"Yesterday" Workshop

Marguerite was a long way from home--Miami-Florida to be exact... first time painting..Had some interesting conversations via emails with her-and she sent me some sketches she had done about her time in England which had us creased! Her painting was just brilliant but she said she couldn't take it back to the USA with her..she has de-cluttered her life in the USA and managed to come to England for a month with a 22in suitcase! Blimey---I would need one that size just for my makeup LOL...Anyway  we decided to that I would use her painting to raise money for the O'Connor Cancer Unit at Shrewsbury Hospital where my son Jim has been treated,,  so I will be asking for bids on it shortly and all money will be donated to the unit...

Hahahaha--this is what happens when you squeeze a litre bottle of white acrylic paint--that has an air lock!!! Blimey-what an explosion! Luckily for me I already had my painting clothes on--and the students quickly helped clear up the paint off the floor etc!!!

We had 9 students.. 6 of which were first timers...

We had a wide range of colours used,

you would never believe that these 3 ladies had never painted before...

Beautiful results from the 9 ladies... will look forward to seeing them all again...

Poppy Field Workshop

amazing just how different the paintings turned out..

we had all sizes of poppies

an

and grasses

and cornflowers..

it never fails to make me smile....

daisies about to go in..

Looking great...

Beautiful results ladies!

Poppy Field Workshop

Its always fun working with newbies--and there were 7 of them in the Poppy Field workshop on the 13th Feb. Mary in the centre front had been just once before...  Everyone enjoyed working with the bashing and tickling brushes, and the paintings quickly took shape. Quite a few different things to learn in this workshop, sky, grasses, barley, poppies, corn flowers and daisies..All very simple to do-when you are shown how! As you can see the paintings all turned out beautifully..

Onslow Steam Rally 2015

I had a mad rush in the week before Onslow Steam Rally at Shrewsbury to get some small oil paintings done for my stalls...they did dry just in time thank goodness! Sold most of them!

We took the caravan up a few days before and got it all set up ready so we could have a more leisurely time when we arrived again on Saturday.. the new porch awning worked a treat--just big enough for a table, cool boxes and shoes etc..and much less trouble to put up than the full size one!

We got on pretty quick setting up the stall....

Waterproof dust sheets over everything and ready for the customers on Sunday and Monday!

The weather was beautiful all day Saturday and we were treated to this beautiful sunset on our way up to watch the band in the beer tent,,,,

There is so much to see there...day and night!

the moon was beautiful on the way back from the beer tent--and what appears to be orbs are in the photos too...

as usual I didn't get to see any of the actual show, as I was kept busy with customers,,, but Bill did escape a few times to have a quick look around!

Well after the beautiful sunshine all day on the Sunday , we heard the rain beating down on the caravan roof during the night...not good! The site was soon nothing but mud and we thought it was going to be an awful day customer wise on the Monday--how wrong could we be? We took the exact same money on both days down to the £...

Poor Bunty got stuck in the mud and had to be pushed out by Ros and Mark--thanks both xx

Just one of the beautiful views we had on the way home...Despite the rain on Monday we had a wonderful time--Ros Bishop is one of the best organisers there is..and we look forward to the show every year...it seems a lifetime away again now but I'm sure it will be here in a flash! We are on Ludlow market every week on Wednesdays and some Sundays , the next big event for us will be the Ludlow Medieval Weekend when we will be on the be dressed up and on the market--will look forward to that !

Bluebell And Tommy

Meet Bluebell..my sisters new puppy---have you ever seen such a wrinkly little doggie?

My sister has always wanted one of these from a small child,,and has saved up for ages to get her!

They should have called her Norah Batty--she looks like she has wrinkled stockings on here!

Little Tommy is growing up soooo quickly bless him..a darling little boy --he is never any trouble-- quite happy to play with anything to hand--today he had fun with the cushions!

Always happy to be outside with Grandad Bill..

and always got a smile..

Fun on the swinging seat!

Look at this cheeky little bugger...

Poppy Drift Workshhop

We had 7 students in on Saturday for a new subject in acrylic called Poppy Drift..A nice loose subject with lots of options for students to choose from. A good mix of new students and some that have been loads like Pauline and Chris...

Chris has always done his own thing--and although the theme was poppies he decided to create his own flowers and beautiful they were too...

His wife Pauline chose to do purple/pink poppies and that worked really well too..the photos really don't do this subject justice

We met Robi at Tenbury show last year where she was exhibiting besides us...she has had a go at watercolours at home but found them a bit wishy washy,,she loved the acrylic paints and we will see her again for Reeds In The Breeze very soon when she will be using oils..

Dave was painting with me for the first time, he chose to do a darker,brown shades for  his background and it really worked well..

First time also for Amanda--who did not know a thing about what was going to happen---Dave had just told her to dress in jeans and trainers and bought her along! I think she was a little shocked at first but soon settled down to painting poppies,cornflowers,daisies,and the odd dragonfly or 3 ...

Pauline has been once before with hubby Phil,,this was a completely different subject to the Yesterday painting they did before!

Phil is just adding his poppies here!

Chris and Pauline with their masterpieces..

Amazing how different the paintings turned out--loads of movement in all of them! Well done everyone..

Foxgloves And Dragonflies Workshop

Well what a busy workshop we had on Saturday--17 students,, some new ones and some been before! Several due to get their artist brooch for attending 6 workshops next time! Foxgloves and Dragonflies was a new subject-using acrylics and oils to create a pure fantasy scene.We used some beautiful metallic paint to paint the dragonflies--with a touch of glitter paint on top--beautiful effect-shame it does not show up on the photos! Above is Pat adding her trees..

Hardest part of the painting is getting the shape of the pond correct--Jan got hers right straight away!

Natalie has some lovely character trees!

Tracey adding the foxgloves...

Trudy adding some detail.

We found a lovely little bird in one of Beth's trees at the end--of course she added it on purpose ;-)

Rachael and the girls had all been on a midnight charity walk and didn't get in til 4.30am...I'm amazed that they all painted as well as they did bless em!

Helen has been to quite a few workshops with me now--and is painting at home too!

Donna adding some smaller trees before going on to the foxgloves...

First time for Kelly--

and Roland---though you would never know would you?

Pauline's painting is coming alone beautifully here..

Malcolm about to add some more branches to his lovely trees..

Anna travels a long way to paint with me..she loved working with both mediums...

First time for Teressa too--though you would never know from her results...

Jaq bought along her father in law Rick for his first time--she will get her artist brooch next time...she added some lovely poppies to her painting--they worked really well!

First time for Rick using oils and acrylics--he normally uses watercolours--but he got on just fine with them!

As it was a new subject and a larger than normal class we did run on a little over time and Teresa had to leave before the group photo as she had visitors!

Amazing just how different all the paintings are...

and you would never be able to pick out the first timers paintings from the others!

wonderful results!!!

A lovely workshop--am looking forward to teaching this one again next year!