Journal

I’m lucky to live around a 20 minute car journey from St Ives. Over the last couple of years I’ve purposely taken my sketch book with me when visiting and I’ve now acquired lots of information to use within my work. 

Favourite places to visit are the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Gardens, Tate, Leach Pottery and St Ives Ceramics. 

Inspiration for these monoprints have originated from my St Ives sketchbooks. And I’ve finally found my favourite paper to print on- Tosa Washi. It’s a very thin, slightly transparent but strong Japanese paper. Just gorgeous.

I’ve become quite addicted to making monoprints, it’s so quick and can be done at home without the need of a press. I just love the effect and satisfaction involved.

I’ve been designing various whippet themed creations for around 16 years since acquiring my first rescue whippet/ lurcher.

I love the whippet nature- gentle, sensitive, prone to long sleeps and keen on comfort and warmth. My whippet, Tess is now 9 and doesn’t really stir until midday and even then she’ll slope back to bed.

It’s very handy to have a muse for my whippet designs. This is the 4th year that I’ve created the Christmas card image for Just Whippets Rescue-  a great project to work on every year and I’ve had several commissions over the years immortalising clients’ favourite hounds.

Some of these paintings are available from my online shop, so do take a look…. 

I tend to veer towards a vibrant colour palette but sometimes it’s refreshing to tone it down. Plus it’s a good learning process mixing new colours and seeing what works.

I could never be bored of colour, the possibilities are endless.

Flowers are a recurring theme within my work along with still life, beach scenes and Cornwall gardens. I’ve been creating a small range of new florals, some of which will be shown at Nadia Waterfield Fine Art from 11th October and a few others will be off to Birdie Fortescue in November, a new venue for my work.

‘Autumn Narcissi’ below, was quite a pain to get right with the colours and composition. Originally I painted more flowers but it wasn’t working so I painted over them. The background was a mid pink but was jarring  with the jug, I think the pale blue works much better.

Sometimes a painting works instantly and other times it needs constant work and amendments to make it work and then it’s still not right.

I’m happy with the ones pictured and they fit into my ethos of simplicity, harmony and the use of colour to evoke positive emotions.

 

 

 

 

A small selection of my paintings are on view at Falmouth Art Gallery this week. They have a scheme where artists can apply to have their work shown for a week on the Limelight wall. Such a good idea and a real joy when work by Picasso, Fred Yates and Prunella Clough to name a few are also showing in the gallery.

I popped in yesterday to take some photos and afterwards enjoyed a coffee and doughnut (lunch) at Stones Bakery with my sister, Sasha.

Work is on display until Saturday 28th September.

Towards the end of October I’m having a small show of my new collagraph prints at the gorgeous No.56 homewares shop on Chapel St, Penzance.

During the summer I’d taken my sketchbook into the shop to make some drawings for new paintings and prints. An ideal venue as most of my work is still life themed.

I posted a print on Instagram inspired by my drawings and a few weeks later Carole, the shop owner asked me if I’d like to design a range of prints based on the shop wares. Of course I said yes.

This has been a great project to work on,
I’m so looking forward to seeing how they’ll look framed and in situ.

 

My work is primarily driven by colour and the power is has to evoke positive emotions. Colour can actually lift your mood or depress it. Years ago I studied colour theory whilst on foundation, weeks of it…these days I tend to use colour intuitively without getting caught up in the theory of it. The combinations are endless, that’s why it’s so interesting.

Here are some examples using one of my favourite combinations, red, orange and pink, a clash that works.

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been revamping some smaller paintings, essentially by painting over pieces that haven’t quite worked and working fast on some without worrying too much about the final effect. As a result they now have a fair bit of texture, which is adding quite well to the final painting especially as the compositions are very simple. I like the glimpses of previous colour showing though in fragments. They measure just 13 x 18cm. All of these are available so do get in touch if interested. The 3 framed ones are available now from my online shop.

 

This year I’ve had some interesting illustration projects to work on. I’ve relished working to a brief which is entirely different to creating a collection of paintings. Rather than producing my own vision I’m working towards someone else’s which can be a real challenge. Sometimes I’ll get it right straight away, other times there’s lots of amendments.

Swanage bag design, for the Mulberry Tree Gallery

The Flower Shed, postcard flyer for a local business

Christmas card for Just Whippets Rescue 2019

St Ives scarf design for a local business

 

Having completed a printmaking course at Penzance School of Art last term I’ve been really keen to continue throughout the summer. I’m enjoying the process so much. Fortunately there’s a tiny printmaking studio down the road from me which can be hired for £10 per day. Ideal.

The space and press have taken a bit of getting used to and some of my first prints weren’t looking quite right. But in hindsight they’re not too bad, I think.

I’ve really taken to making collagraphs , especially as I  have all the materials at home to make the plates and then it’s just a matter of using a press elsewhere.

Here are the results and some previous ones from my course. Most of these are available to buy from my online shop.