It's a GoodThing on a long haul

It's a GoodThing on a long haul
It's a Good Thing on a Long Haul

Tuesday 1 November 2016

Great Sheffield Art Show 2016 - Nov Thurs 24th - Sun 27th

For those who thought they'd missed this amazing show in the summer, I have some very good news. GSAS skipped an entire year in 2015, and were too late to book a summer spot at the Octagon for 2016, hence this year it's a November show! 

Perfect timing for a spot of Xmas shopping....

I'll be exhibiting 6 pictures created using encaustic wax. At our gazebo at Art in the Gardens in September so many people enjoyed being able to touch the wax as well as look at the images.They have a surprising strength, whilst looking so fragile. I'm not sure if the organisers of the GSAS will encourage touching pictures: just tell them it's OK by me ;-)

"Sing in the Lifeboats" 82 x 89cms wax on OSB mounted on hessian

“‎Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.” This is a quote from Voltaire and seemed very apt at the time of the endless migrations across the Mediterranean last summer. Some of my work I like best has its origins in current events.


Primaeval Light 50 x43 cms




There was a lot of stellar activity from NASA in 2016. The Rosetta Mission and Philae came top of my list. Perhaps to lose sight for a day or two of what we are doing on earth, it's good to reach out to the stars.With coloured wax you can experiment with the look and feel of an entire new universe. Then return to Earth refreshed to get on with making some other rewarding creation: like dinner... 
SnaKing 104 x 36 cms wax on hardboard, mounted on turquoise and blue hessian
SnaKing is part of my dragon series. The rest are painted in Chinese inks. (See previous blogs) If only I could write Braille, he would have a message encoded into his bumpy skin. I like the fact he is tangible and swims forever across my wall. He may be wingless, but he's certainly not lacking teeth.


Between Two Worlds wax on MDF 61 x47 cms on blue hessian
There are times when paths cross and disturbances are created. Some confluences are smooth flightpaths, others disturbing or disruptive. A prisoner in a small cell will magnify the minuscule so there is some observable differentiation, else madness sets in. We all experience change and upheaval, and would probably die of boredom if we didn't.  This picture tries to express some of those tangents both in form and colour.



Letting Fly -wax on MDF 61x47 cms on hessian



It was during the Russian excursion/incursion into the Crimea in 2015 that this warrior appeared and asked to be armoured with something arrow-proof. I was glad to oblige with gold leaf on a smooth raised surface of wax.



         Autumn - waxed leaves on MDF on royal blue hessian  61 x47 cms

These are skeleton leaves from the previous year, ironed onto mdf board with coloured wax in 2016. One of the joys of wax is adding stuff, incorporating artefacts, experimenting. For an artist who likes to explore as much as liking to depict, it is an ideal medium. 

I'm looking forward to finding many ways to exploit wax in the future, and hope you will follow my journey, either online, coming to the show, or by contacting me.






Tuesday 6 September 2016

RAIN. RAIN go away! Fortunately for everyone it did on Sunday at Art in The Gardens


She Who Must be Obeyed
I shared a gazebo with Xenmint Art Photography and our space was rammed to the rafters with colourful art.- possibly far too much - but hey, it cheered up a gloomy day of solid rain.It started fine and bright but as the  show opened at 10.30 the first drops began to fall. By 12.30 it had set in for the day and the paying public sensibly decided they would all wait for Sunday.  I suspect Social Media had passed the word around because even the big marquees were empty of punters. One dragon painting went to a drenched friend who probably has pneumonia by now. Bless her.

Sunday was more like it. The rain had mostly gone, a breeze blew up and we soon learned the art of weighting down the waterproof items on our front table, aluminium prints, mugs, coasters etc.
The Gardens came alive during the morning with families and art lovers filling up their carrier bags. As one lady put it, "What's not to like for a girl with a credit card?" Fortunately for us the event organisers had a card facility which I was lucky enough to visit three times during the afternoon. And best of all I sold a big fantasy mural painted on coarse chipboard- "Nightflight"
just half an hour before the gates shut. Very pleased the buyer liked it so much! Quite a bit of soul-wrestling going on there for a while as she paced up and down, but she bit the bullet at last.
Mutual satisfaction I hope. Although, I have to add that a young man from the next door gazebo was very disappointed as he'd been trying to persuade his Nan to buy it for him!

Sometimes September comes in like a lamb, this year it was a bit Lionesque. If it had been wet two days in a row, I doubt we'd have broken even, but Fate or Paul Hudson the Weatherman and a charming Irish girl smiled, and we got lucky.
Would we do it again? Ask me next year!





Below are a couple of my new Encaustic Wax  paintings that seemed to be of interest. People like the feel of the wax. and enjoyed being able to actually touch a painting. Half the fun of wax is its tactile  qualities.
SnaKing  - from the dragon series. This will be on show at the Great Sheffield Art Show in November.


This picture was inspired by rising sea levels,
I call it Leaving Home

Tuesday 30 August 2016

ART in the GARDENS SEPT 3-4th 2016

Sharing a Gazebo in the Botanical Gardens, Sheffield

There's a first time for everything.  Art in the Gardens is my favourite show. Wonderful setting, great day out, and now I get to exhibit with Xenmint Art Photography, in our own gazebo. Sounds like a date in heaven!

Some paintings were accepted into the Open Art Exhibition in the main tent:


There are different paintings on my stall, along with prints, cards and craft items. Of course, there has to be a dragon:

I'll have room to display some images in a new medium I've been experimenting with: encaustic wax. Most of this work I am preparing for the Great Sheffield Show later in the year, but this is a great opportunity to get feedback from visitors. As those who've seen my paintings before will know, I really like textures that have an almost 3D look and feel to them. It was one of the things that drew me to work on coarse chipboard, and I am loving the layering, the depth, and the physical feel of this new material. If you've painted with it, you'll know how much fun it is - I hope the pieces I will be showing meet with your approval!