Mucking Fuddle 2

I have been working on the latest in the 'manic series' of abstract art today.

I am really pleased with ''Mucking Fuddled 2'' The vibrant colours really stand out from the black background.

This latest one is painted on a very deep edge box canvas, the sides have been left plain black for the contemporary feel.

Shades of blues, purples, greens, and yellows mingle and merge with each other, its hard to see where one starts and another stops.

It measures 28 in x 20 in but it could be hung vertically instead of horizontally if you prefer.

I have signed it on the side instead of the front so it can be hung as YOU prefer!!.

The price of this art work is £200 including P+P in UK. If you are outside Uk please get in touch for details.

It will be ready for posting after 15th Dec. I send all my work by special delivery, it is trackable , insured and next day delivery.

Congratulations to Becky and Wayne

We want to send my daughter Becky and partner Wayne all the best wishes for the future. They received the keys for their new home today.

After renting for 2 years they now have a mortgage.!!

They have bought a lovely house that was once my sisters first home, quite a coincidence.!

It does need quite a lot of work to get it has they want it, so I expect we will be doing some decorating over the next few weeks if we get chance with everything else that is going on.

There was a surprise when we opened the garden shed-there was a wasps nest on the door. It looks like they are all dead thank goodness. But the nest is a beautiful work of art!!

Poppies and Mucking Fuddle!!!

Well we went to the Art Bay Gallery in Stoke On Trent yesterday and delivered 8 paintings that will be on display there from next week Thursday Dec 6th.

Cheryl and Alan who run the gallery are really looking forward to the opening next week.

We have all sorts of exciting things in the pipeline coming up--watch this space!!!!

Didn't get chance to go shopping either!!!

Have been working all day, and most of the evening, on the poppy commission.

It has so many different layers of paint glaze, all in different shades of red, each layer of glaze has to dry completely before adding another, otherwise it isn't a glaze, it will mix with the wet paint underneath and become another colour, instead of enhancing the colour you've just put it over. So lots of work!!!.

In between waiting for the glazes to dry I have been working on the latest in my ''Manic ''series of abstract paintings.

I have called this one ''Mucking Fuddle'' a little tongue in cheek title, as most of the series has had.I realised when we got back from Stoke that I didnt have any of my Manic series to display in the''From Small Acorns'' exhibition next week. I had either sold them or they were in exhibition at Stoke!

So I got started on the latest, and Im really pleased with the result-fingers crossed it dries in time to take with us when we go to set up on Tuesday!

Its painted onto a large canvas 40in x32in, in oil .It will be dry enough to post in a couple of weeks, all being well-and the cost is £250 including P+P in UK

Latest Commission

I have spent quite a few hours working flat out on the latest commission, I have got the base layers on, various shades of reds and black--the top picture is the colour of it now, as you can see its started off layers of quite orangey reds, but that is just to build up depth in the finished painting.

As more layers go on it deepens and gets more depth.

The white blotches on the top picture is not paint, but a special impasto medium that will allow me to create the texture of the poppy petal.

Tomorrow I will start to add the 20 odd coats of coloured glazes, each one having to be thoroughly dried in between-a tedious process but necessary none the less.

I am emailing the pictures as I do each stage to Rachael who has commissioned this piece, she can have some input into the painting, if she wants the centre smaller or redder I can do it.

It works very well. I am very pleased with it so far. Its always interesting to see how each one develops-they turn out different every time!

Tomorrow we are off to take the paintings to Stoke on Trent to The Art Bay gallery.So may get to do some Christmas shopping too !!

Christmas

I have found this link , lots of interesting things for adults and children -some great recipes on there!
http://www.northpole.com/

Latest Work

Here are 2 of my latest works. The black and white monochrome one attracted a lot of interest over the weekend as I was painting it.

Lots of people came back again and again to see how it progressed-some of them over the 2 days!

It is painted in acrylic paint on 2 deep edge staple free box canvas, each measuring 30cm x 70cm so quite a big piece of art.

I can add some colour to it as I have on my other paintings in the series, using melted wax to add some bluebells or foxgloves if required. The price including P+P in UK is £200 if you are outside the Uk please get in touch.I use special delivery for my UK delivery-it is trackable, insured and next day delivery.

The other painting is more' girlie'.

Again painted in acrylic on a deep edge box canvas measuring 70 cm x 30cm.

Winter Reflections is painted in shades of lilac and purples with some shimmers of silver to add lots of lovely detail.

The beautiful shades of purples that light up the sky are reflected in the cold water. I have used a special shimmering pain to add the water, and it looks very realistic.Then to make the trees sparkle, a holographic paint is used over the top.It twinkles slightly in the light.

The sister painting to this has been sold.

price for this is £120 including P+P in Uk. as above.

Creations art Gallery

I have received my 2 paintings back from Nick Buxton of Creations Gallery, Dickens Heath, Solihull. As you can see from the pictures the one painting has suffered a lot of damage and is unrepairable. There appears to be 2 cuts, but one is made from the front of the canvas and one from the back.The stretcher bar is also snapped right through. As this is a large 3 ft canvas the stretcher bars are very big and strong.

As the packaging was not damaged one can only assume that the damage was done in the gallery which closed down with no notification to me what so ever months ago.

After getting no answers to my emails and phone calls we went over there and found out it had closed down ages ago.

The owner Nick didn't have the decency to tell us , we would have driven over and collected my work had we of known. He didn't even put a note in with the paintings to explain what has happened.

Fortunately the other painting escaped unscathed, and is now back on the market. Evening Tide will brighten up any room its hung in. It measures 36in x36in and is on staple free box canvas. The price is £250 including P+P in Uk If you are outside Uk Please get in touch.

Steve Machin

If you want to contact Steve his number is 01299 457963.
Hes a brilliant artist for family or pet portraits.

Steve Machin -a brilliant artist

We have had the pleasure of being alongside Steve Machin and his wife at lots of local craft fairs over the past year or so. He is so talented its unreal. I have taken the photos of his work today to show you all the sort of thing he does.

He doesn't yet have have his own website, but hopefully he will do very soon--I have pointed him the direction of www.mrsite.com which is a very easy to use website which enables you to create your very own website for around £40.

Steve does the most beautiful pencil and charcoal drawings for an amazing price-I don't know how he does it to be honest--if you are interested in having him paint your loved one or your pet prices start at around £50---you can see just how talented he is at this sort of thing.His wildlife pictures are just beautiful and wont break the bank-- If you want to contact him please get in touch with me at enquiries@paintingmyway.co.uk

or ring me on 01584 872013 or 07800902488 and I will pass on his details to you.

Sundays Craft Fair

It was a hectic day again today at the craft fair--apologies for the blurry photos again-it only seems to happen when taking pics of the kids having a go at the encaustic art!!! Anyway-here are Louise and Louise with their encaustic paintings!!!

Alan and Cheryl called by from the gallery in Stoke On Trent that is going to be having some of my work on display there. The website is still under some construction but you can see its coming along nicely-have a look at http://www.theartbay.co.uk/

They will be stocking erotic, risque art as well as some of the more general stuff!!!

Defiantly one to keep an eye on!!

Holly

We have Bills son Darren, girlfriend Lyndsey and baby Holly down for the night tonight. She is growing up so fast, Bill couldn't wait to try her out in the baby walker we bought for her a few weeks ago--as you can see she loved it!

Then it was time for bed, and as Ive been full of cold for the past week, Bill gave her the last bottle of the day and she s now fast asleep in her cot!

This Will Make Some People Laugh!!!

We all had a laugh and a joke today about Bills photography skills, and how often the pics he takes come out all blurry! So I took over the camera when some of the children had a go at the encaustic art--and we all joked that they would come out blurry as well--which as you can see they did!!!!!

So big big apologies got to the blurry ones but Alexander, Kaicannon,Isabella, Catherine and Heather all really enjoyed themselves doing the encaustic art!

We had some remarkable results using the iron and melted wax,some surprising things appeared as if by magic! We had some faces and animals turn up in their paintings, one beautiful wolf's head in particular!!!

Todays Craft Fair

We had a fantastic day today at the craft fair.

I have been working on another Birch Tree diptch , it at attracted a lot of interested people and the class for the birch trees in Telford is now Fully Booked.

My poppy painting on 4 canvas appealed to lots of people--I have one person who wants it to match in with her burgundy colored kitchen-I think we may go with a turquoise colour to contrast but I am waiting to hear from her on the final colour.

And another couple also want a poppy painting, but they are undecided whether to have a red one or a turquoise one as well!! She wants turquoise and he likes the red!!! I look forward to seeing what is decided !!!

Because of the nature of the way I create these paintings-even if I do two turquoise ones they will be completely different to each other.

My Managerie!!!!

Couldn't resist taking this picture of all my most precious things!!!! Bill , Paddy Sparky and all the tropical fish on one photo--dosent happen very often!!

Sparky is doing his party trick of begging when he smelt the chicken come out of the oven, he should have been a dog that one, he fetches paper balls from where ever Bill throws them , brings them back and drops them in Bills slipper!!

Medieval Craft Fair

Its going to be a fun weekend in Ludlow. Its the medieval weekend with all sorts of things going on in the castle and surrounding areas.Stars of the show are The Plantaganet Knights with their display of one to one armed combat.Lots of traditiona food, drinks and crafts. You can see more of what goes on here-- www.ludlowmedievalchristmas.co.uk

We were able to get set up in the college tonight, so less to do in the morning when we get there.

It should be a busy time for us, and on Sunday I am looking forward to meeting the owners of an art gallery in Stoke on Trent who are interested in having some of my work in their new gallery when it opens in a couple of weeks.

I will keep you posted on that!!!

Any way Im off now to catch up with some paper work, and to make sure Ive got all the essentual bits and bobs that we need and sometimes forget-blue tack etc.

Im hoping to see some of my students there over the weekend too----Jan!!!!!!!!!

Nicky, Morag and Monica too!!!!!!

What a fantastic day we had today.

Nicky had been to me previously once before and had enjoyed herself so much she bought her friend Morag a gift voucher for her birthday.

Morag had never painted in her life before and was nervous to say the least''.I'm sure I'm wont be able to do ''she said--if I had a £ for every time I heard that I would be rich!.

You can see from the pictures that both their paintings were quite different, Nickys sky was very dramatic and stormy while Morag's was calmer. Nicky put some big rocks in the sea for her big waves to go crashing over and Morag put some lovely pebbles on her beach, they both turned out very good pictures and really enjoyed them selves, afterwards I showed them the encaustic art and they both had a go and produced some very 'interesting''pictures!!!! Morags was particularly good!!!! Hopefully both of them will be able to come and put their paintings into the exhibition and attend the private viewing.

Morag had bought her little fox terrier with her-Monica.

Monica is a very special dog and goes everywhere that Morag goes.

She knows when Morag is going to have an epileptic fit and warns her so she can go and sit down and make herself safe.Monica started doing it on her own, by acting strangely before the fit started, when they realised what was happening she was sent for special training to make sure that the signal she gives Morag cant be mistaken for anything else-she has been trained to jump up and bite her on the bum!!!

It is thought that she can sense a change in the pheromones that Morag gives out when a fit is immanent, before she had the dog she was confined to the house , too scared to go out, so the little dog has been a real life saver.She was very well behaved the whole time she was with us, and a real pleasure to have around.