A busy busy June.

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. 

Come the autumn

Moorland Colours

Moorland Heather

Moorland Rain

Moorland Stream 48 x 48 inches on canvas

Heather (36 x 36 inch on canvas)

Peakland

Up in the Moor

Busy May

It's been a very busy month so far. Starting with my solo show at Leabrooks Gallery which opened at the same time as my show at Ferrers Gallery in Ashby De La Zouch. The Ferrers show lasts until July 28th.

Having sold some of my woodland paintings at Lyndhurst Gallery on the edge of The New Forest, I was asked to produce another  series of 6, all based on my trip to Whitley Woods last summer..  The Gallery took seven paintings which will be displayed from 1st June. 

I received an email from Sharon Whithers who owns No Naked Walls Gallery in Chertsey. She has now opened No Naked Walls 2 in Bramley near Guildford and has asked me to supply several landscapes as soon as possible.

I visited St Johns Street Gallery in Ashbourne, earlier this month.  The new owner really likes my work and has offered me a solo show in November 2013. I have exhibited with this gallery for a couple of years but this will be the first solo show I have had there. I am really looking forward to producing a new body of work for this show.

I had Derbyshire Open Studios over the bank holiday weekend . As you can see from the photos the weather was very kind to us and the sun was shining for three days.  I was able to continue working and also meet lots of new visitors to my studio over the three days, making a number of sales enough to keep me smiling. :-) I also had a visit from the owners of Gallery Top who have invited me to exhibit with them from July when the Gallery is re launched after a refurb. :-) 

As the month of May comes to an end, I am now preparing for my 4 days of demonstrations and hopefully some sales at Patchings Arts Centre. Its a busy 4 days but always enjoyable to lots of new faces and take booking for next years workshops and demo's.

2 Openings in 2 Days

Wow. Its been a busy start to the Month. Ferrers Gallery mixed show openened on Friday with Leabrooks Solo show opening on Saturday. All this after a very busyy end to April at Reading Art Fair. My van has proved to be very useful already allowing me to carry much more work including some of my larger 122cms canvases.

As the weather improves this month I intend to go out painting much more (en plein air sounds a bit pretentious) Lyndhurst Gallery in thre New Forest have asked for some more woodland paintings and I am already putting together a new body of work for the next large air fair which is the 10th Anniversary of Art in the Gardens in Sheffield. I did really well there last year, meeting lots of new people and making some very good sales. watch this space for a more detailed Blog of the preperation for Art in the Gardens... 

Reading Art Fair 27th - 28th April.

Its Wednesday 24th April and I am currently VERY busy finishing off work for Reading and two shows which both open on the 4th May... After delivering that work I will then be producing another body of work for Lyndhurst Gallery in the New Forest who have asked me for a series of 6 Woodland Paintings to replace ones sold recently... 

I will then be in preparation for Derbyshire Open Studios which happens 25th - 27th May.... Hope the weather is much better this year as I plan to have a large outdoor exhibition under the fruit trees in my garden as well as wall mounted work in my studio of course... 

You can print this image out if you wish to attend Reading....  2 for price of 1 (That is for admission not paintings ;) ) 

Chesterfield Art Club Workshop At Basset Rooms in Ashover

I had a good time running a workshop with 16 members of Chesterfield Art Club. The theme for the day was Colour, Light and Texture in the Landscape. We spent the morning session experimenting with mark making using acrylics and mixed media working on paper and then the afternoon the students produced at least one  painting. (that they could take home to show Mum)  

Here is a small selection of some of the lovely work produced on Saturday 6th April in the Basset Rooms, Ashover.