Cheesy?

Here is a sneaky peak of our marquee, I failed with the 200 metres of bunting after 2 machines died on me so about 70 metres ws done in all and it looked so lovely. I will probably be selling some of it on ebay soon, or keep it for the next big party/christening!?! I hope to have some better ones soon, these are just a couple we have seen so far. That last one pretty much sums up my day!

I have hundreds of photos of Alhambra palace in Granada I will post tomorrow, I nearly cried at the beauty of that place.

MUST......WORK........NOW! xxx

Got the honeymoon blues!

Thats it, I am (we are) back! As Mr and Mrs McArdell!!!! Ten days in a villa in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada was so wonderful I have the post honeymoon blues though.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind and quite quite magical. I have so so much to share I don't know where to start. It has been so long. As I have had just a few photos back so far from the wedding you may have to wait a few days. I am opening a flickr account so there may be a few in there soon.

I hope everyone is well. Gosh so much to catch up on! I am still wading through emails.

Lots and lots of changes and exciting things going on, lets chat tomorrow! xxxxxx

Hello Summer

Oh dear dear, my laptop is broken, I only bought it in January so the nice men are coming to take it away tomorrow for up to 14 days!!!! This is not good at all. We do have a spare computer but it is old and temperamental. It will probably do me a lot of good to have a cleansing but the thought of only checking emails once a day horrifies me. I have probably become a bit to reliant on having my laptop practically next to me while I paint so I am trying to see this as a positive thing.
Sadly and coincidentally it coincides with the start of a brand new series of Big Brother. Now don't get me wrong I do not normally watch rubbish TV at all, in fact I don't watch hardly any, we prefer scrabble and cards but Big brother just seems to hook me! I missed numerous beautiful sunsets at the bottom of our garden last summer much to Seans dismay because of the dreaded programme and I am promising not to get sucked in this year. So tonight as the housemates go in I am going to go for a Sauna and swim and hopefully if I don't watch the first I will not get hooked. So I am saying hello Summer, I hope to see you this year!

So instead of checking blogs every evening or generally surfing and internet shopping I will have to do other things. Like make 200 metres of bunting for our marquee. I am slowly building a lovely collection of gingham spotty and floral fabrics and have begun to start cutting but boy is this going to be a job and a half! Any quick tips would be grateful, but buying is not an option, far far too expensive when you work out how much I need.

I wanted to show you my lovely house quilts which arrived from the lovely Kajsa at Syko but I haven't yet worked out how to get photos downloaded. So instead the image above is from Lee Page Hanson that was saved on this old computer. He is fairly local to me and has a studio in Manchester craft centre, which is always a nice day out. I own one of his pieces which a lovely couple gave me for my birthday last year, take a look at some of the other designers in the craft centre.
I must go now to finish some pieces of Padstow for Whistlefish galleries to publish as prints.

I will be back soon, I promise, and Julie.....you are oh so welcome! xx

It's a date!

Its scary how much this looks like us! It was alittle bit rushed but raised a few smiles.xx

These three are currently residing in Sarah Wiseman gallery. They make a great triptych I think. Today turned into a crazy paperwork day, delivery notes, signings, cheques written and the best....cheques cashed and just a little bit of painting.

I am taking this evening off for Wedding talk with my friend as it is really creeping up now. First proper dress fitting tomorrow morning woohooo, exciting.

I just realised I never did show you our invitation we created...... Hahaha, if I get the scanner to work tomorrow you are in for a laugh! I am also going to discuss flowers tomorrow with the florist. This is the really exciting bit. Marguerites and Cornflowers with wheat and rosemary as fillers are the main flowers. But who knows of a great red flower to go with these? Sadly anemones aren't around in July. Let me know any thoughts xx

Happy Tuesday folks!

Gosh, has it been a week already! I have nearly finished my 8 pieces for the 'B is for ' exhibition at Baxters gallery in Dartmouth. The show starts 25th May - 14th June. It is a mixed exhibition including art, textiles and 3d work all beginning with the letter B. The private view is on the Friday where Bi is also for Bucks fizz and Bloody Mary's which will be served. All are welcome. Here is the work of some other artists showing. From left to right Aliisa Hyslop, Richard Goodwin Jones and Linda Miller. I'll show you mine later in the week. I tried playing around with placing pictures...it didn't work!

xxx

Nature takes over

I was so taken with Oxford, what a beautiful city, steeped with History. We just had a few hours there so I shouldn't admit it but we did go on an one of those tourist open top buses headphones and all. I am so glad we did because we learnt so much about the city. Sean was dying with embarassment though. I love this last photo, Nature has taken over.

Several red dots made the show a real pleasure, despite the nerves. My voice actually went towards the end of the day and today surprise surprise I feel exhausted so I took the day off. The show runs until 3rd June. No rest for the wicked though so straight back to the easel tomorrow to start work on my 'B is for' exhibition for Baxters in Dartmouth.
Hope everyone is having a great Bank holiday weekend.

Harbour kiss

This has been one of the most challenging 6 weeks of my career so far, but 27 paintings later and I am ready to go tomorrow. I am really pleased with the body of work I have produced and i am looking forward to hearing the reactions to my newer work.We are travelling to Oxford in the morning to deliver the work, then I am looking forward to exploring the city for the afternoon and evening. I have never been to the city centre before and am very excited to discover the beautiful old architecture of the Universities it is so famous for.

Then Saturday is the opening of the show, I will be there from 11-5 and really looking forward to it but also very nervous, talking about your work can be challenging but I always seem to learn from myself when I speak, talking about my work helps me to understand where it came from if that makes sense.

I had all the work photographed today so I may be printing a few, and perhaps opening an etsy shop.

I will be back for sure a lot more regularly next week. Hope you all have a great Bank holiday weekend. Off I go to face the dilemma of What do I wear?!? Something colourful......or black?!?xxx

painting jugs

I have given myself an excuse to be buying on ebay. I need beautiful jugs to paint. the rule is close to becoming one in one out. I have a stash of vases that I am prepared to let go if need be.

So, I am very nearly ready for my Solo show. Just two paintings left. I will have 24 in total featuring these new ones and my bright coloured harbour ones. I think my invitations will arrive here tomorrow, should anyone like an invite to the private view on saturday 5th May 11-5, please email me.

Very excited to see Matte Stephens and Ashley Goldberg limited edition prints over at Velocity, I have indulged, a gift for a friend....and a gift for me! see you soonxxxxxx

another year older

Here is another painting in my new collection ready for my solo show. I've got 16 finished so far but still a few to go, and some pieces on paper to frame and time is ticking quite rapidly now. But I took the weekend off!!!!
Had the most wonderful time. I was whisked away on Sunday night to a beautiful hotel on Llandudno seafront called Osborne House. The bed was so high it had ladders up to it. We had afternoon tea sitting in the window people watching and listening to Punch and Judy. The sun came out yesterday late morning and after a four mile stroll around the Great Orme we had ice cream on the pier and played Bingo. Pretty much the perfect day for me. And now back to my brandspankingneweasel! that's easel not weasel!!!
Thank you so much for the kind birthday wishes through comments and emails xxxx

I forgot to say, the frame is from Popang. dreamy!

the quiet before the storm

I'm quiet because I am busy busy busy. I knew this was going to be a busy time, galleries get busy at Easter but not quite like this. Every night is a late one but I have taken to going swimming 8.30 ish to wind down for the day and have a quiet time to think then spend the rest of the evening planning the following day. I have Sarah coming in the morning from

Sarah Wiseman gallery to chat about the finer details of my show and talk about the placement of the works. My new pieces are developing nicely. I will post a few more images on Friday. I had an early birthday present in the form of this frame. I fell in love with this company at Christmas when I found the stall at Spitalfields, but you can also find them at Liberty.

I am excited about a night away on Sunday which I think a certain someone has planned for me as a birthday treat. Really looking forward to a day enjoying this glorious weather we are having here and away from the studio.

A couple of other fab things from Thorsten Van Elten

These vases

and this oversized teacup plantpot

also enjoying the colour week Julie of Handmaid has organised. I shall join in next time for sure.

Be back soon x

New direction

Gosh, where is the year going. I am trying new things. Working hard for my solo show at Sarah Wiseman gallery that starts 5th May. More info soon.

Can I just say how much the spring flowers are bringing joy to my life this year. For some reason I am noticing blossom, buds, bursts of colour so much more this year and filling my home with them. Simple pleasures.

I have to mention the book by Kat Heyes, Happy Campers. Everyone should own this book, if simply for the recipes. A fun and also informative book about the joys of camping. Roll on the summer so we can get those tents out and do a bit of cloud watching, star gazing and mmmm bbq's. Bye for now xx

My St Ives

Hey strangers. The last two weeks have just been hectic! Fairs, deliveries, signings, hangings, painting, the list goes on but I have found new energy within me that I didn't know existed. I think its called adrenalin. So after all that tomorrow morning we are off to Cornwall for a well deserved three day break. It is a sort of business trip too, delivering eight paintings to the lovely Avalon gallery in Marazion and also for a meeting with Whistlefish galleries regarding my prints. All very exciting! But I definitely think there will be plenty of time to squeeze in a visit to the Tate St Ives, the Barbara Hepworth museum, many of the 50 or more galleries and craft shops that are scattered in St Ives. Also some good walks on the beach, relaxing lunches, bit of paddling, people watching, photograph taking, gin and tonic drinking and much much more. Oh I love Cornwall, I feel like I am going home. That is where my heart is, sigh....maybe one day!

I will be back Monday with hopefully some good photos and new artist finds. xxxx

popping my head in

Hello strangers, sorry it's been a while! I have been working on this commission for some Chartered surveyors offices in Manchester. I have really enjoyed doing it. researching, laying with compositions, drawing and painting in a different way. it is huge. The brief was architecture, so I decided to do "The greatest city in the world and included some of my favourite buildings. This is probably the biggest piece I have worked on to date. I was initially daunted by the size but loved it. It is less finicky and you feel much freer working at this scale.

I will be hiring a van and delivering it at the end of the week.

The weeks are flying by. I've been planning and starting work for my solo exhibition at Sarah Wiseman gallery in May, this is immediately followed by a show at baxters in Devon entitled "B is for" and the paintings can be anything beginning with the letter b. What fun!

Two weeks ago I sent out my new brochures to several galleries and the following morning, Whistlefish, a chain of galleries in Cornwall phoned with an order for hundreds!!! I'm absolutely over the moon. So I have been busy signing and packing hundreds of limited edition pr intswhich will be off in the post today. It really is manic here.....but wonderful.

This week is also The Affordable Art fair in London, starting Thursday. If anyone would like tickets just drop me a line.

I'm hoping to be back tomorrow with some links, just felt i just pop my head in quickly. I haven't even had the time to stop by my favourite blogs for a while so hopefully will catch up a bit this week. Bye for now xxx

Subdued

It's grey and cold outside. My palette reflects this.

Sorry for lack of posts. Working every hour at the moment xx

Blue harbour

The Affordable art fair in London is fast aproaching! I will be there represented by Pond gallery, London. It is on 15-18 March in Battersea Park, London. It is a great show with over 125 galleries from across the world exhibiting, each representing several artists.

If anyone would like to go please let me know. I have unlimited tickets that are free for two people on the Friday and half price on Saturday or Sunday. It is an inspirational visit and you may even pick yourself up a piece of art as everything is priced between £30 and £3,000.

Just leave me a comment with your email address and I will sort you out with some tickets.

Happy Thursday folks! xx

p.s Oh and I have to once again share with you the crazy mesmerizing world of Joke Schole. This website makes me want to learn Dutch!!

rubbish!

I didn't think the inside of my bin was rubbish!

I'm working all weekend, balancing my palette on my splint. Have a great weekend everyone! x

computer literate?

Where is the week going? I have so much on. I am preparing envelopes for mail outs and designing comp slips, getting brochures ready for my new limited edition prints which I'm launching next week, hopefully. It's not all about painting! I have had lots of that to do too though. I have six paintings to do for a gallery for next Wednesday. Two are finished so far.

Last week......no, the week before, aaagghhh? I went to the Spring fair in the NEC which is a huge, it took a whole day to just see two halls, the gallery and Greeting cards/stationary. I saw a few new artists and was reminded of some old favourites. I am planning on having a stand at the fair myself next year so it was good research but overall the fair was a bit disappointing. It all seems so dominated by the very big publishers. There is a lot of the same out there.

But these stopped me in my tracks by

Marius Van Dokkum

My own studio is not dissimilar......

They made me chuckle. The second one reminds me of a story my friend told me recently, he was helping his grandmother order a new washing machine online, they found one she liked the look of so he told her she could pay there and then and it would get delivered to her, she couldn't quite understand that she wouldn't have to go to a shop and see someone face to face but nevertheless she disappeared from the room and came back a few minutes later with a handful of cash. He was puzzled but then fell about laughing when he saw she was bent down and trying to feed the cash into the modem!!!! Well how do they know!?!?

Shirley Hughes reminded me why I love Childrens books.

Some nice new prints from Sasha Harding

After a long chat on the phone that has distracted me for the last hour and a half and now it is midnight, Bye for now xxx

Beach huts

My latest work. The original 76x76cm is currently residing at Pond galleries in London. It will be available as a Limited edition print as soon as I update my website. Image size 30x30cm.

Have a great weekend folks! I will be back Monday with the artists. xxx