Open Studio part of Open Up Sheffield 2012
I’ve just completed day 2 of my 5 days of opening my painting studio up to members of the public…. This year I am the only studio based in Barnsley, all of the other 62 studios participating are in the Sheffield area. Check out the catalogue online for a colour image of each artists work, there are 150 artists! Just click on the web link below:
It is now my 4th year of this event, my visitors have been trickling in to my secluded countryside base, quality not quantity I say! I can happily report that 3 originals have now found new homes. I have over 60 paintings on display and have converted my studio and dining room into gallery spaces complete with white voile drapes and matching labels (really pushing the boat out here!)
Over the course of the last few days I have completed some new works shown below…
Watching. 12 x 16″ coloured pencil. For Sale
Whizzy Woo and Ferg, 10 x 12″ acrylic. NFS
It has been lovely to open my private space to visitors and to talk about the inspiration and techniques I use, my last year’s artistic journey and also my plans for the future.
I’m a stones throw from The Yorkshire Sculpture Park and welcome you to pop into my secluded countryside base and have a cuppa and scone….. it would be great to meet you!
Future Exhibititions March – July 2012
ONE exhibition, Imperial buildings, Rotherham Open Art Renaissance (ROAR)
I was delighted last month to have a new painting ‘Duty Of Care’ juried into an exhibition in Rotherham, South Yorkshire… I trotted along to the private view to find a lovely courtyard with some great quirky arty-crafty shops and a cluster of likeminded artists busy networking away…. This exhibition continues until the 8th of April 2012.
Currently Crafted, The Orangery, Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
The next planned exhibition for my work is with Pennine Artists (www.pennineartists.co.uk), 31st March till 1st April 2012.
This is at a delightful venue, The Orangery, in Wakefield, and features a number of artists from the group Pennine Artists.
These are the links to the gallery publicity… would be lovely to see you there!
http://www.the-orangery.uk.net/home/event_detail/242
http://www.beam.uk.net/events/currently_crafted/
South Yorkshire Open Art 2012, The Cooper Gallery, Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
I am again enerting 3 new paintings into the submission process, fingers crossed! The exhibition runs from saturday 31st March till the 25th of May. My new work is very different to my equestrian themed work, so it will be interesting to see how they are received…..
Creative Connections, The Cooper Art Gallery.
This exhibition is now coming to a close. I was pleased to sell a piece, and also that a number of my fellow Pennine Artists we also successful in selling work… Its a lovely feeling to know that someone likes your art enough to purchase a piece to hang in their homes….
I am preparing some new work for The Great Sheffield Art Show (GSAS) in July, some horse based and I have the ideas forming to base some new work on some photographs of Highland Cattle! Watch this space as I shall be documenting their progress!
Thanks for tuning in and looking forward to blogging progress and events shortly! Ciao x
Exhibition at Sally Mitchell Sporting Art Gallery, Tuxford, Nottingham
Exhibition Invitation
The Backscratchers…..
After a brief break (at pony club camp with Junior Artist ) I decided it was time to get back to painting! While ‘at camp’ I took a few photographs of a couple of horses, obviously stablemates, indulging in a spot of mutual grooming… the light was just right and I knew immediately, that this was going to be the next thing on my easel….
Due to the speed ethic of my 100 days challenge, I waded in with a big brush. My immediate thoughts were that this painting would be all about colour and I would keep the shapes bold, allowing the darker horse to become almost abstract with minimum detail.
Again I have taken a number of progress shots… My working time was under 4 hours for this piece, and at 16 x 20″ I have opened up the scale from my 100 pieces and decided to have a little fun!
stage 1
stage 2
stage 3
completed
Holmfirth Art Week
You can find me demonstrating as ‘an invited artist’ this week at Holmfirth Art Week at the Civic Hall in Holmfirth. I shall be working on my Day 67 painting….. image as yet undecided. I’m starting at 6 and working through till 9pm, and hope to have completed the piece in that timescale.
I’m taking with me 30-40 of my 100 challenge paintings, so they are affordable originals with plenty of choice!
- Anticipation…..sold today
Holmfirth has been kind to me this year….not only did I manage to get through the melee known as ‘balloted acceptance of entries’, I found out this afternoon that I have in fact sold my hound painting ‘Anticipation’ of my local Rockwood pack…… I’m hoping my other piece, Mr Sexy Neck ( or ‘The Champion’ to give him his catalogue title) may go to a new home by the end of the week.
- Mr Sexy Neck
I’m looking forward to a good old browse around the exhibition on thursday, I always find it so inspiring to look at other artist’s works - we are all so different! I will no doubt find somebody elses work to covert and admire, and I just love that feeling when you stand infront of a piece of art that ‘speaks’ to you and the hairs stand up on the back of your neck…..
Holmfirth Art Week runs until saturday and there are lots of venues taking part in the ‘Fringe’ events in the local area around the village. Its well worth a visit! check out www.holmfirthartweek.org.uk for further information….
About the Art Week:
The Exhibition in the Civic Hall is one of the biggest open exhibitions in the country featuring work by over 400 professional & amateur artists. As artWEEK is a fundraising event all work submitted must be for sale. A commission of 20% is charged on sales in the Exhibition, Market & Fringe – all proceeds go to Macmillan Cancer Support.
To view all artWEEK facts and figures click here.
Come along to the 2011 artWEEK Exhibition:
- Sunday 3rd July | 10.00 – 17.00
- Mon 4th – Fri 8th July | 10.00 – 21.00
- Sat 9th July | 10.00 – 17.00
Holmfirth Civic Hall
Huddersfield Road
Holmfirth
HD9 3AS
Civic Hall phone no: 01484 22 24 52 (call during artWEEK only)
artWEEK enquiries: 01484 68 94 64 (all year)
Art Week Fringe Events….
Each year, artWEEK is supported by several Fringe events as well as the main Exhibition. It is these additional venues which make artWEEK such a large and successful event and we are privileged to have so many people supporting it year on year.
A free artWEEK flyer, listing the Fringe artists & venues, is available each year at Fringe venues, libraries, tourist information centres and at the Exhibition in the Civic Hall.
Fringe venues are a mixture of art galleries, sports clubs, workshops, warehouses, churches, libraries and cafés. It is fantastic to have so many people and so many venues involved, and the number of Fringe venues increases every year.
DAY 20
100 paintings in 100 days for under £100
PERSONAL CHALLENGE
DAY 20
- Whipper In
8 x 12″” – 20 x 30 cm approx
Open Studios: day one of five completed…..
Well, the sun shone, the kettle boiled, the delicious scones were munched and the hens ruled the roost……..
My first visitor of the dayThe new hens (Pebbles, Daisy, Bessie and Speckle) were in the middle of things, and did their level best to trot around my studio at any opportunity....... I've just completed my first day of open studios, only four more to go! I had a steady stream of visitors to my little countryside hive of activity. A total of 75 paintings and drawings were on display, two of which have found new homes. I had lots of lovely comments on my new pieces, a series of dark, shadowy paintings showing a mixture of lovely Andalusian horses (from photo references taken in Maderia while on a family holiday), curvaceous Welsh cobs (from photos taken at Flintshire Agricultural Show in Wales, again while on a family holiday), and a couple of Arabian horses ( from photos taken at my local Emley Show). Inspiration by the great Monet....
It has been a trying week so far; I am still trying to shake off last weeks pneumonia, which is sapping my energy, as well as coping with the latest family crisis of my elderly mother suffering a broken arm courtesy of her horse, Sparticus, who knocked her over in the field while escaping from my dominant chestnut mare mugging him for his breakfast bucket……..hey ho…………life has got complicated! My mum is in good spirits though, and is starting to mend. I have day 1 of my 100 paintings in 100 days project starting tomorrow, so that will probably take my mind of things nicely!!
Inspiration by the great Monet....
Although I am happily horse obsessive, I’ve a variety of inspirations; portraits, landscapes, my 3 new Monet inspired works, 3 blue sheep, 6 hens, a number of hounds and even some life room studies……..a little bit of something for everyone I hope!!
Open Studio – studio spring clean!
- My studio at the side of my house
- It will look lovely!
- Before the spring clean
Its almost that time of year again, my Open Studio event 30th April, 1st and 2nd, 7th and 8th May is almost upon us. I’m using my Easter break from teaching to clear out my studio, and make it into a super tidy, chilled exhibition space…….
I keep finding half finished paintings, those that have ‘gone by the wayside’. I must try and complete these works, it seems such a shame that theres this growing pile that just need a little time and t.l.c…….
Useful web addresses for the upcoming events are www.pennineartists.com www.openupsheffield.co.uk
The same weekend I kick off my 100 paintings in 100 days for under £100 personal challenge, I’m raring to go, and a lovely tidy studio will allow the creativity to flow………. Ive over 50 images lined up to paint, the sort of images that are concerned with light and shade, or contre jour, to give it it’s official title! Horses will feature strongly (dressage horses, gypsy cobs, hunters, show ponies) but I’ve some lovely dog photographs to play with, as well as the odd human portrait and landscape. The 4 new hens in the garden (Pebbles, Bessie, Daisy and Speckle) will no doubt feature and the new beef calves gamboling in the field by my studio……….
View from my studio over Cawthorne valley
Accept or reject?…..that is the question
reject number 2
I heard today that I have had all 6 paintings that I submitted to The Great Sheffield Art Show accepted. I was very pleased with this news, partly because the previous exhibition I submitted work for a couple of weeks ago, a small local Open Art show, I had both pieces rejected!
reject number 1
Usually, an artist is unable to find out why their work wasn’t selected, the good old ‘the judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into’ is stated, and we can go away confused, disheartened and dejected.
Accept number 1
Some big exhibitions do give time and effort to explain their selection criteria (The Society Of Equestrian Artists being one), but quite often, it is down to the personal preference of an individual (or small group of ‘unknown’ people acting as the selection panel) and can feel rather like buying a very expensive lottery ticket and handing your best paintings over to a stranger!
Accept number 2
Ultimately, it is up to the artist to research the gallery and exhibition that they want to enter. How contemporary or traditional are the main previously exhibited works, are their size or media restrictions, how do they need to be presented……. But the bottom line is that you have to speculate to accumulate, and stick your neck out and give it a go…..
……. and get ready to grow a thicker skin!
Crofton Art Society demonstration
Final painting. 2 hours
I popped over to Crofton near Wakefield on friday, to hold a ‘step by step’ workshop, followed next friday by part 2. 15 students attended and my brief was simply a ‘landscape’.
We created a painting in 2 hours without using any pencil preparation, this scared a few people! I do find it difficult to paint at an easel while standing sideways…..I don’t have any problems talking and painting, its the not standing infront of my painting while trying to paint……
1 hour, blocking in stage
The first stages were basic blocking in, layering in further colours and checking the tonal values. The students managed admirably without a pencil, after looking terrified when I said no drawing first!
Group members with their finished paintings
in progressIn progress 2
Painting Demonstration…….
I had a morning painting out of the studio today, I popped out to the Kick Start Art Club at South Elmsall. I’d been asked to paint a dog for a group demonstration, but lacked that special photo for inspiration. I remembered a photo I’d seen on facebook, in an album by Yvonne Harrington, a talented photographer. I asked, and was granted permission to use this fantastic photo as painting reference.
The photograph is of two coursing bitches, Brats Delight (brindle) and her daughter, Magical Delight (fawn), both big trial stake winners……..
My first photo is of the painting after 45mins, the main colours are blocked in, and some of the mid-tones are starting to be laid in……..
45 mins easel time
I kept at the painting for another 45 mins before time ran out! I knew that I could’nt finish it in the short time available, especially painting while fielding a steady stream of questions!! I’d demonstrated my methods of working and techniques, and that had satisfied and inspired the art club members…..
1 1/2 hours in.....
When I arrived home, I was itching to keep working, being half term, I could lock myself into my studio until it was time to collect my little one.
2 1/2 hours in...
I painted right ‘up to the wire’, and probably need to grab another couple of hours before I can start to think that it might be finished……..
3 hours in....
There are bits that I really love, and parts that are still not quite right, so I’m going to put the painting in a prominent place and stare it out everytime I pass!!! Will keep you all updated!
Don’t hang around
Here are the details of my March workshop in York for the OCA
http://www.weareoca.com/fine_art/dont-hang-around/
Non OCA members are welcome, workshop cost is £30 for a full day. OCA students-free
Anymore skull/globe/eggtimer donations welcome!!
Open Up Sheffield Open Studio Event 2011
For the second year I will be taking part in Open Up Sheffield’s Open Studio event. I’m opening my painting studio to members of the public on saturday 30th April to the 2nd of May, and saturday and sunday 7th and 8th of May, 2011.
All will be welcome to drop in, watch the painting demonstrations at 1pm each day and share a scone and a cup of tea. I’m offering 15% discount on any commissions taken over the Open Studio period.
And, of course, there will be more than 50 paintings, drawings and prints for sale, at below gallery prices………..
A visitor catching a cuppa and a junior demo! A total of 125 visitors came, will make more scones this year!!
