Bits and Pieces...

It was a cold day to start with on the market today, a couple of the stall holders hadn't come so we were able to spread out onto the next stall...the racks of plants at the back provided a lot of shelter against the wind and rain!

with the plastic sheet up in between the stall as usual it meant I could put my smaller paintings out on display without them getting wet..

We needed 4 lights up today for the first time..it made it nice and bright inside the stall and also made it nice and warm as well!

We have a friend on the next stall called Dave Bytheway who does chainsaw carvings....we always love to see what new carvings come off his van each week...today it was this lovely life size badger...what a beauty.

Dave carves all manner of creatures...owls,hawks and hares among them, I love the toadstools as well...

wonderful stuff..

there isn't one of them I wouldn't like to take home!

This fox was new last week...its life size.

Ive been doing some more to this painting that's been hidden away in the depths of the garage storage! Ive got paintings everywhere and forget what I've got where til we have a sort out and find them again! So I added some more wax detail to this one and Bills mounted the 4 canvas onto a board to make them easier to hang on the stands!

part of the paint detail

some wax  detail--very touchy feely!

Well much as I love Christmas I think its far to early to put up the towns Christmas tree...blimey its only the 9th of November!

I was contacted by a lady via  Affordable British Art at the weekend--she wanted a larger version of one of my paintings on there "Serenity ll"  After agreeing  a price I have got on and done it for her---its seen here on the left of the original one...its as near as dammit! Just got a few more grasses and poppies to add.. in a few days time when its dried off a bit..the new big one is 50cm x 70cm .. a pressie for her hubby for Christmas..hope he likes it as much as Dorothy does!

When I was painting on the market today a couple came by and wanted  a small painting like the one below...however I had sold out of all those colours so offered to do one for them to take away wet...they jumped at the chance! So I quickly got my brushes out and painted a smaller version of it 10in x 12in--the original is 16in x 20in--they were chuffed to bits with it when they came back for it! I have got to get busy this week and get some more small paintings done ready for the Xmas rush..I bought 60 small canvas fairly locally last week and have another 100 on order for a couple of weeks time so that will keep me out of mischief for  a while!

Whoooopppppeeeeeeee!!!!!!

We are very pleased to announce that we are going to have a new grandchild...my lovely daughter Becki and partner Wayne are having a baby next year after nearly 4 years trying to conceive....they went for their first scan today and it looks like the baby will be due around Bills birthday in May next year..huge congratulations to them both....they will make fantastic parents!

The Waterfall Workshop Nov 5th

Many thanks to everyone who fitted in with the request to have an earlier start in the class....the family who were coming had to be somewhere else at 2pm so I said we would start at 9.30am so we could finish earlier......luckily everyone could make the arlier time!!  Sue decided to use the yellow ochre and reds for her painting and it worked really well.

Virginia's painting was very subtle and mystical...you would never believe it was only her 2 nd time painting to see her finished result..

I hope I have got the names and ages  of the boys right..,lost my list again! Anyway I think this is Benjamin age 9 nearly 10..... he and his brother have been once before with mum Alison--this time dad Tim joined them as well..both boys were very bold and not scared of the paint...big strong trees and his waterfall was just perfect...

Julia made a lovely job of her painting..she wants to join us next week and the week after at the workshops we are doing in Mid Wales...

Barnaby aged 11 years was very good at following instructions from me,,

Alison was a bag of nerves at times during class...but she thrived on it and created this beautiful picture...

Margarita really enjoyed painting on the black canvas....

Tim seemed to find his first go at painting quite easy..and was soon making decisions for himself about where things should be....he made a lovely job of his painting and I'm sure we will see him and the family again!

The Happy Artists!

well done everyone--stunning paintings....

Julie, Virginia,Margarita and Sue with their masterpieces

Break Away in Stratford Upon Avon

our room at the College Arms was small but lovely,very quaint...

view from the window..

and looking the other way..

lovely bed..

the pub had everything including this secret door up to our rooms from the bar...

all was going well until 3am when there was a huge crash and the bed collapsed on one side! we got up and moved the pillows to other end and got back in and it collapsed again--by this time we were creased with laughter...its a wonder we didn't wake up the folk in the next bedroom!  And we were asleep when the bed fell apart as well.......when we checked the bed it had obviously been broken before as it had been cobbled together with bits of wood and nails...so it want our fault!

one lovely feature is this huge fireplace downstairs---with table and chairs set inside--this was reserved for us for breakfast!

Good Morning!

the other huge fireplace in the other end of the pub..

we went for a ride into Banbury on Monday..we have been there before a few times and I love it because it has loads of charity shops..

the oldest pub in Banbury..

lovely cobbles...

the swans at Stratford Upon Avon...

Stratford Upon Avon

when we returned to the pub we had been moved into The Black Velvet Room..very nice.....

I loved the black furniture...and the beautiful beams...

love how the TV is balanced on the beam..

wish I could be more minimalist at home but have far too much clutter!

no wi fi signal in this room though--the walls were too thick!

and the only place I could put on my makeup was in the fitted wardrobe....the lighting was so subdued and the window so tiny it was impossible to do!

just down the road...

The College Arms where we stayed.

Broadway  on the way home

I always call at the Christmas shop in Broadway and buy another bauble for the tree! But just look at me--no coat-we had beautiful warm weather!