration and then completed a piece in 2 hours! The last 10 minutes was a rush (cue Benny Hill music) but got it completed. Thankfully the members all thoroughly enjoyed it and went away inspired.

The drawing was completed on black Colourfix paper using Derwent chalk pastels.

I also work closely with Fiesta Collectables, which I have previously mentioned. These last few months I have been painting a set of 4 herb tiles. They have proved to be best sellers!

 

 

I have added a link to where you can purchase these tiles.
There are a few others, including Poppies, Sunflowers, a Camper Van and a Cockerel!

Sydney Opera House, Battle and Mall Galleries!

Having just got back from a well earned holiday to Bradford on Avon with my family, I am now cracking on with new work, exhibitions and entries.
I submitted 6 paintings to this years Battle Contemporary Fine Art Fair, where they have a jury of distinguished judges, including  CAV.OMRI Romeo Di Girolamo PPRBA Hon.RBSA Hon.BAS Hon.BAF, the outgoing President of the Royal Society of British Artists.  to choose which paintings get in. 
'Showcasing the very best artists from London & the South East'
I am happy to say that I have been chosen to exhibit in the fair, which I am extremely proud. There will be an awards ceremony on the 17th of September and the show begins the day after until the 26th. One of the paintings chosen was the Chantilly Clematis, which I did a work in progress on this blog. Others include a Sunflower, Proteus, Fractured Tulips, Village Harbour and Under the Sea.

I am also exhibiting in The Art Bay Galleries show- 
21st Century Sisters

 Saturday 11th – Saturday 25th September 2010

 Open Wednesday - Sunday 10am - 5pm

 Monday and Tuesday strictly by appointment only.

 An ecletic mix of original paintings, fine art prints, ceramics and glassware showcasing the varied talents of female artists from North Staffordshire and beyond!

http://www.creativestoke.co.uk

I have Fractured paintings in the show as well as coloured pencil drawings. It is being held at The Art Bay in Stoke on Trent

I am also intending to submit into the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition http://www.discerningeye.org/ which shows at the prestigious Mall Galleries in London. I am taking my Fractured Cherries and Pears drawings in on Friday for judging. Wish me luck!!

Keeping busy for sure!

I have just completed this new drawing of Sydney Opera House. It was done in Derwent Artist Pencils on mountboard. 19cm x 14cm

And on one last note- I have been introduced by a fellow artist to a website called Paint My Photo, where photographers and artists meet. The photographers allow artists legally to use their photos for artwork. The standard and choice of images is truly staggering, and I have a list of photos which have inpsired me to use! Today I am beginning a rose floral painting done in acrylics and collage. Take a look at the site!

http://paintmyphoto.ning.com/

Be back soon! Thanks for looking and please feel free to comment....

New 'Fractured' work and also something a bit different!

I have been 'drawn' (pardon the pun) back to my coloured pencils of late, mainly due to the ease of taking up and putting down-ness! I wanted to return to realism and copying...not usually my cup of tea, but felt like I needed to practice my drawing skills again.
After my visit to Wisley, I decided I'd like to do some botanical drawings. Tulips this time. My reference was from my own photos of the flower head and gardening books for the bulb, I did these drawings in Derwent Artists Pencils and are A4.

I thoroughly enjoyed drawing in this style, making sure I was really concentrating on the detail.

My next foray into coloured pencil again was drawing some new Fractured pieces. These are intending to enter the ING Discerning Art Competition at the Mall Galleries. I hope to make it up to London to deliver them! They are both 5 x 7 drawings, framed in 10 x 8 black frames. I wish these competitions would be on line though, it would make life alot easier. 

They are drawn in Derwent Coloursoft Pencils.