Hell for Leather

 I was indeed happy to have my paintings back from the Beehive pub, much happier than I was expecting in fact - it was like being put back together. Fortunately I have been having a full flat clear out too so I had some spaces left for them to live, so I don't feel overloaded just yet. 

So, a lot is happening at the moment as I attempt to do art full time, which I haven't actually told anyone about. It has been an email writing day today, to English Heritage, Norden Farm and the National Trust to hope they will potentially collaborate with me, and/or display sell my work. I also finally made a reel, which is doing well with over 6,000 views so far and shared my Havana painting on a Cuba group so that also has over 350 likes and 70 + comments. I need a boost right now above anything else to feel like I am not making a horrendous decision trying to go full time. 

If only I didn't need money. But, I have a photography gig booked in, just helped with a kitchen redesign and I have a large puzzle order that has just arrived. It sounds like I am already doing well, but perhaps it never feels like it. I have a new painting on the go though and a new one finished that I need to share, reel ideas in the pipeline and I am thinking it might be time to write a newsletter. 

Its time to go hell for leather on this! 

The Beehive

 I realise I made a mistake earlier as I wrote my to do list in red pen, and for some reason I can't seem to read it properly. I am better writing in another colour and crossing it off in red. Perhaps a school throwback. But anyway, that isn't what I am here to talk about. Although perhaps I need to take a moment and rewrite it...

There, rewritten so I feel a bit better, although now I wish it wasn't on lined paper; it is obviously an OCD day. 

So I missed an important blog post about putting my work up in The Beehive in Maidenhead earlier this month, a well known and posh pub in the White Waltham area of town. I was lucky as the slot was meant to be for three weeks, but I got given six instead. I am currently surprised I haven't sold a few of the pieces, but perhaps bad timing, perhaps that will happen later, and equally there is still some time left to go, so I will hold firm to my belief that something will be finding a new home. It was strange to get ready for the show, a bit intense, a lot of work, last minute prepping and last minute painting. I didn't realise that taking the paintings from my house would feel like removing my forcefield. I felt vulnerable and bare, even after putting up other work on my empty walls. The last few years have been strange, wars, climate disaster, covid, and I hadn't noticed that I had painted myself some protection. Colour is my shield, and without it I felt lost, momentarily at least, then I was quite happy to have 17 paintings elsewhere and some more room in my flat. 

I did pop into The Beehive with some friends for a drink the other weekend though and it was good to see my painted friends, happily adorning the pub walls and feeling like home, so perhaps I will also be happy to have them back.