Grand canal, slightly hazy

View of the Salute from the Accademia bridge

Finally the fog has lifted, after two days. I had a better day today, yesterday I was flagging and uninspired by the flat light conditions.
This is my first of three today, the Salute painted from the Accademia bridge. I do think it's a great view if you're lucky enough to see the sun rise. We've been getting up super early every day but the sun has eluded us so far.
I'll be able to show you all the other paintings when I get home later in the week, I hope they travel well!

Venice in the fog!

The morning's work on the ground, St Marks square 

The basilica appearing and disappearing the whole time!

The sun never made it through the fog today! This photo is of St Marks square when we arrived at about 7.45 this morning! These are my three various stages of fog paintings! I did another this afternoon in a different campo. The fog came and went in varying degrees but never lifted altogether!
It was pretty cold too!

Venice love!

Early morning light, Santa Maria della Salute

There's no other light like it, is there? It really is great to be here and the weather has been lovely today. This is my first painting of four today.
Within thirty minutes of starting this the sun came up and the whole scene changed completely. For a while I tried to continue with the original impression fixed in mind but realised I had to stop at this point.
This afternoon I stood in the shade painting gondolas moored in the foreground and the buildings on the other side of the grand canal in brilliant sunlight.
Then another facing across the canal to a terracotta building which was half in sun, half in shadow with fabulous terracotta reflections in the water.
My last painting of the day was a nocturne, I don't think it was terribly successful. In fact, I'm sure that when I see it in the daylight tomorrow I'm going to be horrified!

Piazzetta, Venice

It's so lovely to be back in Venice! Magical! We arrived yesterday early evening and today was our first day painting.
This is an oil that I did this morning, 10" x 14". The sky was just breathtaking! I also love the pink glass in the lamps. Everything is conducive to being painted here.

Happy Christmas news!

Sunset over snowy paddock

I have some good news to share, my friends! Do you remember this painting that I showed you a couple of days ago? I told you that I'm having Christmas cards made of it, which I am, but there's more news now!
I entered it into The Artist magazine's charity Christmas card competition and ... it won!!
That means it will be published as the winner in the magazine in January, be an electronic greetings card for the magazine and best of all, they will donate £200 to the charity of my choice.
I have chosen The Rainbow Trust, a charity that provides emotional and practical support to families who have a child with life threatening or terminal illness.

All that standing around in the snow painting now seems more worthwhile than ever!

I'd like to donate further funds to the charity, so I am going to give 10% of the purchase price of every card sold. That's 20 pence for each card as the cards sell at £2.00 each.

If you would like to buy any please let me know, and I will charge only a small amount to cover postage.

The cards measure 144 x 144 mm and are blank inside with a little piece about the competition and the charity on the back of the card. You could even send them as thank you cards in January!

Don't forget to email me to enter the festive prize giveaway! Click here for details!

BIG Festive giveaway!

King of Christmas
Oils on canvas panel 30 x 24 cms

Sheep in melting snow
Oils on canvas panel 18 x 24 cms

I don't know about you but I am starting to feel a bit festive (I think it's all the birthday excitement yesterday to be honest with you!), and I am thinking it would be nice to share some joy with my very special blog subscribers.
Therefore, this year's December festive giveaway is going to be bigger and better than last year's!

There will be not one but five prizes! (gasp!)

Two winners will receive an original painting - the paintings up for grabs are shown here. There's 'King of Christmas', a festive still life, and 'Sheep in melting snow' which was painted plein air at Belmont tower near Grantham.

There will be a third prize of my new little book full of 2012 paintings and inspirational quotes.

Then, there will be two runners up prizes. Each of those will win a small bundle of greetings cards.

The grand draw will take place on the 19th December, and entering the draw is so easy to do!

First, you must be an email subscriber to my blog. If you receive my blog updates via email, you already are. *

Second, you must send me an email saying something along the lines of 'hello. My name is.... and I would like to win the festive giveaway! My favourite painting of the two is.... '

And that's it! It's so easy to put yourself in the draw!

You can email me directly when you receive this blog post just by clicking 'reply'. Or, send an email to thedrawingroomgallery@gmail.com

GOOD LUCK!!

* If you are not yet a subscriber the process is simple.
 Go to www.haideejo.blogspot.com on your computer.
Type your email address into the box which says 'Enter your email address here for my paintings in your inbox'. 
A pop up will appear with strange looking letters, you need to type those into the little box given to prove that you're not a robot but an intelligent human being.
You will almost immediately receive an email so check your inbox.
To confirm your subscription you must click on the link in that email, and then you're all set!
(If you don't receive an email, have a look in your spam or trash folder because sometime it mistakenly finds itself in there!)

Very happy birthday!

I've had a great day painting at Sutton-on-sea, christening my new Open Box M palette, and now we're going out to celebrate (and warm up!) with friends! Thank you for all the kind birthday wishes! xx

Christmas cards and great news!

Sunset over snowy paddock

I'm just having some Christmas cards printed with this one on, blank inside for your own message, it's a bit last minute really! If you'd like any just let me know and I can post some out to you :-)

I had some fantastic news yesterday, I've had a painting accepted into the Royal Institute of Oil Painters annual exhibition! I'm so extra happy about it as it's the first time I've had a painting accepted there since I was a young artist (under the age of 35!). The exhibition runs from the 12th December to the 23rd December at the Mall galleries, London.

It was my painting 'Incoming tide, Hook head' that I painted in July in Ireland, that was accepted. I can't wait for the Private view :-)

Incoming tide, Hook Head
Oils on canvas 12" x 16"

Do you remember I told you recently that I'd designed a little book of my 2012 paintings? It's only small, 7" x 7", but it is rather sweet. I've matched up my paintings with my favourite inspirational quotes. 

Click here if you'd like to see a preview of the book :-)

Towards l'Arcouest, sunset

This is the painting I was doing on Tuesday evening at Guerzido beach. The sky was fascinating and it was a race to try to capture it!
I'm not sure how successful I was but it was a good exercise. It's hard to remember how the sky actually was that evening now that I only have the painting to look at!
Travelling again all day tomorrow ...