Exhibition is open!

I now declare this exhibition.... OPEN! Cue cutting of ribbon across the doorway...

Ok so the exhibition in Nottingham has been open five days now and it's all been rather busy and is going really well. This is the first chance I've had to share some photos with you. It all looks really great and I'm very proud of this show. I've had a fantastic response from visitors and lots of sales already.

Don't despair if you live too far away to make it to Nottingham, as I've spent many many late nights making sure the whole exhibition can be browsed via my website.

Please do have a look and I hope that you like what you see, and although lots of paintings have already sold there are still many beautiful works looking for a special home.

And the coffee shop across the road delivers...

Solo exhibition in Nottingham 'A lighter touch' opens on Friday 13th November until Sunday 22nd November, at 71 Friar Lane Nottingham NG1 6DH. I will be in the gallery each day and showing around 70 new paintings. We will have a late night opening until 7.30pm on Friday 20th. All other days opening hours are 10.00am to 5.00pm. Five days left, don't miss it! 

See the show online HERE :-)

Waiting at Harriets

Waiting at Harriets

The wet day in Norwich turned out to be such a blessing. In the afternoon it stopped raining but look at the incredible subject I found thanks to the wet streets! I just fell in love with the deep aubergine colours of the jewellery shop and the purple and white striped awnings, as seen with the warm cosy glow through the windows and their reflections. 

I'm sad that I don't have a better photo of this one but it sold at the Paint Out Norwich auction before it was even dry. Am happy that it's gone to a very good home though :-)

Solo exhibition in Nottingham 'A lighter touch' opens on Friday 13th November until Sunday 22nd November, at 71 Friar Lane Nottingham NG1 6DH. I will be in the gallery each day and showing around 70 new paintings. We will have late night openings until 7.30pm on Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Friday 20th. All other days opening hours are 10.00am to 5.00pm. Ten days only, don't miss it! 

Flowers in the rain

Flowers in the rain

Last week I took part in Paint Out Norwich again, now in it's second year. It is such a fun event and so well organised. I had to miss the first of the two painting days and on the second morning it poured with rain without stopping. I stood under a tree in the market square with an umbrella but that didn't manage to stop all the rain reaching my palette and the painting. Still, there's always something fascinating to paint even on the dullest day. I looked across the road at the colourful flower stall. My big challenge was making everything dull enough so that the brightness of the fluorescent strip light within the stall would stand out on the painting as it did in reality. The trickiest part to get right without competing with the electric light was the white and yellow canopy.

Solo exhibition in Nottingham 'A lighter touch' opens on Friday 13th November until Sunday 22nd November, at 71 Friar Lane Nottingham NG1 6DH. I will be in the gallery each day and showing around 70 new paintings. We will have late night openings until 7.30pm on Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Friday 20th. All other days opening hours are 10.00am to 5.00pm. Ten days only, don't miss it! 

Blue sail

Blue sail
8" x 10"

Here's another new and exciting small work that features in my exhibition, one of my favourites. I love the dynamic shadows and the lines of the ropes that appear and disappear, like a dance of sunlight. It's got all the ingredients that keep me on my toes with painting - shape and suggestion, lost and found edges. 

If you'd like to enquire about any of these paintings before the exhibition opens next week please get in touch and I can happily reserve them for you.

Solo exhibition in Nottingham 'A lighter touch' opens on Friday 13th November until Sunday 22nd November, at 71 Friar Lane Nottingham NG1 6DH. I will be in the gallery each day and showing around 70 new paintings. We will have late night openings until 7.30pm on Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Friday 20th. All other days opening hours are 10.00am to 5.00pm. Ten days only, don't miss it! 

Dusty's deckchair shack

Dusty's deckchair shack
24 x 30cms

This is one of many lovely small works that may tempt you when you visit my exhibition this year. I painted this on the beach in Great Yarmouth at the end of September - it was such a gorgeous day! One of the last real summer days this year and what a fantastic subject :-)

I'm happy to say that I'm able to take credit card payments in the gallery this year as well as online. The whole exhibition will be available to view and purchase via my website when it opens in real life so if you're too far away to get in to the gallery to see me you can still enjoy a browse.

If you'd like to have your portrait painted during the exhibition please let me know in advance so we can book in a date.

Solo exhibition in Nottingham 'A lighter touch' opens on Friday 13th November until Sunday 22nd November, at 71 Friar Lane Nottingham NG1 6DH. I will be in the gallery each day and showing around 70 new paintings. We will have late night openings until 7.30pm on Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Friday 20th. All other days opening hours are 10.00am to 5.00pm. Ten days only, don't miss it! 

Ormesby pumpkins

Ormesby pumpkins
12" x 16"

I should have posted this one for Halloween! I painted it at the end of September when I was in Norfolk for the 'Brush with the broads' plein air festival. I was delighted to find the allotments but the light was pretty flat and uninspiring that afternoon. Never-the-less I was taken with the shapes and colours of this pumpkin patch. The painting was feeling pretty flat and uninspired until I took a palette knife to it and started breaking up edges and letting colour travel around. I really liked it in the end. I'm afraid there's a bit of glare on the photo though. I used a gamblin solvent free gel to speed up the drying time. It also gives a pleasant overall sheen but makes taking a photograph more difficult!

This painting is currently on show at the Picturecraft Gallery in Holt, Norfolk with the Institute of East Anglian Artists.

My solo exhibition in Nottingham 'A lighter touch' opens on Friday 13th November until Sunday 22nd November, at 71 Friar Lane Nottingham NG1 6DH. I will be in the gallery each day and showing around 70 new paintings. We will have late night openings until 7.30pm on Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Friday 20th. All other days opening hours are 10.00am to 5.00pm. Ten days only, don't miss it! 

Evening sailing

Evening sailing, St Mawes
14" x 18"

This is one of my favourite painting spots so you may well recognise this view. I was particularly keen to abstract and soften the buildings to focus attention on that dazzling light on the water. The action in the harbour is represented by a few strokes of light and dark and a couple of more intense spots of colour. 

I'm really busy getting ready for my new solo show in Nottingham, which opens in just a couple of weeks! There is so much 'last minute' preparation underway but it's all very exciting. I really hope you can make it!

Solo exhibition in Nottingham 'A lighter touch' opens on Friday 13th November until Sunday 22nd November, at 71 Friar Lane Nottingham NG1 6DH. I will be in the gallery each day and showing around 70 new paintings. We will have late night openings until 7.30pm on Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Friday 20th. All other days opening hours are 10.00am to 5.00pm. Ten days only, don't miss it!