A new year

 The end of a year and start  of a new one is always time for reflection -on what has passed and what the new year will hold.It has been another roller coaster year for us and the start of 2014 is going to be difficult as we deal with impending loss.We are fortunate to have so many family and good friends who have stood with us through the good times and bad.

I don't really make any resolutions  but I'll endeavour to have more of the following ….

And instead of thinking about things for the year ahead,I think this is more apt ...

We have a number of positive things to look forward to both from a personal point of view and in my creative world.Sometimes though ,it's just the simple things that bring me the most pleasure…today was a walk and the sun came out……

may it shine brightly through your new year too……

Peace,health and happiness to you all….x

Baking and The Biscuit….x

Another busy week and only one week until the children finish school for the Christmas holidays.
I'm currently putting work together for my exhibition at the Mustard Gallery,Langholm which starts on the 18th January,2014 until 25th February.I'll be at the gallery on the opening Saturday to demonstrate my watercolour -based mixed media.Hope the weather holds off!

Spring Fling have also announced the 95 selected participants for next year's event 24-26 May.I'm delighted to say that I'll be participating and exhibiting from my home /studio in Dumfries. Bea has already been practicing her baking for Bea's Bakery -yesterday was home-made mince pies and orange & chocolate scones.Absolutely delicious!

Spring Fling have a number of exciting events arranged for next year .The website is www.spring-fling.co.uk where you can check everything out. As part of their Going National campaign,  I was  delighted to find out that I've been selected to exhibit at The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle.The exhibition runs from 9th April to 18th May.This will be my first time exhibiting outside of Dumfries and Galloway-very excited!

The work selected to go into the Spring Fling brochure for 2014 is this one…..

Last week I purchased an anglepoise desk lamp with a daylight bulb.I can actually see what I'm doing now through these twilight days-result! 

  

December 1st!

Apologies that it has been so long since my last post but life and it's priorities often get in the way of my art.It can be frustrating however a tragedy such as the Glasgow disaster on Friday night whereby a police helicopter not only fell out of the sky but landed on a crowded pub certainly helps put things in perspective.

Back in the art world I have exciting news to tell followed by more exciting news…however my lips are sealed for the time being as requested by those involved.In the meantime I'm fortunate to be selecting work to go in the rather wonderful Mustard Gallery at Langholm's Christmas pop-up exhibition next weekend (6-8 December).I'm selecting 3 larger pieces -2 of which have gone off to the framer's.

This piece is entitled'Threads'-the photo above is of it in its unfinished state but as it is at the framer's I couldn't update it. I used gesso,sand and modelling paste to build the 'threads' then used a printing roller to build layers of colour with acrylic paint. Acrylic ink was then used on the textured areas before adding highlights of silver leaf.The canvas is 20 x 60 cm and a departure from the square canvases I had been using.The threads relate to the Three Norns who sit and weave  the destiny of men. I wanted an element of fragility  within the texture to represent  our own lives,  life cycle and how our threads intertwine with so many others.

I'll blog again soon with Part 2 of my work but have a wonderful December…can't quite work out how that crept up so quickly…...

Lochs and Trossachs

 It's been October half-term in Dumfries and Galloway.As the parents belong to Holiday Property Bond , our birthday present was a week at Tigh Mor in the Trossachs. Tigh Mor, situated on the banks of Loch Achray, was a former hotel now converted into apartments with games room and swimming pool-ideal if the weather is poor.Great location for the cycling and walking we had planned…weather permitting.

                  Tigh Mor from banks of Loch Achray

 The Trossachs previously referred to a small wooded glen however nowadays  covers the area from Callendar to Loch Lomond.It is an area of stunning beauty with lochs,glens,deep valleys and striking peaks.Of course with it being October the colours of autumn were stunning -and thankfully there was an absence of midges!

Reflections in Loch Achray

Loch Katrine just down the road is approx 8 miles long and the primary water reservoir  supply for the city of Glasgow.Made famous by Sir Walter Scott, it  is the fictional setting for his poem 'The Lady of the Lake'.Nowadays the SS Sir Walter Scott is a  biodiesel-fuelled steam power boat that transports tourists to the far end of the loch.

SS Sir Walter Scott

We drove to Stronachlachar at the western end of the loch where I deposited the family with bikes and they cycled the 13 miles back to the pier end where I met them with hot drinks and lunch.

Bea in the zone! …and boats moored at Stonachlachar

It was a great family holiday-being together,fun,picnics,activity,good food and  fresh air-in between the rain that is …

Happy days…..

Wigtown Book Festival 2013

It's been a busy week trying to get necessary information and images together for my Spring Fling 2014 application.Luckily my friend Julie Hollis at Cloud 9 Studio gallery was on hand to help with taking the final image and the resizing involved.
Yesterday with temperatures hitting a balmy 20 degrees,my daughter and I set off for Wigtown,a 10 day literary celebration in Scotland's National Book Town.There are nearly 200 events including workshops,readings and activities ......

After a glorious drive along the coast we arrived and just enjoyed the ambience of the day.There were children playing on the beach.....

...which was actually a large sandpit installed by the County Buildings....

We visited the Camper Obscura-a project which has seen over 14, 000 people over 3 years sit inside a old camper van and view the surrounding area....

Feeling peckish we decided to explore The Kist-which means Treasure Chest.It was a fabulous mix of craft,arts,food and drink stalls where we bought delicious chilli jam from Galloway Chillies,vanilla fudge from Galloway Fudge Co,rapeseed oil from Stark Produce and admired the beautiful crafts at Handmade at Helens.

We also met Kim Ayres ,photographer to the stars...or in this case continuing his search for authors to photograph as literary characters.....not forgetting the enthusiastic Renita Boyle,the entertaining author and storyteller.....

On the way home and in need of a cuppa, we stopped at the Mill on the Fleet ,the visitor and exhibition centre at Gatehouse of Fleet.

A new exhibition entitled "Drawing a Voice' was literally just starting.It's a fantastic collaboration between 2 visual artists and a poet which covers different projects.It was lovely to catch up with Pamela Grace who does the most wonderful pen & ink drawings and paper batik.I also was fortunate to meet Jean Atkin who was there to read some of her wonderful poetry and Catriona Taylor -who works in mixed media.The exhibition runs from Sept 28th until Nov  2013.

There is also the most fantastic bookshop....Garvallan Books...(garvallanbooks@gmail.com).

Beatrice has decided she'd like to go back to Wigtown next Saturday when James Morton from the Great British Bake-Off is holding a bread-making class.....Well he was our favourite!

Bea enjoying the Festival.....

Here are the websites of aforementioned folk....

www.gallowaychillies.co.uk

www.gallowayfudge.com

www.starkrapeseedoil.co.uk

www.handmadeathelens.blogspot.co.uk

www.kimayres.co.uk

www.renitaboyle.com

www.millonthefleet.co.uk

www.pamelagrace.co.uk

www.jeanatkin.com

www.catrionataylor.co.uk

September Start-up......

It's been a great week which  involved seeing art as well as finally getting back to creating it.On Friday I drove  across to Langholm to the excellent Mustard Gallery to see the opening exhibition of work by Gill Shreeve. Her acrylic abstract work is wonderful-backed by images of her up on the hills in all elements with her materials and rolls of canvas. An exciting way to work which shows in the dynamic movement in her pieces.Unfortunately I didn't take any photos....but it was a really enjoyable evening.

It was good to finally get back into the studio as it has been a lengthy break. With work required for a Winter/Christmas pop-up exhibition at the Mustard Gallery and the deadline for Spring Fling Open Studios event 2014 looming I really needed to at least make a start.

I started on a canvas,preparing it with texture and adding layers of colour. This is just the start and definitely work in progress.

Detail...

And in the meantime the damsons became jam,the apples have been stewing and  I've acquired plums which are soon to be plum and mulled wine chutney...... Well the nights are drawing in and the weather has that autumnal feel to it.

Work in progress.....

From working on the canvas the cogs have starting cranking up and a feel new ideas blossoming.Hopefully they'll become real in time for the Spring Fling application deadline.....

Harvesting......

It's been a while since I last posted.There have been a number of reasons-a busy summer and undertaking other projects have meant I haven't been able to get in to the studio.
In the meantime I have de-cluttered and deep-cleaned the house-numerous bags to the charity shops,rubbish for the tip and making use of Gumtree.According to the principles of Feng Shui,the energy must be zipping around the rooms now.....

The children went back to school with all that entails-activity and cost-wise!

This week the weather was beautiful and I decided to tackle the neglected garden.We're putting in a patio area so we've somewhere to eat our BBQs next year. More bags for the tip.....

Husband is currently looking after a large property where he tends the massive garden.Today we started harvesting the fruits...damsons,plums,cooking and eating apples......

  

Tomorrow I'll be busy making damson jam and plum jam.....

For dessert tonight I made a batch of plum and oat muffins -delicious warm....

Sadly the Crown Gallery in Carlisle ,the marvellous venture of Joe and Julie will be closing its doors later this year so my exhibition starting October has had to be  cancelled.

The other sad news is that our local art shop in Dumfries,Art-astic is also closing.I've been popping in to stock up on supplies ......

Thick watercolour paper,48 Derwent Inktense pencils and a selection of gorgeous soft pastels will hopefully get me inspired and back into the studio.....