Sold..!

Bought on Friday 28 December as a gift for an anniversary.

I always rather liked this so it was good to know that it was going to someone who would appreciate it.

More paintings to be framed now..........

In the Steppes of central Asia..

I am beginning to work seriously on a major piece inspired by Borodin's In the Steppes of Central Asia. This piece of music is one of my most favourite. The pictures are wonderful...

I recommend it to you all.

Borodin's day job was  being a chemist. He never gave it up because he din't think he was a good enough composer. I always find that really sad - his work was wonderful...

The painting will take rather a long time I fear but I intend to stick with it as it has been lurking inside my head for quite a while....It needs to see the light of day.

It's Slawit Bob's Birthday!!!

Slawit Bob is now a whole year old.

No more puppy crumbs for him - he's eating Big Boy's Food from now on.

He doesn't know it yet but a trip to the vet is on the cards.

Just to ensure that everything is in order you understand.

Slawit Bob wouldn't want his fans to think that anything was not quite right with him...

A Tulip for Monday...

A bit of colour for an extremely dull day.

I think I quite like this. Was pleased with the way that the leaves turned out.

When framed this will be approx. 12" x 14" and will cost £195.

Completed parrots...

I have finally finished my Parrot portraits....

Mounted and framed, 'Parrots' will be approx. 24" x 18" and will be priced at £295.

Developing botanical work.

I have always wanted to paint what I class as proper botanical paintings and when visiting 

Chelsea Flower Show this year I came across the work of Evelyn Binns which is completely stunning.

She runs a course down in Cornwall.

She very kindly sent me details of this before publicising it.

It was £850 for 3 days and 4 nights. 

Obviously - I had to decline the offer...........!!!

So - armed with a couple of very good books, one of which is published by the Eden Project, I have decided to have a go at 'doing it myself' and this piece is what I have come up with so far.

I do rather like the effort and concentration involved although my eyes tend to go a bit funny after a while and I have to look at something else for a bit. 

Needless to say the picture is nowhere near as good as I would like but I am quite pleased at how it is coming along. I have one more tulip to do then it is finished.

I am going to attempt a 'miniature' white orchid next - that is - the image will be small not the orchid!

Solo exhibition at the Revive gallery, Heckmondwike.

I have several pieces of work in an exhibition 

in Heckmondwike for the month of October. 

The gallery is part of a rather stylish complex which includes the coffee shop, and is organised by the extremely competent and well-organised, Pam Lonsdale who is also  a maker of  fine jewellery.

It's lovely to have the space to show one of my bigger pieces to advantage.

There is also a selection of unframed, mounted pieces which are a bit easier on the pocket.

It's a much-appreciated opportunity to show my work to a larger audience - thank you, Pam...x

New Work

FLARE

FLAME

I have decided to work with felting needles and rather lovely soft merino wool as a way of continuing my exploration  of the relationships between colours. 

These two first little pieces have proved to be quite successful I think and are 

4" square. 

I enjoy the restrictions and possibilities of this size and work within it regularly.

Both pieces are for sale, unframed for £25 plus P&P.

The sun shines on Slaithwaite...

Slawit Studio is all ready for 

HOST

this weekend.

Even the sun is shining and my festival flag glows beautifully in the light attracting all and sundry - I hope...

Please note how tidy everything looks - it doesn't happen often and I would like it noted....

Another wet Bank Holiday - but at least it's not snowing...

It has been decided that the back garden needs to be reorganised. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

That was before it rained and Slawit Bob had to be put in the shower yet again....

.

I have utilised the driest bit of the garden by the wall to store my pots and display my bonsais all together. 

 A few sweet peas will be grown next to the greenhouse in a trench that is to be dug by our friend Adrian, now that there is to be no more allotment.

I am also intending to grown a lot of astilbes as the slugs seem to leave them alone. Delphiniums will be grown in large pots out of  the way of investigating noses... 

Hopefully this will be a way of keeping both my delphiniums  and Slawit Bob healthy....

Today, Slawit Bob is mostly waiting...

Although Slawit Bob has not yet seen the film Greyfriars Bobby 

he has an obvious affinity with the

 aforesaid Bob as he awaits the return home of the Master 

back through the door from which he left earlier this morning.

Loyal and Faithful Slawit Bob!

My studio and gallery.

This is a photo of my studio one summer when it didn't rain...

I think that it looks rather lovely hiding in the shrubbery.

If anyone would like to visit - I am open to the public in odd moments and am available for viewing by appointment.

  Please ring to check my availability.

And here we have an internal view when I had tidied up.

It doesn't always look like that I fear...

Work in Knaresborough.

This piece is now at Art in the Mill, Knaresborough as part of their August exhibtion whilst the 'FEVA' festival is on in the town.

Lots of things to do, eat, look at and listen to - oh and drink....

In the bleakness that is my current existence due to weather and varying degrees of pain, I am caught unawares by odd moments of serenity. I think that it must be something to do with a combination of light, stillness and favourite music suddenly making me aware that all is not quite lost....

The butterfly is considered to be a symbol for the soul in many cultures.

In Ancient Greece the word for butterfly was psyche - which translates as soul and was also the name of Eros' human lover. They are often depicted surrounded by butterflies.

I have seen no sign of butterflies for many weeks. My picture is from a sunny day last year - I remember it well....

A wet Friday in Slawit....

My poor soggy garden and dripping washing line.

A small lagoon appears at the back of the studio.

I can hear banging from the cellar. Is Mick creating an ark I wonder? And where on earth has he sourced the gopher wood???

Painting safely delivered...

My painting was finally delivered last week. I had to drive through floods, torrential rain and landslides  to get it there but I did it! The weather was truly apocalyptic and as luck would have it the CD I was listening to was as well. It was a curious coming together of the macrocosm and the microcosm in perfect harmony. I rather enjoyed it.

Anyway - here is aforementioned painting in situ.

Am really pleased with how it looks.

Am available once again for commissions.....!!!

Success....!

I am thrilled to announce to the world in general that I sold this picture at the Art Exhibition in Bury this week!

Am ever so pleased as I thought that this was the nearest thing I have ever painted that is close to a botanical painting.

I feel encouraged to try more pictures along these lines.

Slawit Bob is mostly chilling.............

Slawit Bob has enjoyed the visit from the Master's daughter, Lucy  (those are her hands) but he is ready for a bit of a rest. It can be hard work entertaining everyone by being cute all the time and he's ready to chill. 

Oh what bliss to have a nice warm fire to stretch out in front of....

Hope nobody wants me for a minute or thirty............

Huddersfield Railway Station is the perfect platform for art! - Local West Yorkshire News - News from @examiner

Huddersfield Railway Station is the perfect platform for art! - Local West Yorkshire News - News from @examiner

Busy Week

Well it's been a good busy week this week. Not only is an example of my work up in Huddersfiedl railway Station but I have had four pieces accepted for an exhibtion in Bury ( Dates: 18-26 May) and  have had nine pieces accepted by the Art in the Mill Gallery. This is in Green Dragon Yard in Knaresborough and is a lovely gallery with a good eclectic mix of work.The building is pretty old and full of beams. It's well worth a visit should you find yourself in Knaresborough: www.artinthemill.co.uk .

Now - all I need is someone to come along and buy something....

Exhibition information...

Art Station Exhibition: Huddersfield Train Station, St Georges Square, Huddersfield

Huddersfield’s iconic train station has been given an internal make-over this week. “Art Station”, a newly formed collective of creative practitioners from across Kirklees, has been given the opportunity of showcasing artwork throughout 2012 in the concourse which sees 15,000 passengers pass through each day.

Station team leader William Bolt discussed the idea with Robin Widdowson, Projects Manager at Loca (the Council’s arts and regeneration agency) who approached a number of Kirklees creative businesses involved in Loca’s Business Support Programme. Art Station was formed, the project developed, the programme agreed and the first show installed on 30^th April.

William Bolt said: “I’m delighted with the artwork that has gone up for this first exhibition and if anything I’d like to see even more each time. If it works for the artists, it works for us.”

For the month of May, Art Station has installed its introductory exhibition featuring 12 artists from the collective, which already boasts about 20 members. A programme of exhibitions has already been agreed for 2012 and into early 2013.

Artists exhibiting this month are: Kevin Threfall, Andrew Warburton, Damian Clark, Shaun T Hunter, Paul Walsh, Jane Platts, Dan Booth, Jane Galvin, Beverley Addy, Carla Lee, Trafford Parsons, Andrew Dunne.

Learn more about Art Station at www.theartstation.co.uk or follow them on twitter @ArtSHUD.

Recent work is finished...

This is a watercolour piece that I have just completed. The tulip came out of the garden before it could be destroyed by Slawit Bob and was photographed by Mick.

I was going to just work on one view but decided that I really rather liked the four images.

Dense dark backgrounds are just brilliant to show off the dazzling white of the paper.

My oil of the white poppies is now finished. I have resisted the urge to 'tickle' it. 

Whenever this urge comes over me - which is depressingly often - I can hear the voice of my art teacher at school admonishing me to ' Leave it alone!' This is  sometimes the hardest thing to do.

On the whole, I am quite pleased with the way that this has turned out. It will be one of the pieces that I put into Holmfirth Art Exhibition along with the Tulip.

Slawit Bob is mostly tidying up today....

Slawit Bob has decided that it is time to let go of his baby blanket. He has instructed Mick to stuff it in the grey bin.

He can no longer detect any scent of his earliest home - and besides - he has rather enjoyed destroying the evidence. 

The sitting room floor has been covered in fluff for several days now and has probably bunged up the vacuum cleaner as it attempted to inhale all the bits.

Blowing my own trumpet...

I'm trying to get better at this although I find it very hard.

Anyway, not only do I have work in two galleries at the moment but I have two pieces in the Art Gallery in Batley and three pieces with ' entirleyart' at the British Craft Trade Fair this week.

And there is another exhibtion next month in the world famous black pudding town of Bury.

And we're going up to a gallery in Knaresborough in a couple of weeks.

A Peace of Poppies

This is a water colour in the BCTF.

£225

Thicket

This is also there.

£175

All I need to do now is sell something so I can get more pieces framed....

Painting

I am currently working on a piece for the Holmfirth Artweek in July. There's nothing like a time pressure to keep you on your toes!!!

Anyway, thought I'd try white poppies for a change. 

This is currently at stage 2  and now has to dry in order for me to work on top of the first layer of paint.

As usual, it is developing in unexpected ways but I rather like that and it's pretty much how I work most of the time. I like to think of it as 'working organically' as opposed to 'I haven't a clue what I am doing'!!!!

A pleasant spring day...

Today, Slawit Bob picked me a tulip. 

I rather wish he'd just leave my poor benighted flowers alone. What with the snow and the predations of Slawit Bob, they are looking distinctly seedy....

Slawit Bob obviously does not care about horticulture. 

He is taking the air after his first shower and hair dry. It was all very traumatic but seeing as how he had returned from the allotment bright green, wet, shivering and muddy, a shower was the only option. 

Mick is not too sure about this. 

He prefers to shower alone....

Escaping the Colne Valley....!

Well - I am now being represented by two galleries in Yorkshire and am very pleased.

'art of gold' in Horsforth has had work of mine for several months and has sold some unframed pieces. This gallery is also a showcase for the stunning jewelery made by Anne's son, Seth. Worth a visit.

The new gallery is in Bingley. Jane Fielder has the 'Bingley Art Gallery' there and has taken 5 pieces. She has a lovely little place which contains mostly her own work. She just has a few other people's work so it's good to be there. The building itself is small but very quirky. Well worth a visit as long as it's between Thursday and Sunday!

The inaugural Slaithwaite Country Show...

It was a brilliant day for the show.

Slawit Bob was so busy looking at everydog and enjoying the sunshine that he missed this particular photo opportunity.

Slawit Bob's best friend Smithy was enjoying the sunshine also. He was a bit miffed not to be offered beer...

Slawit Bob was mostly not very interested in walking round correctly - too much going on - and anyway he knew that he was the best puppy in the class so really - why did he need to make an effort?

Slawit Bob is now turning on the charm in an effort to be given the red rosette.

It didn't work.

Well - yellow is a good colour.

And looks good in the sunshine.