On the move

I didn't mean to have a blogging break, Life just took over.

BIG NEWS here.

We are on the move to the seaside. Beautiful Beaumaris in Anglesey to be precise, where the houses are all different colours and the views are some of the best in the UK. Anglesey is an Island off the North Wales coast.

Bigger news!

I am opening a studio/gallery there in a converted chapel. My studio will be open to the public where my work and some others will be on sale in the other half of the space. I am pretty excited right now, frantically placing orders for everything from tissue paper and bags to shop counters. I am planning to open late November so watch this space to follow the progress. I apologise in advance if the posts are a bit erratic but bear with me I will do my best.

That is it for today I'm afraid, so much to do, so little time.

Three little links these made me smile.

Camillas kokeshi made me gasp

This is coming to live with me
Back soon x

I love you Mr Ryan

I have to interrupt my blogging schedule to tell you about what the wonderful postman delivered this morning. I completely forgot I had ordered this book by the wonderful Mister Rob Ryan, which arrived this morning alongside the tile I bought from his etsy shop a couple of days ago. He is a genius and I just can't wait to sit down later and have a real good look through the book. I first saw his work when he did the Liberty windows a few christmases ago. I ove the bittersweetness of his images. The book is a gem, I particularly like the way the images have shadows, it makes you just want to touch each page. What a star! He has made my day.

See you tomorrow! xxx

Edit: Having read this book rather than flicking I realised it a magical story of love and loneliness and dreams. Everyone should own this book. I wonder if it is autobiographical. I simply love it!

Shopping love

Phew, its all over. Exhausted!!!! Thank you to everyone who came along to the studio at the weekend, more than 200 of you in all, thats a lot of talking, and a lot of wine!!! It was a huge success for us both so thanks for the support of the project.

On Tuesday, I drove to Winchester to deliver six new paintings as part of a group show of Marine artists. The show starts tonight at Bell Fine Art. A very apt name for a gallery I'm showing in I thought.

Whilst in Winchester I happened to wander past THE most lovely shop I've seen in a long time.

The Hambledon.

Its huge!!! Over four floors there are room upon room of goodness, from furniture design classics like the Eames rocker, vintage furniture like this lovely Ercol chair, these beautiful French vintage boxes above (how did I not buy them?) to the latest Saltwater, Orla Kiely, Odd Molly and Goat collection in the Womenswear department on the top floor. Sean was happy flicking through the design books and the menswear section, there were also toys, ceramics, great books, beautiful toiletries, I could go on and on. I was like a kid in a sweet shop. The only thing I thought was missing perhaps was some locally made items and a bit more handmade but the interior of the shop was my dream. I wanted to move in! I'm not sure what exactly happened but I just came out with a gift for a friend. I think I was a little overwhelmed and didn't quite know where to start. Perhaps it was all just too much for my senses to take.

Instead next door was an art shop so I went and blew £100 on new pencils, brushes, pens and paint colours instead. What is that all about!?!?!?!?!?

I also managed to find a pair of Ugg boots in size 5 as they seem to have sold out in most places across the country, so thats my feet sorted till February. So a very good day was had in all until we hit a major jam on the way home so we spent 6 hours in the car. Hooray for M&S at service stations now, at least we could get something nice for dinner to be eaten in the car.


I am working on another painting for a Care home, which is 100x180cm, BIG!, I will try to photograph the progression. I have some lovely links saved up which I will get round to tomorrow, until then though Happy Thursday peeps xxx

We are open!

Just quickly, before i go....it was a very late one last night hanging the exhibition and getting everything ready, but at 10am(aaagggghhhh in an hour)this morning we will be opening our doors. On show there will be approximately 80 works in total for viewing. Some old, some very old and some brand spanking new works from both of us. Must dash, its going to be a long day. Hope to see you there! There will be wine!!!!!xxx

New work

St Ives Harbour, did I ever mention my paintings are big, this is 90x90cm. This is also available as a limited edition print.

Open Studios

Once again, for the fourth year running, we are having an Open studio exhibition on the weekend of September 22nd/23rd (next weekend), in our garden studio at 41 Hamilton street, Hoole, Chester.

I think you can click the flyer above to enlarge it .

Come along......... you will find myself and Caroline Dangerfield, serving wine, talking about our work and maybe even doing a little painting. There will be brand new never been seen originals, some older works, works on canvas, prints, Limited editions, framed pieces and cards. It is so much fun to do, a lot of hard work but I love it, we meet the best people. It is worth coming just to admire the garden surrounding the studio, a litle private oasis.

So that is what i have been working on recently, last night we attempted to clean the studio, ready for the public, several spiders later and it looks fairly presentable. We have 1000 flyers to distribute locally this week, so thats my evenings sorted. So I will probably just be posting new works and not many words this week.

Bye for now xx

A very pleasant crescent

So we went to Bath, it has quickly become my new favourite city. Fortunately the sun shined for us, so we walked and walked and walked and bathed as the sun set in the rooftop pool in the new Thermae spa, visited the old Roman Baths, But THE most enjoyable bit was walking round this cresecnt and peeking through the windows.....and spending some precious time with my man of course.

Back tomorrow xx

favourite sandals

More feet for Shash's feet week

Listening to the Magnolia soundtrack a lot these days, I love Aimee Mann

Trying out recipes from these two cookbooks,

Loving the new Habitat catalogue.

Enjoying my latest edition to my gallery wall, a stitched one at that!

Taking a few days off to celebrate the husbands 30th year. I can't say where we are going as its a surprise for him but back next week xx

Autumns here

Gosh, sorry for the absence. It's been busy here again. I spent last weekend signing 550 limited edition prints for an order I had so had to take a small trip to the Coast to the printers.
I thought it was just me that loved photographing feet so I snapped Seans on the beach for Shash's feet week.

I have hardly left the house so took my camera out in the garden and my porch area. I loved the one red leaf on the tree at the bottom of the garden. I should go down there more often. the corn in the field next to us is higher than our heads now but still no corn! Autumn has arrived. Things are changing, leaves are actually falling, damsons are being picked, apples are being stewed and flowers are picked before they reach their end, so I am filling jugs with them.

Still looking for a house, I'm actually thinking of contacting Kirsty and Phil .....seriously!

Back soon. x

Flower heaven

'Inspired by hydrangeas'.......I was...........

................ so I painted this. This months Country living had a beautiful article on Hydrangeas. The jewel like colours got me very excited indeed. I might take a little trip to our local garden centre tomorrow to see the colours they have. Very busy painting for Baxters gallery in Devon still. This with two more went today, more to follow. My two favourite magazines these days are Coast and Country Living. the pictures inspire me no end. We are househunting at the moment, looking and dreaming of that Seaview! Back to painting Dartmouth!

Perfect day.

I keep meaning to write, really I do, I have so much news that I don't know where to start with it all. I have updated my site, there, I've started! One thing a day maybe, that might make it easier.

Here is the final painting i started last week. The sky was at least 8 different colours and they never felt right. It is currently in Oriel gallery in Barmouth, Wales, and will also be in my shop, in the next couple of days. I added more daisies as I thought they really drew you in to the painting.

I am busy painting new works for Baxters Gallery in Dartmouth ready for the Regatta that is coming up there, so lots of colour and bunting.

We had a well deserved day off yesterday. We drove with friends to the coast. Of course I forgot to take photos, I am so rubbish like that! It was windy and the waves were crashing onto the beach, just how we like it. We went here, here, and hereWe had a lovely Sunday lunch here and then came home to meet some more friends whose birthday it was. As a birthday gift Sean designed site a site for our lovely friend Amy whose cakes are magical, more images to be added soon. They really are spectacular. So a perfect Sunday really, the sea, good food and good friends! (some sun would have been quite nice too I suppose).

Oh and I told you a long time ago that the one thing I do whilst painting is light candles. So I am very excited that I ordered a few new ones this morning from 'Coasts of Cornwall' I can't wait to smell the Raspberry and Vine tomato and also the smell of Cotton sheets. Victoria lives in my beloved Cornwall and has a really lovely blog here.

So I promise I will be back again this week, sharing more. x

taking shape.

I thought for fun I would record my painting process. There are more decisions to make with colour than you realize. This is probably my personal favourite colour palette, greys blues and pastels. I am secretly quite happy with this, I think I might go to print with it as a limited edition. It will be on its way to Avalon in Cornwall next week I think.

Oh, and I forgot to say yesterday, I bought these in Cath Kidston last week and I love love love them, I don't think I have worn anything else since, whether they go with my outfit or not! xxx

How does that happen?

How does a week just disappear????

In all honesty, I have locked myself in my studio for the last 10 days with the exception of a lovely trip to London last Thursday. I have been coming out for coffee and supplies. I am swamped right now. Galleries are selling out fast as its Summer and quite frankly I am struggling to keep up! it is a great feeling though and I have treated myself to lots of new music to keep me going. But I will. I had to come up for air for a quick post. I just need a half hour break. break.

Here are some photos from my London day out. I met up with a very special lady, enjoyed a spot of lunch at The Bluebird and shopping on the Kings rd, we got told off for taking photos in Designers guild!!!

We talked and talked over cake and coffee mmmmmmmm then we parted and I went off to meet a friend in Spitalfields.

This has to be my favourite area of London, great little cafes and restaurants and shops shops shops and this special shop (below)


Unfortunately most of the market was closed which of course was good for my bank balance. Doesn't that photo of the cafe look like Paris? A lovely dinner with said friend then last train home. I LOVE London, but I also love coming home to my little house in the country surrounded by fields and fresh air and no black snot!!!!!

My Summer!

There might just be some more photos over here xx

What I do best....

It's been quite a while since I've shown you any work so here is one for now. A lot to do this week, early morning painting, late night painting, meetings, new ideas, colour proofing and less time reading blogs is the order. Bye for now xx

What weather!

More lovely pattern and colour from Alhambra. Our necks hurt from gazing up at that ceiling for a long time. Crazily reminded me of egg boxes!

Some areas in the UK are really seriously flooding, Poor Gloucestershire! It hasn't stopped raining here for days. I have been enjoying watching the everchanging skies. I love the array of colours, so many shades of grey. Bu this weather really is making people miserable. We have been really looking forward to today. As a surprise wedding gift to Sean I booked us a hot air balloon flight that actually goes over our house. It was meant to be this evening but alas when we phoned up at lunchtime, surprise surprise it was cancelled! So we have to rebook but with the weather as it is I think we will be safer waiting several weeks. Very disappointed.

I read today about The Couple by Sean Henry, I would like to go up and see that when it is completed later this month. I love it when people go crazy on scale.I reckon it will be amazing!

I found a lovely new blog Freds blog.......a man! How refreshing! A man who appreciates Cath Kidston and colour and makes fairy cakes and everything, who'd have thought it eh! And I bet he can put up shelves too!!!

Until tomorrow xx

Alhambra delights

Every inch of this place is magnificent, the detail is unbelievable. Everyone must go here at least once in their lifetime, it will blow you away!

I saw these and thought of Abigails drawing and carvings........more to follow! xx

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