Blackpool Break

We had a lovely 4 night break in Blackpool last week,,,a bargain price too--just £78 Wowcher deal  for both of us for 4 nights B+B ...the reviews on Tripadvisor were all brilliant-except for someone complaining that there was orange squash on the table instead of fresh orange! Our room was large--and spotless clean--had 2 double beds and a single one in it! Lovely huge shower all newly refurbished-couldn't fault it!

It doesn't take us long to make the place untidy! The weather forecast had been awful so we packed loads of cold weather clothes--and didn't need any of them in the end! It rained a couple of nights but not when we were out and about--it was lovely and sunny!

I used £7 worth of Tesco vouchers in exchange for 2 tickets to the Tower circus-- we went last year and it was brilliant, but quite expensive--so this was a real bargain! Some fantastic acts-- no animals, breath-taking trapeze acts etc...well worth a visit!

Bill admiring the view of the pier..

Most of the scaffolding is down from round the tower now..

As we had a such a good deal with the digs and circus I thought we could splash out on a visit to see Michael Jacksons Thriller show that was on for just  5 days in the Grand Theatre --it was good but didn't feel it was worth the £60 compared to all the other things we did..

We don't normally have fish and chips-- but fancied some as we walked back down the prom...they looked OK but didn't taste great--the fish was thin and a bit greasy--as were the chips-so we ended up leaving most of it...

The breakfast at the LLanryn Guest house was lovely-- no complaints at all..Choice of cereals, toast and a full English--not a trace of grease to be found...

View from the Tower

If you do nothing else when you go to Blackpool, you must take a visit to The Funny Girls Show-- we laughed all night !!! Zoe and her 'girls are just brilliant! 7pm -12pm and only £12.50 each what great value!

There are so many different bits to it-always different!

Their version of Abba lol

We were crying at The Sound Of Music!!

PMSL at this!

Brulee was our 'waitress' for the night

Even Amy Whinhouse made an appearance!

This act hanging on the ribbons made my eyes water at times...

amazing!

The finale...well done ladies--we will be back to see you again next year!  And we came back to some wonderful news about my son Jim...he is in remmission with just a few residual cells left--they have also found a perfect match bone marrow donor ! He is having another weeks chemo to clear up the cells left and seeing the specialists in Birmingham later today to sort out the donation.Its by no means going to be a walk in the park for him but things are looking far more hopeful than they were..somewhere out there is a selfless lady who made the desion to be a donor--I thank her with all my heart for that xxx

Stormy Poppies Workshop

Sorry Im so late getting the blog done--went off for a break in Blackpool after the workshop! Above is Robi who decided to use some different colours as she has painted this one before! She also added a little fence, which worked well too!

First time for Gosia  who is already a brilliant artist and paints people and animals-she loved the experience working with oils..

The other 4 ladies Teresa,Julie, Lyndsey and Sarah

4th time for Teresa

First time for Julie who came along with Lyndsey

Umpteenth time for Lyndsey LOL

2nd time for Sarah,,, lovely results from them all and will look forward to seeing them all again!

Serenity Workshop

It was lovely to see Jenny again, its been a while but actually felt like only last week! She chose to use very subtle shades of blue for her painting...its a subject that lends itself to lots of variations--bold,subtle whatever you chose--it will work for you.

Caroline had been to paint the Birches a few weeks ago..she showed her friend Chris her painting when she went home and Chris booked up for Serenity with her! It was a laugh a minute with the ladies all day!     I knew Caroline would love using oils and I was right! She chose the monochrome version..she loved the way the paints moved around on the canvas..

Heloise was painting with me for the first time..she had been recommended to me by another student --Sarah...she also chose the blue shades.It was quite amazing to watch the paintings develop..

Chris loved her painting session,,never used oils before..and loved how it could be corrected so easily...looking forward to seeing Chris and Caroline for the Reeds In The Breeze in December.. we were all creased at lunchtime at Chris telling us about her charity parachute jump she did a few years ago..it made Bills day! We never fail to have a laugh during a workshop..no matter how big or small the workshops are-everyone makes friends and we have fun..will look forward to seeing everyone again soon x

lovely results everyone!

New Exhibition

I will have some paintings in a lovely gallery called ''Evolution'' in the Darwin Centre ,Shrewsbury from 1st Oct.

I have put in a variety of work, some workshop subjects and a couple that aren't..all are completely different to Mike Hatch's wonderful paintings--Mike owns/runs the gallery and paints the most beautiful portraits and landscapes.. I love the frame on the Summer Day painting..

Serenity

Poppy Fields is on a hexagon shaped canvas.

Forest Fire

This is one of my favourite paintings--30in x 30in Midnight Birches...

Mellow Moods Workshop

They came from far and wide yesterday to paint with me! Yorkshire,London, Liverpool, West Midlands and Wales just to name a few!

We did a black acrylic base painting followed by an oil wash and detail... Judith came along for the first time with Terry--both have been having a dabble with watercolours at home but this was a first with acrylics and oils for them--and they loved it!

Terry getting on well with the underpainting...

Lorna came along with Kathleen for the first time, Lorna's daughter Trudy has been once before--but both Lorna and Kathleen were pretty convinced they would not paint anything worth hanging on the wall! How lovely it  was to see them settling down and the nerves disappearing--

Its always amazing how different every ones paintings turn out--a real mix of subtle and more colourful--Trudy went for the subtle effect and beautiful it was too!

Kathleen found it so much easier than she expected....

Bali came along with friends Helen ,Deb and Kate..and her painting will be going back to London! She had a lovely delicate touch when doing her trees...

Helen has been before,but never done sponging before!

Dawn was painting her 6th painting with me and received her Artist Brooch, as did her friend Ali who also travelled down from Liverpool...dawn painted on oil painting paper as she wants to frame her finished painting and take it to her holiday home..

Ali chose to do just one bold tree--but it worked as well as doing more...

Brilliant results for Deb,,

Kate adding some more detail to her trees before going on to add the oil wash,,,

Well done everyone-- lovely paintings-you should all be very proud of yourselves!

It sounds like we may be going to Trudy,Lorna and Kathleen's part of the world to do a workshop-- they may have a room in mind already! Will look forward to it very much!