Birches Workshop

We had a change of venue for yesterdays workshop--Clee Hill Village Hall... our usual room was needed for the wake of a local legend Miss Wait..so we were happy to oblige and let them have St Peters Hall..Clee Hill was a little closer for a few of our students too! We had a good mix of students-some first and second timers, some who have been quite a few times before..and as always there is a wide choice of size and colours for this workshop..

Ana, Sarah and Sylvia...this photo shows just how different the paintings  can be!

Ann, Dru, Rachael,Krys and Karen ---1st time for Krys and Karen

2nd time for Alan and 8th I think for Karen... they travel a long way from Mansfield so they stopped for a couple of nights in a lovely B+B in town..

2nd time for Nikki and her mum Jill.. its a wonderful workshop to do for all ages and abilities--also lots of fun and laughter all the way through...I will be setting another date for The Birches soon...

Demo At severn Valley Country Park nr Bridgnorth

We will be at the Severn Valley Country Park, Alveley ,Nr Bridgnorth on Thursday evening 7pm -9.pm doing a demo..I will be painting 2 pictures from start to finish during the evening in front of you using oils..
The demo will be lots of fun, and there will be refreshments included in the admission which is £5 .http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/outdoor-recreation/parks-and-countryside-sites/severn-valley-country-park/

Friday Art Club

We returned to Hadnall last Friday to do a workshop with the Friday Art Club--cant believe its been 4 years since we were there last. They members have Parkinson's disease so it can be quite a challenge for some of them..however they all tackled the sunset subject with great enthusiasm and we had some fantastic results from everyone!

Lovely vibrant results!

Grasses Workshop

Jackie came along for the first time.She created a lovely picture..a bit of to-ing and fro-ing at times getting the water right--but that is completely normal   ,Grasses isn't the easiest subject I teach...acrylic paint does not work as easily as oils sometimes , so we had a few goes at getting the skies just how the students wanted....but as I explained to them--everything looks different if you are just patient and go on to  the next stage,what you thought wasn't quite correct is suddenly OK...getting students to leave their paintings alone can be the hardest part of the class!

Claire was painting for the first time and came along with Debbie and Ian who were also first timers..She found the background easier than the foreground grasses...

Josie used the metallic paint at the end to add some sparkles to her grass head and also added a lovely moon and some twinkly stars to her sky..her bunnies were just great too..all very mystical!

Ian seemed to find it quite easy..and just got on with each stage--he did go back and have a little fiddle with the sky and it did work out really well!

Debbie excelled herself when it came to the fine detail..she painted lovely delicate grasses..

We have had students bring all sorts of lovely things to eat and share in the workshops in the past--but this was a first--a huge tub of flying saucer sweets! I was very good and didn't have a single one...it was not easy--they are one of my all time favourite sweets! But between my sister Sharon, daughter Becki and me-we have lost 4 and 1/2 stones in just 9 weeks so do not want to jeopardise it!

Well done everyone--lovely results!

I'm writing my blog in the most beautiful setting...We are away at Court Coleman Manor in Bridgend  celebrating my birthday and our 13th wedding anniversary..we are having a lovely time...and you will have to excuse any spelling mistakes as a little bit of alcohol has been consumed!

We have a lovely room---The Blue 4 Poster Room...

the bed is soooo comfy!

Exhibitions..Demos and Extra Workshops!

We are calling The Teme Valley Leisure Centre at Church Stretton tomorrow to change over some of the paintings,,,I hope we don't get the snow that's forecast!!It will be an interesting journey if it does!

I have an extra private workshop coming up one Sunday next month for one of my students who is arranging friends and family to come--looking forward to that very much!

I am also going to be doing a demonstration at The Severn Valley Country Park at Alveley nr Bridgnorth on Thursday May 15th at 7.30pm --9pm ish..I will be painting 2 oil paintings from start to finish in front of you... it will be a very entertaining evening -Promise!! Cost is just £5 and will include tea/coffee and cake..To book please ring 01746 781192

I will also be holding a painting workshop at the Severn Valley Centre on Mon 16th June when we will be painting Summer Day ..booking for this workshop is to be through me/my website www.paintingmyway.co.uk  time will be 10am -2pm

 We are doing our first market of the year-weather permitting on Sunday Feb 9th--lots of crafty things will for sale on all the stalls.

all in all a busy time coming up for us...

Medieval Fair

Well what a day we had on Sunday at the medieval fair...we were up at 5.30am which was a bit of a killer--I'm not a morning person at the best of times...but it was well worth it--we were down the market and set up by 9am,,The extra layers we had on were really needed as it was bloody freezing!

We had lots of paintings out on display and the miniatures just flew off the stall all day long-thank goodness my delivery of new blank ones came today--I will have to work hard to get some more done and dried for next weeks Sunday market..Back on the market tomorrow shame it wont be as busy as the weekend! .