tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48629172291868073652024-03-08T07:51:11.694+00:00Not getting a real jobWelcome to my blog. It’s the place where I record my extensive and ongoing efforts to create and sell art, whilst constantly being interrupted by real life, grumpy cats and needy teenagers...Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-79522146642063968492014-10-24T12:54:00.004+01:002014-10-24T12:56:15.955+01:00New Frisk 'Pink' Masking Fluid from the SAA - Reviewed!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NhT3Y4_g67o/VEo7E-0M_tI/AAAAAAAABUI/5MUHLOzN_ho/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NhT3Y4_g67o/VEo7E-0M_tI/AAAAAAAABUI/5MUHLOzN_ho/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-0.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In October 2014 I was sent a bottle of Frisk 'Pink' Masking fluid to try in advance of it's release. Having just recently recovered from the disease myself I was keen to review the product!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I tell complete beginners to watercolour what masking fluid does, their eyes instantly light up. Having soon come across the problems of reserving light areas, masking fluid seems the answer to all their problems. I soon have to disillusion them! Masking fluid is a fantastic tool and really useful, but it is not without its problems and is certainly not suitable for all situations where you need to reserve white. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-arVEbVN-hOo/VEo7HH8XtwI/AAAAAAAABUY/MgFWOMUMjGo/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-arVEbVN-hOo/VEo7HH8XtwI/AAAAAAAABUY/MgFWOMUMjGo/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When the SAA sent me a bottle of Frisk ‘pink’ masking fluid I was very excited to try it out. Not least because a percentage of the profits go to breast cancer charities, a disease I am recently recovered from myself. I wanted to put it though its paces, not just for reserving whites but also for a technique that people use less often, reserving previously painted (dry) areas of light paint. As I parked my car at the local supermarket, I looked down at the ground and saw the autumn leaves – perfect! Not only did some of them have little holes, others had light veins surrounded by darks. </span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cWYg3TvIDHU/VEo7GBn2qNI/AAAAAAAABUQ/iwn3t8iaG8c/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cWYg3TvIDHU/VEo7GBn2qNI/AAAAAAAABUQ/iwn3t8iaG8c/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I selected a few and drew the shape of one of the Maple leaves onto my paper. First I masked out the small holes and let the masking fluid dry. (My tool of preference for this is a ruling pen, but some of my students do prefer ‘colour shaper’ tools.) Next I put an all over wash of Yellow Ochre on the leaf. It was tricky enough to get a flat wash on with the complex edge shapes; I would not have had time to paint around the little holes too, so the masking fluid did its job here.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qvdNVW_Bprg/VEo7IEE_EiI/AAAAAAAABUg/mBjRzHJoTLo/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qvdNVW_Bprg/VEo7IEE_EiI/AAAAAAAABUg/mBjRzHJoTLo/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-3.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />At its best masking fluid can help you reserve crisp whites, lighter areas of paint and if ‘splattered’ on in layers can help build fantastic complex textures. At its worse it can ruin brushes, leave harsh unnatural edges and even tear paper. So I always stress to my students the need to understand how to use it properly and for the correct situations.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XS4D23bxDY4/VEo7JNSOYPI/AAAAAAAABUo/pbHHUHelOos/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XS4D23bxDY4/VEo7JNSOYPI/AAAAAAAABUo/pbHHUHelOos/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-4.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next was the fun bit. A big brush and wet into wet all over the leaf, mixing a bright green from Prussian Blue, Cadmium Yellow, and adding bright splashes of Light Red and Red Oxide. Finally I used a little watercolour pencil to add contrast to the stem. Without reserving the veins with the Frisk fluid it would have been impossible to be so free with the paint. Now came the wait, to see how well the masking fluid removed, and whether it lifted any of the colour underneath.<br /> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Q6yy5gcUIA/VEo7KK5yUWI/AAAAAAAABUw/KuItBekJRgY/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Q6yy5gcUIA/VEo7KK5yUWI/AAAAAAAABUw/KuItBekJRgY/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-5.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once the painting was dry the masking fluid lifted well, despite being on for a few days. The white areas were crisp and there was minimal pigment loss on the reserved leaf veins (there is always a little I find). Finally, using some well sharpened watercolour pencils I defined some of the edges of the leaf and the holes, and the finished result was quite pleasing!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V49YQaANqTU/VEo7LAmCYKI/AAAAAAAABU4/4LTLuHRqQyA/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V49YQaANqTU/VEo7LAmCYKI/AAAAAAAABU4/4LTLuHRqQyA/s1600/how-to-use-masking-fluid-watercolour-watercolor-painting-6.jpg" height="320" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />Materials used for this review: <br /><br />Saunders Waterford ‘High White’ NOT paper 300gm, Talens ‘Rembrandt’ watercolours, Derwent watercolour Pencils, SAA ‘Silver’ brushes</span></div>
<br />
<br />Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-15878075187248903462014-10-04T13:07:00.001+01:002014-10-04T13:17:22.558+01:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Bath Time At Last!</span></span><br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-891GMbajvvo/VC_fETJeh-I/AAAAAAAABTU/q4Ev7fpyEMY/s1600/Bathroom%2B8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-891GMbajvvo/VC_fETJeh-I/AAAAAAAABTU/q4Ev7fpyEMY/s1600/Bathroom%2B8.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Time for a
catch up post on our attempts to drag our house kicking & screaming from the ‘70’s and into modern
life. Last year we were on track to finish the upstairs bathroom by Xmas 2013. I am
not someone who prefers to shower, although when I have been to a martial arts
or yoga class in bare feet a bath is not a good idea! So after about 3 months
without a bath and three of us trying to use a room as big as a phone box to
wash in, I was looking forward to getting my bathroom back. And that is when I
found the lump, and had the biopsy and got the breast cancer diagnosis (see
previous posts!) Fast forward another 5 months and my treatment and surgery
was finished (the radiotherapy burns would have prevented my soaking in a hot
bath anyhow) and all I wanted was to get that bathroom finished.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-42z1fCfG8Xg/VC_e19nkBsI/AAAAAAAABSc/sDrSWm2vGDk/s1600/Bathroom%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-42z1fCfG8Xg/VC_e19nkBsI/AAAAAAAABSc/sDrSWm2vGDk/s1600/Bathroom%2B1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Everyone
likes a before and after picture and these ‘before’ snaps are something to
behold; possibly the worst room in the house; where do I begin in describing its
delights? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3OlO55n8_JA/VC_e2boM8nI/AAAAAAAABSg/xBliDs6o-O8/s1600/Bathroom%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3OlO55n8_JA/VC_e2boM8nI/AAAAAAAABSg/xBliDs6o-O8/s1600/Bathroom%2B2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Cracked tiles in two different (unrelated) styles, more disabled wall
bars than a mobility showroom, mould growing under the sealant, dirty pink shag
pile carpet so deep if you dropped an earring back you never saw it again…</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-stDdTZWQpVM/VC_e4Sc3_1I/AAAAAAAABS4/MhDsbzzLnnQ/s1600/Bathroom%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-stDdTZWQpVM/VC_e4Sc3_1I/AAAAAAAABS4/MhDsbzzLnnQ/s1600/Bathroom%2B4.jpg" height="287" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Satisfaction
was mine as the revolting carpet came up and the tiles got ripped off the wall. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4fIqxtT9MHE/VC_fEFwK80I/AAAAAAAABTY/oATgeiSwYhk/s1600/Bathroom%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4fIqxtT9MHE/VC_fEFwK80I/AAAAAAAABTY/oATgeiSwYhk/s1600/Bathroom%2B5.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">When the paneling was taken down where the soil pipe was the hole in the wall
became a super-highway for spiders, and at least twice a day I rescued 8 legged
monsters in a pint glass and put them carefully in the garden, where no doubt
they started making their way back up the soil pipe… “I am sure I have seen you
before…” I would say to them as I walked them down the stairs.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_0bsn_KN31E/VC_fpKPzOYI/AAAAAAAABTo/Uuw8bVJJ6jE/s1600/Bathroom%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_0bsn_KN31E/VC_fpKPzOYI/AAAAAAAABTo/Uuw8bVJJ6jE/s1600/Bathroom%2B5.jpg" height="320" width="283" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">There had
also been several decades of spider activity under the bath, and Gimlet who can
never resist a bit of exploration did his bit by dusting under the old bath
with his face.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l0AkSAiDfE0/VC_e8KpZw0I/AAAAAAAABTA/2WVQqCjrAUk/s1600/Bathroom%2B7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l0AkSAiDfE0/VC_e8KpZw0I/AAAAAAAABTA/2WVQqCjrAUk/s1600/Bathroom%2B7.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Of course I
couldn’t resist using the new bathroom as a basis for another mosaic. I cut
some petal shapes from white tiles and filled in with dark green, and charcoal
coloured grout to show the flowers off. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7gb6efzguA/VC_e1v2gM8I/AAAAAAAABSY/Bu8iTtMdIGE/s1600/Bathroom%2B10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7gb6efzguA/VC_e1v2gM8I/AAAAAAAABSY/Bu8iTtMdIGE/s1600/Bathroom%2B10.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Originally I wanted white walls, but it
looked so stark that I settled on a soft yellow green with the back wall in a
linen colour. It still needed softening so I spent a few hours with a craft
knife and cut a daisy stencil, putting a row of big daisies across the back
wall in gold acrylic paint. (You will see the daisy motif again because I have
since used it as a design for a lino print –waste not, want not!)</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rqJdRiTT0qI/VC_e-d9SD3I/AAAAAAAABTI/mq1BOkb5LfE/s1600/Bathroom%2B6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rqJdRiTT0qI/VC_e-d9SD3I/AAAAAAAABTI/mq1BOkb5LfE/s1600/Bathroom%2B6.jpg" height="311" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The
bathroom now looks stunning, the only slightly sad thing is that we had to put a
smaller bath in (the old bath being too big and cutting into the wall) and even
though I am quite small it still feels very cramped. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q38qTaI6lyQ/VC_fEErrsQI/AAAAAAAABTQ/0KttUMGZ6ZE/s1600/Bathroom%2B9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q38qTaI6lyQ/VC_fEErrsQI/AAAAAAAABTQ/0KttUMGZ6ZE/s1600/Bathroom%2B9.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Nevertheless it is still
luxury to have a proper bathroom and to step on beautiful tiles instead of that
pink horror. Plus since the other family members prefer showers it is really
just my own personal bathroom. So… two bathrooms done, one kitchen to go (doing the hardest rooms first), more on
that soon!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-91428071012468572112014-09-19T12:38:00.000+01:002014-09-19T12:39:22.988+01:00A project close to my heart<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eJCzb2I6Im0/VBwJHSfhZxI/AAAAAAAABRw/dH6zJxbv90U/s1600/finished-breast-cast-mosaic-4-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eJCzb2I6Im0/VBwJHSfhZxI/AAAAAAAABRw/dH6zJxbv90U/s1600/finished-breast-cast-mosaic-4-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" height="316" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes I guess things are just meant to happen at certain times. Back in the spring when I got a call from Keri of <a href="http://www.birdsbodycasts.co.uk/loveyourboobies.html" target="_blank">Birds Body Casting</a> asking me to take part in an art project in aid of <a href="http://www.suffolkbreakthroughevents.co.uk/about-the-suffolk-breakthrough-group/" target="_blank">Suffolk Breakthrough Breast Cancer</a>, she had no idea I had just had surgery to remove a tumour in my breast and was about to start radiotherapy. Of course I couldn't say no, my only concern was if I would feel well enough but when Keri explained that I had months to complete my artwork I knew it would be fine. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bgfiknNmjS4/VBwI3UKgplI/AAAAAAAABQk/Pizmg9w3JEU/s1600/breast-cast-mosaic-0-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bgfiknNmjS4/VBwI3UKgplI/AAAAAAAABQk/Pizmg9w3JEU/s1600/breast-cast-mosaic-0-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" height="306" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The first step was a trip to Keri's studio in Bury St Edmunds, where Keri explained that the casts were donated by women who either had or had been affected by breast cancer. I was given a bust cast and simply given complete freedom to decorate it as I wished. When finished the casts would be displayed in local businesses and shops then auctioned for charity. At this stage I did not know whose bust it was or what her story was. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9bRzgXS-h9c/VBwNavARyNI/AAAAAAAABR8/k0arQmUob4w/s1600/breast-cast-mosaics-painted-birds-body-casting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9bRzgXS-h9c/VBwNavARyNI/AAAAAAAABR8/k0arQmUob4w/s1600/breast-cast-mosaics-painted-birds-body-casting.jpg" height="229" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All summer the cast sat in my studio and was quite a talking point for visitors and friends. I had my radiotherapy, helped to arrange a local art exhibition for 50 artists, demonstrated at the SAA's London event and travelled to the French Alps to arrange an art holiday for my students. Finally at the end of the summer when things had calmed down I turned my attention to the cast.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yuQme7MFxw8/VBwI5gvjJjI/AAAAAAAABQo/K0UfwUteX4Y/s1600/breast-cast-mosaic-1-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yuQme7MFxw8/VBwI5gvjJjI/AAAAAAAABQo/K0UfwUteX4Y/s1600/breast-cast-mosaic-1-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As soon as I saw the cast I wondered if I could mosaic it, and I started drawing on it with little idea of what I was drawing. First I had a sort of neckline shape and wondered perhaps if I was going to put the top of a dress on the cast, but eventually it started to take a bra type shape. However it didn't look like lingerie, more like a sports bra or bikini. That is when I remembered how much I had missed swimming during my cancer treatment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_q6V183CGIA/VBwI9-P3xlI/AAAAAAAABQw/mNCSNQ-JwKE/s1600/breast-cast-mosaic-2-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_q6V183CGIA/VBwI9-P3xlI/AAAAAAAABQw/mNCSNQ-JwKE/s1600/breast-cast-mosaic-2-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It is no surprise I 'dressed' my cast - when I was a kid my stepfather used to get the Sun newspaper, and I was always upset for the ladies who had no top on, and used to draw underwear on them in black biro. I have always been more interested in clothes and fashion than life drawing. People look so much less impressive than animals when they are uncovered, it is no wonder we invented such a wide range of colourful clothing types!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HKUNWzxJOvU/VBwJBUPc1CI/AAAAAAAABRI/PojbRY7ocUs/s1600/breast-cast-mosaic-4-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HKUNWzxJOvU/VBwJBUPc1CI/AAAAAAAABRI/PojbRY7ocUs/s1600/breast-cast-mosaic-4-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Whilst working on the cast I decided I had better finish some of my more usual</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">panel mosaics, started earlier in the year and abandoned during hospital treatment.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sk7PpqA0gNk/VBwJGfXpqiI/AAAAAAAABRo/AYbqD4082EU/s1600/finished-breast-cast-mosaic-3-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sk7PpqA0gNk/VBwJGfXpqiI/AAAAAAAABRo/AYbqD4082EU/s1600/finished-breast-cast-mosaic-3-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Extreme close up! My biggest concern with this project was the fact that the edges of the cast were thin and definitely flexible. This could go either way I thought...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RLgHyptm6pI/VBwJEBp082I/AAAAAAAABRY/MnQuSNaNWmY/s1600/finished-breast-cast-mosaic-1-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RLgHyptm6pI/VBwJEBp082I/AAAAAAAABRY/MnQuSNaNWmY/s1600/finished-breast-cast-mosaic-1-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But amazingly the tiles seemed to stabilise it, and by the end it felt more like a piece of sculpture. I was pleased to find it stood up alone too, because there was no way Keri was going to be able to hang this one by a thin ribbon, it was heavy!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_pL4eaL0ooc/VBwJEkCZQyI/AAAAAAAABRc/9DhkUscZ274/s1600/finished-breast-cast-mosaic-2-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_pL4eaL0ooc/VBwJEkCZQyI/AAAAAAAABRc/9DhkUscZ274/s1600/finished-breast-cast-mosaic-2-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Realising that the cast would be seen from both sides I decided to paint the inside. I had in mind the red soles of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="st">Louboutin shoes... and as I walked through the kitchen (currently being replaced) I noticed the test area of cornflower blue I had painted on the wall. A couple of coats and some clear varnish and the cast was finished!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="st">Keri came to collect it and I asked for more information about the lady who donated the cast. Whereupon I was put in touch with the lovely Deborah!</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEP5KNuiFOs/VBwJACveQEI/AAAAAAAABRE/8r2Wb_HnRUM/s1600/breast-cast-mosaic-deborah-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEP5KNuiFOs/VBwJACveQEI/AAAAAAAABRE/8r2Wb_HnRUM/s1600/breast-cast-mosaic-deborah-cancer-charity-art-project.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="st"> Doesn't she look great? And she is a survivor of breast cancer too. Here is what Deborah has to say about the project:</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="st">"</span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt;"> Having
breast cancer is a life changing journey and I wanted to share a very positive
outcome.</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt;">Following
a left mastectomy in April 2006 age 46, I had reconstructive surgery in July
2008. Most people would never know what has happened so to share the fact that
research, treatment and a positive attitude can conquer this disease means it
had to be done."</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="st"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="st">Deborah and I had a chat over the internet and she is delighted with what I have done with her cast (luckily!)</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="st"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="st">The casts will be all together and on display at the Apex in Bury St Edmunds, open to the public from 2 to 3pm on Sunday 28th September.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="st"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="st">After that look out for them in Bury shops and premises during October, they will certainly attract some attention I think! </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="st"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="st"> </span></span></span> </span><br />
Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-17559221111874311952014-09-10T18:32:00.002+01:002014-09-10T18:33:27.510+01:00New SAA Watercolour Practice Paper - reviewed!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gKb7zZjbQq8/VBCJ_QXnBpI/AAAAAAAABQI/0u93MRPiKc8/s1600/saa-watercolour-practice-paper-review-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gKb7zZjbQq8/VBCJ_QXnBpI/AAAAAAAABQI/0u93MRPiKc8/s1600/saa-watercolour-practice-paper-review-1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]-->
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> As seen in the SAA 'Paint Magazine September 2014...</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I was recently sent some
samples of the SAA’s very popular watercolour ‘practice paper’ to try. The SAA
have upgraded and improved their previous product and I was given the
opportunity to try it out for myself. This is a product that I have been
familiar with for many years, very economical and good quality, I recommend it
to all my beginner students. When you are starting out the last thing you want
to worry about is ruining an expensive sheet of hand made paper! I also use this
paper in my demonstration workshops and put little squares of it out in all my
classes for students to try their colours on.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l8HU8U4qnGM/VBCJ9LuSYtI/AAAAAAAABPw/iCNLj9DwFko/s1600/saa-watercolour-practice-paper-picture%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l8HU8U4qnGM/VBCJ9LuSYtI/AAAAAAAABPw/iCNLj9DwFko/s1600/saa-watercolour-practice-paper-picture%2B2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]-->
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The first thing I noticed is
that the new paper is whiter than the previous one, something that is quite
important to me. As always I stretched the paper onto board before using, and
left it until the next day when it was flat and dry. Stretching is not hard to
do and will hugely improve the working surface of any paper.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I decided to do a little
sample painting of the peach coloured poppies in my garden. Wanting to try a
range of watercolour media I used a combination of my favorite Talens paints,
as well as some excellent SAA watercolours, watercolour pencils and even some
‘Brusho’ pigment powder. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cmFrlzQRwa8/VBCJ9ZV9PxI/AAAAAAAABP0/GYDVP_X5svU/s1600/saa-watercolour-practice-paper-picture%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cmFrlzQRwa8/VBCJ9ZV9PxI/AAAAAAAABP0/GYDVP_X5svU/s1600/saa-watercolour-practice-paper-picture%2B3.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As with the previous practice
paper this one is fairly smooth, being close to a ‘hot press’ surface in some
other ranges. The advantage with smooth paper is that you can get more accuracy;
the disadvantage is that it can be harder to control washes. However, the paper
took wet into wet techniques well and was equally responsive to flat washes and
some of the mixed media I applied. The brightness of the paper shone through
the pink flowers and I was very happy with the result. Due to its smooth
surface beginners will find it easy to put an initial drawing down, this paper
would also be very suitable for other techniques such as pen and wash, mixed
media and collage.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I had hoped that the new
paper would be as good as the previous one; I was relieved to find that it is
far better!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The finished painting "Peach Poppies"...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-0qWiWUPzA/VBCJ9xub3_I/AAAAAAAABP8/UzyTAHt60NY/s1600/saa-watercolour-practice-paper-picture%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-0qWiWUPzA/VBCJ9xub3_I/AAAAAAAABP8/UzyTAHt60NY/s1600/saa-watercolour-practice-paper-picture%2B4.jpg" height="261" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></div>
<br /><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]--><br />Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-71938860870201904652014-05-23T18:02:00.001+01:002014-05-23T18:03:08.345+01:00A near death experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGDEsj7pkTM/U395OARZU0I/AAAAAAAABNI/nUox4pIBchE/s1600/Hospital+flowers+from+art+class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGDEsj7pkTM/U395OARZU0I/AAAAAAAABNI/nUox4pIBchE/s1600/Hospital+flowers+from+art+class.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you get cancer people send you flowers!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]-->
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So… it’s time for a catch up post. I haven’t written my blog
for 6 months, and there is a reason for this, and not a rubbish one for a
change.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just after Christmas I was told I had breast cancer. The
consultant tried to slip it in under the radar… “So, er, we found a few cancer
cells” but I picked it up immediately because I am sharp like that. It was a
bit of a surprise, I was probably the fittest I had ever been in my life -
attending 3 kung fu classes per week plus a 50 lengths in the pool, not
drinking, smoking or eating meat.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now as a certified health freak I know all the statistics. I
know for example that about 70% of cancers are caused by crappy lifestyle
choices but that still leaves 30%, plus there is breast cancer in my family,
and I have had (non-dangerous) lumps before.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Do2TRQpj4qs/U395-IpMmeI/AAAAAAAABNQ/VB1YoFbu97w/s1600/breast-cancer-leaflets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Do2TRQpj4qs/U395-IpMmeI/AAAAAAAABNQ/VB1YoFbu97w/s1600/breast-cancer-leaflets.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Just a small selection of my cancer leaflets...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two things happen when you get cancer. Firstly your entire
life is turned upside down. Forget work, forget the plans you made, the to-do
lists, your daily routines, exercise, they are all out of the window because
now cancer has taken over. The second thing that happens is you get a LOT of leaflets. The leaflets are mostly depressing. They
carefully explain every bad thing that could possibly happen, from hideous side
effects to the fact that your grasp on sanity is now considered to be on a
knife edge, your partner may not find you attractive after surgery, and your
relatives may not be able to cope. It’s cheery stuff and whoever wrote it all really
needs a slap.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whilst it had took a mere 5 weeks to get a GP appointment
they got me into surgery just a week after my diagnosis and the offending lump
was removed, along with lymph nodes to test if it had spread. After a mere 2
weeks of thinking I might die I was given good news, the cancer was low on the
aggression scale, and it hadn’t spread anywhere, I had caught it early. No
further surgery needed, just 3 and a half weeks of radiotherapy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xd5zsiAZ_rw/U396ihp4fuI/AAAAAAAABNY/3zf0AqBlfOI/s1600/breast-cancer-leaflets-top-tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xd5zsiAZ_rw/U396ihp4fuI/AAAAAAAABNY/3zf0AqBlfOI/s1600/breast-cancer-leaflets-top-tips.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes this leaflet actually exists</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was given more leaflets. These were a little cheerier but
stressed the fragility of my mental state. A lady in a long flowery skirt
offered me a ‘Hope Course’ (hope I don’t get sodding cancer again), I thanked
her but said I would rather poke something sharp into my eye. I might feel fine
now she warned, but could ‘crash’ later; she has obviously seen my driving.
About this time the receptionist handed me a survey to complete, full of
intimate questions about my feelings, relationships, finances, fears. I handed
it back, fixed her with the look I give the teen when she has gone out and left
the front door unlocked, and made it plain I did NOT want to see it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After this there was a wait of about 6 weeks for the
radiotherapy to start. I got bored and decided I was going back to exercise,
starting with tai chi which I had never done before, then kung fu, although I did
avoid sparring. Radiotherapy was fine, although it made me tired, and burnt my
skin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More leaflets followed, including the hilarious 'Top Ten Tips
for after Cancer Treatment'. I had stupidly thought I would get on with my life
but no, there were many other fun things I could do. Cancer forums are one of
those things apparently; cancer and forum being two words that should never be
in the same sentence in my opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
this tip was my favorite:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d6UweFNXknY/U397eIm7WvI/AAAAAAAABNg/-nSvqgp38LA/s1600/breast-cancer-leaflets-health-tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d6UweFNXknY/U397eIm7WvI/AAAAAAAABNg/-nSvqgp38LA/s1600/breast-cancer-leaflets-health-tips.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]-->
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'Try to lead a healthier lifestyle' Good plan. HOW?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]--></span></div>
</div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]-->
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So before I had cancer I was an atheist, and a health freak
and I am still both of those things. In fact one thing that irritated me (apart
from those pesky rogue cells) was all the people who said ‘See, it makes no
difference, all that healthy living, you still get sick’. Well let me tell you,
cancer is a fight, and you don’t want to go into that fight unhealthy.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, 6 months on from my near death experience things are
getting back to normal and I can reflect a bit. I feel very lucky to have
escaped with just a scar under one arm. I am truly grateful to all the friends,
family, students and even complete strangers on the internet who showed me enormous kindness and to a health service that
cured me without my needing to sell my house. But you won’t find me in a cancer
support group anytime soon, I mean I would love to and all that, but I have a lot of stuff to do… </span></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]--><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]--></div>
Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-35835815651089861062013-10-15T13:15:00.000+01:002013-10-15T13:15:35.006+01:00Doing up the house<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UKNjNQ-zhQg/Ul0nA8k8LiI/AAAAAAAABJE/tkLtL-uP6JE/s1600/shower-room-blue-white-mosaic-cabinet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UKNjNQ-zhQg/Ul0nA8k8LiI/AAAAAAAABJE/tkLtL-uP6JE/s320/shower-room-blue-white-mosaic-cabinet.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If physicians should 'heal thyself' then artists should probably paint their (thou?) own houses, and I have been.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was time for a big push on finishing the shower room in the downstairs extension. Normally 'before' pictures would be shared, but the before in this case was a driveway.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As boyfriend struggled with the plumbing, the toilet appeared in various rooms like a sort of ceramic tardis, its 'back to wall' design making it look amusingly like it was plumbed in...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mo2h-yqkyrw/Ul0m5maFIII/AAAAAAAABIU/-q5w1OZFtM0/s1600/bogue-in-the-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mo2h-yqkyrw/Ul0m5maFIII/AAAAAAAABIU/-q5w1OZFtM0/s320/bogue-in-the-kitchen.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The toilet appears in the kitchen</span>...<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FwZ1sTTsZ8s/Ul0m5ImC7kI/AAAAAAAABIM/U6OyylZXhJw/s1600/Bogue-in-the-lounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FwZ1sTTsZ8s/Ul0m5ImC7kI/AAAAAAAABIM/U6OyylZXhJw/s320/Bogue-in-the-lounge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and next to the fireplace...</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HI_XVwmvBDM/Ul0m-Fojv7I/AAAAAAAABI4/fgLbzs30KKE/s1600/new-shower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HI_XVwmvBDM/Ul0m-Fojv7I/AAAAAAAABI4/fgLbzs30KKE/s320/new-shower.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Meanwhile the new shower goes in, </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t2zq-3fjgWg/Ul0m9Wl75RI/AAAAAAAABIw/oeKAInhUrrQ/s1600/new-ikea-sink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t2zq-3fjgWg/Ul0m9Wl75RI/AAAAAAAABIw/oeKAInhUrrQ/s320/new-ikea-sink.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Then the tiny, narrow Ikea sink, complete with cupboards made from old garage doors.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xvCdVWr0JTs/Ul0m-4vKSdI/AAAAAAAABJA/PImeZ45fdAs/s1600/pique-assiette-2--mosaic-bathroom-windowsill-aqua-blue-white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xvCdVWr0JTs/Ul0m-4vKSdI/AAAAAAAABJA/PImeZ45fdAs/s320/pique-assiette-2--mosaic-bathroom-windowsill-aqua-blue-white.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Of course I can't resist messing around with mosaic... blue circles on white, </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PWuzy3nfGwg/Ul0nBBaQGlI/AAAAAAAABJQ/NmNgneHhJfI/s1600/pique-assiette-mosaic-bathroom-windowsill-aqua-blue-white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PWuzy3nfGwg/Ul0nBBaQGlI/AAAAAAAABJQ/NmNgneHhJfI/s320/pique-assiette-mosaic-bathroom-windowsill-aqua-blue-white.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> then the reverse for the tiny windowsill.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SF-4cNI6WCQ/Ul0nBrNK2AI/AAAAAAAABJY/sNrfGsaP9WA/s1600/shower-room-blue-white-mosaic-basin-splashback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SF-4cNI6WCQ/Ul0nBrNK2AI/AAAAAAAABJY/sNrfGsaP9WA/s320/shower-room-blue-white-mosaic-basin-splashback.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally a shade of blue is selected that won't interfere with my boyfriend's blue/green colour blindness. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wu5LITO7I40/Ul0nCvvfYII/AAAAAAAABJk/jG5uzjqA2UY/s1600/shower-room-blue-white-mosaic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wu5LITO7I40/Ul0nCvvfYII/AAAAAAAABJk/jG5uzjqA2UY/s320/shower-room-blue-white-mosaic.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the room is ready to use; it's perfect but very small. Generally I prefer baths, with the exception of straight after my martial arts class, but bath's are out because now of course with are ripping out the upstairs bathroom :-)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then it was back to work. After finishing my painting of Cornard Country Park in time for the 'Visions of Sudbury' exhibition,</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cpjNiAXZmhw/Ul0s2R0HSVI/AAAAAAAABKA/hE-Y-lUF-R0/s1600/great-cornard-painting-art-watercolour-sudbury-suffolk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cpjNiAXZmhw/Ul0s2R0HSVI/AAAAAAAABKA/hE-Y-lUF-R0/s320/great-cornard-painting-art-watercolour-sudbury-suffolk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D5hYTPlVhq0/Ul0s1jUsC-I/AAAAAAAABJ0/CWWGva204mI/s1600/Visions+of+Sudbury+2013+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D5hYTPlVhq0/Ul0s1jUsC-I/AAAAAAAABJ0/CWWGva204mI/s320/Visions+of+Sudbury+2013+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WXtfDsA8ynw/Ul0s1mK4KvI/AAAAAAAABJ4/grpyFBWzWeo/s1600/visions-of-sudbury-watercolour-paintings-suffolk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WXtfDsA8ynw/Ul0s1mK4KvI/AAAAAAAABJ4/grpyFBWzWeo/s320/visions-of-sudbury-watercolour-paintings-suffolk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The painting was entered with my 'Sunflowers behind Melford Church' painting, and both will be featured in the 'Visions of Sudbury 2013' book this year.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In between taking turns stewarding the exhibition I was working on three more mosaic hearts for a repeat customer. Georgina from Surrey adores hearts and everything pretty and vintage. This time she pushed my skills to the limit sending me both vintage china with delicate gold leaf and vintage plastic buttons, asking for three different sized mosaics:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J94KbZeOmqU/Ul0m8-yUDUI/AAAAAAAABIs/CKl8iKa8oas/s1600/heart-mosaic-vintage-polka-dot-blue-pink-pretty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J94KbZeOmqU/Ul0m8-yUDUI/AAAAAAAABIs/CKl8iKa8oas/s320/heart-mosaic-vintage-polka-dot-blue-pink-pretty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first and largest used her polka dot blue china and a pretty button in the centre...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uT5M5dtjXuA/Ul0m6cY6uzI/AAAAAAAABIY/qgi5Fw-9e38/s1600/heart-mosaic-vintage-green-gold--pink-pretty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uT5M5dtjXuA/Ul0m6cY6uzI/AAAAAAAABIY/qgi5Fw-9e38/s320/heart-mosaic-vintage-green-gold--pink-pretty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the second featured gold edged pale green china and a tiny round button with little crystals, </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pzxzguvplxc/Ul0m8NsKMnI/AAAAAAAABIg/p5tpVCIPPTs/s1600/heart-mosaic-vintage-pale-buttons-pink-pretty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pzxzguvplxc/Ul0m8NsKMnI/AAAAAAAABIg/p5tpVCIPPTs/s320/heart-mosaic-vintage-pale-buttons-pink-pretty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The smallest (just 10cm) used the remainder of the pretty buttons, in a pale pink surround.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The customer has declared herself delighted although the mosaics are not yet with her, being currently with the courier. I have ditched Royal Mail as their prices are now ridiculous, I am at a loss to understand the shares fuss when everyone I know is turning to alternative services.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the middle of all this general busy-ness it was time for the teen to head off to Bath Uni. Discussions about how to get her there talked about driving, trains etc but then I spotted the big box laying around in the garage. To my surprise the teen was keen on the idea of being posted and gamely posed for a picture:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nssKpk_AY4c/Ul0nDDEaSZI/AAAAAAAABJo/d60s5fbeRV8/s1600/the-teen-gets-mailed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nssKpk_AY4c/Ul0nDDEaSZI/AAAAAAAABJo/d60s5fbeRV8/s320/the-teen-gets-mailed.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the end her father drove her, and her minimal contact reports her to be very happy. Whether she is actually doing any work is doubtful, but then students of Philosophy & Creative Writing perhaps have their minds on higher matters...</span>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-78700171269786610982013-08-19T13:12:00.000+01:002013-08-19T13:12:03.889+01:00Poppy Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlGr8wgDeSc/UhIEiyl7EpI/AAAAAAAABGw/QNptdl_oEf0/s1600/pale-pink-poppies-watercolour-painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlGr8wgDeSc/UhIEiyl7EpI/AAAAAAAABGw/QNptdl_oEf0/s320/pale-pink-poppies-watercolour-painting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally! I have finished my Pale Pink Poppies painting. I honestly don't think I have ever spent as long on a painting, it must have headed towards 30 hours. This sounds like just under a weeks work, but I don't paint continuously, usually only for two or three hours a day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the summer progresses I find myself becoming more and more obsessed with poppies. First there were the purple ones, the seeds sneaked from my last rented house:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x-wo5HDmOpI/UhIEmRQ0S0I/AAAAAAAABHM/_4I6uR1GQ28/s1600/purple-poppies-in-garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x-wo5HDmOpI/UhIEmRQ0S0I/AAAAAAAABHM/_4I6uR1GQ28/s320/purple-poppies-in-garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there were the peach ones I bought at a local plant fair I went to with the teen:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t5jy44uWpSE/UhIEjt4AOjI/AAAAAAAABG8/_b9JNw4sFRY/s1600/peach-poppies-in-garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t5jy44uWpSE/UhIEjt4AOjI/AAAAAAAABG8/_b9JNw4sFRY/s320/peach-poppies-in-garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These were short-lived, and I didn't manage to paint them, but I am hopeful that the seeds will mean many more next year. I have given some seeds to my friend, accountant and keen gardener. She has promised me some seeds from some amazing pink poppies, they look like big pom poms, and just appeared in her garden from nowhere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even the seed heads of poppies look amazing, here they are next to my beautiful Hydrangea:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jc4CXqeybB8/UhIElgbTBEI/AAAAAAAABHE/KAKoRboFTb0/s1600/pink+hydrangeas-in-garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jc4CXqeybB8/UhIElgbTBEI/AAAAAAAABHE/KAKoRboFTb0/s320/pink+hydrangeas-in-garden.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As well as painting flowers, work has continued on the garden. After the wood stores and compost bins (rotting bins as boyfriend continues to refer to them) came first a garden bench:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_VxFO5_V8KM/UhIEbKe71PI/AAAAAAAABGE/r7ToT7T8Nu8/s1600/New+Garden+Bench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_VxFO5_V8KM/UhIEbKe71PI/AAAAAAAABGE/r7ToT7T8Nu8/s320/New+Garden+Bench.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As before, this was made from our big stash of scrounged wood, boyfriend's carpentry course last year continues to pay off...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is the bench in situ outside the studio:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GnCw5Nk7Q3c/UhIEfKGQxpI/AAAAAAAABGg/xhc35u15Neg/s1600/new-garden-bench-outside-studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GnCw5Nk7Q3c/UhIEfKGQxpI/AAAAAAAABGg/xhc35u15Neg/s320/new-garden-bench-outside-studio.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gimlet immediately slept on it in the sun, under it in the shade, and used it to stroll into the studio straight through the window. Like most of our DIY projects, the cat thinks they are done only for his convenience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next came the greenhouse base, complete with raised bed and a greenhouse kindly bought by my mum:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0X5isye4i2I/UhIEhxh_dLI/AAAAAAAABGs/-XjxKnbknx8/s1600/new-greenhouse-and-brick-raised-bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0X5isye4i2I/UhIEhxh_dLI/AAAAAAAABGs/-XjxKnbknx8/s320/new-greenhouse-and-brick-raised-bed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The greenhouse is a tiny 6' by 4', and boyfriend made the concrete base exactly to the correct dimensions. Then when it turned up it was inexplicably four inches bigger in all directions. More concrete was added. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next the bed </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(which will eventually hold the rhubarb that was temporarily moved to build the base) </span>was planted with a random selection of tomato plants and flowers most kindly donated by my accountant friend, and the scounged wood pile went down a little more as staging and potting bench were made:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uD9K2JJ1slE/UhIEfnNCOtI/AAAAAAAABGk/6h1en3i0xQM/s1600/greenhouse-walled-bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uD9K2JJ1slE/UhIEfnNCOtI/AAAAAAAABGk/6h1en3i0xQM/s320/greenhouse-walled-bed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a close up of the potting bench:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c7P3Hmc_QnE/UhIEcccUZKI/AAAAAAAABGM/8bnQjsuE4OQ/s1600/greenhouse-staging-potting-bench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c7P3Hmc_QnE/UhIEcccUZKI/AAAAAAAABGM/8bnQjsuE4OQ/s320/greenhouse-staging-potting-bench.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is great and I can't wait to start growing stuff next year. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is more to do to the garden but we are stopping here for this year as the 1970's house decor from hell is driving us mad and we are pressing on with the downstairs shower room, so that we can attack the hideous upstairs bathroom, with it's flaking wall paint, mouldy falling off tiles and a pink shag pile carpet so deep that we suspect it has it's own eco system. No one likes walking on it without shoes; I plan to have a small party the day it goes to the tip.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although the greenhouse won't house plants until next spring it will not go unused... Gimlet is spending the summer evenings blissfully sheltered from rain showers, but still sleeping outdoors, and an alternate use has been found for the potting bench:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oELoHv2PDa8/UhIEcyjRD_I/AAAAAAAABGU/LntZIfo9zjE/s1600/gimlet-cat-sleeps-on-potting-bench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oELoHv2PDa8/UhIEcyjRD_I/AAAAAAAABGU/LntZIfo9zjE/s320/gimlet-cat-sleeps-on-potting-bench.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As usual, the cat thinks it was made especially for him!</span>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-70960843956142385342013-08-05T14:58:00.000+01:002013-08-05T14:58:18.606+01:00Studio Guests and Trips Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DHDS6eVuxWo/Uf-gRYyYscI/AAAAAAAABEc/SPqWaj7axRk/s1600/Sid+and+Steve+Lizard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DHDS6eVuxWo/Uf-gRYyYscI/AAAAAAAABEc/SPqWaj7axRk/s320/Sid+and+Steve+Lizard.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, the studio doesn't usually house guests, there being no toilet facilities or bedroom, but my guests this month were self-sufficient and bought their own home. Yes for two weeks I was lizard sitting while boyfriend's stepsister and family went on their hols.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sid and Steve are Bearded Dragons, and came complete with tank, sand, heaters, thermometers, salad and crickets (dinner). The crickets had their own little cage. Obviously as a vegetarian, grabbing crickets with tweezers and sending them to their deaths isn't pleasant, but I suspect they don't live too long naturally, and Sid and Steve have to eat, I doubt they like falafel or tofu.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lSWbgX3W5NU/Uf-gRil1rBI/AAAAAAAABEw/V_Ppwjq-nv8/s1600/bearded-lizards-in-art-studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lSWbgX3W5NU/Uf-gRil1rBI/AAAAAAAABEw/V_Ppwjq-nv8/s320/bearded-lizards-in-art-studio.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I posted the above photo on my facebook page and it got the highest views I have ever had for a post; never mind the artwork, lizards are so much more interesting than a load of old paintings. A less optimistic person might be depressed by these statistics.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sid and Steve were fun; they wanted to come out all the time. Sid climbed a lot and Steve systematically rid my studio of spiders by eating them. "Oh my god, Steve ate a spider! Is he supposed to do that?!" screeched the teen. Steve however just looked smug. Letting them have the exercise they wanted was challenging as the temperature climbed into the 30's and I had to keep the door and windows shut because of the cat. I can't say for sure that my furry friend would hurt them, but his general rule is: if it moves, slaughter it. So I wasn't taking any chances. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-syfYYyZlVKw/Uf-gOVLqe6I/AAAAAAAABEY/0FGr4MDsPKw/s1600/Gimlet+brings+a+gift+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-syfYYyZlVKw/Uf-gOVLqe6I/AAAAAAAABEY/0FGr4MDsPKw/s320/Gimlet+brings+a+gift+home.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also wasn't letting him bring that rabbit into the house. So he sat and ate it on the patio whilst the teen ate her shreddies, I took pity and temporarily suspended the 'no food on the sofa' rule. Just like last summer Gimlet has gone feral, living in the back field and dining on bunnies. As soon as it rains he comes back as if nothing has happened and he has always been a house cat.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--EeW0M4YwXs/Uf-gZbpDadI/AAAAAAAABFY/2S0eXLXSXEo/s1600/sunflowers-painting-watercolours-watercolour-church-long-melford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--EeW0M4YwXs/Uf-gZbpDadI/AAAAAAAABFY/2S0eXLXSXEo/s320/sunflowers-painting-watercolours-watercolour-church-long-melford.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst not messing around with lizards I was painting obviously. I am trying to find more interesting and challenging subjects and this painting of sunflowers behind a local church certainly was that. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-upe54xEtx8I/Uf-gZfDmTZI/AAAAAAAABFU/kemEYVXh-Qs/s1600/poppy-field-near-haverhill-halstead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-upe54xEtx8I/Uf-gZfDmTZI/AAAAAAAABFU/kemEYVXh-Qs/s320/poppy-field-near-haverhill-halstead.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have always wanted to paint one of those of scenes where poppies or wheat are large in the foreground and go right back into a distant landscape scene. I have never had the right photos, until my daughter's most recent orthodontist appointment. Instead of coming directly home from Haverhill (known uncharitably around here as Chaverhill - ahem), I decided to cut across to Halstead and drop some of my art class leaflets off at the library. The teen spotted a small field next to the road, chock full of poppies and with a pull in for the car. Perfect, now I have the photos I need.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I lay on the ground and snapped away, the teen hovered about the edge of the field, occasionally wandering into shot. "Yeah" she said, "did a titanic pose..."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had no idea what she was talking about until I found this:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6nv29C4WUDU/Uf-oqbRM-oI/AAAAAAAABFk/aLbHH_kjmrM/s1600/titanic-pose-teen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6nv29C4WUDU/Uf-oqbRM-oI/AAAAAAAABFk/aLbHH_kjmrM/s320/titanic-pose-teen.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Another trip out came when I travelled to London with some of my art class for the SAA 'It's all about art' event in Islington. Here is Mr Mathew Palmer doing one of the many demo's:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HCqer6Jjx2o/Uf-gWHwxkGI/AAAAAAAABFA/0jTC_wdrYyU/s1600/matthew-palmer-demo-its-all-about-art-saa-london.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HCqer6Jjx2o/Uf-gWHwxkGI/AAAAAAAABFA/0jTC_wdrYyU/s320/matthew-palmer-demo-its-all-about-art-saa-london.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The event was much improved on the last time I went, the demos and workshops more accessible, and my students joined in and had a go, painting with some of the countries' top teaching artists whilst I checked out new types of paper and drooled over mount cutting systems I can't afford. Not everyone was happy with the artistic results they got, amusingly I saw one lady in the toilets stuffing her artwork into the bin! What hadn't improved since last time was the appalling lack of air conditioning and I was full of admiration for the demonstrators, on their feet all day without wilting. I do hope they paid them well, in fact this business being what it is, I just hope they paid them!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back home and I had to steward the Society of East Anglian Watercolourists' show at the Edmund Gallery at Bury St Edmunds. I got there a little early and sneaked into the Abbey Gardens for an icecream. I took some photos of the area called the Sensory Garden, I love the wooden structures and again I think it may be a painting subject for the future.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zeDAkhA6Btw/Uf-gRsCEWaI/AAAAAAAABEo/5wkIqMuVLG4/s1600/Abbey-gardens-sensory-garden-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zeDAkhA6Btw/Uf-gRsCEWaI/AAAAAAAABEo/5wkIqMuVLG4/s320/Abbey-gardens-sensory-garden-2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the summer holidays have kicked in I am not teaching my regular Saturday art class, but there is an informal list of outdoor meet ups where we can paint together, weather allowing. This week the weather was delightful and although I was late due to private tuition sessions, I caught up with four of them here, on the edge of Cornard Country Park. The views were fabulous, and another chance to get some landscape shots:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zxuMNTaskYw/Uf-gVqnjurI/AAAAAAAABE8/uiLEZNY_01c/s1600/cornard-country-park-days-out-suffolk-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zxuMNTaskYw/Uf-gVqnjurI/AAAAAAAABE8/uiLEZNY_01c/s320/cornard-country-park-days-out-suffolk-art.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Planning to paint my poppy field next I got ready to print a photo... and the printer wouldn't work. I spoke severely to it, but it wouldn't listen. Having several hours to wait until my you-name-it-he-can-fix-it boyfriend got back from work I admitted defeat and instead selected a photo of some pink poppies in a flowerbed, photographed last summer at Layer Marney Towers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a large painting, and like the sunflowers/church is taking some time. So far I have spent at least 15 hours on it, and I am only just over half way through:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZJdVwDL60A/Uf-gW2A0eUI/AAAAAAAABFI/jNu-GSj6gM4/s1600/poppies-poppy-pale-pink-painting-watercolour-print-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZJdVwDL60A/Uf-gW2A0eUI/AAAAAAAABFI/jNu-GSj6gM4/s320/poppies-poppy-pale-pink-painting-watercolour-print-art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So far I am happy with it, let us hope it is worth all the effort when it is completed!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-92229484230114111252013-05-28T13:43:00.000+01:002013-05-28T13:43:13.899+01:00Gardeners' World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3lrGOu90jtA/UaSajtRQgWI/AAAAAAAABCw/o5YtXMoDMB0/s1600/south-of-france-statue-at-eze-painting-art-watercolour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3lrGOu90jtA/UaSajtRQgWI/AAAAAAAABCw/o5YtXMoDMB0/s320/south-of-france-statue-at-eze-painting-art-watercolour.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a sad fact that I cannot currently afford holidays in the South of France, but if I could I would probably visit this place: Eze, apparently a beautiful mountain garden full of huge cacti and statues. A friend kindly gave me a selection of photos, and after playing around with the composition I made this painting. The painting was challenging, particularly as the eyes of the statues are not formed, just left as soft hollows. But it is my new resolution to push my work into more difficult and complex work, in order to increase my skill level. This will no doubt lead to earning enough money to take holidays in the South of France</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Optimistic, that's me.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yNWC4_wtpDI/UaSafc4y4eI/AAAAAAAABCg/ixChJCOv950/s1600/Source+photos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yNWC4_wtpDI/UaSafc4y4eI/AAAAAAAABCg/ixChJCOv950/s320/Source+photos.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually I don't normally like France, it seems just like another England to me; rubbish weather, grumpy people, plus they think vegetarianism is a form of mental illness. In fact I decided to go vegetarian after a trip to Paris, where apparently it is perfectly fine to put almost raw steak on someone's plate; there it was, all that blood swimming about with my chips and I thought "No, this meat business is just not for me"</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But to visit those beautiful gardens I would make an exception, and perhaps smuggle in a tofu sandwich or two.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back home and our efforts to make our own garden look better continue. Here it is, proof that things must get worse before they get better:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-az3TTjdS6PU/UaSfxmQ7xnI/AAAAAAAABDM/ZTgxMzKVktM/s1600/Messy-garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-az3TTjdS6PU/UaSfxmQ7xnI/AAAAAAAABDM/ZTgxMzKVktM/s320/Messy-garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No that is not war torn Syria, it is our garden, work in progress! At least Gimlet finds it exciting...</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But a combination of warmer weather and boyfriend acquiring a lot of very good wood from work (they were giving it away, it had been a crate housing a machine about the size of our house) has at last led to progress...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New wood store number one:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X7dNcVo3aQ0/UaSfz-tV_lI/AAAAAAAABDY/Y7ugGQTM3-Q/s1600/wood-store-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X7dNcVo3aQ0/UaSfz-tV_lI/AAAAAAAABDY/Y7ugGQTM3-Q/s320/wood-store-1.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New wood store number two, this one has a lift up lid for kindling: </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gBbRth6SeyE/UaSfzXplDRI/AAAAAAAABDU/-JLNBPEfzuI/s1600/wood-store-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gBbRth6SeyE/UaSfzXplDRI/AAAAAAAABDU/-JLNBPEfzuI/s320/wood-store-2.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even the teen helped with painting. I would like to say she did it willingly and happily but I hate to tell lies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then, my personal favorite, my new 3 bin composting system. Boyfriend may have made it, but I did the hard work; all that designing can be exhausting.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2GpJcMURZgA/UaSa_bzaOHI/AAAAAAAABDA/tofitdI60d8/s1600/compost-bins-by-art-studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2GpJcMURZgA/UaSa_bzaOHI/AAAAAAAABDA/tofitdI60d8/s320/compost-bins-by-art-studio.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then boyfriend acquired yet more wood, this time in the form of old garage doors. They are a good paneled wood, under a coating of flaky blue paint. Eventually they will be turned into various indoor cupboards but meantime Gimlet has been using them for sunbathing:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_JomNpZL-pM/UaSaiuw-0NI/AAAAAAAABCs/xl-BAnnU6lY/s1600/black-cat-relaxing-on-blue-doors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_JomNpZL-pM/UaSaiuw-0NI/AAAAAAAABCs/xl-BAnnU6lY/s320/black-cat-relaxing-on-blue-doors.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When not sunbathing Gimlet likes to dust bath:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CMRY-7rjmaA/UaSajMuKMgI/AAAAAAAABC0/SdcJeumclVY/s1600/There%2527s+nothing+like+a+dust+bath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CMRY-7rjmaA/UaSajMuKMgI/AAAAAAAABC0/SdcJeumclVY/s320/There%2527s+nothing+like+a+dust+bath.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In fact Gimlet is obsessed with dust bathing, until he is beige in colour and dirt comes off him in clouds, I have no idea why, but it is very tiring obviously:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xNRWpID9O0c/UaSadVUjRbI/AAAAAAAABCU/UIGxnQ3_dDw/s1600/Life%2527s+Hard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xNRWpID9O0c/UaSadVUjRbI/AAAAAAAABCU/UIGxnQ3_dDw/s320/Life%2527s+Hard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look at those teeth, glad I am not a mouse!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally in the garden this week something else appeared. For months boyfriend has been threatening the teen and I with his new soon to be patented invention: The Warm Up Chair. Apparently, all our complaining about the cold could be solved without lighting the stove or putting the heating on. All we need is to sit in the garden in the cold (on the warm up chair), and when we come back indoors it will feel much warmer. Well this week, with a lot of bricks scattered around boyfriend decided to build the first version. The teen got home from school, looked outside and said "It's The Warm Up Chair!" And it was.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sDXvU_BODkI/UaSaeDQDFPI/AAAAAAAABCY/uc_1dGXm064/s1600/The-warm-up-chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sDXvU_BODkI/UaSaeDQDFPI/AAAAAAAABCY/uc_1dGXm064/s320/The-warm-up-chair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-67182526720697089162013-04-18T16:20:00.002+01:002013-04-18T16:20:54.127+01:00Late springs and other avoidance tactics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cwnuprFZAZY/UXAFxKnLpqI/AAAAAAAABA4/enxCTmkrzac/s1600/spring-flowers-vintage-china-painting-print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cwnuprFZAZY/UXAFxKnLpqI/AAAAAAAABA4/enxCTmkrzac/s320/spring-flowers-vintage-china-painting-print.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday boyfriend said to me</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It's two months since you posted your blog". I made it clear I was aware of this. The trouble is a blog is like a tax return, the longer you leave it the more you put it off. Not that I don't enjoy writing, the opposite is true, but it gets to the point when there is so much to say that you don't know where to start. So I will start with my latest painting, a still life, and an attempt to capture the essence of spring. Not that there has actually been much spring so far...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Work on the house had stalled, and boyfriend was going crazy wanting to get on with stuff. "You need to move the Rhubarb, so I can lay the greenhouse base" he said. I looked out at the snow and made it clear I was moving nothing. I appreciate his efforts to make me a greenhouse base but unless it is above 10 degrees I don't do gardening. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QpYlDJRbk4w/UXAFvmq5AQI/AAAAAAAABA0/vyL_2xaTVGs/s1600/Borris+door+mat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QpYlDJRbk4w/UXAFvmq5AQI/AAAAAAAABA0/vyL_2xaTVGs/s320/Borris+door+mat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We did make it to Ikea though and I couldn't resist taking this photo for the teen. We are big Boris Johnson fans in this house. It has nothing to do with politics, I am a socialist, boyfriend refuses to vote as they are 'all Liars'. He is right of course, but since I am too busy to run the country myself difficult choices must be made. As for the teenagers they are too self obsessed to take any notice of current affairs, which is fun as it gives boyfriend and I ample chances to wind her up. "So... how long have North Korea and South Korea been good friends and allies?" I asked her last week. Of course, she suspected a set up and tried to bluff her way out: " Er, quite some time?" she said </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">as boyfriend and I collapsed in howls of laughter. "I HATE YOU ALL" she yelled, stomping off.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Too easy. Far too easy.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-efQwOi-x4JY/UXAFxoKVXmI/AAAAAAAABBE/JXKroh2BA_o/s1600/childrens-counting-number-poster-blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-efQwOi-x4JY/UXAFxoKVXmI/AAAAAAAABBE/JXKroh2BA_o/s320/childrens-counting-number-poster-blue.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In between teasing teenagers and arguing about the garden I have also completed this children's art print. There are lots of children's posters for sale on the internet, but most of them are designed on graphics programs, with areas of flat colour, so I like the idea of making some that you can actually see have been made with a brush, not a computer mouse.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After becoming more disillusioned with my difficult to use, messy looking website, I have finally decided to order a new one, and the idea is that it will be linked to lots of my other internet projects. The prints will link to my Etsy shop so people can buy if they wish, the tuition articles I write on Squidoo will all have links and my facebook feed will be on the front page. All of this means much work, to make all my internet sites pull together as a cohesive brand, and to list more items online. Including these new 'ACEO' mini prints, the same size as trading cards, many people collect them, putting them in specially made binders: </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i4mSQzWahu8/UXAFyh13b3I/AAAAAAAABBM/Hm9wt0M0WMQ/s1600/tree-frog-ACEO-green-frogs-mini-painting-print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i4mSQzWahu8/UXAFyh13b3I/AAAAAAAABBM/Hm9wt0M0WMQ/s320/tree-frog-ACEO-green-frogs-mini-painting-print.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So am spending most of my time online as I work my way through the backlog of out of date biographies and broken links.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rest of my time has been spent arranging my summer painting classes and courses. Numbers have picked up for the regular classes after dipping in the winter, which is a relief</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I just need to promote the summer one day courses, and perhaps then I can pick up my paintbrush again!</span>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-27803854395763899732013-02-12T13:37:00.000+00:002013-02-12T17:35:00.788+00:00Sunsets and Smugness<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M25hgpo6sOU/URo8SKm-PGI/AAAAAAAABAA/k1v6HM4hXqA/s1600/sunset-painting-watercolour--watercolour-purple-sky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M25hgpo6sOU/URo8SKm-PGI/AAAAAAAABAA/k1v6HM4hXqA/s320/sunset-painting-watercolour--watercolour-purple-sky.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first local exhibition of the year is entitled "My Stour Valley", and held at the big church in the middle of Sudbury: St Peters. I can find two of my paintings that will fit the theme, but I needed another so I decided to do a sunset. I am quite comfortable with painting them, and have had success in selling others:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3bZj1joOor4/URo84Qp4DyI/AAAAAAAABAQ/xu6OJ6sZKFU/s1600/sunset-over-the-stour-watercolour-painting-sudbury-suffolk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3bZj1joOor4/URo84Qp4DyI/AAAAAAAABAQ/xu6OJ6sZKFU/s320/sunset-over-the-stour-watercolour-painting-sudbury-suffolk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The one above was nearly sold several times. A (somewhat shady) business friend of a friend admired it, and negotiated a discount. Then he said he would take it and pay next time he saw me. I smiled and declined. Perhaps I would supply him with my bank details so he could make the payment? (This was years before anyone used BACS), no, I thought not. A cheque then, he would send me a cheque. Fine I said, and after it had <b>cleared</b></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he could collect the painting. I never saw him again and nor did my friend who he still owes money. Two years later I sold it at full price to a lovely local lady, and boy did I feel smug.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of feeling smug, which is always fun, I must as a conscientious vegetarian mention horsemeat. Every couple of years inevitably some scandal appears in the meat industry and it is a good opportunity for us veggies to point, laugh and feel smug. Not the noblest of sentiments I admit, but we get so much flack the rest of the time I hope you will not hold it against us. Boyfriend, who lives on processed junk food said he was delighted to find there was some meat in his burgers, he had never suspected as much. He will however draw the line if he finds any bits of saddle (apologies to horse lovers)...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xAuLMMIzTG0/URo8LzX3MII/AAAAAAAAA_k/M5o2EIOyHDk/s1600/snowscene-snow-watercolour-painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xAuLMMIzTG0/URo8LzX3MII/AAAAAAAAA_k/M5o2EIOyHDk/s320/snowscene-snow-watercolour-painting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Anyhow, changing subject before the hate mail starts;</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">back to sunsets and the above one was sold to my friend Peter. It was the first successful snow scene I managed to paint. My early attempts always looked so cold (no pun intended) and a snow scene needs some warmth, odd as that sounds. My moment of clarity came whilst chatting to my friend D, oil painter extraordinaire, and master of snow scenes. "They need to look as if you would actually want to be there" he said. It all became easier after that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for sunsets there are several tricks I have discovered:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d6gxvdFr-bo/URo8V4-p9ZI/AAAAAAAABAI/4FC1puWxdCc/s1600/sunset-painting-watercolour-in-process.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d6gxvdFr-bo/URo8V4-p9ZI/AAAAAAAABAI/4FC1puWxdCc/s320/sunset-painting-watercolour-in-process.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ensure you leave plenty of light areas,</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aHog0Ix8ONw/URo8QgQoaAI/AAAAAAAAA_4/lAiLak4rszM/s1600/Work+in+progress+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aHog0Ix8ONw/URo8QgQoaAI/AAAAAAAAA_4/lAiLak4rszM/s320/Work+in+progress+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be careful your blue and yellow do not meet, lest you get green in the sky!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aHog0Ix8ONw/URo8QgQoaAI/AAAAAAAAA_4/lAiLak4rszM/s1600/Work+in+progress+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aHog0Ix8ONw/URo8QgQoaAI/AAAAAAAAA_4/lAiLak4rszM/s320/Work+in+progress+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ensure that the foreground and parts of the sky are dark enough; without darks the sky will never look 'lit up', </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M25hgpo6sOU/URo8SKm-PGI/AAAAAAAABAA/k1v6HM4hXqA/s1600/sunset-painting-watercolour--watercolour-purple-sky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M25hgpo6sOU/URo8SKm-PGI/AAAAAAAABAA/k1v6HM4hXqA/s320/sunset-painting-watercolour--watercolour-purple-sky.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally, avoid using black or too much grey paint, the darks should be colourful.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me know what you think of the paintings, and if you haven't bought a copy yet, I recommend this month's Craftseller Magazine (and not just because I am in it), the business advice supplement is really helpful for any self-employed artists and crafters: </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-Z6hRfwIsg/URo8Gm7ppAI/AAAAAAAAA_c/Kd7xf1wwqPc/s1600/Craftseller-michele-webber-advice-illustrator-watercolour-artist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-Z6hRfwIsg/URo8Gm7ppAI/AAAAAAAAA_c/Kd7xf1wwqPc/s320/Craftseller-michele-webber-advice-illustrator-watercolour-artist.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-51955157579121448912013-01-21T14:26:00.000+00:002013-01-21T14:27:16.622+00:00The frog who turned into some prints<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5RqUHa-02vI/UP1HSO4BgsI/AAAAAAAAA9g/hO4m_GlLIpA/s1600/art-tree-frog-green-frogs-picture-painting-print-michele-webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5RqUHa-02vI/UP1HSO4BgsI/AAAAAAAAA9g/hO4m_GlLIpA/s320/art-tree-frog-green-frogs-picture-painting-print-michele-webber.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/120156692/tree-frog-green-and-yellow-amphibian" target="_blank">Tree Frog Painting</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just before Christmas I became aware that my daughters friend Alice was about to celebrate her 18th. Alice is a rare type of teenager; when she comes over for supper she ends up making me a cup of tea (after apologising for existing generally), frequently offers me petrol money for giving her a lift somewhere I was already going</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and is pleasant to talk to. Of course many teenagers behave this way to other people's parents, and we all know it is a sign that they are not to be trusted in ANY way, you can see through it a mile off. But Alice is just nice. To everyone. Most importantly of all</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">she helped me with my kung fu grading exam, and if it weren't for her then my own resident teen would do no school work whatsoever and be even more disorganised and random than she already is.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So it was clear, Alice needed a gift. Now like me, Alice loves frogs, and she keeps several pet ones. I can no longer encourage frogs into the garden due to our resident feline serial killer. Who incidentally has decided that the cupboard where I neatly store my dressmaking patterns and books is a good place to sleep. There is no room in there but he doesn't care, trampling my patterns with his muddy paws, and sometimes chewing the corners for added fun.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n2jtlIPBMGM/UP1H4K0RUrI/AAAAAAAAA9s/WA2hhHDE2jY/s1600/gimlet-cat-in-sewing-patterns-room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n2jtlIPBMGM/UP1H4K0RUrI/AAAAAAAAA9s/WA2hhHDE2jY/s320/gimlet-cat-in-sewing-patterns-room.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Gimlet in the sewing patterns cupboard!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had wanted to paint a frog for some time, so after consulting a few different wildlife books, I came up with a design. The frog was painted in a combination of watercolour and gouache, and then I had the original scanned for prints. The teen wandered into the studio several times that week and I hid the picture. "What are you working on?" she said. "Secret stuff" I replied. The teen cannot keep a secret. Not if she tries, not for money, not even for chocolate. She simply cannot help herself. There are advantages to this of course, because a little interrogation will get anything out of her. Not for her the sullen, secretive, tell the parents nothing approach....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b84bpas7yYs/UP1J_bS70tI/AAAAAAAAA-M/XkaKxH5KStI/s1600/art-tree-frog-green-frogs-picture-painting-print-michele-webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b84bpas7yYs/UP1J_bS70tI/AAAAAAAAA-M/XkaKxH5KStI/s320/art-tree-frog-green-frogs-picture-painting-print-michele-webber.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/120156504/tree-frog-green-and-yellow-amphibian" target="_blank">Limited Edition Tree Frog Print</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyhow, the frog painting was kept a secret, and the first print </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (I needed the original for exhibiting)</span> was signed, mounted and wrapped for Alice. "What is it?" said the teen, furious that I wouldn't tell, as I gave it to her to take to Alice's party. "It's a calendar," I said, keeping my face deadpan, "Architecture of west Suffolk churches". "Ha!" said the teen, not believing a word.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am pleased to report Alice was delighted with her present!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In more recent news... today's weather:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XsbzfLzstQg/UP1H4e8eK2I/AAAAAAAAA9o/-WMqj7m4vKU/s1600/art-studio-in-the-snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XsbzfLzstQg/UP1H4e8eK2I/AAAAAAAAA9o/-WMqj7m4vKU/s320/art-studio-in-the-snow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The studio in the snow.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, snow is pretty, and it has covered up all the dead animals Gimlet has strewn about the garden, but on balance I would prefer to be without it. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Living at the top of a hill, on an estate where they don't grit all the roads, taking my little pink Corsa down the hill would be easy, getting back up far less certain. I can't get to kung fu or swimming, visits from friends and private students, have been cancelled, as was my Saturday Art Class. I dislike winter at the best of times, but now it is becoming a real pain:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Come back summer all is forgiven!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-24986400519731709382012-11-27T11:31:00.000+00:002012-11-27T11:31:26.406+00:00Busman's Holiday<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twice in the last two months I have taken a week off, but being of a control-freak-must-achieve-something-at-all-times</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">disposition I didn't take the time off to laze about. I sometimes suspect I only work to have a rest as days off generally include to-do lists and large amounts of exercise. But this time I had something bigger in mind, namely the hideous 70's fireplace in our lounge: </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aRIQMgWcH-w/ULSbO-NHdEI/AAAAAAAAA8I/e6lpxVSqQJY/s1600/Fireplace-picture-one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aRIQMgWcH-w/ULSbO-NHdEI/AAAAAAAAA8I/e6lpxVSqQJY/s320/Fireplace-picture-one.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That photo was taken before we moved in, because a week after that event the delightful object above was in a skip. Sadly we are still living with the shag pile carpet and nasty floral curtains, but one thing at a time...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3U7HUqrVs4Q/ULSbZRvFYrI/AAAAAAAAA84/I94Tu_76PRU/s1600/Fireplace-picture-two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3U7HUqrVs4Q/ULSbZRvFYrI/AAAAAAAAA84/I94Tu_76PRU/s320/Fireplace-picture-two.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Firstly we had to have the gap enlarged to fit the little wood burner we acquired on ebay (if it doesn't come from eBay or Ikea it is unlikely to be found in our home), and a nice man charged us a mere several hundred pounds to raise the lintel. Then boyfriend made the concrete hearth and rendered the fireplace with lime plaster, which despite him being trained in such things was a nightmare and more fell off than stuck on. The hoover was permanently out, but eventually it was ready. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Me7BRmr704Y/ULSbWIKmp6I/AAAAAAAAA8o/Bh9exzUDIDE/s1600/Fireplace-picture-three.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Me7BRmr704Y/ULSbWIKmp6I/AAAAAAAAA8o/Bh9exzUDIDE/s320/Fireplace-picture-three.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short pause for discussion about what to tile the hearth with (I won), as I fought to have old fashioned red quarry tiles. My triumph was short lived as the chap in the tile centre told us you can no longer get them</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But can't is not a word I understand so we headed for the reclaim yard up the road and I got what I wanted.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YfKKHYZlwK0/ULSbLcetDwI/AAAAAAAAA74/nTnbJak6Dvk/s1600/Fireplace-picture-four.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YfKKHYZlwK0/ULSbLcetDwI/AAAAAAAAA74/nTnbJak6Dvk/s320/Fireplace-picture-four.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A longer pause then occurred whilst we had another discussion about my idea of making a mosaic around</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the fireplace. Boyfriend was against this in a big way, his horror when I said it was going to be red too was great, and he reminded me of all those shows on tv when someone has done something mental to their home, de-valuing it instantly.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tNRIaCfNEEo/ULSbJTKC9HI/AAAAAAAAA7w/qyjlXzuoXs4/s1600/Fireplace-picture-five.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tNRIaCfNEEo/ULSbJTKC9HI/AAAAAAAAA7w/qyjlXzuoXs4/s320/Fireplace-picture-five.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I stuck my nose in the air, reminded him I was a professional artist and dug my heels in. He gave in and to his credit once he had agreed he resigned himself to it and said not another word. My confidence was somewhat faked though, as I still hadn't come up with a final design, and starting with a little tile I had aquired along my travels dead centre, I basically started making it up as I went along.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qEcq1m8uJHg/ULSbQnejqJI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/pvFxhlWpQo0/s1600/Fireplace-picture-seven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qEcq1m8uJHg/ULSbQnejqJI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/pvFxhlWpQo0/s320/Fireplace-picture-seven.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite wanting my own way with the house, I am sensitive to boyfriend's hatred of anything floral, girly or too ornate so I started with a simple geometric pattern of circles, avoiding too much sparkle. I toyed with squares, but it didn't seem to work and a pattern of decreasing circles in beige, blue-grey and dark brown from the usual mix of broken crockery, tile and bits and pieces emerged.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L94JuqQ7xuM/ULSbS2IHXDI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/7gSBEVi7ZiU/s1600/Fireplace-picture-six.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L94JuqQ7xuM/ULSbS2IHXDI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/7gSBEVi7ZiU/s320/Fireplace-picture-six.jpg" width="294" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took the idea of the gentle curve along the top from the shape of the glass panel in the stove. It was then a matter of filling in the background with some warm red tiles that were hanging about the place, and boyfriend helped by cutting some tricky curved shapes. Then it was just a matter of time, back-ache and wondering why I had started and would I be finished before the new year...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6z6nYqQ8Hvo/ULSbFoFnubI/AAAAAAAAA7g/3nuYVMh07Zc/s1600/Fireplace-picture-eight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6z6nYqQ8Hvo/ULSbFoFnubI/AAAAAAAAA7g/3nuYVMh07Zc/s320/Fireplace-picture-eight.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually the tiles were applied, but not yet grouted. Then it was time for the nice man to return and fit the fire, relieving us of more money. The crazy thing is we were more than capable of doing the work ourselves</span>, <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but it was cheaper to have a fitter do it (and certify it as safe) than to apply to building regs for inspection.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a5LWYNZByw8/ULSbNNjlW6I/AAAAAAAAA8A/GeqrFYBHLBc/s1600/Fireplace-picture-nine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a5LWYNZByw8/ULSbNNjlW6I/AAAAAAAAA8A/GeqrFYBHLBc/s320/Fireplace-picture-nine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mosaic wasn't finished, but we couldn't resist lighting the fire, and as if by magic, Gimlet appeared and showed his approval.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3yu0p64oRaw/ULSbUbUFSoI/AAAAAAAAA8g/_RZ2EGQaX3k/s1600/Fireplace-picture-ten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3yu0p64oRaw/ULSbUbUFSoI/AAAAAAAAA8g/_RZ2EGQaX3k/s320/Fireplace-picture-ten.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boyfriend, whose taste can always be relied upon (to offend), found us this delightful wood bucket. I think perhaps we can do better... (Back to ebay again)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zk6R8RfdOxs/ULSbYJImdsI/AAAAAAAAA8w/ItGw3De8xnw/s1600/Fireplace-picture-twelve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zk6R8RfdOxs/ULSbYJImdsI/AAAAAAAAA8w/ItGw3De8xnw/s320/Fireplace-picture-twelve.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally it was time to do the grouting, always tricky with such an uneven surface, but I have been making mosaics for years and took my time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AZjQq2uCnjE/ULSbHspMXII/AAAAAAAAA7o/1lvX2lnmxO8/s1600/Fireplace-picture-eleven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AZjQq2uCnjE/ULSbHspMXII/AAAAAAAAA7o/1lvX2lnmxO8/s320/Fireplace-picture-eleven.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And there it was finished, boyfriend likes it, I only said 'I told you so' a couple of hundred times and the teen was delighted. She has been banned from touching it, having a love of fires that is a little too worrying. She argued her case well, but I reminded her that people who include the word pyromaniac in one of their email addresses can't expect to be handed matches.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course it won't be to everyone's taste, but we are really happy with it, and to have a fire at night to supplement our rubbish boiler is heaven!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-90533592188662091032012-11-15T15:38:00.000+00:002012-11-15T15:38:36.573+00:00Piranhas... 2D<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8bfBjBG24SU/UKUB8z_D3hI/AAAAAAAAA6M/cfNEgF-fXMI/s1600/print-fish-piranha-grey-red-sea-lino-print-linocut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8bfBjBG24SU/UKUB8z_D3hI/AAAAAAAAA6M/cfNEgF-fXMI/s320/print-fish-piranha-grey-red-sea-lino-print-linocut.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like to make paintings and prints with sea related themes, but of course everyone gets bored of seahorses and beach huts after a while. So it was clear where I needed to go next... Piranha!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If there is one thing that usually gets me back to the print workshop quicksharp it is an impending exhibition; namely the Gainsborough's House Printmakers at the Edmund Gallery in Bury St Edmunds in December.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Normally I avoid text on lino prints because the fact that you have to engrave the text onto the lino backwards, combined with a graphics program which doesn't have spell check (most of them don't) has in the past led to bad stuff happening. But this time I felt the need and my Piranha prints were born:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some were put onto printed blue backgrounds...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YzS_ybM6QoA/UKUByLsRRDI/AAAAAAAAA58/yI-QlprbllI/s1600/blue-piranha-fish-print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YzS_ybM6QoA/UKUByLsRRDI/AAAAAAAAA58/yI-QlprbllI/s320/blue-piranha-fish-print.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some straight onto white paper...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dh2_uAgLxHs/UKUB0RLy9yI/AAAAAAAAA6E/9rHNKelV9sI/s1600/grey-piranha-fish-print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dh2_uAgLxHs/UKUB0RLy9yI/AAAAAAAAA6E/9rHNKelV9sI/s320/grey-piranha-fish-print.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And one, in a new experiment, onto a painted watercolour background: </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xg90hog7_OM/UKUBv2p9w7I/AAAAAAAAA50/SI0uNdtTEgc/s1600/Watercolour-piranha-fish-print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xg90hog7_OM/UKUBv2p9w7I/AAAAAAAAA50/SI0uNdtTEgc/s320/Watercolour-piranha-fish-print.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This worked amazingly well and is more colourful in real life than the photo shows. I loved the way the colour variations showed behind the flat colour of the lino. Rather than working in layers and cutting away the block (reduction printing) I tried a much faster method of applying the red ink to the lino with a paintbrush. This also worked better than</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">expected, and I now have two new techniques that I will certainly be using again</span>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst researching Piranha I discovered some interesting facts:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* There are over 50 species of Piranha and most of them are vegetarian (like me!).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* More people eat Piranhas than Piranhas eat people.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* Pirahanas do not generally attack large healthy animals (or people) and are fairly shy, although they can give a nasty bite.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* Piranhas travel in packs, not so they can drag unsuspecting hollywood actors under, but for protection against predators. Yes, stuff eats them (carefully, I suspect).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* Their evil reputation comes from an article President Roosevelt published after a trip to Brazil. The locals wanted to give the president a show, so they blocked off a section of the river, filled it with a shed load of piranha fish, starved them for a few days and shoved an old (and bleeding) cow in the river. The rest is history and the PR of the piranhas has never recovered.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyhow, I am pleased with my fishes; fish with teeth are undoubtedly cool! All that was left was to photograph them for internet sale, and to frame one of the best ones for the upcoming exhibition.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uf27IQiQ8DQ/UKUKqbug2-I/AAAAAAAAA64/OolQeUcnluw/s1600/art-piranha-fish-print-lino-cut-red-bellied-blue-grey-red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uf27IQiQ8DQ/UKUKqbug2-I/AAAAAAAAA64/OolQeUcnluw/s320/art-piranha-fish-print-lino-cut-red-bellied-blue-grey-red.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/114894802/piranha-linocut-original-fish-lino-print" target="_blank">Red-bellied Pirahna Linoprint in Blue and Grey</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G-ihK55Bllw/UKULE7puY7I/AAAAAAAAA7A/6cK6Whd3G3E/s1600/art-fish-piranha-mens-gift-grey-red-sea-lino-print-linocut-michele-webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G-ihK55Bllw/UKULE7puY7I/AAAAAAAAA7A/6cK6Whd3G3E/s320/art-fish-piranha-mens-gift-grey-red-sea-lino-print-linocut-michele-webber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/115097627/piranha-linocut-original-fish-lino-print?ref=v1_other_1" target="_blank">Red-bellied Piranha Linoprint in Grey and Red</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to the internet and exhibitions, I will take a couple of these prints to the craft fairs I am attending in December, I think there is a shortage of items at such fairs that appeal to men and boys, and I think my Piranhas might just fill the gap! </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-45539163021771150682012-10-04T11:38:00.000+01:002012-10-04T11:38:57.800+01:00Showing Off<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ue6q4527Cms/UG1aA-k0wPI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/lOvN3e_6BNk/s1600/roses-painting-glass-vase-pink-flower-painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ue6q4527Cms/UG1aA-k0wPI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/lOvN3e_6BNk/s320/roses-painting-glass-vase-pink-flower-painting.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In most jobs, however glamorous or fun they might seem from the outside, it is 98% hard slog which no one ever notices or sees. But sometimes there is a rare opportunity to show off; to make people say "Oh, that's clever!" For doctors it might be that rare and sudden procedure that saves a life. For racing drivers all those hours of tedium on the track pay off when they win that grand prix. For visual artists one of the best ways of showing off is undoubtedly to paint glass or water (preferably both at the same time).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is something about painting these reflective, transparent, half-there-half-not-there items which people find really impressive. After all, how do you fix something on paper if you can see through it? If it changes colour every time you move your head slightly and reflects a hundred colours.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs0FYPQvZzA/UG1bOdHBEdI/AAAAAAAAA3o/BsSWYNMMLD4/s1600/daffodils-painting-glass-vase-yellow-flower-painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs0FYPQvZzA/UG1bOdHBEdI/AAAAAAAAA3o/BsSWYNMMLD4/s320/daffodils-painting-glass-vase-yellow-flower-painting.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Both the above paintings of mine are several years old, they both depict flowers and glass and they are both hanging in my mother's house. Not the biggest art lover in the world, nevertheless, my flower paintings are her favorites, and she obviously likes glass too. I think she actually paid money for the top one. When I was starting out she went through a phase of sneaking into my exhibitions, and buying my work under a false name. She had the best and kindest intentions, but you can imagine how mortified I felt when I discovered the truth about my sales...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apart from my self confessed wish to show off occasionally, I genuinely enjoy the challenge of glass painting, and having not done any for a while I decided to return to the subject, and combine it with another re-visit: hydrangeas. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I painted this one a couple of years ago, and it gets very high views on my websites, but I confess I have never been entirely happy with it...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yJuugHUYCHs/UG1Z79lsR6I/AAAAAAAAA3A/3l18NsAF6H0/s1600/autumn-hydrangea-painting-cream-vase-pink-flower-painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yJuugHUYCHs/UG1Z79lsR6I/AAAAAAAAA3A/3l18NsAF6H0/s320/autumn-hydrangea-painting-cream-vase-pink-flower-painting.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are some things I was pleased with, but the vase was actually cream, and ended up getting darker and darker as I struggled to get it to look three dimensional. My (at the time) not quite under control addiction to prussian blue (an incredibly strong pigment) meant the leaves were somewhat too dramatic, and took the focus away from the flowers. Finally, and this cannot be seen from the photo, the paper was a creamier colour than I like. A few months later Saunders Waterford made all my dreams come true (easily pleased, me) by launching something called 'high white' paper and I never looked back.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So back to the present day, and the hydrangeas in my garden were starting to turn to autumn colours, and I saw an opportunity to try them again. This time I picked three blooms from the same plant, one still bright summer pink, one faded to pale pink, and one tinged with autumn greens and reds. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7eBxZl5Bajk/UG1Z_jUOkJI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/v5O35ZtNtH4/s1600/hydrangea-painting-glass-vase-pink-flower-painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7eBxZl5Bajk/UG1Z_jUOkJI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/v5O35ZtNtH4/s320/hydrangea-painting-glass-vase-pink-flower-painting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I put them in a big square vase and did my best to capture the rich greens in the leaves without overshadowing the flowers. It is going into the local Rotary club exhibition next week, so it will be interesting to see if people like it. My students were split, some preferred the earlier painting, but I am definitely happier with the more recent one, I think it is fresher and lighter.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really enjoyed painting glass again, and if you like to paint I would advise you to try it too, and remember what I tell my students:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It's transparent, not invisible." If you can see it, you can paint it. And then you can show off... just a little.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-66753387535980509232012-09-20T12:08:00.003+01:002012-09-20T12:08:31.437+01:00The Last Day of Summer?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mf7soRKh-Ow/UFrwRwqb_FI/AAAAAAAAA1w/PafRbc422oA/s1600/leigh-on-sea-essex-beach-view-evening-southend-essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mf7soRKh-Ow/UFrwRwqb_FI/AAAAAAAAA1w/PafRbc422oA/s320/leigh-on-sea-essex-beach-view-evening-southend-essex.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is well known that I loathe the cold, and Winter. There is some pleasantness in Autumn, but after that, as far as I am concerned it is a matter of 'getting through it' until Spring arrives. Having some minor circulation problems the cold also causes me health problems, and increasingly, pain in my hands. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And it is not just the cold, everything I love goes away; butterflies, flowers, pottering around in the garden picking salad veg and strolling about barefoot. But the worst thing is the lack of light, uninspiring for painting, difficult for photography and making me yawn at 8pm. The days are shorter and like some kind of furry creature I just want to eat pies and sleep.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when last Saturday I got back from teaching my Art Class</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to find an appointment-free afternoon, and boyfriend trying to stop himself prodding and fiddling with the lime plaster he had just applied to the fireplace, I said "Let's go somewhere!" The weather was beautiful and it really did feel like this might be the last 'proper' summer day.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boyfriend had a suggestion: A couple of weeks ago he had been to Leigh-on-Sea near Southend to pick up a second-hand dishwasher we purchased on eBay (Beko, nearly new £53 - bargain!), and had come back enthused with the local coastline.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So off we went, only to find that the local Regatta was on, and half of Essex had turned up:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ob90Dn7w84U/UFrwhtRuLhI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/caDduZyxuFY/s1600/leigh-on-sea-market-southend-essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ob90Dn7w84U/UFrwhtRuLhI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/caDduZyxuFY/s320/leigh-on-sea-market-southend-essex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finding a parking place was tricky, and the area next to the coast was heaving with people. I do like a market, but this was more the place to find rip off band merchandise and dodgy burgers than vintage finds or local treasures. We fought our way though the locals, catching glimpses of a calmer scene between the local shops and pubs:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xvyu94pXyF0/UFrwahMtccI/AAAAAAAAA14/Cyx0Sf_HNdo/s1600/leigh-on-sea-essex-beach-view-southend-essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xvyu94pXyF0/UFrwahMtccI/AAAAAAAAA14/Cyx0Sf_HNdo/s320/leigh-on-sea-essex-beach-view-southend-essex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every few minutes a train thundered past, as the railway is very close to the coastline:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AGLU5CykA-E/UFrwloCW7dI/AAAAAAAAA2o/Jton6SpFpBw/s1600/leigh-on-sea-railway-line-southend-essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AGLU5CykA-E/UFrwloCW7dI/AAAAAAAAA2o/Jton6SpFpBw/s320/leigh-on-sea-railway-line-southend-essex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we snapped lots of interesting boat pictures, both big boats...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oWEa8NY8qnQ/UFrwcd7wgTI/AAAAAAAAA2A/FbUfOCSVvQ8/s1600/leigh-on-sea-essex-boat-southend-essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oWEa8NY8qnQ/UFrwcd7wgTI/AAAAAAAAA2A/FbUfOCSVvQ8/s320/leigh-on-sea-essex-boat-southend-essex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And smaller ones...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fQxAHcXmyoc/UFrwefnG9kI/AAAAAAAAA2I/ifnefQ8CWyE/s1600/leigh-on-sea-essex-boats-southend-essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fQxAHcXmyoc/UFrwefnG9kI/AAAAAAAAA2I/ifnefQ8CWyE/s320/leigh-on-sea-essex-boats-southend-essex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the most impressive one of all, the home of the Essex Yacht Club apparently! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7IjP1s5gEnk/UFrwfq_XOzI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/l0pR4Wx70Dk/s1600/leigh-on-sea-essex-yacht-club-southend-essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7IjP1s5gEnk/UFrwfq_XOzI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/l0pR4Wx70Dk/s320/leigh-on-sea-essex-yacht-club-southend-essex.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally we wandered up through steep local parkland and got a great view of the evening light on the water with heathers and plants in the foreground:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qcE5ekccEG4/UFrwjj5qWiI/AAAAAAAAA2g/89mB_NpAKG0/s1600/leigh-on-sea-park-line-southend-essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qcE5ekccEG4/UFrwjj5qWiI/AAAAAAAAA2g/89mB_NpAKG0/s320/leigh-on-sea-park-line-southend-essex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a great farewell to Summer, and as we drove home the inevitable text message</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">arrived from the teen, who had just arrived home: Where was everyone, and what time would dinner be ready? I waited until we got back before breaking the news that we had already eaten and that perhaps at 17 years old she might manage to cook herself a little something. As she muttered her displeasure and stomped off to raid the fridge of free food and heat it up with free gas, at least she could console herself that the dishwasher would take care of the dirty dishes...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-9744235959928912842012-09-13T11:52:00.003+01:002012-09-13T11:52:59.947+01:00Beach Huts revisited<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYGbtMMNM3U/S3Bz8XJdqKI/AAAAAAAAACI/Ys1W8UNQQvQ/s1600/0909BE_Beach_Huts_Southwold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYGbtMMNM3U/S3Bz8XJdqKI/AAAAAAAAACI/Ys1W8UNQQvQ/s320/0909BE_Beach_Huts_Southwold.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Above is one of my most popular paintings, and my biggest sources of regret. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I started painting, I just shoved things in frames and attempted to sell them. Sometimes to my surprise, this worked and the paintings went off to new homes. Encouraged I shoved more things in frames and displayed them in more places. This gung ho attitude was, of course, doomed to failure. I began to forget which paintings went where, and begun to feel sad that I couldn't look at the ones that had sold anymore. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, systems were put in place; reference numbers, delivery notes, and out came my camera (not a very good one) to photograph the paintings before they sold. More recently in addition to being photographed, my work is professionally scanned, enabling me to turn it into a limited edition print, a card, tea towel or anything I have the time and money to arrange.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have often said that if I painted beach huts from morning to night I would be a rich person, their popularity never wanes, and the image at the top of the page gets top views on any site I put it on. Sadly though, the low definition image is not good enough to use for prints, and the original painting sold through a gallery in Bury St Edmunds a couple of years ago.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, business being rather slow this time of year, I decided to unleash the power of beach huts, and revisit the subject of Southwold:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8dodLO1AWY/UFG1AhKQIyI/AAAAAAAAA1E/Q_Gs2imYtQs/s1600/beach-huts-painting-art-print-southwold-suffolk-picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8dodLO1AWY/UFG1AhKQIyI/AAAAAAAAA1E/Q_Gs2imYtQs/s320/beach-huts-painting-art-print-southwold-suffolk-picture.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My modest amount of facebook followers seem to like this new painting, but boyfriend, wandering into the studio said "It's not as good as the other one". He is a constant source of <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">encouragement</span> in my life and has unwavering faith in my abilities, unfortunately he is also a man of absolute truth. You ask him "Does my bum look big in this?" at your own risk, because he simply doesn't understand that women do not want a careful assesment and honest answer to this question. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether it is better or worse than the first one is hard to say, I could fall back on that old chestnut; 'all art is subjective', but at the end of the day I am fairly happy with it, and not one to repeat stupid mistakes, it is off to my printers for a high definition scan tomorrow.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After that I shall wait to see if the desire of the buying public for all things beach-hutty is still as strong as ever! </span>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-10725695996136593382012-09-06T13:56:00.001+01:002012-09-06T13:57:37.760+01:00A little online collaboration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6vdA2hfqhCI/UEiYIOqAcNI/AAAAAAAAA0A/N1w3Q0gNR1M/s1600/scrapbooking-butterflies-papers-craft-stationery-butterfly-stickers-2.5cm-1+inch-+moth-bugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6vdA2hfqhCI/UEiYIOqAcNI/AAAAAAAAA0A/N1w3Q0gNR1M/s320/scrapbooking-butterflies-papers-craft-stationery-butterfly-stickers-2.5cm-1+inch-+moth-bugs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back in the spring, when the idea of self publishing some of my illustrations was just formulating in the back of my mind I received a lovely email from a seller on Etsy called Joy. Joy originally came from Ireland, later moving over to the USA with her husband.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the time I was toying with the idea (and still am) of self adhesive sheets with images on that could be cut out and used for decoupage. Anyhow, Joy was asking if any of my work might be available in 1 inch stickers, and a little investigation showed me that crafters use these for a number of projects. In America they are often called 'bottle caps' and are used to decorate anything from jewellery pendants to badges and, I assume, bottle caps!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when I had my first stickers made I sent some over to Joy for free, hoping she would give me some valuable feedback:</span> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lZQZwpS5W9I/UEiYC4S6RHI/AAAAAAAAAzw/cl9vuoRyGDc/s1600/art-butterfly-stickers-2.5cm-1+inch-+moth-bugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lZQZwpS5W9I/UEiYC4S6RHI/AAAAAAAAAzw/cl9vuoRyGDc/s320/art-butterfly-stickers-2.5cm-1+inch-+moth-bugs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/106740288/butterfly-circular-stickers-25cm-or-1" target="_blank">Butterfly Stickers!</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joy was pleased with the stickers, and in return sent me this lovely pendant she had made from one of the moth stickers:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F_y5CVhs7-c/UEiYOXn9ZeI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/0P0HZ8ITyMg/s1600/bottle-tops-stickers-2.5cm-1+inch-stationery-butterflies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F_y5CVhs7-c/UEiYOXn9ZeI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/0P0HZ8ITyMg/s320/bottle-tops-stickers-2.5cm-1+inch-stationery-butterflies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was of course, delighted with it, and it reminded me of what a lovely business I am in, and how special the people are. After years of working in offices, with their petty backbiting, gossip and general unpleasantness, it is so lovely to be away from all that. Of course in every walk of life you sometimes meet grumpy people, but generally, other people in the arts and crafts world are generous, helpful and always happy to cooperate and achieve something together. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/joytoyou41" target="_blank">You can visit Joy's lovely Etsy shop by clicking here</a> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am particularly enjoying being on the Etsy site at present, it works wonderfully well, and is a dream to use, which cannot be said of many places on the internet. I am also getting better at taking photos, helped along by my stash of still life items, recently augmented by a gift from a friend of a ton of vintage china. Some of it was broken, and will be used for mosaics, but some of it was just too beautiful to hit with a hammer, so I am making full use of it as photo props. It must be working, because I have sold 2 of these cards online this week:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RhMayaf61iU/UEicEu2aPbI/AAAAAAAAA0o/jtwBOxIi9aE/s1600/art-flowers-fine-art-card-hollyhocks-pink-pretty-gift-tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RhMayaf61iU/UEicEu2aPbI/AAAAAAAAA0o/jtwBOxIi9aE/s320/art-flowers-fine-art-card-hollyhocks-pink-pretty-gift-tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/107981776/botanical-flower-painting-greetings-card" target="_blank">Hollyhocks card with matching Tag</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I just have to photograph and list the other cards, and hope that smaller sales such as these (and hopefully some nice feedback) will give people the confidence to buy larger items like prints online.</span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Onwards and upwards, and who knows who I will meet along the way!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-50593561371935721292012-08-30T11:58:00.000+01:002012-08-30T11:58:03.134+01:00Day Tripping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Om-diJyq76w/UD8_jruaMXI/AAAAAAAAAzY/jPuLnvMFnbo/s1600/Mistley+View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Om-diJyq76w/UD8_jruaMXI/AAAAAAAAAzY/jPuLnvMFnbo/s320/Mistley+View.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week I did something I rarely do, and took a week off. At amazingly short notice, boyfriend also managed to get the week off. I spent most of the week clearing out cupboards, sorting out the piles of junk in my studio, whilst boyfriend tackled the messy and tricky job of lime plastering the fireplace ready for our wood burning stove. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But we set a little time aside to head for the coast. Boyfriend loves photography, and photos are important to me for inspiration, painting subjects and of course to give my art students new things to tackle. We started with a little trip to Mistley (above), more river than sea, and more time was spent stuffing icecream than taking pictures if I am honest.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UvbfAJRD6Lc/UD8_hyyB5yI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/IcBiSaiRmOs/s1600/Mistley+Sailing+Club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UvbfAJRD6Lc/UD8_hyyB5yI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/IcBiSaiRmOs/s320/Mistley+Sailing+Club.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sailing club was pretty though, and decked out for the olympics.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then we had a whole day at the coast, starting with Walberswick, which I have not explored much previously:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NZtFByIGUv8/UD8_gYG4jGI/AAAAAAAAAzI/crv1fFTlEWw/s1600/Fish+shop+at+Walberswick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NZtFByIGUv8/UD8_gYG4jGI/AAAAAAAAAzI/crv1fFTlEWw/s320/Fish+shop+at+Walberswick.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I loved the places along the estuary where you can buy fresh fish, although as a vegetarian I don't indulge, they were very picturesque.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favorite snap was of this boat, just waiting to feature in a childrens illustration I think:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cFEmvrNeXZU/UD8_c1UwgkI/AAAAAAAAAy4/h49_RtbCD20/s1600/Boat+at+Walberswick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cFEmvrNeXZU/UD8_c1UwgkI/AAAAAAAAAy4/h49_RtbCD20/s320/Boat+at+Walberswick.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then we realised we could actually walk across to Southwold, and never being shy of a few miles walk, we set off.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P3Vlg_8xvu4/UD8_aoPoEyI/AAAAAAAAAyw/BljEh60PZcw/s1600/Beach+Huts+at+Southwold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P3Vlg_8xvu4/UD8_aoPoEyI/AAAAAAAAAyw/BljEh60PZcw/s320/Beach+Huts+at+Southwold.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have it in my head to paint Southwold beach huts again soon, I did a fabulous painting years ago, and it gets top hits on every website I put it on, problem is, I didn't get it professionally scanned, and my photos are too low in resolution for giclee prints. Of course the original is sold, so this potential money spinner haunts me</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and has lead to my 'get everything scanned before framing' rule.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We finished off our trip with an evening walk along the front at Aldeburgh, musing on the fact that the same boats are always on the beach, and wondering if anyone ever takes them out?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YIH85qGJpm0/UD8_ekx-SzI/AAAAAAAAAzA/l6THzUIG-l0/s1600/Boats+at+Aldburgh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YIH85qGJpm0/UD8_ekx-SzI/AAAAAAAAAzA/l6THzUIG-l0/s320/Boats+at+Aldburgh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were lucky with the weather on our week off, and I am pleased I took the time out. I have become an appalling workaholic in recent months, this recession is no joke when you deal in what is essentially a luxury product, and like most people in this country I am having to run faster and faster just to stand still.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking stock after my week out I have a clearer, cleaner house, a tidy studio, we are well on the way to completing the fireplace, and found some lovely tiles in a reclaimation yard for the hearth and some for the kitchen, I visited a bead shop I had wanted to check out for a long time, and picked up some charity shop bargains, and made two new camisole tops on my sewing machine. Best of all though I had time to think, and boyfriend and I finally spent some time together and found time to talk about plans for the house.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There really is more to life than working!</span><br />
Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-3244626021225808432012-08-10T17:53:00.001+01:002012-08-10T17:53:06.287+01:00You're my butterfly...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-apdSQAtqmS8/UCUz15jMC5I/AAAAAAAAAxY/Tkg18RcCJwg/s1600/butterfly-card-gift-tag-set-insects-stationery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-apdSQAtqmS8/UCUz15jMC5I/AAAAAAAAAxY/Tkg18RcCJwg/s320/butterfly-card-gift-tag-set-insects-stationery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well it has been over a month since I last posted on my blog, and there is no excuse for my shoddy behaviour, but I will attempt to justify it anyhow...</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As well as attending several art fairs and having work in several exhibitions I also had to fit in some painting for the Sudbury Summer Art Show, which I was helping to organise. Here is the Poppy painting I managed to do last minute, whereupon one of my students promptly bought it. Great, but of course, PANIC, not enough new work for the show!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JzRU7fNSpIU/UCU6ZP5GMxI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/CUkdNirCLcw/s1600/purple-poppies-painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JzRU7fNSpIU/UCU6ZP5GMxI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/CUkdNirCLcw/s320/purple-poppies-painting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So I started an even-more-last-minute painting of the railway walk (a popular local stroll):</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xvtRR5WRE2A/UCU0F5M6WfI/AAAAAAAAAx4/NS8rt13qnnk/s1600/watercolour+trees+beside+the+railway+walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xvtRR5WRE2A/UCU0F5M6WfI/AAAAAAAAAx4/NS8rt13qnnk/s320/watercolour+trees+beside+the+railway+walk.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The exhibition itself was stress personified, 5 of us trying to organise 41 artists. I was in charge (with another lady artist) of sorting out the screens. When we ran out of the specialist hooks that hold the work on the screens two hours before the private view I could have cried. I literally ran to my framers and begged some wire, and we frantically wired the rest of the work to the screens.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h3ZZ57rOYoE/UCU0DWHPe1I/AAAAAAAAAxw/K13mHJOfV20/s1600/sudbury-summer-art-show.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h3ZZ57rOYoE/UCU0DWHPe1I/AAAAAAAAAxw/K13mHJOfV20/s320/sudbury-summer-art-show.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The exhibition itself was a triumph in the end, and standards were definately higher than last time (we selected the artists this year). As I strolled round the private view after a quick dash home to change, I felt proud of all we had achieved.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My screen didn't look too bad either:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EYujftIli70/UCU0BhKa1oI/AAAAAAAAAxo/ScaHET7g0FU/s1600/sudbury-summer-art-show-my-screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EYujftIli70/UCU0BhKa1oI/AAAAAAAAAxo/ScaHET7g0FU/s320/sudbury-summer-art-show-my-screen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In between all this exhibition stuff I have been working with my printers on having some of my paintings made into cards. In addition to this I have also been planning my first self-published illustration work. In the past I have illustrated for other people, but being an illustrator is not the dream job people imagine. It is more about unrealistic deadlines, low pay, loss of copyright and lack of artistic freedom. So being a control freak, I figured: illustrate my own stuff, keep hold of copyright, and have total control over how it is marketed.</span> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tZkmGYH_zSQ/UCUzr16UOgI/AAAAAAAAAxI/eMJi_3r4HG8/s1600/butterflies-bookmarks-butterfly-bookmark-sticker-2.5cm-1+inch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tZkmGYH_zSQ/UCUzr16UOgI/AAAAAAAAAxI/eMJi_3r4HG8/s320/butterflies-bookmarks-butterfly-bookmark-sticker-2.5cm-1+inch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And after a long wait, where I probably drove my printers to distraction with my requests for samples, changes, new ideas and general pickiness... the stuff was ready! Above are bookmarks and sticker sheets.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Hm_tvAIqYI/UCUzz4W_NSI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/m7vzrn85xVA/s1600/butterflies-butterfly-insects-poster-print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Hm_tvAIqYI/UCUzz4W_NSI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/m7vzrn85xVA/s320/butterflies-butterfly-insects-poster-print.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then we have limited edition prints and at a lower price point, A4 posters.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qcZ_7kg8-1s/UCUz_-ckVCI/AAAAAAAAAxg/2vqINeUbHdc/s1600/gift-tags-beautiful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qcZ_7kg8-1s/UCUz_-ckVCI/AAAAAAAAAxg/2vqINeUbHdc/s320/gift-tags-beautiful.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I must admit I was daunted by the box of 1000 tags, all needing to be strung. Where is the teen when you need her? Answer: last heard of in London, feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square with her grandparents and on her way to Buckingham Palace.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that most of the contents of my bank account are winging their way to my printers I have a nervous wait, to see how well they sell. The quality is fantastic, and they look good, so I am quietly confident</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then it is probably my stupidly optimistic outlook that keeps me working as a self-employed artist in a recession.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that lazy cat is no help. Although I love cats, I also love hygene, and in my house there is a 'no beds, no worktops' rule for cats. Everyone knows Gimlet is not allowed on the bed, and Gimlet knows this too. Usually he abides by the rules, but every now and again (just like the teen) he decides to push the boundaries to see what he can get away with.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His favorite trick is to curl up under the bed, with the appearance of being in deep, deep sleep. You prod him, no reaction, you leave the room, and WHAM, two minutes later he is on the bed feet in the air, utterly unrepentant:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gf7s1k9GDfI/UCUzhFasooI/AAAAAAAAAw4/wPjwdfdyUes/s1600/Gimlet+gets+on+the+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gf7s1k9GDfI/UCUzhFasooI/AAAAAAAAAw4/wPjwdfdyUes/s320/Gimlet+gets+on+the+bed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Sadly he has no shame, none at all.</span><br />Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-59318366686593673602012-07-06T13:24:00.000+01:002012-07-06T13:24:32.455+01:00Princesses with kick ass hair...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2hoe8v9Y2jM/T_bRVCZoLDI/AAAAAAAAAwo/5bPPCyZB8_Q/s1600/rox+haircut+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2hoe8v9Y2jM/T_bRVCZoLDI/AAAAAAAAAwo/5bPPCyZB8_Q/s320/rox+haircut+1.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When my daughter was born I named her after a princess, not a modern sloane ranger, but one from early history, in the days when if you fancied owning the country next door you got yourself a few soldiers and strolled over the border to inflict bloodshed and suffering. In fact the princess I named her after came to a sticky end, but that was not the point. The point was to give her a name that wouldn't let her down in case of future fame.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I didn't expect, or even want my daughter to become famous, but just felt that your name should make you ready for anything and like Reg Dwight, you shouldn't have to change it to Elton John just to stop yourself looking a tiny bit silly. In the year of my daughter's birth it was like a Little House on the Prairie fest. Chuck a shoe in any direction at the local nursery and you would</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">hit a Megan or an Amy, I wasn't having any of it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My daughter grew up with the hair of a princess too, amazingly blonde, leading me to wonder if there were Nordic genes somewhere way back in my blood line. That, however, was where the princess likeness ended, with a wardrobe of jeans and checked shirts, a disgust with the idea of make up and a love of martial arts my daughter's hair just got in the way.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Many years before my daughter was born I trained as a hairdresser, but my heart wasn't in it, and it bored me the instant my training was finished. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now you have guessed where this is going... She begged, she pleaded, for weeks we negotiated; a bob perhaps? NO. Let's do it in stages in case you don't like it? NO. "I want it all off, and I want it spikey!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I gave in:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WsMBlh878hI/T_bRLtUIosI/AAAAAAAAAv4/gDRTKNDoYh0/s1600/Rox+haircut+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WsMBlh878hI/T_bRLtUIosI/AAAAAAAAAv4/gDRTKNDoYh0/s320/Rox+haircut+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now you can't just cut long hair straight into short layers, it is too cumbersome to hold, so you first chop the length off. "Make sure you keep the hair" said my daughter. Aah I thought, some emotional attachment... "Yeah," she said "I hear you can sell it". Good grief.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ay4gNDIiBjs/T_bRKLhNG-I/AAAAAAAAAvw/_ARCy7y834E/s1600/Rox+haircut+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ay4gNDIiBjs/T_bRKLhNG-I/AAAAAAAAAvw/_ARCy7y834E/s320/Rox+haircut+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So off came the length, and I felt afraid of teenage backlash, we all know they beg for stuff then blame you later. My daughter's favourite speech starts "I hate you all, I was adopted..."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But no, she didn't bat an eyelid, and turning back was no longer an option.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lOTnqpawaXM/T_bRNUBtWeI/AAAAAAAAAwA/_8OA9P6LVnE/s1600/Rox+haircut+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lOTnqpawaXM/T_bRNUBtWeI/AAAAAAAAAwA/_8OA9P6LVnE/s320/Rox+haircut+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Trying not to think about the fact that it was over 20 years since I did a re-style like this I cut the back. It looked good and I started to relax.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eoEc2HkfNOw/T_bRQwFkvpI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/kjWTGNB0GrY/s1600/Rox+haircut+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eoEc2HkfNOw/T_bRQwFkvpI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/kjWTGNB0GrY/s320/Rox+haircut+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before I knew it we were done and there was enough hair on the floor for a make-your-own-guinea-pig kit. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now I don't normally place pictures of my daughter's face on the internet, but since she is nearly 17 and a brown belt in karate, and has commenced training in kung fu I think it is pretty safe. Whether anyone else is safe is debateable of course.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So here you go, a quick hairwash and half a tube of gel later...</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jK_1DiSY7tg/T_bRThyicuI/AAAAAAAAAwg/B08HTyyn718/s1600/Rox+haircut+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jK_1DiSY7tg/T_bRThyicuI/AAAAAAAAAwg/B08HTyyn718/s320/Rox+haircut+9.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and the teen is re-born:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--esRB-ubVJE/T_bRSY-Vx_I/AAAAAAAAAwY/hkmG-Eyvg68/s1600/Rox+haircut+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--esRB-ubVJE/T_bRSY-Vx_I/AAAAAAAAAwY/hkmG-Eyvg68/s320/Rox+haircut+8.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To my endless relief, she enjoyed the double takes her teachers made as she strolled through the sixth form corridors next day and the general celebrity of it all. It suits her far better than I thought it would, and 2 weeks later she is still happy. Plus I no longer have to untwine a horrendous tangle of hair from the rollers of Henry hoover each week.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You see, some fairy tales do have a happy ending! </span>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-18427884168968257682012-06-18T12:28:00.000+01:002012-06-18T12:29:33.198+01:00Craftseller again... and some new work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EGpyQ69P3zY/T98KM42dZDI/AAAAAAAAAvk/gbSQaMWvVig/s1600/front+cover+of+craftseller+June+2012+Michele+Webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EGpyQ69P3zY/T98KM42dZDI/AAAAAAAAAvk/gbSQaMWvVig/s320/front+cover+of+craftseller+June+2012+Michele+Webber.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had an idea I was going to be in Craftseller magazine again this month (you are never quite sure, because you do the writing months in advance), but when I strolled into WHSmiths to be confronted with my pasty complexion on the front cover I very nearly said EEEK!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am no where near as pale as my nordic looking daughter, but for some reason whenever I am photographed, my skin tone takes on a 'just crawled out of the grave as a zombie' hue.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SE66ze4wvQ0/T98KG1_u8iI/AAAAAAAAAvE/tdue88iUSbE/s1600/Craftseller+index+page+June+2012+Michele+Webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SE66ze4wvQ0/T98KG1_u8iI/AAAAAAAAAvE/tdue88iUSbE/s320/Craftseller+index+page+June+2012+Michele+Webber.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They also put me in the index, so the editor obviously likes 'pale and interesting and looks like a zombie'</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although I am a shameless seeker of publicity, the sight of myself on the front cover led to a sudden and unusual attack of embarrasment. The weather being rubbish I had no sunglasses to hide behind, so I sidled up to the checkout, said 'I don't need a bag thanks' and shoved the magazine in my art portfolio the second it had been scanned. The checkout girl ignored this odd behaviour and I scuttled back to the car park to look at the article:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPfk42TInvQ/T98KFBGpQtI/AAAAAAAAAu8/dM7rOQLSVIU/s1600/Article+in+craftseller+June+2012+Michele+Webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPfk42TInvQ/T98KFBGpQtI/AAAAAAAAAu8/dM7rOQLSVIU/s320/Article+in+craftseller+June+2012+Michele+Webber.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Half the stuff I wrote wasn't included, but that is the way it goes, and I was happy with the publicity, and happy to see some other 'internet' friends (Folksy sellers) I chat to online too.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Enough about me. I should talk about my work (!)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here is my latest painting, a watercolour and gouache still life. I have had prints made because I have found seashells to be a popular subject before. And the starfish smells BAD, so I need to get my money's worth for putting up with the fish smell in my studio. If anyone knows how to stop starfish smelling please share. I have already tried bleach, drying in hot sunshine, anti mould-spray and bicarbonate of soda. I am considering microwaving it, but this could be a disaster in several respects... Anyhow I was pleased with the painting:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8VbZY3FuuSM/T98KLF9XRVI/AAAAAAAAAvc/nIxi44faVQg/s1600/art-seashells-starfish-painting-print-pebbles-shells-seaside-michele-webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8VbZY3FuuSM/T98KLF9XRVI/AAAAAAAAAvc/nIxi44faVQg/s320/art-seashells-starfish-painting-print-pebbles-shells-seaside-michele-webber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://folksy.com/items/3400946-Beach-Finds-Seashell-Limited-Edition-Giclee-Print" target="_blank">'Beach-Finds' Limited Edition Giclee Print</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My new lino print card and tag sets have been selling well locally, so it was time to start the time consuming process of photographing and listing them online, starting with the blue lighthouse set:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AsW5L704M4Q/T98KJwnP3DI/AAAAAAAAAvU/S7cONk5EBP8/s1600/art-lighthouse-blue-card-tag-gift-greetings-linocut-michele-webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AsW5L704M4Q/T98KJwnP3DI/AAAAAAAAAvU/S7cONk5EBP8/s320/art-lighthouse-blue-card-tag-gift-greetings-linocut-michele-webber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/102207372/lighthouse-dolphin-card-and-tag-set-hand" target="_blank">'Lighthouse' Linocut Card and Tag set</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I also decided to re-list some ACEO's I made a year or so ago. An ACEO is a minature artwork, always 2.5 by 3.5 inches, they are collected worldwide, people put them in albums. They are also a good way of offering a lower priced item and getting your sales and feedback scores up. This one is my 'Rich Kitty' design, I also put it on cards and it is usually popular with people like me who are owned by cats:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jfI9DZPl5sI/T98KIYcDxfI/AAAAAAAAAvM/nQdoQQqBhDU/s1600/art-cat-butterfly-aceo-purple-linocut-linoprint-minature-small-michele-webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jfI9DZPl5sI/T98KIYcDxfI/AAAAAAAAAvM/nQdoQQqBhDU/s320/art-cat-butterfly-aceo-purple-linocut-linoprint-minature-small-michele-webber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/102375098/cat-aceo-rich-kitty-2-lino-print" target="_blank">'Rich Kitty 2' ACEO Original Lino-Print with collage</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next couple of weeks are very busy for me, time to plan my September art classes (I know), more work on the press release for the Sudbury Summer Art Show, and I am getting ready to demonstrate at 'Art Sunday' at Layer Marney Tower on July 1st.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I leave you with this snippet. Last week in Lavenham, a lady looked at my gift tags and said "Do you have any Christmas ones?" It begins... </span></div>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-90403214400204397942012-06-08T11:15:00.000+01:002012-06-08T11:15:11.356+01:00Exhibition Photo Diary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PVW3G3v8NP8/T9HICc_nDLI/AAAAAAAAAuI/uN1c4yM0tFo/s1600/Print%27s-in-St-Peter%27s-teen-fun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PVW3G3v8NP8/T9HICc_nDLI/AAAAAAAAAuI/uN1c4yM0tFo/s320/Print%27s-in-St-Peter%27s-teen-fun.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have you ever wondered what to do with that teenager who is lounging around your house? Well as part of my occasional 'Uses for teenagers' series</span>, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">here we have the teen at 'Prints in St Peters' exhibition in Sudbury acting as a useful display stand. Teenagers are very good at displaying artwork as they get to stand still, something they enjoy far more than moving, which is exhausting for them.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l_fz1xYTdaA/T9HIRayuzrI/AAAAAAAAAuo/VrnBlZC4SpM/s1600/prints-in-st-peter%2527s-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l_fz1xYTdaA/T9HIRayuzrI/AAAAAAAAAuo/VrnBlZC4SpM/s320/prints-in-st-peter%2527s-2012.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here is the rest of my work on one of the display stands. Sadly I didn't sell any framed pieces at this exhibition but did sell quite a few cards. You win some, you lose some!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next up it was the private view of the Colchester Open Exhibition at the Minories Gallery and despite the poor quality of my photography, my boat painting has a good position in one of the front rooms near a nice big window.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RJfqgAZCZHo/T9HH4RtzaBI/AAAAAAAAAts/9sR5SOjFxWA/s1600/Colchester-open-exhibition-2012-michele-webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RJfqgAZCZHo/T9HH4RtzaBI/AAAAAAAAAts/9sR5SOjFxWA/s320/Colchester-open-exhibition-2012-michele-webber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Quite proud of getting into the Colchester Open as the selection committee were very thorough, and apparently spent over 11 hours scrutinising the submissions. Fingers crossed for a sale...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next up it was 'Potters and Friends' an art exhibition/fair in Little Hall Museum, Lavenham:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RSlIL4Omv_I/T9HH8adH5LI/AAAAAAAAAt8/nwSsjXd0HW4/s1600/Little-Hall-Museum-June-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RSlIL4Omv_I/T9HH8adH5LI/AAAAAAAAAt8/nwSsjXd0HW4/s320/Little-Hall-Museum-June-2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just off the main square, this bright yellow 15th Century building owned by the Suffolk Preservation Society</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">was the venue for a selection of pottery and other artwork.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jcBn6Y3XITI/T9HH6XwQDtI/AAAAAAAAAt0/RKdnGm1eHeQ/s1600/Little-Hall-Museum-June-2012-library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jcBn6Y3XITI/T9HH6XwQDtI/AAAAAAAAAt0/RKdnGm1eHeQ/s320/Little-Hall-Museum-June-2012-library.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Many of the Potters were in the garden, but myself and my students were sharing the library.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U4d3jY6mXug/T9HIEfQtK5I/AAAAAAAAAuQ/CgzC9aNK_bA/s1600/potters-and-friends-exhibition-2012-artwork-hollyhocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U4d3jY6mXug/T9HIEfQtK5I/AAAAAAAAAuQ/CgzC9aNK_bA/s320/potters-and-friends-exhibition-2012-artwork-hollyhocks.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We also had a little space in the hall, to lure people in. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xdix9DnemDc/T9HINjRuQWI/AAAAAAAAAuY/MMH7rVF979g/s1600/potters-and-friends-exhibition-2012-artwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xdix9DnemDc/T9HINjRuQWI/AAAAAAAAAuY/MMH7rVF979g/s320/potters-and-friends-exhibition-2012-artwork.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The desk was in a pleasant position by the window, although what you can't see is the group of 'death masks' of the hall's previous occupants that I spent all week looking at. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first weekend was warm and sales were steady, mid-week is was quiet and I froze, my feet being like blocks of ice by the end of each day, returning home to a ton of emails and work I had no time to deal with.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_-EX7O9E1DY/T9HIPhysUvI/AAAAAAAAAug/kZMlxxejTUo/s1600/potters-and-friends-exhibition-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_-EX7O9E1DY/T9HIPhysUvI/AAAAAAAAAug/kZMlxxejTUo/s320/potters-and-friends-exhibition-2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jubilee day saw the square being decked out with food stalls and tables, but the weather was just appalling, raining all day, and a big sales opportunity was missed with visitor numbers down hugely. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We were all cheered up by this very amusing full size model of the Queen, made for the jubilee by the local school children and installed in one of the museum rooms:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-itFaz72QwsM/T9HITOMe-yI/AAAAAAAAAuw/tCkFHUNXqAY/s1600/queen-model-jubilee-at-potters-and-friends-june-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-itFaz72QwsM/T9HITOMe-yI/AAAAAAAAAuw/tCkFHUNXqAY/s320/queen-model-jubilee-at-potters-and-friends-june-2012.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By the end of the exhibition I had sold 23 Cards and Tags, 4 Mosaics, 2 Monoprints and 2 Giclee prints. My students sold 14 Cards, 5 Giclee Prints and 3 Paintings.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course we had to pay for the room rental, but nevertheless made a good profit, and considering the recession and the weather, we didn't do too badly I think!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I did spend about £25 on Pottery mind you, but that is the danger of exhibiting with people making such beautiful items...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">More exhibitions are lined up later this year, but for now it is time to catch up with other work :-) </span>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-59219829184773929932012-05-19T14:44:00.001+01:002012-05-19T14:44:32.456+01:00Handmade Shop, Colchester<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A few days ago, I popped over to Colchester to see Maryann who runs the brand new 'Handmade' Shop in Sir Isaacs Walk</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have put some of my prints in the shop, but had run out of my Hollyhocks when I put my stock in, and had to wait until I had some more printed.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZYVQ2eVtiUM/T7ecZ2-oflI/AAAAAAAAAtE/lghDeOioCQw/s1600/maryann-+handmade-shop-colchester-essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZYVQ2eVtiUM/T7ecZ2-oflI/AAAAAAAAAtE/lghDeOioCQw/s320/maryann-+handmade-shop-colchester-essex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So dropping the Hollyhock's print off gave me time to check out the shop. My prints are in a lovely position right at the front:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtBhPU7lhmU/T7ecbPr4iiI/AAAAAAAAAtM/Y1vTmbrN5KI/s1600/michele-webber-work-at-handmade-shop-colchester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtBhPU7lhmU/T7ecbPr4iiI/AAAAAAAAAtM/Y1vTmbrN5KI/s320/michele-webber-work-at-handmade-shop-colchester.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g3sbYLpR9zQ/T7ecXz9l6QI/AAAAAAAAAs8/dw32ePdx3II/s1600/jewellery+colchesterr+at+maryanns+handmade+shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course, being in a shop full of handmade goodies put me in the mood for a little shopping...</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wandered around checking out all the contents of the shop. I headed first for the jewellery of course:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g3sbYLpR9zQ/T7ecXz9l6QI/AAAAAAAAAs8/dw32ePdx3II/s1600/jewellery+colchesterr+at+maryanns+handmade+shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g3sbYLpR9zQ/T7ecXz9l6QI/AAAAAAAAAs8/dw32ePdx3II/s320/jewellery+colchesterr+at+maryanns+handmade+shop.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And then looked at all the other lovely things, including pretty tea-cup candles:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sd87qRv2L8I/T7eceZPOyRI/AAAAAAAAAtc/rYcfbVC66cs/s1600/window-display-handmade-shop-colchester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sd87qRv2L8I/T7eceZPOyRI/AAAAAAAAAtc/rYcfbVC66cs/s320/window-display-handmade-shop-colchester.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scrummy things for the bath:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NxC9SRq3m1U/T7ecLcazakI/AAAAAAAAAss/K7UQ--4En1w/s1600/bath+bombs-at-handmade-shop-colchester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NxC9SRq3m1U/T7ecLcazakI/AAAAAAAAAss/K7UQ--4En1w/s320/bath+bombs-at-handmade-shop-colchester.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And Hazel Rayfield's lovely Encaustic paintings:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HYHqdnQEbuQ/T7ecHaifBFI/AAAAAAAAAsc/iNpBh1uKoms/s1600/art-in-wax-handmade-shop-colchester-essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HYHqdnQEbuQ/T7ecHaifBFI/AAAAAAAAAsc/iNpBh1uKoms/s320/art-in-wax-handmade-shop-colchester-essex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the end I decided I simply couldn't leave without buying a couple of things (photographed when I got back on the studio cushions)... This pretty porcelain ring by Lisa Stevens:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GZmm63YR9sU/T7eccxM0Y3I/AAAAAAAAAtU/No_TVYqvVHk/s1600/ring+at+maryanns+handmade+shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GZmm63YR9sU/T7eccxM0Y3I/AAAAAAAAAtU/No_TVYqvVHk/s320/ring+at+maryanns+handmade+shop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And for the teen's ever-growing ornament collection this wonderfully tactile little cat:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CKfdnrDFfaQ/T7ecOsgQRHI/AAAAAAAAAs0/a5Phg5nfsyU/s1600/cat+ornament+at+maryanns+handmade+shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CKfdnrDFfaQ/T7ecOsgQRHI/AAAAAAAAAs0/a5Phg5nfsyU/s320/cat+ornament+at+maryanns+handmade+shop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The teen was delighted, although when I called, "Come here, I have something for you!" she complained like mad, thinking I wanted her to do the wiping up; A sad indictment of my mothering skills no doubt. But at least I have dry crockery, so we must be philosophical about these things.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you are in Colchester any time, do pop in to the lovely and tiny handmade shop, you will find an Aladdin's cave of hand-made British goodies, perfect for treating yourself or a friend. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And before I go, just time to give you a preview of my new seashell lino prints. I have called them 'Shoreline', and so far printed some in blues and some in yellow ochre:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vqm1MJ2QTjM/T7ecJRha7bI/AAAAAAAAAsk/BVfUVbM1t-U/s1600/art-seashell-linoprint-coast-beach-picture-panel-michele-webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vqm1MJ2QTjM/T7ecJRha7bI/AAAAAAAAAsk/BVfUVbM1t-U/s320/art-seashell-linoprint-coast-beach-picture-panel-michele-webber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/99863237/shoreline-13-seashell-lino-print-art" target="_blank">"Shoreline 13" Monoprint</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A couple of them are in the Gainsborough's House Printmaker's exhibition, some are available in my online shops, and a few will be going out to local venues like Maryann's shop, and other upcoming exhibitions. One of them is such a perfect match for the colours of my new laundry room that I am having it framed for my house. After all, I may not be wealthy, but at least I can have some real art on the walls! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4862917229186807365.post-83034071056353667582012-05-11T11:37:00.000+01:002012-05-11T12:31:12.722+01:00Exhibition O'Clock<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes, it is that time again, when all the spring exhibitions are suddenly upon me and I wonder why I didn't make more artwork during the winter! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First up is the Colchester Open Exhibition I entered a couple of weeks ago, and a late night phone message informed me of my fate:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G5O2gMWsu1E/T4fwUczU_DI/AAAAAAAAAq8/Pk64HcvVo0Y/s1600/art-print-picture-woodbridge-suffolk-boat-sea-michele-webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G5O2gMWsu1E/T4fwUczU_DI/AAAAAAAAAq8/Pk64HcvVo0Y/s320/art-print-picture-woodbridge-suffolk-boat-sea-michele-webber.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://folksy.com/items/3306766-Woodbridge-Dreams-Giclee-Boat-Print" target="_blank">Woodbridge Dreams</a> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Woodbridge Dreams" in Gouache and Collage, painted with the exhibition in mind - Accepted, Yay!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yWkH4IYtsGo/T37JS8P-2tI/AAAAAAAAAqc/kEYDLtmL5xk/s1600/art-river-orwell-estuary-seascape-painting-watercolour-beach-seaside-michele-webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yWkH4IYtsGo/T37JS8P-2tI/AAAAAAAAAqc/kEYDLtmL5xk/s320/art-river-orwell-estuary-seascape-painting-watercolour-beach-seaside-michele-webber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://folksy.com/items/3290774-Orwell-Estuary-Low-Tide-coastal-watercolour-painting" target="_blank">Orwell Estuary Low Tide</a> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Orwell Estuary, Low Tide" in Watercolour, put in because it fit the criteria and to make the numbers up -</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rejected, Boo Hiss!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course I am happy to get one in, and the exhibition was selected by several artists and curators including Colin Self, and Ron Sims. According to the chat I had with the receptionist on picking up my Orwell painting the selection commitee took their time (not always the case) and it went on for 11 hours</span>! <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although things went to plan for me this time, you can never be sure of the taste of the committee, and sometimes I have found that the piece I put in to make up the numbers is the one that gets in.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next up is the Gainsborough's House Printmakers Exhibition in St Peter's Church in Sudbury, and I am fighting the clock to get some new seashell prints finished. Here are the some of the backgrounds, ready to be over printed with a shell and starfish design. Much use has been made of those net bags you get oranges in:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-okVF7pjngLM/T6zmaarbWLI/AAAAAAAAAsI/QNZow4RyGao/s1600/seaside-print-in-progress-seashells-backgrounds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-okVF7pjngLM/T6zmaarbWLI/AAAAAAAAAsI/QNZow4RyGao/s320/seaside-print-in-progress-seashells-backgrounds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And here is the carved lino ready to print over the top:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hmrJPDt2A5c/T6zmb0H-bDI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/0x4TgUGZ2EU/s1600/seaside-print-in-progress-seashells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hmrJPDt2A5c/T6zmb0H-bDI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/0x4TgUGZ2EU/s320/seaside-print-in-progress-seashells.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whilst I was getting inky, I also worked on some new card and tag designs, they are selling steadily locally, so now I am adding some seaside inspired designs:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YfosUMjD2OQ/T6zmY8OyKVI/AAAAAAAAAsA/qBJlnz6b42M/s1600/lino-print-cards-seaside-print-in-progress-seashells-backgrounds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YfosUMjD2OQ/T6zmY8OyKVI/AAAAAAAAAsA/qBJlnz6b42M/s320/lino-print-cards-seaside-print-in-progress-seashells-backgrounds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After the printmakers exhibition it is "Potters and Friends" at Lavenham</span>, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">where I am sharing my allotted space with some of my students. Perhaps I will take along my latest two mosaics:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FwEu8_VtL9w/T6zmXFYWCFI/AAAAAAAAAr4/ysi9JZc7J9c/s1600/butterfly-navy-blue-white-mosaic-picture-panel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FwEu8_VtL9w/T6zmXFYWCFI/AAAAAAAAAr4/ysi9JZc7J9c/s320/butterfly-navy-blue-white-mosaic-picture-panel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://folksy.com/items/3294862-Navy-Butterfly-Mosaic-Panel" target="_blank">Navy Butterfly Mosaic Panel</a> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QimcElhcBb8/T6zmVBOsd-I/AAAAAAAAArw/NeraYTxt1kk/s1600/art-seashell-mosaic-coast-beach-picture-panel-michele-webber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QimcElhcBb8/T6zmVBOsd-I/AAAAAAAAArw/NeraYTxt1kk/s320/art-seashell-mosaic-coast-beach-picture-panel-michele-webber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://folksy.com/items/3299018-Sea-Panel-seashell-mosaic" target="_blank">Sea Panel Seashell Mosaic</a> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the midst of all this exhibition prep, a lovely local lady made an appointment to come to my studio and choose some prints for her house. She chose two, and I arranged to have them framed in white, as she requested, rather than the wood I usually use, I thought the frames suited them, and snapped a quick photo in the studio, of them wrapped, just before collection:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UlgIDAbVvDs/T6zmTjmcTHI/AAAAAAAAAro/mnh-RCoubKA/s1600/Framed+prints+for+Alison+Hayles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UlgIDAbVvDs/T6zmTjmcTHI/AAAAAAAAAro/mnh-RCoubKA/s320/Framed+prints+for+Alison+Hayles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, I have been asked to help organise this years SSAS (Sudbury Summer Art Show) started by Sally Freer to compliment the bi-annual 'Visions of Sudbury" exhibition on alternate years. An initial meeting laid out some changes. This year there will be guidlines about prices (not too low) and framing (bad framing is something that irritates me beyond words). Plus artists chosen will be by invitation only, and the organisers get to chose who is invited. I will, of course not be swayed by donations of cake; but I should mention that carrot is my favourite, with that cream cheese icing...</span></div>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087596938900379641noreply@blogger.com6