Rome Outdoors

Rome was, hot, beautiful, tiring, touristy, dusty, loud, entertaining, green, sun drenched, spectacular and surprising.

The Trevi fountain floored me as did the white baroque architecture against a cloudless blue sky but who can enjoy the Sistine Chapel with 500 hot people in the same room as you?

I had a love hate relationship with Rome, not to be done again in the month of July but we walked and saw and ate and laughed so I loved it for that.

Sailing by

Please forgive my absence. So much going on, doubling the size of gallery, working with several companies on some exciting projects, trying to create a website but changing my mind every day, and off to Rome on Monday for our one year wedding anniversary.

Where does time go????????

I love how my Blyton books echo my Popang photo frame, and thats me....hello! and my treasured Cathy Miles bird. Amy Ruppel is having an online sale today, there are still some left.

I have enjoyed June so far, a little bit of calm was needed. I am enjoying looking and living in the house and making decorating decisions. I am loving eating outdoors nearly every day. I am enjoying the flowers coming to life in a garden we have not ever seen through Summer yet. I am enjoying putting together a new website for the gallery showcasing the wonderful work of the 20 artists and designers I am now selling. So it is calmer but still lots to do. But mostly I am enjoying the cloudless bright blue sky hanging over my head and the peace and quiet today.

Jewellery above by Becky Crow and flower brooch by Abbot and Ellwood

I am happy with this pair titled 'a good day beachcombing'. You can see a well worn easel. I am working on the very last two paintings now for the show which will make 25. A signing session of some exclusive limited edition prints for the show is happening in the morning. We are publishing 7 in total. They will be available only through myself and Baxters gallery. A small edition of 25 of each will be available. More on that soon. I made the most of hubby being away and had a wonderful dinner with an old friend in a pub high up on a hill overlooking the sea last night. Lovely fish stew and berry pavlova. I am especially excited at the moment about going to see the wonderful Feist next Thursday night in the Palace Theatre, Manchester. I will leave you with this that makes me very happy indeed. Actually this one makes me happier, the video is magical, you can't not like it. Bear with it though, it may sound strange at the beginning.

Another finished and available from Baxters, Devon.

I'm grumpy today because hubby has jetted off to Cannes film festival without me. He will be working, and having meetings but even so, he packed lots of pairs of shorts, and his tuxedo so I imagine there will be a bit of red carpet action, star spotting, chmpagne drinking and watching films on the beach in the sun! Next year I am going!!!! x

Chez Amy

This week has been hectic, I had a long long

drive on Tuesday (nearly 12 hours) to deliver the 19 paintings ready for the show opening next Friday. But I broke the journey up with an overnight stay in the best B&B I have ever stayed in, great company, great magazines by the bed, Clinique products, soft and fluffy towels, and a gentle wake up call. Its called Sion and Amy's house and it is THE most delightful place to stay. They have amazing taste in everything and wonderfully hospitable. They just so happen to also be our great friends. It was like waking up in a beautiful Summer Sky. The sun is still shining and busy is good xxx

How to start a Sunday, breakfast outside and playing cards in the Sun (note to self, eat outside more often). Finishing paintings for the Devon show. This one is very big, 30x40 inches. Also available as a limited edition print with a edition size of just 20. Available from Baxters Gallery, Dartmouth.

Hope everyone is having a sunny and happy weekend!

Lost.....for......words!!!! Photo take from Daily Mail website, full story here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=563975&in_page_id=1766&ito=1490

Happy days

I was just a little bit excited when the postman arrived today. This little fisherman came to live with us by the sea! The manos shop is open. Thank you ladies. This sunshine is making everyone smile....happy days!

a corner of my studio

Works in progress.

For the past few months I have been working towards my two woman show at Baxters in Dartmouth. So I have been painting Devon and the more I paint it the more I love the place. I have two weeks left so I may be a little quiet as long hours are now required. The show starts on Friday 24th May and myself and Sasha Harding will both be there on the evening. I will hopefully post more details soon but if anyone has any enquiries please email me or contact the gallery directly. The gallery website will have images up there before the show. I am honoured to be showing alongside Sasha, she has been a favourite artist of mine for quite some time now. More soon.

something to smile at this weekend

I have to respond to Camillas links with this one which made me laugh sooooo much last night. Yes, I watch Britains got talent, yes.......I need a life! Hope you are having a dryer weekend than us here in blighty!

evening light

Rockpool 1

Rockpool 2



Dunes 1

Dunes 2

High tide 1


High tide 2

Golden sky 1

Golden sky 2

I've been doing these small paintings over the last few weeks in the evenings. They are all from my recent trip to Devon of some of the beaches we visited. Some new colours have emerged when the light is different in the studio and I am really pleased with the results. They are for sale in my gallery at the moment at £90 the pair. I had a bit of trouble displaying them on this page as a pair. They are 8x8 inches each. If anyone is interested please send me an email. Thanks for looking.

Last Wednesday was my birthday so I was surprised with a day and night over to Dublin. We live just half an hour from Holyhead port now so got the Seacat over in just two hours. We arrived, we froze on an open top bus trip, we warmed up with a guinness then had a wonderful birthday meal. We saw the book of Kells in trinity college and we wowed at the Long room there. We woke up in a lovely room, I opened some surprise presents ,we shopped, we walked in the sun, we held hands, we ate fantastic vegetarian food, we smelled all the Jo Malone perfumes intensively, we drank more guinness, we got on the ferry home.....and the best bit on my birthday night......we watched Juno on the ferry and were the only two people in the whole cinema, our own private showing. We came home to pretty flowers and our lovely new house. I love birthdays!!!!

p.s Thank you so much to all the commenters and well wishes in our new house and blue kitchen. Jamjar, the clock comes from Laura Ashley a few years ago but is made by Newgate.

feeling blue?

I'm back...for today, Easter came and went and a house move came and went since last time I was here. We moved to our very own house and we are incredibly happy. It is a wonderful feeling to settle knowing that in six months time we will not be packing up again. So this is move number 24 in my 31(nearly 32) years and the last for a very very long time. We got the keys two weeks ago. I spent a week of evenings last week painting the kitchen, it was lovely teal colour and one reason i fell in love with our new house but ever since seeing this 2 years ago , I have dreamt of a blue kitchen. The next few months I think will be house related as this blog is a great personal diary and way of documenting our progress.

My favourite things in the kitchen are the orange and yellow plastic containers on the top shelf in the last photo. They belonged to my Grandma (Dads Mum not mormor) and last weekend she gave them to me after one too many hints. They are Danish and she bought them in 1975 when my Mum and Dad lived in Denmark and they went to visit. She has used them every day since 1975. Thats 33 years!! It makes me wonder how many things we have now that we will still be using daily in 33 years time and how much of a throw away society we are. Time to think about that.

Goodnight x

p.s thank you for the lovely comments recently, I am sorry for not taking the time to reply individually, i appreciate you stopping by and hope to catch up soon.

just saying hello

I wasn't swept away in thr storms, just so busy, painting every hour of every day at the moment. We are also due to complete on our new house this week so starting to pack also. Getting very excited by the Karin and Camilla collaboration. So many exciting things going on around. I happened to spend an hour catching up on a long list of blogs last night.
Back soon I promise x

Computer playing up, but just enough time to tell you I'm off to Devon now until Wednesday.
Its a work trip and leaving poor Sean behind to run the gallery. I have two man show there in a few months so need to do a lot of sketching and planning. A lot of paintings to do.
Above is the latest creation from the wonderful Syko. She is in the middle of making me lots of houses and boats to sell in my gallery, I can't wait to see them.
Have a great weekend everyone, I now have a six hour drive ahead of me. I shall return with some good photos.

Sunday hours

Its a Sunday, and I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself because as much as I would like to be out for a long walk on a beach somewhere on this beautiful Island, I am painting busily for show after show. A lovely local couple came in and bought 2 pieces from me this morning for their little boys' newly decorated bedroom. They then phoned later to invite us both along for a walk, sadly I couldn't shut up shop but the thought was lovely. The people here are so friendly and welcoming, so hopefully next time. I love being part of a community, it makes me feel very settled and secure, a feeling I have never had before really. Back to it, hope you are all having a fun Sunday (said through gritted teeth) ;) x

Liverpool

This was one of the finished paintings for the new gallery in Liverpool, it opens 29th February. I will give more details when I know them.

It was nice to paint older bulidings, not something I'm used to.

Coffee and cake

Its a new week, and a new painting featuring my favourite Orla mug and more cakes!!!!

We just got back from a very inspiring walk along the beach. I was looking for a few nice pebbles to display some jewellery on in my new cabinet. The light was spectacular, we both glowed orange. I always forget my camera though. What is it with this weather?? We've had blue skies nearly every day of February. Global warming?!?!?!