ART WANTED

I had an email today from an American site I have some of my work on.

ArtWanted has told me that this painting is in the top ten images for today (sunday 15th June)

I have had lots of great comments about this painting from people who have seen it on there!

Craft Market

It was beautiful weather today for the book and craft fair.

There were loads of people around the market square.

We met some interesting people again-as we always do when we are on the craft markets.

It was a lovely atmosphere in the square-there was a medieval busker playing a variety of instuments amoung other things. We also met up with some of the other people who will be with us in the craft marquee at the Shobdon Food and Drink Festival later this month.

Its a lovely venue-always friendly and a good laugh.Lets hope for good weather! Although its only a few miles from home we might take the caravan as they have some great live bands there on the Saturday night playing 60's music.If the forcast is ok we will stop over and enjoy the atmosphere there with some wine and music!

Class Of May 17th

We had a great class yesterday. All seven students produced beautiful Tropical Evening paintings.

It was the first time for Ian, Becky and 11 year old Dora.Though you would not know that from looking at their paintings.

Dora got a painted face as well as a painting!

Everyones painting was different to each other, although we all used the same colours.

Some were quite subtle and a couple of the others turned out lovely and bold.

Everyone was a bit nervous about doing the palm trees, so they all had a practise on my canvas first.

Everone laughed when I told them to turn the canvas upside down to do the reflections of the trees in the water, but everyone agreed that it was a really easy way of doing them.

Droitwich Spa Art Society

I have been asked to travel all the way to Droitwich Spa Art Society to do my Painting My Way Demonstration. Its quite a distance from us , but we will make a day of it and travel there in the morning have a look round Droitwich and have the demo in the evening.

Its a large group of over 6o members, it will make a change to have 2 hours to do the demo in--usually at the WI's I only have around an hour to do the 2 paintings!

Usually I get asked many more questions when I'm at the art society/club do's so the extra time will be useful.
Its not until November but the way the time is flying by it will soon be here!

LIttle Bird

We have a lodger at the moment--Sparky Cat bought in this little baby robin last night- he hadn't harmed him at all.
Previously he had bought in a dead one and after he bought in this one he bought in another dead one.We don't think he has had them out of the nest-they were all fully feathered and almost fledged so we think they had fell out of the nest.
We put this one into a tissue lined bowl and covered him over-fully expecting to find him dead from shock this morning.
However he was very much alive and kicking and wanting some breakfast went we went downstairs this morning!
He accepted some moist bread from the tweezers very well, but we decided he needed more natural food and Bill dug up some worms and cut them up for him---YUUUUUKKKKKK
not a good experience feeding wiggly cut up worms to a baby bird!!!
It is gross-but baby bird loves them, he ate 2 largish ones and is sleeping like a baby now! He should be able to fly and fend for himself quite soon, so hope we can keep him going till he is strong enough!

Class for Saturday July 5th "Forest Pool"

This is a new class subject "Forest Pool" is painted onto a black canvas which makes it less nerve racking for total beginners !!
Its a lovely atmospheric picture.
I have been working on some new subjects for some time, the photograph of this one is not brilliant as the painting is still wet.I will take another one later when its dry.
If you would like to join the class to do this painting, please get in touch via the website www.paintingmyway.co.uk
I sure the places will get booked up quite quickly.

Birthday

I had a lovely birthday yesterday, I received lots of lovely cards (and emails) and pressies from family and friends.
Bill bought me some Armani Code perfume and I also had a lovely surprise when I opened the front door to find a beautiful bouquet being delivered from him too, they are absolutely beautiful.
I had more lovely flowers off my sister and daughter too, so have run out of vases now!
I have been thoroughly spoiled by everyone.!!!
Bill cooked a delicious meal in the evening for us to round off the perfect day!

Tranquility Falls

Tranquility Falls is my latest oil and acrylic painting.Its based on scenery around Devils Bridge.
Painted onto a box canvas measuring 40cm x 50 cm it will be dry enough to post after March 10th.Its a beautiful tranquil scene with the suns rays starting to burst through the trees early in the morning!
The cost is £120 including P+P in uk.

class of may 10th--"Mellow Moods"

Mellow Moods is painted using acrylic and oil paint. Its an interesting one to paint and is suitable for all abilities including first timers!

Please get in touch via the website if you would like to join the class.
www.paintingmyway.co.uk
Check out my 'snaps' pages on my site to see all my happy students with their paintings---you will see that many of my students come back time after time--my classes get booked up very quickly and I have a waiting list for some subjects.

The classes are very friendly,laid back and informative at the same time- great fun and a beautiful painting to take home as well!
Take a look at the guest book to see what some of the students have said about the classes as well!

I have kept my prices the same for the past 4 years--£35 which includes all materials used in class. We paint on a high quality box canvas which does not need framing-although if you wish to do so we supply a lovely frame to match your painting for just £12. Great Value!

February 16th Class

"Oriental Dawn" is the subject for Saturday 16th February.

It is painted in oil paint and is suitable for all ages and abilities including 1st timers and children.

Beautiful colours and a tranquil scene.

There are just 3 palces left for this class.If you would like to join us please get in touch via www.paintingmyway.co.uk

Another busy day.

Well I suppose its normal to a certain extent to be busy at this time of year!
After spending the morning finishing off the last of the wrapping, we then went off to deliver the pressies to the respective homes.
We called by my daughters new home-they have just got back from the Dominican Republic-they had the keys to their new home on the Friday and flew out on holiday on the Saturday! They got back 2 weeks later on last Sunday, and then the decorating etc began.!!
We called by with a couple of pressies and ended up helping to paint the bedroom and living room----thank goodness for slow cookers--I had started a chicken and pepper dish this morning and it was cooked to perfection when we arrived home this evening!! We were both starving, and with all the garlic that was added , the dish was absolutely beautiful! Its one of our favorite dishes and being done in a slow cooker , you dont have to worry about it once its in there!

Advanced Classes

I am going to be running some special classes for students that have been to me several times before.
These are going to ''Advanced Classes'' and will take the form of this---students will bring along their own idea's of what they want to paint, rather than me setting the subject matter myself.
This can be the form of photographs or a copyright free picture of some scenes that they would like to paint.
I have found that some of my students are still nervous about starting to paint on their own at home.
I am always hearing ''I need you by me to put me right when it starts going wrong!''
Now I know when the students have learned enough from the normal 'painting my way' classes, and after just 3 or 4 they will have had all the info needed to create their own masterpiece, but if you lack some self confidence the advanced classes are for you. I will still supply everything needed for the class, but I will guide you through the stages so you will get a satisfactory end result.

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!

Funeral

Today was a sad day-we said goodbye to Rita-our old friend.She had a great send off, the crematorium was full of her family and old friends.The hearse took her all around the area in Shreswbury that she had lived before she came to Ludlow--me and Bill hadnt known her then, so it was touching to pass by her old home.

I have found some lovely pictures of her on the computer, the one above was taken last Christmas, she loved goose so the past 2 years we have had Rita up for the day in between Christmas and new year and I cooked her a goose dinner-- and she has really enjoyed herself, making a fuss of the cat and the parrot and enjoying her dinner--as you can see from her plate!

She is going to leave a big gap in our lives-in the time I have spare now I will paint and think of her while Im painting.

Exchange is no Robbery!!!

we had some unusual guests at the class first thing today--Sharleen breeds Tuxedo Platies and we had agreed to swop some for a new blank canvas! We had restocked our large 4ft tank with various fish, but we still had room for some of these delightful lively fish. They arrived at the class safe and sound in a plastic bag contained in a bag designed to keep cans of drink at the right temp-which also works great at keeping tropical fish at the right temp!

I had also promised her some canvas for designing the ''from small acorns''exhibition 'private view invites' and the posters, so we had a swopping session! Me and Bill would have been on the computer for days trying to do them so a great big thanks for that Shaxx

Commission Finished

At last I have finished the commission of a fairly local church-Corely nr Clee Hill. It has been a challange to say the least--one thing is for sure-there will not be another painting of Corely Church by Diane Jennings in existence!!

I tend to stay away from doing paintings of buildings and stick to landscapes!!
I am very pleased with the results as was the lady who commissioned it. She came to collect it yesterday and was thrilled with it.

Robbie , craft fair and radio shropshire!

I have had a call today from Robbie from Wolverhampton, who has been to me many times, wanting to know if I can squeeze in another private class this week--he has a fantastic idea for a painting-unfortunatly I havent got a spare minute between now and next weekend. I will see Robbie in Oct to help him create his painting!

We have just got back from setting up at the craft fair at the college--Chris who organises it for the air ambulance is very good-she gives me plenty of space because I demonstrate.


We had a terrific plug on Shropshire Radio from Colin Young who I met at Onslow Park, his young daughter had an encaustic lesson and was so impressed with it her dad came back and bought the entire kit for her! I had a lovely letter off Alice thanking me for her lesson.
It sounds like her dad is getting good at encaustic art too as well!
Thanks Colin for the mention,I am sure we will get some more people coming in for a go after all your praise!

For once I hadnt taken enough paintings down there with us--I usualy take too many.I have had another sort out and some more to take with us in the morning.

Ive Lost------

Had a great surprise when I went to weight watchers yesterday--Ive lost 5lb !!!! Im a happy bunny now--although after the beautiful spread ( the coffee and walnut cake in particular!) we had at the WI yesterday I may have put a Lb back on!

Just checked and and Ive lost another LB !

Im going to try really hard to shift some more before we go on the Painting holiday at St Audries Bay. I will without doubt put some on while there-the food is second to none and 3 courses every night--there is aways a salad option but the other stuff always smells and looks so nice it will be hard to resist it!

Class in Hadnall

We went to Hadnall today to do a class of WI ers who we met earlier in the year.

We set up in Christinas consevatory which was very good of her!!

From the left we have Barbra, Betty,Liz, Jean, Christina and Caroline.

We had such a laugh -they were all nervous and convinced that they wouldnt be able to paint the picture-and all over the moon with what they achieved.

There was quite a variety of different sky's , ponds and trees as always. It is quite fasinating to watch how each student interprets every thing I tell them and show them-although we all use the same materials, each painting is totaly individual to each student-

All todays students were keen to paint again and I look forward to meeting up with them all again-next time at Carolines place !!!!!!!

Ray Of Light

I have been working on my latest painting in my abstract collection today.

Its called Ray of Light for obvious reasons!

I love the way the colours merge into one another--- yellow blue, green pink and purple, its hard to see where one starts and another starts.

It measures 80 cm x 70 cm and its painted onto staple free box canvas. The sides of the painting have been left black.

The price is £150 including P+P in Uk.