Patchings festival 2015

My stand, ready for visitors!

I finally have a few moments to share my experience of Patchings festival with you! It was my fourth year as an exhibitor at the festival and as always I loved every minute of it. It is an intense week, as it takes me a couple of days getting things ready at my end, then a whole day setting up the stand. I was very lucky to have my husband helping again with this! The festival then runs for four days and I travel to and from home each day, so I leave the house at 8.00 am and by the time I get back at about 7.00 pm I'm pretty shattered. As you can see from the photos things get really busy!

As always bunting and fairy lights!

Things got BUSY!

We had fantastic weather for the whole event, apart from some pretty extreme wind on the Saturday. Thursday was baking hot in the marquee which was unpleasant at times, but at least the sunshine brought all the visitors out.
 As always I was chatting to people all day long but I managed to get some painting done, starting off with a large canvas of Polperro harbour. Yes it was hard to concentrate on the painting because I break off to answer somebody's question and then before I know it two hours have passed!

A small crowd watching me paint

Just starting

Thursday morning, me and Sue ready for action!

We sold lots of cards and 2016 calendars and four original paintings, and gathered lots of email addresses for the newsletter. I'll be pulling a name out of the box any day now to win the painting of clementines. Good luck if you entered!

As always an original painting in the prize draw (above the flowers)

Choosing a frame for one of the paintings sold during the festival

More than anything we had lots of fun chatting to old and new friends, and as always it was great to catch up with twitter and Facebook and Instagram friends - meeting some of these for the first time! I also had friends who were stallholders for the first time this year and it was great to see them doing so well and having a happy experience. It is such a friendly festival and I'm looking forward to next year already.

With Robin Mason, fellow Harbour Gallery artist

With Luigi from Venice, who was a gondolier for 45 years!

With twitter friend artist Alice Hall from Cornwall

Blowsy clouds and Patchings

Blowsy clouds and dappled light
Oils 16" x 20"

I only have time to show you quickly this new painting from the allotments, it's becoming an impressive display of greens there now :-)

I've been at Patchings Art Centre all day setting up my stand for the festival, and I'll be there each day from now until Sunday. Hope you can make it over to see me, and all the other exhibitors of course!

My 2014 review April to June

Early summer at Porthcurnick beach
Oils 14" x 18" £995

Welcome to the second part of my 2014 annual review. This blog post begins with lots of colour and sunshine, and ends in a flurry of prizes and exclamation marks! I'm going to be showing you some of my favourite paintings from this second quarter of the year. Now the weather was by and large spectacular throughout this whole time.

In April it was back to Cornwall and this time the weather was like summer, so plenty of plein air painting was achieved, and galleries re-stocked! Then it was a week in France with the family for Easter, where the sun continued to shine.

Here I am painting at St Mawes - what a place and what dazzling light on the water.

Sparkling light at St Mawes
Private Collection

On the slipway, Sennen
Oils 12" x 16" £850

St Michael's Mount
Private Collection

In May I discovered the gorgeous gardens at National Trust property Gunby Hall in Lincolnshire, and fell in love with the pond there. I must get back there this year in May, and perhaps take a model or two with me. (Would a parasol or a bonnet be out of order?)

This favourite below made it to the cover of my 2014 calendar. It was a new enterprise for me and I'm very pleased that the calendars have been so popular. I had 100 printed and I've sold every one apart from the one I kept for myself! So I'll be keeping my eye open for new images for my 2016 calendar next.

Carp pond at Gunby Hall
Oils 12" x 16" £850

Reverie
Private Collection

Crabbing at Brancaster Staithe

St Clements Studio
Private Collection

In June things became even busier because June always starts with the big Patchings Festival. Including the setting up day it's a pretty tiring but busy and fun five days! It's always great to see so many friends there, from all over the country. This year as well as exhibiting in the painters marquee where I painted a portrait demo and painting plein air demos in the courtyard I also did a still life demo in the big St Cuthbert's marquee. 

I went down to London for a day to see the Society of Women Artists exhibition in June, where I had two paintings selected and exhibited.

Flaming June
Private Collection

Demo at Patchings

At the end of June it was up to North Yorkshire to teach a long weekend at the Staithes art school, staying in beautiful cottages by the sea, painting in the day and feasting in the evening with fantastic like minded company. 

By the way we're back on for next year too so if you might like to join us have a look at Staithes Art Gallery and better be quick to book as it's a very popular weekend!

View from Cowbar
Private Collection

And now for a painting you will definitely recognise if you've been following my blog for a while or read The Artist magazine...

Sails up in harbour
24" x 30"
Collection of The Artist Publishing Company

ONE painting with a generously sized red sail and a dash of magic...

FOUR prizes in a matter of days!!!!

First this painting won the Pro Arte Award at The Artist magazine's annual selected exhibition, which was a generous £250 worth of Pro Arte brushes.

Secondly it was selected for The Artist exhibition award which means I am one of ten winning artists to take part in a group exhibition at Patchings art centre in 2015.

Thirdly... drum roll... Ken Howard RA OBE selected it as his favourite piece in the whole exhibition therefore I won The Artist Purchase Prize of £1800 and my painting now goes to hang in the offices at The Artist and Leisure Painter magazines alongside previous winners of this prestigious prize.

Fourthly it then won the 'best water' category in the summer Plein Air Salon, an online painting competition run by the brilliant US Plein Air magazine. Another big surprise!

Think I need to go and lie down in a darkened room after reliving all that excitement again... be back soon with the third instalment, July to September...

A relaxed demo and the end of a great festival!

Relaxed at my demo!
Thanks to Bob Owen for the pic!

I loved everything about Patchings festival, and had a really nice last day to end on. I thoroughly enjoyed my demo in the Festival marquee in the morning, although I would have liked another half an hour (it was only one hour). It was so nice afterwards back on my stand as I continued with the still life painting and chatted to people who'd watched the demo. I must especially say hello to the lovely group of friends from Leeds!

This is how my set up looked up on the stage. My trusty cockerel looked rather lovely with the black of the marquee behind. Funny thing is I almost didn't paint him - thanks for reminding me Clare! :-)

And here's me relaxing in the afternoon with a well deserved glass of Pimms, and with me here is the fabulously talented Michele del Campo. 

Today I've been trying to unpack from the festival and catch up with emails and give my little dog some overdue attention and walks!

OH MY GOODNESS

With my prize winning painting!

Everything got more and more amazing today... my red sail painting really wanted to go out with a bang!

It's now received three prizes in as many days... I know! You're thinking 'how'?! Well today Ken Howard RA came to Patchings to help choose ten exhibitors in The Artist exhibition for the 'exhibitors award' which means they will have a group exhibition at Patchings at some point next year... and I'm one of them!

Then Ken has to choose his favourite piece in the exhibition for The Artist purchase award and... yes!! Indeed I was as surprised as you are believe me! This means that The Artist magazine will purchase my painting and it will hang in their gallery with all the previous winners of this award. For ever. :-)

So yes, I have been a bit giddy and excited today!

Festival day 2 - perfect summer's day

Plein air demo yesterday

The second day of the festival was just as busy as the first, and weather-wise it was a textbook English summer's day, really beautiful weather. That's set to change apparently as according to the weather reports we're expecting rain and hail storms today! I hope that doesn't put people off coming as there's so much to see and do, and the main marquees link together so you can keep dry with us :-)

I did a plein air demo yesterday afternoon down by the courtyard where the resident studio artists work, for an hour and a half. I had a lovely group sitting and watching too. When I brought it back to the marquee I found it a little dark so I shall probably do a few adjustments this morning.

Thanks so much Sue for being my 'right hand man' this past few days, which you do so well! X

Painting Dana on Thursday

Festival day one, a portrait and a prize!

What a grand day! Wow, I don't have much energy left to talk but here's a quick run down... saw about 300 people on my stand (no I wasn't counting but it sure seemed like a lot of people) and I think I have demos booked for the next 22 years!

A lovely artist and Facebook friend Dana Mallon offered to pose for me this afternoon and we had a great time with lots of stopping to chat to people. Somehow I managed to get something done, and Dana is really pleased with it! 

And... I found out I won a prize! My painting 'Sails up in harbour' which you all know well right back from the original sketches in France last summer has won the Pro Arte award in The Artist/Patchings competition exhibition which opened today in the Barn gallery. Very happy!

See all the prizewinners here...

Remember to go and visit the exhibition if you come to the festival! 

Painting Dana

Dana Mallon

Sails up in harbour wins a prize!

A box of drawing pins later...

After a day of using hundreds of drawing pins, staples and rolls of velcro my stand is almost ready!
When I get back in the morning I need to do a few bits and pieces like putting items out on the tables and switching the fairy lights on (which are wrapped around the bunting).
I've got a wall this year for unframed plein air paintings...

I'll take more photos on the first day of the festival opening. This is the huge festival marquee that I'll be doing my demo in on Sunday morning! See that huge screen at the end so that you don't miss a single brush mark?

And those naughty knitters have been yarn bombing the whole festival site... doesn't it look fabulous, rain or shine?

Patchings here we come!

New calendar and new cards

Hot off the press! Today I picked up my brand new calendars (never had a calendar made before, very excited about it!) and four new designs of greetings cards to add to my collection. Everything on my exhaustive (exhausting?) list is packed and loaded up in the car and trailer ready for setting off to Patchings art centre in the morning and setting up my stand in the painting marquee. 

Next time I'll report in with pics of my stand because by hook or by crook it will be up and running by this time tomorrow... studio away from home...

but when I arrive in the morning it's going to look like this...

Patchings festival opens on Thursday!

Sparkling light, St Clements Isle

Sparkling light, St Clements Isle
SOLD

I painted this en plein air in October 2013 while in Cornwall. I had to work quickly to capture the dramatic lighting effect on the sea, and the painting has such a directness and boldness as a result. I know I shouldn't have favourites but this is definitely one of my favourites :-)

I'll be bringing this one along with me to Patchings festival. Wednesday is the setting up day and I've still got a lot to get ready before then.

This last week I've been painting frames and organising my new calendar (nearly ready!) and cards, and I've also spent a good many hours organising my Daily Paintworks gallery. I use the Daily Paintworks site as another online showcase for my work. Recently there have been some beneficial changes for me and I've been able to organise my paintings into categories. Please take a look and tell me what you think!

It should now be a place you can go to if you want to see which paintings I have available and at what price. The prices are all shown in dollars but there's an easy to use currency converter. If a painting is currently for sale through a gallery I shall direct you to that gallery but am happy to act as a go-between if you'd prefer. Also, the prices shown are all unframed prices to make it easier for international postage, but if you live in the UK and would prefer it framed in a hand painted frame as shown below that's fine, just let me know.

See my Daily Paintworks gallery here!

How it looks framed.
Framed size about 20" x 20"

Patchings festival taster

Montage of paintings to be shown at
Patchings Festival

It's coming up fast, the big fun event that is Patchings Festival. Always taking place at the beginning of June, this will be my third year as an exhibitor at the festival. This four day event takes place near Nottingham in the UK, and has so much going on with live demos by top artists, workshops and taster sessions, live music and all manner of arts and crafts. This year a photography element has been added to the festival for the first time. 

I thought I'd give you a sneak preview of some of my new paintings which will be on show at the festival and tell you a little about what's on offer there.

 

You won't want to miss the art materials marquee where there is always a bargain or two to be indulged in! The Barn gallery hosts The Artist magazine's annual competition exhibition which includes my painting 'Sails up in harbour'. The Pavilion gallery will show the Leisure Painter magazine's exhibition. Both exhibitions open on the first day of the festival, and both will be a really good show. The festival is a great day out but there's so much to do here you might want to come for two days or even three! Top UK painters Ken Howard RA and David Curtis ROI RSMA will be there, as well as many other of your favourite artists.

This year I will be doing a demo in the festival marquee on Sunday 8th June in the morning. Now this marquee is huge with hundreds of seats (really, hundreds) and big screens showing the brushstroke action up close so please try to come and watch me there! I will be very happy to chat for hours afterwards (you know me) ;-)

Plein air painting demo 2013

I will be giving plein air painting demos throughout the festival, weather permitting. It's not that I mind painting in the rain it's just there won't be anyone wanting to watch me if it's pouring down! Look at the gorgeous weather we had last year... more of the same please ...

My stand in the painters marquee last year

When I'm not doing my outside demos and Sunday morning demo I'll be here on my stand in the painters marquee which is just before you shop til you drop in the art materials marquee next door which includes Rosemary brushes, Pro Arte, Hahnemuhle, Terry Harrison and lots more.

You'll spot me easily enough, just head for the bunting and fairy lights!

One of my plein air demos at Patchings festival 2013

This is my other plein air demo from last year which shows the pretty farm buildings at the heart of Patchings art centre. This is where you'll find the Barn gallery, lovely Patchings cafe, individual studios and shops, art materials and picture framing. It's just down the hill from the marquees, but you'll be given a detailed plan and map on arrival so you needn't miss a thing :-)

The dates for your diary are Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th June. Find out more here

My 2013 year review - April to June

August evening on Bréhat
SOLD

Settle down for a long post as I take a look over the second quarter of the year...

Back in April something of a sea change was underway. After several years of painting almost exclusively from life and most of that outdoors I began to produce some paintings in the studio that I was pleased with. A large part of the 'secret' seemed to be that if I had already painted the subject on site I could draw on the experiences of actually being there observing and could also muster up something of the enthusiasm and excitement that I feel whilst painting plein air.
Previously attempts to paint purely from photos had resulted in frustration and boredom for me, and stiffness in the finished work. This really was a breakthrough.

Here are a couple of those studio works together with the plein air studies that kicked them off -

Sketch painted at the fish market, you can see that I was very interested in the WC sign!
8" x 10"

Fresh fried fish, Essaouira
Studio painting
16" x 20"

Sketch painted on site at Belmont tower
10" x 12"

Sledging at Belmont tower
18" x 22"
SOLD

In April I had a week in France with my family with a bit of painting time thrown in, and travelled to Bristol to give workshops for the SAA again.

The month of May brought the most wonderful painting trip when I was invited to Florida as one of the featured artists in the Forgotten Coast great plein air paint out. Whereas 2012 will be remembered for painting in the rain 2013 was shaping up to be a year of sunshine!

Early morning at the marina, Mexico beach
SOLD

Sunrise over the marsh
SOLD

I had such a fantastic time and was made to feel so welcome by all the other artists and event organisers. I met so many kind and lovely people. The subject matter was great, the weather was great, I was fed and watered and driven everywhere by my great friend Lori Putnam. What more does a girl need?

Best pals- me, Lori Putnam, Sandie Yarbrough and Dawn Whitelaw

One of the sweetest plein air painting events ever happened to me during this trip to Florida, with the watermelon man. You can read the story if you want to by clicking here!

Me and the watermelon seller

Watermelons for sale
SOLD

One of the highlights of the trip was the Quick Draw event. Unfortunately for the morning of the event it was pouring with rain but that didn't deter all the invited artists and many other keen painters from coming along and joining in the fun! There was music, dancing, coffee and doughnuts! How like me to remember the coffee and doughnuts... 

Anyway the rain didn't dampen our spirits and I was thrilled to win an honourable mention award amongst such prestigious company!

Me with my medal and the painting titled
'View from the restroom'

Here are a couple of other paintings from the trip -

Early morning shadows on Mexico beach
SOLD

Morning light at devil's elbow

Greg La Rock and other artists painting at Cape San Blas
SOLD

Lazy afternoon at the marina

Oyster boats in the early morning light, Eastpoint
SOLD

Shrimp huts on Water Street
SOLD

Also happening at the time I had a painting accepted for the Society of Women Artists exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London, and another article published in The Artist magazine. The subject this time was painting cats in acrylics and I used my own three cats as models.

Ginger Charlie and Pumpkin

Firmly back in the UK June was Patchings Festival time. Again I had taken a stand in the Painters marquee for this four day event.

I was enormously honoured to have all three of my entries accepted for the Patchings/The Artist magazine annual exhibition, the opening of which coincides with the Festival and takes place in the Barn gallery. I'm so fortunate to have Patchings art centre almost on my doorstep, at around 40 minutes drive from home. I've met many good friends through being involved with the Patchings festival.

I was even more delighted to hear that one of my paintings had been selected for a prize in the exhibition. I won the Royal Talens award which was £250 worth of art materials of my choice. I decided I could do with a new studio easel and the other nice thing about that is that the easel I'd been using for the past 20 years was also a prize that I'd won with a small self portrait on the Channel 4 show 'The Big Breakfast'!

Workshops continued apace in this quarter with 'Painting from photos', 'Figures in a setting', 'Still life with flowers in acrylics' and 'Introduction to gouache' amongst others.

Daler Rowney System 3 workshop at Patchings Festival
They did so well!

Corner of the Barn gallery
Painted as a plein air demo during Patchings Festival 2013

That brings us right up to UK summer time, what an action packed few months that was! Tomorrow I'll have a look around the July to September period, lots more travel still to come...