Bishops Castle Michaelmas Fair day 2

Hannah and Abby with their beautiful encaustic art paintings they did this morning at Bishops Castle....Ive had a lovely email tonight from Abby telling me how much she enjoyed it and she cant wait to come to paint in one of my workshops...I cant wait to see her again....and maybe she will be bringing Aunty Suzanne with her as well!

some of the wonderful old steamers on  display..

there is nothing quite like the sight and smell of the old steam engines--although I didn't get to see them at all this time as I was busy in the marquee!

I got some lovely photos again today on the way to the show...

Bill reversed the van back to the gate so I could take a photo of these lovely little jersey calves...aren't they little beauties?

triple trouble!

sooooo cute!

the view from the showground as we were leaving--some stunning clouds......that's it now for the big shows--we are still doing the usual Wednesday and  some Sundays...I'm going to be busy with the usual Saturday workshops and I have some extra ones to do as well as a few extra ones and some more demos as well.It will be Christmas before we know it--cant believe how quickly the year is flying by!

Bishops Castle Michaelmas Fair--Day One

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A good omen on the way to Bishops Castle Michaelmas Fair early this morning--a beautiful rainbow right above Bishops Castle!

Bishops Castle Michaelmas Fair

We are really looking forward to this weekends show at Bishops Castle--The Michaelmas fair is always a busy show--there is loads to see and do for all the family. Check out the link below! We will be in the craft marquee as usual.I will have a large display of paintings for sale and I will be demonstrating in oils,acrylics and encaustic wax. Members of the public will be able to have a go at the encaustic wax as well...and councillor Bavastock has promised to come along and demonstrate how to do it as well!  Karen got well and truely hooked on it when we met up at Onslow Steam rally last month.  Karen is looking forward to having her own kit of encaustic iron etc in return for a donation for another fellow student Doreens local charity!  Doreen had seen on Facebook some of the people enjoying having a go (including karen) and offered a complete kit as she no longer uses it.....very kind of her--and Karen cant wait for it!  We are meeting a train in Ludlow station to collect the kit off Doreen as she is en-route on her holiday! www.michaelmasfair.org.uk

Winter Wonderand Workshop Sept 3rd

We had everything set up on time today--the room was full-I was expecting 9 students...I told everyone to get their brushes at the ready when Hilary said "I don't seem to have an easel or anything!" A quick head count--and I realised that we had 10 students instead of 9! Not sure how that happened but I hadn't got Debra in my book! Anyway we soon had another canvas prepared and we always take along a few extra boxes of brushes so we weren't too late starting in the end!

Howard is sat back contemplating his sky so far...everyone enjoyed using the bashing and tickling brushes-and were amazed at just how different every ones paintings were right from the start! Working on the black canvas is great fun and is a great confidence builder...

we met Vanessa and her mum at Welland show and they travelled quite a way to be with us today..mum went out to explore Ludlow while we were painting and ended up at The Ludlow Food Centre where she had a lovely time by the sounds of it.

We met Roy when I did the demo for the Doddington Friendship Club a few weeks ago.He made a great job of his painting--the angle of the snow wasn't quite right at first but was easily sorted and Roy was much happier  when after a few strokes of the brush his snow wasn't quite so steep!

We met Hilary at Llanidloes a while back when I did the demo there for the WI--she bought along hubby Howard with her.We will be seeing the pair of them for the Birch tree workshop--either in Ludlow or Llandidloes!

Julie came along with Lewis-her 12 year old nephew---you would never believe she was a first timer...she seemed  very confident

We welcomed back Margarita again--her 6th time-and she received her artist brooch today.She has tried,oils,acrylics, acrylic and oil, white canvas and now black ones--and says she has loved all of them!

Nicky had a gift voucher as a pressie--her painting tuned out really soft and had a slightly out of focus feel to it..very pretty!

Debra adding the final snow before putting in the trees and fences.

Norma made a lovely job-she followed my directions to the letter..and her finished painting had quite a mystical feel to it.

12 year old Lewis was very bold with his brushes..he got the hang of the tickling brush really quickly and .we had a cracking tree from him at the end--real character!

The Happy Artists with their finished masterpieces!

Always interesting to see just how different the artists interpret each step of the painting..

Lovely results everyone!

Laughs!

I want to thank  Nat for all her help again today--she really is invaluable-she helps me set out the tables, prepare the canvas, replenishes paint, cleans brushes and most important of all--makes all the teas and coffee during the classes.She now has a full set of painting clothes--as she manged to get blue paint all over her grey leggings, she got paint on her top last time bless her-but at least she  remembered to wear it today!
We seemed to be laughing all day during the "Serenity" workshop--last week we had a mucky pup--but this week we had 2 of em!
Irene managed to get blue paint all over her neck and face--then a minute later we found Jaye had some how got blue paint over her face hands and her coffee mug!

We had several mucky palettes as well-as you can see!
I think Jaye wins the prize for the most paint on a person though-as you can see from the photos--she had paint all over her face and hands -although I was nearly as bad--they were all having a laugh at my blue streak over my forehead!

www.dianetheartist.com

I have 300 paintings over on my other website www.dianetheartist.com  there is now the facility to leave comments about the paintings--if you want to do so that would be great!

Bishops Castle Michaelmas Fair and other bits

Another busy weekend over-we had a great time at Bishops Castle Michaelmas fair.It was good to meet up with old and new friends again.
The weather stayed fine-if a bit chilly and windy on the Sunday.
But the people came out in droves and at times you couldn't move in the marquee.
We had a 2nd hand book stall next to us--and I got a lot of bargains from there--all were as new--all I need is the time to read them now!

Bookings for classes went well-and we returned home to some bookings from the website as well...
there are now 9 students booked in for the first class of 2011 "Summer Day" so its filling up fast.
I sold the original Stormy Poppies painting recently to a lovely American lady so I had to paint another as its a class subject shortly.
Its painted on a chunky canvas and its impossible to paint all the sides with oils in class as there would be paint all over the car and students--however I didn't think the painting really looked finished with the sides left white so Bill used black acrylic paint and painted the sides black after I had finished it--it really does look good--so students will have the option when they come to class to have black or white sides.

As the classes have grown in size I needed to get some more aprons for the students to wear in class--the last place I bought them from are no longer in business so I had to source some more-I must say I'm very pleased with the new ones that arrived today-they have embroidered the logo beautifully and much bigger than on the old aprons as well!

I have a One 2 One student coming to paint tomorrow-so have been busy having a quick tidy up--life has been far to busy to dust lately--I found a great little picture recently at the boot sale that I thought was funny and apt!
It says Dull Women Have Immaculate Homes!

Thats my excuse for having a 'lived in' house anyway!
But with another busy week coming up-there will be little chance of having a proper blitz--we are back on market on Wednesday- and this weekend we have a full class in Winters Walk and then our little grandaughters are coming down from Sunderland to stay the night with us--then we are up early Sunday morning to be on the Book and Craft fair on Castle Square-- maybe next week it will be a little quieter for me!

Bunty Van

Bunty has had all the sign writing done now--and I'm very pleased with it!
It was done yesterday but when we went to fetch her something wasn't right--couldn't put our finger on what it was for a few minutes and then we realised they had spelled the website wrong!
So she had to stay overnight for them to redo it!
Anyway--its all perfect now-and they have made a grand job of blowing up the photo of my 'Reeds in the Breeze' painting and putting it on an easel on both sides.
So we are all set for the weekends Michaelmas Fair--Ive just got a few paintings to finish off now and we will be away early tomorrow morning!

Ludlow Food and Drink Festival

We had an early start yesterday -up at 6am to go and set up the gazebo in the college for the food and drink festival.
We had a lovely sunny spot next to the entrance of the college so we were busy all day from the time the gates opened.
Marce bought our little Ollie along to see us before it got busy so we had time for a little cuddle first! He is growing sooo fast and he is a really knowing little thing! Grandad Bill hasn't lost his touch and soon stopped him crying when he picked him up.

I managed to leave my brushes behind at home and ended up with just 3 brushes to demonstrate with all day--however it amazed everyone who stopped and watched me just how much could be done with few brushes.
The town was heaving with people all day and it seemed like they all stopped by us for a look--we had paintings inside and out of the gazebo and tables outside with the encaustic stuff on--the lights worked well inside the gazebo-and highlighted the texture on the brown poppy beautifully.
Anthony Worrel-Thompson the chef came into the college for a wander round the craft market with his wife--hes just like he looks on the tv!

Ive got some paintings to finish off now in time for this weekends big event at Bishops Castle Michaelmas Fair which runs on Saturday and Sunday--we are taking the caravan and parking it on my friends drive-thanks Karen--so we will be able to enjoy the Bishops Castle nightlife on Saturday night and have a drink or three!

Busy Week Ahead

No peace for the wicked! I have a busy week ahead again--after the usual market on Wednesday we are heading for Alverly WI where we are doing a demo-we will be late back from there by the time we have packed up and driven home..but its quite a big WI and Im sure we will have a few of the ladies joining us for classes in the future after watching me paint 2 paintings from start to finish in my demo!
Then on Friday morning we are off to an art club at Hadnall nr Shrewsbury where the members will all be having a go at oil painting--looking forward to meeting them all...
On Saturday we are at Craven Arms Art Walk-doing 3 workshops--not sure how busy that will be-we will wait and see!

Then on Sunday we will be at the huge Food and Drink Festival outside Ludlow Collage in a big gazebo --its usualy busy but the weather forcast isnt great at the moment so we will see nearer the time--I wont risk my paintings getting spoiled by rain--

We are at Bishops Castle Michaelmas Fair the following weekend in a huge marquee--so it will be all go--Bunty Van is going in to have the sign writing done on the 16th September-so will be ready for the Michaelmas fair--so we have got to get her washed off by then!
So busy busy times ahead- got a couple of commissions to finish off before Bishops castle as well--

New dates for classes

I have just updated the classes until Oct 9th.
There are a couple of new classes which will be interesting to do. If you check out the website
www.paintingmyway.co.uk
there will be details of how many places are left etc.
You can also now book and pay online for classes--you will have a choice of paypal or cheque when you press the buy now button.
Please include your phone number so I can contact you if need be.

Class in Bishops Castle

I have been asked if I will go to Bishops Castle to do a class--a suitable room has been found for me-it sounds ideal--some of the local ladies, who are friends with Karen who came to do a one to one a short time ago were so impressed with her painting of "Yesterday" that they want to have a go. We havent set a date yet or have any definate numbers but as soon as I know I will put the details up on here, as there may be some spare spaces.
It will be on either a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday instead of the usual Saturday, as I have bookings in all the classes I have planned for the Ludlow classes already.
Keep and eye on the website for new dates coming up.
www.paintingmyway.co.uk

Bishops Castle Michealmas Fair

We had a brilliant time at the weekend doing Bishops Castle fair for the first time.
I sold one of my paintings while there and then discovered when we got back home that I hadn't got a proper photo of it, as it was a recent one done last week!
I have got it on the photo I took of my stall though, and while I was at the show painted another in the series-this time with more blue in it.
Ive called the new one ''Lazy Summer Days''. My friend Lin who does my greetings cards for me gave me some photos she had taken of sunsets-the one picture in particular gave me the inspiration to paint the other painting ''Evening Magic''-I love the colours in it! Both paintings are available to buy from my website www.paintingmyway.co.uk

We had a lovely meal out with friends Karen and Steve on Saturday night at a nearby pub before retiring back to our caravan that was parked on their garage forecourt!
Thanks for that both!
The weather was beautiful and it was a busy weekend-- we will be doing it again next year!
Bill managed to see most of what was going on and got some great photos of the steamers etc.