Never a dull moment

Phew! What a busy time I am having but loving every minute. The RHS Harlow Carr Summer Exhibition is up and running and it is always lovely to meet new people and to talk to them about the work.I am thrilled that we have had so many visitors and it is great to work alongside other artists during the show.
The studio is full of work in progress with a list of commissions as long as my arm. I am about to start work on some designs for Christmas cards for The Lewy Body Society. My Dad sadley died of the disease last year and I have become involved with the society and hope to help raise awareness of the disease through some of my work. If you are interested to know more check out the website www.lewybody.org . I will be posting my designs on my website when they are done.
In the mean time here is a piece I finished today that is heading to Tom at The Reading Room Gallery, Whitby.
Have a good week everyone.

Summer Walks

This is how I spent my holiday walking the Cornish coastal paths in the wind and the rain and the rain and the wind. Such a shame about the weather but I still managed to fill my sketch book with new ideas visiting old haunts and new villages. Next time you are in Cornwall check out the village of Portloe, I love it!

Resignation

Couldn't resist taking this photo, it is just a shame you couldn't hear the deep sigh which drew my attention to this dear old doggy. She lay beneath a benchful of gossiping girl friends all of whom looked as if they had just stepped out of a Beryl Cook painting, each enjoying an ice cream cone and putting the world to rights. Good on you girls!

Village Gossip

This week I thought I would move inland a little bringing a few favourites to populate the village, marmite the cat, a couple of seagulls and of course some water to reflect the cottages. Sheep and farm buildings are next.

A day in the Dales

Yesterday I went with fellow artist Jane Redfern to see Andrea Hunter - felt artist in her studio. Andrea is exhibiting at The RHS Garden Harlow Carr Summer Exhibition with us and we talked about her work how we would hang it, She is making new work especially for the exhibition and I can't wait to see it completed. What a fantastic journey from Wharfedale over to Wensleydale the views from the hill tops were stunning and the higgledy piggledy farm buildings have inspired me to paint some inland pieces next week. Watch this space.

Gatecrashers

Look who gatecrashed my garden party!
These fantastic poppies invited themselves, self seeding right next to my studio window. I just had to share them with you. Unfortunately they have taken a bashing from the torrential rain we have been having but there are still plenty of new buds ready to open as soon as the sun comes out again. I feel another painting coming on!

Animal Antics

Hello again, I am back home after a hectic weekend and couple of days running workshops at an arts festival in Shrewsbury, with a theme of 'animal antics' I taught painting techniques along side a felt maker, batik artist, potter and story teller, children also made puppets and masks amongst a host of other activities, such fun and the end results were amazing. Hard work but very rewarding. I was so busy I didn't even have time to take any photos, which is a great shame.

By the way, if anyone has been having difficulty contacting me through my contacts page, we have had a bit of a glitch which should be fixed now. Sorry about that.

More news soon.

Nikky

Untidy - me?

Hello again, I hope you have all had a good week. I have been working in the studio, refreshed after a week of fresh air working in the gardens. This week has been mostly commissions for galleries but also thinking about what I shall be hanging in The Summer Exhibition at Harlow Carr. Next week I will be teaching workshops in Shrewsbury at an arts festival organised by a college friend, so I am looking forward to encouraging lots of messy play and sharing some of my own painting techniques. I will let you know how we get on. Take care and cheerio.

Here comes the sun

It is hard to believe that only two days ago I was huddled in my coat and gloves and now here I am looking for shade. The weather today has been fantastic and so say the bees who have been swarming around the foliage garden looking for a new home. Rather unnerving but very interesting, we were evicted from our area of the garden at one point until the swarm settled for the rest of the day in a nearby tree. The heat has made painting interesting as the acrylics have dried so quickly I have had to work fast. I have finished the poppy piece that I started yesterday afternoon, so here it is.

Little people and poppies

At last a bright and sunny day to enjoy in the garden. Amongst the people I met today were Catherine, Peter, Matthew and James we spent a happy hour together as I painted and I am very grateful for their help, we talked about colours and shapes and textures, about brothers and sisters and grandmas, about home and school and so much more. What more could we want, good weather, beautiful surroundings and charming company. If their parents give their permission for me to upload a photograph of the children I think it would sum up the day.
Nikky:0)

The best of the day

Today started off fine and dandy with a blue sky and colours that sang in the sunshine. I was so thrilled to see good weather again that I stopped on my way to work to enjoy this view. Unfortunately by lunch time the clouds had reappeared, the rain drizzled and the wind got up. I did sit at the stream side and painted until my fingers were numb with cold and so that work will have to be completed tomorrow. But for now, here is my record in pastel of the best of the day 'Towards Spofforth'.

The scented garden

The weather today has been a little better, a few showers and gusty winds and a glimpse of blue sky later in the afternoon. Still, I managed to paint a view into the scented garden from under the lilac. The fantasic perfume of the lilac was so relaxing I am suprised I finished the piece at all. Tomorrow, weather permitting I am going to paint by the stream side where the azaleas tumble down to the water.