Of The Corner of My Eye

Newly completed painting acrylic on canvas 40 x 40 cm. Off to Will's Art Warehouse for their winter exhibition (not mentioning the c-word). Trying to illustrate the experience I have of seeing wildlife in my environment, that fleeting glimpse and playing with the decorative elements of my work. Tried it with green leaves as they were the ones I selected from the garden, especially the tear shaped Bay leaves, great to draw round and you get a lovely waft of herb, but I realised that I really have a problem with green. So an autumnal feel which I suppose is suitable for the season. Interesting to hear on Grayson Perry's much quoted lecture that blue paintings are what people want and I have also read that red ones sell for more, so I'm hitting two criteria with one image and avoiding horrid green.
More completed images soon and details of where my work can be seen over the next few months.

Buy Art Fair Manchester

This little painting 10x10 cm acrylic on board 'Willow Tit and Blue Tit' one of a group on show at The Buy Art Fair in Manchester with Comme Ca stand 83. Fair is on Saturday and Sunday 28th and 29th September in Spinningfields. Lots of interesting things to see at the fair and The Manchester Contemporary too

New Studio

It's taken most of the year so far but I finally have my studio back as a working space and much improved it is too. Still need a few finishing touches and a shelf for my paints and brushes but I have actually been in it and done some painting. Have a few days left before school goes back to sort through and catalogue all my teaching materials and painting resources and choose which art books can go on my shelves. Looking forward to painting and being able to have some heating for the first time in two years.

Things of Joy and Beauty

Had a very uplifting and thought provoking evening on Tuesday at Manchester University listening to the Cockcroft Rutherford lecture by Richard Thompson about 'In Place of War'.
Richard is obviously a man at the top of his discipline using drama and theatre in war zones and places of conflict to help those involved come to terms with the situations they are in. His belief and the concrete evidence of the pro-active use of creative intervention in such situations was inspirational. How wonderful to hear of arts and creativity being used, supported and participated in, right at the heart of where you would think it would be the last thing on ones mind. The value of what he does was never under question, in fact one member of the audience felt he should be stopping wars with his theatre, an unusal position for the arts to find themselves.
My practice is very far removed from Richards and the team he works with but I couldn't help feeling a little bit of that value and belief he had in  things creative could rub off on me and that in my heart the hope that all people want something of joy and beauty will save the creative industries and all the things that are good and positive in world. I wonder if our government would be as supportive as that of Sri Lanka? 

Hampstead Affordable Art Fair

The Hampstead Affordable Art Fair starts today with lots of wonderful affordable art work to buy. What could be a better way to start the weekend? All details at Affordable art fair website or www.wills-art. com
Image above 'Three Blue Tits' acrylic on board 15cm x 15 cm part of a group of four paintings that fit together or stand alone, still on show at Harvey Nichols Manchester 

Spring Birds

Four more images from the exhibition at Harvey Nichols Manchester. From top 'Hours in the Garrden' 15x 15 cm acrylic on board. 'Robin' 10 x 10 cm acrylic on board.'Two Jays in a London Park' 50 x 70 cm acrylic on canvas and 'Coal Tit' 10 x 10 cm acrylic on board. Exhibition on until 17th June  

New Paintings for Harvey Nichols Manchester

Three of twenty three paintings deliverd today to Claire at Comme Ca for an exhibition in the restaurant at Harvey Nichols in Manchester. More images to come soon. Pictures are from top 'A Stray Moment of Perfection' acrylic on canvas 100 cm x 100 cm. 'Three Blue Tits' 15cm x 15cm acrylic on board and 'Two Mistle Thrushes' acrylic on board 20 cm x 20 cm