Journal

I’ve just spent a week in Greece on holiday with one of my sisters and my 10 year old. We had the most gorgeous time visiting the islands of Santorini, Milos and Folegandros.  I wasn’t quite sure how much sketching I’d get around to as the heat was making me feel quite lazy but once I’d got into the swing of being away I relished using my sketchbook and pen.

I would happily visit Folegandros again, a tiny island with little squares of restaurants, boutiques and white washed dwellings with coloured doors and shutters.

It was wonderfully refreshing to be abroad and I’m wholly inspired to create a new body of paintings based on my trip.

 

I’ve had time this week to play around with paint and colour as I haven’t got any specific shows to work towards. It’s a real joy to have the freedom of time without any pressure to create. This is very rare! A chance to use oils without worrying about the drying factor and to experiment with colour combinations, one of my favourite things. I’ve had to really use my brain with these even though the images are incredibly simple.

Some are still works in progress. It may be that I end up painting over these, I’ll see how I feel further down the line.

I’ve been looking at the work of William Scott and have been finding it so inspiring especially his abstract still lives and limited colour palette. This simplicity is something that I’m constantly striving for in my own work. It’s easier to add detail than to subtract it. I’ve created these paintings from sketchbook drawings using items in the kitchen for inspiration.

For the first time ever I’m showing paintings alongside 2 of my sisters, Sasha and Bess at the Mulberry Tree Gallery in Swanage where we all grew up. I first started selling and showing my paintings there when it was Bourne Art Gallery and I was around 18 years old. A mere 30 years ago.

We all have different styles of work but fortunately they compliment each other. Bess paints in oils with a beautiful application of paint and balance of colour, mainly quiet still lives but has included skies and seagulls for this show to tie in with the coastal theme. Sasha’s work is character and scene based, with a large element of humour. Images and scenarios that everyone can relate to. And using a limited palette which is part of her unique way of working. My work is all about essence, simplicity and colour, I’ve chosen simple beach scenes and still lives to make the viewer feel joyful and that all is well.

Ebb and Flow is showing for the  next 6-8 weeks. All work is available to purchase and view on the Mulberry Tree Gallery website.

I’m thrilled to be showing with Gallery Tresco for around the 12th year.

In February we enjoyed our annual winter visit as part of a week long artist’s residency. One morning I borrowed a rusty old bike with broken gears and cycled down from the cottage to the Abbey Gardens with my drawing essentials to gather information for new work. It was wonderful to spend a morning sketching with not a soul to be seen except for the red squirrels.

Here are the 6 paintings inspired by that morning and other visits. I’m hoping they capture the lushness and tranquillity of these stunning gardens.

The exhibition started on 18th May and is showing for 3 weeks. Other artists exhibiting include Gary Long, Nicola Hancox, Will Shakspeare, Wendy Mcbride, Jon Evison and Ian Shearman.

A few weeks ago I enrolled on a part-time printmaking course at Penzance School of Art. I’m currently on week 4, one morning a week for 10 weeks. I did a small amount of printing whilst at college, mainly screen printing and a bit of etching but that was around 20 years ago.

The first week we made monoprints without a press. Second week was monoprints with a press.  Week 3 we prepared collgraph plates and the following week we printed them.

I’m enjoying trying all these processes so much, it’s entirely different to painting and means I’m having to use my brain and be organised.

My sketchbooks have provided inspiration for imagery as well as borrowing from Matisse, Ben Nicholson and Alfred Wallis.

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Flowers are one of my favourite subjects to paint due to the colours, forms and harmony of nature. Within my floral paintings I aim to capture the essence of the shapes and colours by simplifying what I see and subtracting details that I feel aren’t needed.

My starting point is always a few simple line drawings and from there I’ll proceed onto canvas or board using paint, with the subject in front of me for colour reference unless it’s a drawing I’ve made whilst out and about in which case I’ll rely on memory and notes.

During last week’s half term I attended a ‘Drawing with Wire’ workshop with my 10 year old at Barnoon Workshops in St Ives.

For the first bit of the session we made quick continuous line drawings, looking at the object but not the page. This technique creates really satisfying lines which already look like wire.

Next we moved on to making drawings out of wire. I took my sketchbooks for inspiration. My dog sketches worked really well. This way of working is so satisfying and for me it’s really important to keep trying new things using different mediums as this can influence and help other work evolve.

Cornwall is awash with gorgeous gardens to visit which are proving to be hugely inspiring for my new work. I’m enjoying mixing different greens and creating a feeling of lush verdancy within my paintings. I’ve even cracked open my box of oil paints which I love using but the downside is the slow drying time. However the way it moves on the canvas and the smell of the oils and white spirit is compensation.

The paintings below are inspired by Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Tresco Abbey Gardens and Trewidden Gardens.

Do get in touch if you’d like more information on available work.

I’m thrilled to be taking part in the spring show ‘Full of the Joys’ At the Byre Gallery, Millbrook from 29th March. There’ll be a wonderful assortment of paintings,ceramics and glassware on display. The exhibition is specially curated by Elaine Dye to give a suggestion of how art and craft can look in the home rather than shown in a more traditional gallery setting. Other artists showing are Sara Bor, Alice Heaton and Adrian Mitchell.

These paintings and 9 more of mine will be on show.