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

Phew!

Well there it was, been and gone...Christmas over for another year and time to breathe a sigh of relief I am all cooked and entertained out and in desperate need of some peace and tranquility.

Since the big day has now passed and all surprises should be out of the bag I can reveal some of the work I have been doing in recent weeks, above are "Barney" (pastel) and "Benson" (graphite).

And below are "Lulu" (pastel) and "Arthur" (also Pastel)

Tomorrow is back to the drawing board for a marathon session to complete a couple of overdue commissions and start a new project that will hopefully bring me some work in the new year.

If I don't manage to get an update on this blog in the next week I would like to wish all my followers and fellow artists a very happy and prosperous 2011 xxx

New beginnings

Hi all , I am still working through my Christmas commission list and it feels like time is rushing by at full speed ahead, my Graphite boxer client requires the dogs name added to the picture so that has to be my priority this week as he's hoping to deliver it to the framers midweek, I hope I don't mess anything up. I am looking forward to being able to post pictures of these latest works as soon as the Christmas surprises are revealed ;-)

As you know the loss of my beloved Fred has left a dog shaped void in our home, so I am proud to introduce the new girl in our lives "Kimba" she is settling in nicely and once again our house feels more like a home

So much to do so little time!

Hi all, sorry to have been erratic with the blogging (as usual) am busy making sure that these Christmas orders will all be done on time, first one was to go to the states so was prioritised and happily sent off at the start of the week...phew! luckily I have a couple of local commissions this year so they will be deliverable and not dependent on the postal service which will help!
I am getting a slight sweat on as we hit December but I think I will get there if I work hard and keep away from distractions (like Facebook).
Have finished the large graphite Boxer dog portrait which I really enjoyed doing but the client would like dogs name on the drawing so I hope I don't mess it up as lettering is not really my forte.
Since losing our Freddie the house has been seriously empty Milo and I have been ratting around deafened by the silence so we are about to embark on a dog hunt to find him a new pal.
Over the last few days I have been watching (in horror) Maggie's girth expanding, and although I am firmly "in denial" I suspect that sometime around Christmas she is planning on presenting us with a present ..............or maybe she just has wind?

Christmas rush!

What a difference a week makes!

I have been commission free for the last four months and have been spending my time leisurely working on some originals for exhibition next year in a fairly relaxed fashion.

If you follow my blog you will know that my dog Fred fell ill and had to be PTS last weekend which hit me for six,and left me spinning.

I now have to get a grip.... as in the space of the four days of Fred's illness I received six Christmas commission enquiries!

So it looks as if I am going to be extremely busy in the lead up to Christmas this year....I do wish people wouldn't leave it to the last minute but it seems they always do, I just hope I can come up with the goods..........some daylight wouldn't go amiss right now!

Of course surprise commissions can't be shown on 'tinternet until they are no longer "a surprise" so in the meantime all I can offer in the way of piccy's to illustrate the blog is the next mini offering on e-bay. .....this is a little 7" x 5" graphite drawing of a black faced sheep which will be listed this weekend, other mini's destined for e-bay can be previewed on my website

http://www.pettpaintings.com/NEWMini-originals-on-ebay(2166528).htm

Fred June 1997~ Nov 2010

I have been dreading this for quite a while, my beloved Fred had to be PTS on monday this week he had a short and sudden illness and I couldn't bear to see him suffer any longer, he was the sweetest, kindest, most loyal friend and my constant companion for the last 13 years.
Words cannot convey how much I miss him and I am the luckiest person alive to have been his adopted Mum.....I'm sure he will be happy chasing those pesky Squidgels in some heavenly wood

"The Power of the Dog""

There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie --
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.
When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find -- it's your own affair --
But . . . you've given your heart to a dog to tear.
When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!)
When the spirit hat answered your every mood
Is gone -- wherever it goes -- for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear.
We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept'em, the more do we grieve;
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long --
So why in -- Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?

Thought it was about time I updated the blog, The little originals on e-bay are still selling for peanuts but at least they are selling :-) (could be worse) currently on offer is the little Mute Swan and bids are just starting to come in with just one day to go, the funny thing is I never thought I would get so excited by such silly little amounts of money but every little bid seems to make me smile, clearly e-bay is in itself addictive!
The painting that should have been listed next this weekend has been snapped up already from the preview on my website so the Labradors have jumped a place and will be next.
Behind the scenes I have embarked on an art swap with New Zealand artist Karen Neal we have not yet decided on specific pieces or if we will each "commission" a new work from each other but however it turns out I am excited about the prospect of owning one of Karens beautiful paintings!
It seems she has done several art swaps with other artists and has enjoyed the experience totally so I am relying on her to make sure it all goes without a hitch.
To me it feels like buying myself an expensive present without parting with any cash.....got to be a bonus in this economic mess!

Proper poorly

Have been "off blog" for a couple of weeks now (well off everything actually) had the migraine from hell for four days followed instantly by a nasty dose of flu so not much has been done artwise apart from mulling over some plans and idea for new paintings that I'd like to tackle.

I did have a brief spell of feeling slightly better last week so I sat up in bed and started a little sheep drawing to add to my mini series, the effort involved exhausted me and I soon gave up and crashed again.

Am off to the quack later today, as although I'm feeling a lot better now, the virus attacked my ears and left me with very reduced hearing .......eh

My first e-bay experience was an eye opener for me in that my sheep painting sold for just £11.o1 ...I guess e-bay is where people head to get bargains, so I shouldn't really be too surprised.

Anyway I now have about six of these little works completed and another two almost done so will continue to e-bay them up untill Christmas and will then have a rethink and sell at a set price from my website instead.

Anyway these are both almost done so thought I'd show them in the absence of anything more interesting.

Mini No5 destined for e-bay

This is the latest little painting destined for auction on e-bay, this method of working is providing a good way to test run ideas for larger paintings in the future so I thought I would run through the hundreds of ref photos that I had stored on my old PC .....ony to find that they have all somehow been wiped!......oh well I'm sure theres a lesson there somewhere (have been slipping on the "back ups" this year) note to Santa ..."external hard drive please" :-)

e-bay bargains

Have been busy getting aquainted with acrylic paint as a new medium for my work and its been a challenge to say the least! Acrylic works would just be so much easier to store/transport etc so I am determined to get to grips with them.

I have started to make a bit of progress and am working on a series of small canvases to help me understand the way acrylics behave.

The resulting paintings are going to be auctioned one at a time on e-bay in the order that they are painted, the subject matter will be rather random.....just whatever inspires me on the day but I hope that people will seize the opportunity to bag themselves a bargain if they see something they like
These are the paintings so far ....they are all just 5" x 7" and painted on canvas board,

First to hit e-bay is No 1 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-original-painting-No-1-/170555977399?pt=UK_art_Paintings_GL&hash=item27b5edaeb7

No2

No 3 No 4

Christmas card no 2

Well I have recovered from my recent artists block and completed the second of my new Christmas card designs, this one was inspired by the little lad with his Hungarian Vizsla that I saw at a gundog training display last week, as soon as I have printing underway I will be offering these cards for sale via my website in good time for Christmas :-)

Ardingly autumn show & game fair

I'm afraid I have nothing new to post this week in the way of artwork as I am having an art holiday for a while in the hope that a large dollop of motivation will soon land in my lap!

Meanwhile I have been out and about with my camera (my main lens is in for repair and I miss it terribly) gathering plenty of inspirational material to utilise when that motivation finally arrives.

Today I had a lovely outing to Ardingly to witness the Autumn show and game fair, this was a new event for me and I found it very entertaining with a wide variety of things to see and do, if only the rain could have stayed away :-(

Here are a couple of images from the day....its a two day event so if you are looking for something to do tomorrow I fully recommend it ;-)

East Sussex ploughing match

I have had a bit of artists block lately and have struggled for motivation and inspiration to paint, I'm not too concerned as I know it will soon pass so having lost momentum with the "On White Horses" painting (for the time being) I decided it was time to seek out some new inspiration.

At the weekend I set out with my hubby to the East Sussex ploughing match and dog show which is held at a different location every year, this year the host farm was in a stunning location with a backdrop of the beautiful South Downs, the sun was shining and there was plenty to see and do so we both had a great time and I got lots of inspiring photographs to base new paintings on so hopefully it won't be long before I'm back at the easel.

As a bonus I bumped into an old friend who tours the country with her ploughing horses showing them at work, we got chatting and I mentioned that I have always wanted to ride but never had the chance well she said "get up on Charlie and see how it feels".......never one to pass up an opportunity I clambered elegantly (in the style of an arthritic 51 yr old woman) onto the bare back of "Charlie" her 18 hands high Shire horse! for me it was a magical moment and I felt like a kid who's dreams had all come true....... Thank you Mandy and of course Charlie.......what a brilliant day!

On white horses

Anyone old enough to remember a childrens TV series about a stable yard with a lightning tree and white horses? for some reason as I've been "painting?" this picture the title tune has been plagueing my subconcious but I cant for the life of me remember the name of the series? anyway have started calling this one "On white horses" as that is the first line of the title song going round in my head :-).......having said that I only ever decide on a title for paintings that I feel are going to reach fruition so some part of me must be feeling more positive about this now (probably due to some kindly positive feedback from you lovely folks)

Acrylic paint is starting to yield to my demands and I have found some rather unconventional methods of getting it to blend and behave itself (still don't "like " it yet though)