Busy Times....

We had a very busy weekend,,,we took part on the art market on Castle Square on Saturday....and considering the rain on and off it was a very busy day...

Its quite amazing just how much can be displayed in our gazebo!

We were up bright and early on Sunday morning in order to attend Kinver Show,,always a good show for us..

The weather stayed really good for us..

Plenty of room to display everything..

and as always we stopped at the Running Horse on the way home for a lap up meal--always a special offer on there as Kinver Show is always on Fathers Day..

The rib of beef is to die for....

and the strawberry sundae,,,,,, well what can you say--no calories if eaten on a Sunday they told us!!!

Oriental Dawn-Cancelled

Unfortunately I have to cancel this Saturdays workshop due to my health. I have managed to fit everyone except one who I'm waiting to hear back from in to other workshops..
I had to cancel today's market as well..just one of those things..hopefully I will be back 100% for next week!
I have made a start on next years workshops, you can find them directly under the 2014 workshop dates..I will be adding more dates shortly as soon as I have the dates of the shows etc that I have to work around!
Take a look at the website   workshops coming up!

Kinver Show

After a very busy Saturday workshop we were up at 5.15am on Sunday to get ready for Kinver Show..there was a bit of a  mix up when we got there and found just one space instead of 2 but it was soon sorted--and it must be a bit of a nightmare to get everything sorted out for everyone! We didn't have any electric so couldn't do the encaustic art demos, but I was able to do some painting with oils..

Plenty of room in the gazebos to set everything out nicely and lots of interest in the Boho Button Bouquets!

Ive got lots of button Buttonholes made for the show too..

The smaller paintings sold well..

Lots to see and do for all the family--but we didn't get much chance to get off and see as we were so busy with customers all day!

Bill did get away to see the display of vintage cars..

Having a quiet 5 mins!

Bill fancied some Beaver Pie--

The plan was to call back at the Bewdley poppy fields and get some new photos..but it was turned 7pm and we were both completely knackered so we gave it a miss...I did get some stunning pics just out of Kinver though..

Busy Busy Times Coming Up...

Its the start of our busiest time coming up now...We are on the market on Wednesday 11th June--and the weather looks like it will be good for a change!

 Thursday 12th will see us dropping in some paintings to be on display as part of the Ludlow Art Trail, which is a part of the Ludlow Fesival.. mine will be on show on the first floor of The Wine Bar , in Quality Square, Ludlow.

Saturday 14th June I have a large workshop painting "In The Breeze" one of my most popular workshops--and one I never get fed up of teaching either!

Sunday 15th June we are at our first big show of the year--Kinver Show-Worcestershire-its a lovely show--and we always do very well there too! It will be an early start for us-as we have to be there for around 6.30am...so the brushes will have to be cleaned as soon as we get home on Saturday...

Monday 16th June we are at a new venue for the workshops--Severn Valley County Park,Alverly, nr Bridgnorth .I am teaching "Summer Day" again..its a beautiful setting and we will be able to look out at the views while we are painting! We are really looking forward to it very much.

Wednesday  18th will see us on the market again....lots of lovely stalls there on a Wednesday, a real mix of things..

Saturday 21st--the longest day--the nights will start drawing in after tonight! What a thought--haven't had many days warm enough to sit out at night yet!
I will be teaching The Birches to a wide range of people--this one is so much fun to do-a wide range of colours and canvas size-so something to suit everyone!

Sunday 22nd June we will be up bright and early to be on the market again this time its a  Craft and Garden market so should be lots of plants etc as well as lots of lovely crafts for sale..

Wed 25th will see us at the market yet again..

Thursday we are having yet another early start as I'm heading to a school in Birmingham to teach 10 children how to paint--not sure what subject we are doing yet-am waiting for the Headmaster to get back to me about that...I love teaching children-they dont have the inhibitions that many adults have!

Friday will see us loading the van and setting off to Shobdon airfield so we can get set up for the lovely Food, Drink and Flying Festival..the show is on  Saturday28th  and Sunday 29th but we always get set up the day before so the Saturday is more relaxed! Its a great show and we have supported it for 9 years now since it was a very small affair--its been great to watch it grow each year...

Wed 3rd July will see us at the market again.,,

Friday 5th July we will be setting off with the caravan to Bromyard  Steam Gala --its quite a way from home so it will be a good chance to try out the new caravan and check its all working ok...
The show is a huge one and runs over the weekend 5th and 6th July..

Wed 9th July market again...

Saturday 12th July we are doing another Hen Party-this time in Stourbridge...what brilliant fun we have at these do's....its a great idea for a hen party..and lovely to have a beautiful painting to keep as a memory of the day..

Sun 13th July you will find us on Ludlow market again for the Craft and Country market..

Monday 14th July we are off overnight for Bills birthday pressie off me to him..staying overnight at a lovely hotel before going Segway-ing the next day...I am joining him as well-we have seen it a few times on TV and it looks great fun..

Wed 16th Ludlow market..

Friday 18th,Sat 19th and Sunday 20th July will see us at a fab new venue---Festival At The Edge...we will be taking the caravan again and meeting up with good friends there who are also doing it! We will be able to set up the caravan and van behind our stalls,,there will be campfires,storytelling and plenty of wine flowing over the course of the festival--am really looking forward to it!

Tuesday 22nd July we are doing a birthday painting party on Clee Hill...

Wed 23rd Ludlow market

Sat 26th July is the Poppies workshop oils on black canvas--great fun and still a few places left in that one ..Bill will have to get me set up in class before heading over to hand in the paintings for the Church Stretton Arts Festival before 12pm!

Sunday 27th is the Book and Craft market in Ludlow.

Wed 30th is Ludlow Market

Friday we will head over to Tenbury show to get set up ready for Tenbury Show on Sat 2nd Aug..a fantastic show--lots going on for all the family---one thing to remember though is that dogs are banned from the showground..

Sunday 3rd Aug we will be up very early to get over to Churchstoke Fun Day..never done this one before but we were invited so will go and see whats its like--it promises to be a good one with 8,000 folk through the gates....will be bloody tired after doing Tenbury though!

Mon 4th Aug we are stewarding on the door at Church Stretton

Wed 6th Aug is the market...before packing the van and heading over to Burwarton Show to set up ready for the show the next day--

Thursday 7th  Aug---Burwarton--another early start--but worth it-I will be in the demonstration building...we have decided to take part in the new Scarecrow trail too---so have to find time somehow to make one!

Sat 9th Aug is the Stormy Skies workshop-which is nearly full already..another of my favourites..

Sun 10th Aug you will find us on Ludlow market again -this time for the Craft and Country market..

Wed 13th Aug is Ludlow market

Sat 16th August is the Tropical Sunset workshop in acrylic and oils--great fun to do..

Sunday 17th---A Day Off!!!! Hooray!

Wed 20th Ludlow market

Sat 23rd Aug we will be heading to Onslow Park Steam Rally nr Shrewsbury with the caravan ready for 2 days of fun on the bank holiday weekend....Sun 24th, Mon 25th Aug are 2 of our busiest days of the year at this show--and its lovely to go for a mooch at night and see and hear all the smells and sights of the old steamers..

Wed 27th is the market again..

Sat 30th Aug is The Waterfall workshop--always great fun to do..

Sun 31st Aug is the Book and Craft market in Ludlow..

Wed 3rd Sept Ludlow market

Sat 6th Sept is the Cats in the Tree workshop---wonderful results in this one last time--acrylic on a chunky 12in x 24in canvas...lots of scope to be very different in this one!

Sun 7th Sept is another new venue for us--near to home this time..Brimfield Vintage club show..

Wed 10th Sept is Ludlow Market

Sat 13th September is Summer Day workshop..

Sunday 14th we are off to Blackpool for a well earned 3 night break...

The rest of the workshop dates/markets  are on the website until Christmas ..

I'm bloody knackered just typing this lot!

Its a bit of a joke that I'm supposed to take it easy with the condition I have--Polymyalgia Rheumatica....I have seen the specialist today and he thinks I may also have another condition as well...rheumatoid arthritis--that will be a bit of a bugger ..but if I have there is nothing I can do about it and will still keep on working ..he wants to try me on a new drug in the near future..not sure I fancy it after googling it--the side effects are not good but will cross that bridge when we come to it..

If you are round and about at any of the shows please call by and say hello...

Kinver Show

We were up early yesterday morning to go to Kinver Country Fair,,,they gave us a lovely double gazebo with loads of room to set up everything nicely...it only took us 2 hours to get it all sorted which is a record for us!

and some space for folk to come in and speak to us too...it was non-stop all day long with interest in the paintings and workshops..met some lovely interesting people too! Im looking forward to seeing a lot of them in my workshops in the future!

We were able to use one end for encaustic demos and the other end for painting in oils..

plenty of room to hang the big paintings!

The food marquee was next to us....and Bill quite fancied a pie for his dinner LOL...

Chloe had a go at encaustic art...and created a lovely picture with all sorts of little creatures in it! Well done Chloe

I painted this large Stormy Poppies while I was there-and a lovely couple bought it wet off the easel..I do hope they got it home safely!

As we set off for home we saw a huge black plume of smoke in the distance--turns out it was a huge recycling plant on fire in Kidderminster....

Well that pint is very well deserved--we didn't stop all day long...so we called at The Running Horse, Callow Hill, Nr Bewdley..As it was Fathers day they were doing a special offer of having the third course free...how could we resist?

I had the chicken satay and Bill had the garlic mushrooms and Stilton...

Bills starter looked and smelt lovely---didn't leave me any to taste though!

The main course was -well--spectacular to say the least--roast rib of beef-slow cooked with veg......it was delicious and came out on the bone--the meat fell off and melted in your mouth-the fresh veg were cooked to perfection and  the Yorkshire pud was huge--didn't manage to finish it all as wanted to leave room for the pud--