Storm before the calm

Early morning, penny nab
Oils 8" x 16"

You know that saying 'calm before the storm'? Well, it's the other way round for me at the moment. I'm enjoying (enduring?) a week or two of heavy work in the studio getting odds and ends tied up before going to France in a few days time for three weeks of calm. So I've been finishing paintings, painting frames galore, waxing frames, varnishing and signing paintings, fitting paintings into frames, wrapping framed paintings, delivering paintings... the list goes on, but I've probably bored you enough!

I'll just show you this newly framed plein air painting then from my trip to Staithes last month. Oh and also, my £250 Pro Arte award arrived - feeling rather self indulgent I chose these absolutely gorgeous four watercolour brushes. Now I am rather afraid to use them, they're so special! Think I will take two of them to France with me to dabble in my sketchbook and see how I get on...

The latest round of seemingly never-ending framing has almost come to an end! Hurrah!

Ha ha! Someone on Facebook said the large brush in the middle looks ready to stand guard at Buckingham Palace! So funny, and true. It's now been named Buckingham.

Have you seen my Facebook page yet? Feel free to like it if you, erm, like it!

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 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!

Galley hill and brush prize!

Galley hill allotments

back to the allotments today

Finding your style workshop went really well yesterday, I think everyone left with a clearer idea of where their passions lie and how they can start to move from where they are now towards producing the paintings they want to be making. 

Today I got back to the allotments to finish this painting. It was so much warmer than Tuesday, with no rain or wind. Soon after I started I spotted this really great break in the clouds which I think adds a lot to the piece. I wondered afterwards whether I'd gone too far and overworked it, and I've been unsure of the composition too. 

After a few hours reflection though, I've decided I like it rather a lot! :-)

I'm afraid the photo isn't brilliant again!

Look at this and imagine my excitement - my Pro Arte brush prize arrived yesterday! That's 62 brushes!

I am such a lucky girl :-)

In case you are new to my blog and you are wondering, I won this prize for my painting 'Working from the model' in The Artist/Patchings exhibition this June. You can read about it here :-)