Here are some bits and bobs before I move to part 4 with my landscape studies. While exploring my art direction I toyed with the idea of doing naïve paintings of buildings. The Chilton Post Office was done as a commission at the end of 2015, and the other two in 2016. I enjoyed doing these but they are really labour intensive, so would only work for me as commissions. I also designed a series of cards for the UCARE project. The book 'Your Best year Yet' by Jinny … [Read more...]
Reflections – My year in paintings 2016: part 2
Each year I do a whistle-stop-tour of my entire creative oeuvre. This is for my records really, but blogging it files it neatly and gives me a chance to share. Part 1 is devoted to my 'daily paintings' which ended up being more like 3-day paintings. Here are the big vases that I started out with, lost my way on No.4 and came back to in December with something quite different. Looking at them now I can see what happened. I had an idea that I wanted to express - a concept of a large beautiful … [Read more...]
Tulip stylisation
You'll be hearing about tulips for the next five weeks as Tulipmania sets in here! I will be in the Ucare charity tent at Art in Action 2016 as one of their artists, and I will be showing my oil paintings, doing an interactive group project and we'll be selling greeting cards. Oh, and tulip bulbs of course - the Ucare 'Tulipa Caresse' which you can order now (or at AinA) so that next summer you'll have a wonderful display. I am designing a set of greetings cards using this tulip. As you … [Read more...]
A tulip for Mum
The day after my mother died six years ago on 15 April 2010, my brother Des photographed this orange tulip in her garden. So when I was looking for close-up photographs of tulips for the tulip project, this one really resonated with me. Mom was a very gentle artistic woman, born in Bridport, Dorset in 1923, lived in South Africa for 56 years and returned 'home' aged 80, after my father died. The photo below was taken when she was a Wren and in love with the handsome Dutch sailor - my father. … [Read more...]
The great tulip project – thinking aloud
I have been invited to paint tulips in oils at Art in Action in the charity tent this year. Whoopee! This is the tent to raise awareness and funds for the cancer charity, Ucare. Ucare's emblem is a tulip and the official tulip is Tulipa Caresse, a very pretty pink tulip. We can paint any colour and any variety of tulip. So I started off buying 50 tulips from a flower wholesaler to: a) Produce my large tulip painting as a donation to the UCare charity auction and b) To start envisaging the four … [Read more...]