Havana Good Time Somewhere Else

 The other main bit of news that I needed to share was that I sold the star of the show at the weekend! Not at the art fair, randomly this weekend. So 'Havana Good Time' is off and has found its new home with a local interior designer. 

This is very exciting, not only because the money was well timed, but also because it is my biggest painting sale to date! I, for once, will be sad to see this painting go as it was a strong memory, I have already saved myself a framed print of it though. It seems like a good excuse to paint another picture of Cuba soon as well. This topic seems to be doing well for me! I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can sell another painting before the year is out. I could do with a cash injection and the promise that the sales won't end once the festive season is out of the way. I keep swinging between the thrill of really pushing this and trying to sell some things and make it work, and the fear that it is impossible and I am making a terrible mistake. But I guess that is probably standard with these things. I think I will only truly worry when I have run out of ideas to explore as then it will feel like there is nowhere else to go or look. Well that and when I can't stand only eating baked beans....

So anyway, Goodbye and Good Luck Havana, I will miss you! 

Marlow Art Fair

 Gosh, well that has all flown by in a blur! I have even more news now, but I may need to share it across a few blog posts....

Lets start first with an update on the Marlow Art Fair, which was both good and disappointing in equal measure. The footfall was much less than expected and I hardly sold anything on the Saturday. Fortunately Sunday was much more successful and it made it monetarily seem more worthwhile. 

The best thing about the event was the feedback from some of the customers and the other artists. It was great to meet some like minded people and receive some wisdom from them as most had been 'arting' for much longer than me. Interestingly the organiser of the show said Havana Good Time was the best thing in the room which was a good boost.  I also received a couple of good leads for future painting sales, so I am keeping those contacts up my sleeve! 

They are already signing people up for the next art fairs, but as yet I am undecided about whether to join in. It is a good way to get my work out in the local area, but art fairs are not really my kind of thing.... but watch this space. My stall this year, was definitely hard to miss! 

It's calendar time!

 I am not sure where to start with this blog post. There is a lot going on at the moment, from all angles and I have a lot to do. 

I have joined Marlow Art Fair for the last weekend in November to showcase some of my merchandise so I need to get ready for that. I have also prepped and ordered my calendars and Christmas cards which have arrived today. I am yet to take a look at them as they are my bribe for after I have finished my work for the day. My new prints have also arrived so I need to make them and deliver the ones that have already been purchased post Norden Farm. Which reminds me I need to order some more mounting supplies. I have also entered a cushion competition, started work on a newsletter and signed up for online gallery representation with a gallery in New York. 

As well as having to buy more stickers, and think about which cushions to get for Marlow and whether to get any at all. 

And finally putting my remaining two paintings up for sale online and completed a card order for a hospital to use as condolence cards.

So possibly too much to think about, but all good things. incidentally if you would like to purchase a calendar, please click on the link here stock is limited so the sooner you buy the better!

 I think that will probable do as an update for now, it is Friday evening and I can feel my brain starting to melt. It may well be time to start the weekend.....

Living Life in colour

 How has it been a week now since I took down my exhibition from Norden Farm? It seems to have taken me that long to recover and get back on top of things.

What an experience! From the stress of getting ready, to the excitement of set up day, the pressure of opening night and the anti-climax of take down day. It’s been a rollercoaster and a privilege. I hoped it was going to be a good morale booster. The employees at Norden Farm started the ball rolling telling me how good the work looked in the space, that it was made to be there and struck with a boom of colourful energy. Everyone had a favourite, ‘Havana’ ‘Rum Punch’ ‘Barbados’ or ‘Wishing’ ruled the weeks, the prints rushed out the door, and now I am addicted. When will the next show be?

I can truthfully say I was not expecting to feel like this. Everyone that knows me, knows I am a behind the scenes person, more comfortable online, or via email, at least when it comes to my artwork. My paintings are my shield, my forcefield, my interpretation of everyday life, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about everybody seeing that. The paintings I did when I was cross, when I had really bad pmt, the raw ones that were processing something. Do I want someone to comment on them? But it was interesting, one particularly stormy, rain driven sea struck a chord - A thunderstorm felt exactly like someone’s week, so ironically, I didn’t feel vulnerable or judged, I felt like I wasn’t alone. Everyone understood my language, and that was something beautiful and strangely empowering. I struggle sometimes, wondering why I do this, well, not why I do it, I have to, but why I want to share it, but this exhibition made it make sense. I could see first-hand, especially with people new to my work that it did something; Reminded them of home, helped them focus their emotions, reminded them of a favourite vacation, made them want to visit a new place, gave them something to fall into, talk about, like.

Lightbulb.

I feel hard - good or bad, translate it into colour and leave space for you to connect with what you need or how you feel. It is a unique collaboration and I was grateful to be able to witness that.

It was still difficult at times, I don’t particularly like talking about myself or letting people in, but it was also nice to have a chance to do both those things. To answer questions and look at what I do through someone else’s perspective. Painting is something I just do and have always done so I don’t really ever think about it or what it means.

I also need to point out that this experience was also completely made by the amount of support I have had from all my friends, acquaintances, people of Maidenhead and everyone that left feedback, bought something, told their friends, helped me prepare, or stepped up in the Gallery. That was overwhelming. A friend from school, past work colleagues, current work clients, Zumba friends, new fitness holiday friends, neighbours, and many more besides. I couldn’t ask for more than that, or the belief everyone had in my work. It was just what I needed to wipe away some doubt.

So THANK YOU everyone for getting behind me and taking the time to come and have a look at my life in colour. (And a huge shout out to Lucile for her unwavering support throughout even when she was dying on her feet and to Chrissie for helping me take down the work on Thursday morning).  

       

Come September

 I am not entirely sure where September has gone. Wherever it has gone, it has made it there far too quickly. 

It is almost time for the exhibition, and I can't really pretend I am ready yet. I have been being busy and sorted some things out, but I guess it is impossible not to have a last minute rush however much you try to avoid it. The most crucial outstanding things currently, are; sorting the labels, deciding on the prices, actually working out the layout of the paintings to go up and I need to paint two more ideally. 

I have 5 days left. 1 of which is out for a Zumba event, and then possibly the day after when I am worn out and stiff. So realistically 3 days left. I am not sure how I feel about this. It should be fine, assuming I can paint this evening and possibly on Sunday if I need to, although really Sunday needs to be a painting preparation day, checking all labels, fixing the mirror plates on the back etc. 

Lets just pretend I am on it. 

So exciting times, and daunting times! 

You can read about the exhibition and find more info about the opening times here, and here is the flyer advertising the event, which is coming just in time on Monday! 

If I can borrow some luck, productivity and efficiency for the next few days I will be grateful! 
   

Tennyson Down

 I am not sure where the last couple of weeks have gone. It still seems to be impossible to stay on top of everything. I also realised that somewhere along the line my 'paintings for sale' page had disappeared. I hope not for too long otherwise I have been keeping that updated to no avail! 

I feel like I need an energy injection today and some 48 hour days, although it is Sunday so I should probably give myself a break. But I guess everything I manage to do is something I don't need to do tomorrow so...

I am frustrated as well as I made my friend a diary last year full of my paintings. She loved it and needs another one for next year. It came out really well so I thought I could have one and possibly make some to sell, but obviously now my printer no longer makes them! Nothing seems to be smooth or easy anymore. 

But before I get consumed talking about all these pitfalls and then about my upcoming exhibition at Norden Farm - more about that later - here is another new painting! A much safer thing to talk about. This one is of the Isle of Wight and more specifically Freshwater Bay after an amazing picnic and hike across the downs with my best friend. There were storms circling the Island all day that day but somehow we always managed to be in the right place at the right time and miss them all. I wanted the painting to have some of that electric sky drama, which is why the colours are more true to feeling than actuality. I was disappointed with this painting originally, but it has steadily grown on me day by day, and more and more is turning out to be just what I needed. 

Tennyson Down 40" x 30"

   

Paris 2024

 I am a bit confused today, I feel like everything is out of sync. Paintings are posted online in some places and not others, new paintings need to be done, stock needs to be checked and reordered, a new painting needs to be put up for sale, real life admin needs to be taken care of. I guess the problem with deciding to just paint is that then a backlog of the other stuff grows.

I do however have a useful list I need to do this week, it has 40 things on it so far but I have ticked off 14 items already, 15 once this has been written, and if I check my print mounting supplies and finish a new Instagram reel that will be 17 things, so almost halfway there (lemon on a pear).  

But back to the main reason for writing this reel, which is another new painting! This one is Olympic inspired as recently everything has been about Paris 2024. It has been difficult not to get sucked in one way or another - starting with the build up and the opening ceremony, a lot of which centred around the Eiffel Tower and the Olympic rings on the tower lining up with the moon. I have never actually painted the Eiffel Tower before so now seemed like as good a time as any. I had in mind a painting I have created previously of the Leaning Tower of Pisa which had the flag of Italy in the background, so surprise, surprise, here is the Eiffel Tower with the flag of France in the background.

I was quite pleased with how this one turned out, as whilst a bit quirky, wonky and not entirely accurate it has the perfect feel to it, so in that respect, mission accomplished! Tom Dean, the swimmer who won gold for the 4 x 200m freestyle relay in Paris for Team GB lives just up the road from me, perhaps he would like it as a souvenir!