Running on the spot

Hi all ......just lately I seem to pedalling like crazy and getting nowhere fast , not had any summer commissions and failed to sell anything at the first summer exhibition of the year :-( to keep myself busy I have started early on Christmas commissions but the nature of that beast is that I won't get paid till Christmas and I can't show any of the work online till then either.......Oh well my blog will just have to consist of the exciting prospect of our new arrivals, we should have some chicks hatching any day now as our broody hen has been sitting for 19 days she has six eggs so I am hoping for at least a couple of new hens!

We will also soon be welcoming a gorgeous HWV puppy into our fold....... this is him at 5weeks of age, cute or what?

"Doggie Doodles": Flaming June

"Doggie Doodles": Flaming June

Flaming June

Hi all, its been a tough few weeks health wise for me so the blog has been sadly neglected (along with lots of other things)

But excuses over I think I am back on track and my head is buzzing with ideas that need to be turned into art (as usual) so the summer should be a productive time, as always I have a few local summer art exhibitions to submit work to and I am working on a slow but steady flow of commissions too.

On a personal level we are busy again trying to think of names for a boy!

Here are some a couple of random, recent attempts at artwork to keep the picture hungry at bay.....hope you like them......back soon with more :-)

At the top is the finally complete graphite dawing of our dog "Kimba" this one has taken ages as it was always on the back burner while other work took priority so I am happy to be able to post it here at long last! On the left is a work in progress graphite drawing of my niece "Abigail" who I have often attempted to portray but just never seem to get "quite right" this one is heading in the right direction though so I am hopeful it will come good with a little more tweaking.And finally our puss "Maggie" painted in pastel, very inconvieniently she decided to sit like this in my studio window one morning while I should have been working on another painting.....however her pose was just too tempting and she stayed put for long enough to get the basics down so it just had to be done!

I took a back up photograph for good measure which I used to refer to when she inevitably spotted some birds outside and sloped off!
Thank you for looking.........come back soon xx

Have some old work up for grabs at the Rochester (New York) 6x6 global art event its a great exhibition and a brilliant idea for fundraising all works will be offered for sale at $20 http://www.roco6x6.org/6x6x2011.php?artwork_id=236

My painting "Evening light"is featured in the Love from me project 2011 which is a wonderful art book selling in aid of a special cancer charity copies are available here http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2085036/?utm_source=badge&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=140x240 from Blurb

Still here....and trying to keep up

Hi all, I know I have said it before but this year seems to be going past me at breakneck speed....so much to do , so little time so my apologies for my neglected blog.

The Big Easter Art Exhibition was a great success raising over £7,000 for our local (St Michaels) Hospice, I personally sold four paintings so it was a good weekend for me!

Just to prove that I've not been idle here are a selection of commissioned paintings that have been keeping me busy in recent weeks..Below are some images of the product of my labours, first is an A3 watercolour painting of "Themba" a beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback, then a graphite commission in memory of "Harry" a playful Jack Russell Terrier, the drawing is A3 size and I really enjoyed working on it....even those grasses!

Next up is "Annie" another Jack Russell Terrier this one is an acrylic portrait on a 30x 30 square canvas

Then come Taitti the GSD x Dachshund and Zippy the JRT, both painted in pastels just slightly bigger than A4

I guess I just need an oil painting now to complete the set!

April news!

My apologies for the lack of updates here lately, 2011 is whizzing by and I am struggling to keep up!

I have just submitted some original paintings (see above) to our local Big Easter Art Exhibition which takes place over the next four days at Pett Village Hall Nr Hastings East Sussex (TN35 4HE) sales of paintings are in support of our local hospice and there are some wonderful works of art on display so well worth a visit if you are in the area.

This year I am proud to have been included in the "Love from me project" in which selected artists works have been compiled in a book to be sold to raise funds for a cancer charity my painting "Evening Light" is included in this inspirational publication which can be previewed and purchased via this link http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2085036

I am also trying to raise some money for Guide dogs by joining in a sponsored dog walk with my beautiful Kimba, we plan to walk Four miles in the company of many other dogs and walkers on 15th May if you would like to help by sponsoring us for a pound or two just follow this link http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Pettpaintings

Meanwhile I continue to work on my usual quota of pet portrait commissions and will try to post those completed in my next blog so prepare for a picture overload :-) in due course

Trompe L'oeil and other stuff

Blogging has had to take a back seat in February as I've been busy busy busy working on several projects all at once and of course Kimba has been keeping me occupied with muddy walks galore!

The bathroom Trompe L'oeil attempt is coming along and gradually taking shape visitors to the house have been quick to comment and so far comments have varied from "looks like something from Saving Nemo" to my favourite "I thought it was a real fish tank" yay!

I'm still prepared to paint over it with emulsion if it doesn't meet my intended idea but so far so good and to be honest it's great fun for me.

I have also been busy with a couple of commissions this is one I just completed of another gorgeous little JRT, I painted it in pastels on A3 pastelmat card

And finally I have started a graphite portrait of our gorgeous Kimba.....theres a long way to go on this one as she is a hairy beast and those curls will give me headaches for sure!

Trompe L'oeil

Wow, these last few weeks have whizzed by in a flash! I have not been idle though......busy with a couple of private commissions and some work destined for exhibition at Easter, I have also been painting (decorating) our bathroom and have begun a mural that I'm hoping to class as a Trompe L'oeil .......in order to qualify the painting needs to be realistic enough to "Trick the eye" so it will certainly be challenging but something I've always wanted to try.
I will try to post some pictures of my work as I progress.............. but admit that I have a large tub of emulsion on standby in case it all goes Pete Tong :-D

Art Swap

You may recall that late last year New Zealand artist Karen Neal http://www.wild-impressions.co.nz/and myself entered into an art swap together, this was a new idea for me and a great way to aquire an original work of art without parting with cash :-)
I had had my eye on Karens Little Kingfisher painting and she kindly agreed to swap it for a "commissioned" painting based on some photographs of her recent holiday in Wales...looking through her photographs I had difficulty choosing between the hills and valleys and a lovely wild meadow near to where she had stayed, so I have completed pastel paintings of both and she now has the job of choosing which she wants to hang on her wall.

2011 already

Well that crept up on us....I'm still reeling from all the changes in my life at the end of 2010 ;-)

and here we are already knocking on the door to the second week of 2011....so far things have been very busy for me............ Kimba has been keeping me on my toes and amazingly in spite of the vast amount of junk I consumed over Christmas I seem to have lost some weight :-)

On the work front I have had a small flurry of new portrait enquiries and a tempting proposition for a series of commissions so that is a very promising start to the year.

I have finally completed two commissions from the end of 2010 both depict JRT's one young smooth coated and two elderly rough coated but all exceptionally cute!

Here are Tracker & Poppy a really lovely old "couple" who I had the total pleasure of painting in pastels, the painting is A3 size and has now been safely delivered to their proud owners.

And below is Toby, a young Jrt full of character who's owners wanted a more contemporary style for their painting to suit their home so I painted Toby in an unusual composition using acrylics on a square 30 x 30 cm gallery wrap canvas