Great Art Award

The thaw, Drove allotments

Another very happy and fortunate event from my Patchings festival week... my painting 'The thaw, Drove allotments' won a prize in The Artist exhibition in the Barn Gallery!

The exhibition is open until the 19th July and well worth a visit, but if you are too far away you can see all the paintings in the exhibition, plus the Leisure Painter exhibition, and the Highly Commended entries here - click on the links at the side to view all the categories. You can also vote for your favourites for the people's choice award.

My prize is £250 to spend on art materials from Great Art - woohoo! I have received my catalogue and vouchers and will really enjoy spending them :-)

Many many thanks to Great Art, and Patchings art centre and The Artist magazine and the judges!

With Penny German and Sally Bulgin, editor of The Artist magazine

I was absolutely over the moon that my friend Penny German won The Artist purchase award with her beautiful painting of the cribbage chair. Take a look at Penny's daily painting blog here.

And enjoy the armchair viewing of the exhibitions at Patchings! :-)

BIG news!!

Walking through buttercups, Harpur hill
Oils 26" x 28"
Buxton Spa Prize Winner
SOLD

With our certificates!
Rob Wilson (3rd prize), me and then Keith Wilkinson (2nd prize)
Thanks to Bertolutti Dora for photo

I am absolutely delighted to announce that I am the first prize winner of the Buxton Spa prize 2014, the inaugural plein air painting competition held in this beautiful and vibrant Derbyshire town. The prizes were announced at the exhibition preview and prizegiving evening on Thursday and I haven't had a chance to blog until now or for it to sink in really!

The judging panel consisted of the eminent artists Harold Riley and Ken Howard OBE RA, Viscountess Cobham the Chairman of VisitEngland and the Art Fund Prize, Ros Westwood the Derbyshire Museums Manager, Anne-Lise Fraser the Programme Cordinator at Leek School of Art and Louise Potter local businesswoman and Manager of the Literary Festival a long standing supporter of cultural initiatives in Buxton and Trevor Osborne who is leading the project to restore Buxton Crescent and an active supporter of the arts.

I painted this large work en plein air on Harpur Hill in Buxton, which was my allocated spot for the competition. I don't often get a chance to paint a wide ranging vista and of course the light changed fantastically throughout the day but I really enjoyed the whole process and was pleased with the freshness of the result. I also felt that it was a landmark work for me and fortunately I've had a few of those lately. It's hard to explain but it's sort of a feeling that something in the painting is showing me the way forward for my work, ahead of it's time almost or a turning point.

Of course I didn't know that the judges would love it as much as I did! The eminent artist Harold Riley spoke about painting being about love and honesty, and then said that my work showed emotion and captured the spirit of the Derbyshire peak district. 

I am still a little stunned by the events of the evening! My prize is £5000 and my painting has also sold. After the prize giving some photographs were taken and then we the prize winners were given a sumptuous dinner at the Old Hall hotel with the judges and organisers. It was the most exciting night, thank goodness I had booked a room for myself in the beautiful place next door, No 6 The Square, as I was in no fit state to drive two hours home afterwards. Too shaky! 

The exhibition of all the works created for the competition in the summer of 2014 can now be seen at  the Green Man gallery situated at Hardwick Hall in Buxton, and will remain on show until October 12th. I am going back to see the exhibition soon as there are so many gorgeous paintings and I didn't get a chance to view them with all the people there and all the activity going on during the preview.

With my painting and red dot!

Now before anyone mentions, no I didn't realise I was co-ordinating my dress with the painting and of course I didn't know I would be having my photo taken at all! A lot of the Facebook comments are loving the dress and saying that I look like a buttercup myself :-)

With judge artist Harold Riley on the stage
Thanks to Bertolutti Dora for photo

The painting in progress on Harpur Hill in July

Detail from painting

Last award of 2012!! (promise!)

Strange photo - I look like I'm wearing my easel! 

You see, I just can't keep away can I? After telling you I was going to have a week or two away from the blog here I am again! I promised to let you have a few days sleeping off those extra mince pies.

I didn't think there'd be any more news to report this close to the end of the year, I certainly didn't think there'd be any more awards to be talking about in 2012 but... what do I know?!

We've got a BRAND NEW high note to end the year on!!

To my amazement and delight this morning I found out I'd won the Making a Mark Plein air plus award ('for excellence in plein air painting plus a strong commitment to sharing information') !

Thank you to Carol Lee Beckx (Art matters) for nominating me! 

Thank you to Katherine Tyrell for choosing me!

Thank you to all of you who read my blog and give me all your wonderful support, without you I'd be talking to my brushes more than I do already...

Here's the all important link so you can go and have a look for yourself...

http://www.makingamark.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/Getting-out-of-the-Studio-Making-A-Mark-Awards-2012.html?m=1

but before you go! I just want to say a great big HAPPY NEW YEAR and may 2013 bring us all great happiness... and a teensy bit less rain in Europe...

Making a Mark awards 2012

Galley hill allotments

Galley hill allotments in progress

I hope you're all enjoying your festive break! 

I had a really nice surprise yesterday! My painting 'Galley hill allotments' has been nominated and shortlisted in the Making a Mark annual awards for art bloggers, for best picture of a place shown on an art blog in 2012!

You can have a look at the paintings in all the categories by clicking here...

http://makingamark.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/vote-for-best-artwork-on-art-blog-in-2012.html

Artist of the year!!!!

Much giddy excitement!!

                                             

 Oh my word, I'm so excited!!!
 I don't know how to say this but I really wanted you to be the first to know.... I've only just found out myself this morning and I've been in a state of giddy excitement ever since!

 The SAA have awarded me their Artist of the Year award 2012!!!!

 I'm so so thrilled about it all!!
 The results won't actually be published for a while but I'm sure they won't mind me telling you, I really can't keep it to myself!
 Apart from the sheer thrill and honour I have also won fabulous prizes... £1000 plus £1000's worth of art materials, an engraved crystal goblet (which I will show you when I receive it!) and £500's worth of art materials to give to a school or art club of my choice, which I think I've already decided about!
 It hasn't really sunk in yet!
 Thank you so much for your ongoing support and encouragement, it means a great deal to me!

 Big smiles all round! And now I'm going out with my friends to celebrate!