John Connolly: June 2013

I started the month with a series of demo's at Patchings Arts Fair.. Over the four days, thousands of art lovers and amateur artists enjoyed the sun, art, craft and music and had the opportunity to buy from all the big art material company's who also attended this annual 4 day event. I worked on 4 different paintings during the festival demonstrating a variety of techniques. The photos taken on the third day show me working on a Cornish coastal painting which will form part of a body of work being put together for a solo show at St Johns Street Gallery in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

Anyone who is following my Face Book Art Blog will know about the problems I am having with my hands over the past 12 months... I have seen a skin specialist who basically told me I had contact dermatitis, so wear gloves and use Dermovate steroid ointment and various other lotions and potions, none of which seem to have much effect.. I am now going the organic route and experimenting with a variety of creams and barrier creams.. The photo shows my hand after 4 days of demos at patchings... The vinyl gloves made my hands so sore on the first day, I had to resort to barrier creams.

I have just dropped off eight Landscape paintings which art now being exhibited throughout the summer at St Johns Street Gallery in Ashbourne... The new gallery owners , Mark and Petra Courtney are re launching the gallery with a spectacular summer show. I am really pleased to have my work alongside Lewis Noble and Ruth Gray, both highly respected Derbyshire artists. Heres the work I delivered yesterday. Most of it mixed media on paper apart from the large 48 x 48 inch on canvas. I really enjoy experimenting with mixed media on paper and am already producing another body of work exploring the colours light and textures in the Derbyshire Peak District.