Post Spring Fling

As the dust begins to settle and my energy levels start reaching near normal levels after the Spring Fling Open Studio event,I've been able to take stock of exciting developments that are beginning to come to fruition.

On October 26th  of this year ,an exhibition of my work will open in Crown Gallery in Carlisle.The show which will reflect my interest in Norse mythology is entitled 'Winter Nights' ,  an important date in the ancient Norse calendar. It marked the end of summer and the start of winter.Sacrifices were made as thanks for a successful growing season and protection against the harsh winter .People also took this time to celebrate their ancestors & the gods with songs,poems,feasting and drinking.  

Crown Gallery can be found at:
5 Lonsdale Street
Carlisle,Cumbria
CA1 1BJ

Tel.01228 595055 

Owned by Joe and Julie,it is a fantastic contemporary arts & crafts gallery in a lovely town building set in four rooms across two floors .You can check out their website as they have changing exhibitions and update the gallery regularly.....

It is all very exciting ....

In the meantime I finally managed to get out in the garden this evening.....

     

 With books and a cup of tea......

Spring finally had  a fling.......

Ragnarok Revisited....

 Another busy week gone by catching up,delivering work,sorting out new plans and making connections. I've also had feedback from a customer who took one of the largest pieces on show in Spring Fling-Ragnarok....

The work is watercolour,gouache,acrylic ink,pencil& fineliner pen.They were initially drawn to it because of the colour and appearance of depth .

 They now go into the room and just look at the picture which changes as the light changes....

It's lovely to see the work in it's new home as it looks completely different to when it hung on my wall. It's so rewarding to hear how much pleasure they are getting from it already.....I just need to write to them with the story behind Ragnarok...... 

  

Spring Flung...

 Today has been a quiet day getting the house back to normal, catching up with friends,delivering a piece of work and admiring its new home.It's also been a chance to reflect on the last three days of Spring Fling.The weekend far exceeded my expectations.I was overwhelmed by the fact that people had made the time and effort to visit my studio. People have travelled from all over the UK and other  countries. We've had interesting discussions, exchanges of ideas and knowledge,discussions on sketchbooks,materials and techniques, books to read ...the list is endless.

Family and friends have been very supportive-from donations of baking for my daughter Bea's Bakery,Judith my friend helping out to Mum and Dad doing the gardening!Thank goodness it was dry and sunny for two days!

Of course I was so busy talking that I forgot to take photos but here is an image that Tonia from Spring Fling took as she worked her way around the Orange route....

   The balloons were great as people felt welcomed and it was an eye-catching way for people to notice the studio as we are on a busy main road. Huge thanks to Stuart Houston the butcher-allowing use of his car park for three days made our house accessible to visitors.
 So thank -you to everyone who has supported me-I couldn't have done it without you and it really is appreciated. I'm now going to take time to recover and then will start exploring the new pathways that are beginning to open up.....exciting times ahead ....  

Spring Fling so far

It's the end of Day 2 of Spring Fling, the open studio event across Dumfries and Galloway.I didn't know what to expect but the experience has been wonderful if not exhausting. So many people have come to see my work,my sketchbooks,interested by the narrative of the Orkney islands and Norse mythology.Comments and feedback have been exceptionally positive .I'm just so appreciative of the fact that people have selected my studio to visit and we have had people visit from many different places and countries which has been fascinating.

This is an image of the work that hangs in the hallway.....

 

I'm also fortunate to have a body of work up in Abbey Cottage tearoom at New Abbey. With the sun shining I've been able to direct people to the tearoom as they follow the Orange route out to the coast.

These are images of work up at Abbey Cottage...where the food is just delicious ,staff are lovely ,they've won awards for the tea ...and the location is out of this world...

Well it will be an early night and hopefully the sun will shine on the final day of the Fling.Looking forward to meeting and greeting folk tomorrow...in fact it will be  strange when it is all over as so much planning and preparation has gone into the weekend.But new doors are opening which is very exciting....  

  

Muspelheim

 The largest work on show at studio 70  this weekend in Spring Fling is 'Muspelheim',measuring 63 x 63 cm in its floating frame. In Norse mythology Muspelheim is the realm of fire, home of the fire gods and is one of the nine worlds of Yggdrasil.It features in both the creation and downfall of the world.

The piece is highly textured from using gesso,modelling paste and sand ,thick acrylic paint,acrylic inks and gold leaf.

'Muspelheim'

Just the baking for Bea's Bakery to do tomorrow as my daughter is having a pop-up cafe serving fresh coffee/tea and cake!Signage is also going up and my first visitors for a preview arrive tomorrow afternoon.The excitement is building.....and the nerves just beginning to jangle....  

Almost there....

In three days time I'll open my doors along with 93 other participants in this year's Spring Fling across Dumfries and Galloway. This last week has been a bit hectic with being away for the weekend and the day to day activities that seem to eat into what little time is left.

I was at Abbey Cottage tearoom at New Abbey on Monday morning hanging work in their gallery . As my studio is in my dining room then Abbey Cottage has allowed  me a bit of extra space which is great.

I had a huge clear-out and clean of my studio  today.Tomorrow I'll collect the last of my work from Phil's Frames so I can finish hanging my work ...and the tricky pricing.....
I've had some cards printed which I'm really pleased with  and daughter Bea is preparing her pop-up bakery for the weekend.She practiced with a Victoria sponge for my birthday and the results as ever ,were delicious.....

This piece is a detail of Orkney cliff- face:watercolour,Inktense pencils ,watersoluble graphite pencil,pen,coloured fine tip pens,silver leaf...A time consuming piece but looks really effective in its frame ....It's on show at Abbey Cottage .....

Settlements....

Another busy weekend-we're just back from Sunderland where the children were competing in a big swimming competition.Lovely hubby has in the meantime painted the hallway which means I can start hanging my work for Spring Fling.The event is next weekend so there isn't much time left for all the little jobs that need doing.

I'm also preparing and packing my work to exhibit at Abbey Cottage tearooms at New Abbey tomorrow so I need to get organised! I'm intrigued by old settlements-where people used to live and how they used to live.

This little watercolour, gouache,  acrylic ink,pen and watersoluble graphite pencil is based on a plan view of one  such place......