virtual shopping

I love how in a couple of hours the web takes you from one place to another, here was last nights journey.
I started somehow on Flickr and found an image of a shop in Paris called Puree Jambon, there I found the dolls of Heather Louise, here is her fabulous website. She had a show last year at Puree Jambon in Paris, I particularly love her Marie Antoinette dolls

Heather Louise also has a blog here.
You can buy her work from this great shop in Amsterdam called Eggmercantile.
And they have a blog.

They also sell these postcards by Camilla, and the trays of Ibride, which I have loved since the days I worked in Habitat and we stocked them.

You have to go and look at the Ibride site, its beautiful.
Eggmercantile also stock lots of other great stuff from LZC and cute ceramics from Helbak.
And finally I found someones work I had never seen before, the talented Sam Buxton,

how have I ever missed that?

So a couple of hours soon disappeared and I didn't spend any money! x

Things that warm my heart today on dark and wet Sunday.

Rob Ryans new Valentine piece, the words make me feel all fuzzy.

Sitting playing Monopoly for 5 hours with great friends, lots of laughs and lots of tea and Nigellas flourless chocolate brownies from Nigella express.

.......and not feeling guilty about any of it!

Falmouth, Cornwall

One project.......a range of cards.

Kathleen Hills

I will continue with book week when I have more time. Juggling lots and lots of different projects at the moment.....AND LOVING IT!

So a quick lovely link to the wonderful work of Kathleen Hills.

Green and blue

Notable books on these shelves

Lullaby Supermarket Yoshitomo Nara

Craft Galleries guide

The Winter book Tove Jansson

Jimmy Corrigan the smartest kid on earth

Beetle boy Laurence David and Delphine Durand (she is my favourite illustrator of Chiildrens books) The house that Jill built and The Snoops are just wonderful

Bob and co Delphine Durand

A day in St Ives Sue Lewington (more on her another day, amazing amazing sketchbooks!!!!)

White

Each day this week I will show you a shelf of my books and link to the ones i think you might be interested in. I have linked them either to Magma or Amazon.


A childrens garden of verses, illustrated by Brian Wildsmith
Gallery Catalogue of Rachael Howard
Flea market style Emily Calmers
Speed to the West (I love this book of vintage travel posters)
Gate of Eden Ethan Coen
Under Milk Wood (Classic Dylan Thomas and one of the only things I remember from English/drama class)
Slash with a knife Yoshitomo Nara
This is for you Rob Ryan(everyone should own this beautiful book) I just found this interview with him on the Magma site.
The Principles of Uncertainty Maria Kalman
Sometimes I think, sometimes I am Sara Fanelli (her latest book)
This is London M Sasek (I would love them all in this series)
Pictures and Words Roanne Bell and Mark Sinclair, (diverse collection of illustrators)


Tomorrow Green x

Capital of Culture 2008

On friday I took a trip to Liverpool, the capital of culture.

I have to do some paintings, drawings of Liverpool for a new gallery opening there. So come along for a day out with me won't you?

I arrived at lunchtime so I headed straight to the cafe in The Tate at the Albert Dock for a bite to eat.

A German installation artist Tobias Rehberger was commissioned to turn the cafe into a multicoloured three dimensional piece of art. I was impressed, The photo above made me laugh!

Whilst at the Tate I managed to catch the last few days of The Turner prize. The place was packed out with an amazing cross section of people. I don't go and see this kind of art often enough. I like that it challenges me to think beyond the everyday art I see in commercial galleries. I found it hard that I was on my own with noone to discuss what i was seeing with. I decided to this year try to keep more up to date with what is going on in this other Art World. I really enjoyed the film Waiting by Zharina Bhimji.

'Waiting, made in a factory used to process Sisal, has an abstraction that hovers somewhere between film and painting. The washed-out colour of the hair-like material, the light, and the interior of the factory create a saturated monochrome that, combined with the film’s soundtrack, becomes immersive. Recorded on a 35mm film and then transferred to high-definition video ,every nuance of the building is captured.'

Here is more about the shortlisted artists.

So I walked around the docks, took lots of photos, did some sketching. the Albert Docks is where the new gallery is going to be so this was a good starting point.

Next I walked towards the city to take in some of the biildings there.

I was astounded by the amount of building work going on. Everywhere you looed there were cranes, diggers and huge new buildings being built and old ones being bulldozed. It is going to be very difficult to paint this skyline when it will probably look very different some time soon.

So I headed towards the The Bluecoat. It is one of the best outlets in the country for contemporary craft. Here are some of the artists they have on permanent display there!!!! I got a little bit excited.

Anna Howarth

Donna Wilson

Jennifer Collier

Rebecca Wilson

Penny Fowler

Susan Kerr

Karin Eriksson

I'll save some more for another day as I think this is turning into a marathon post. By the time I came out of there, the sun was setting, I had a little Donna Wilson softie in my bag and I was very happy.

The photos below are my favourites of the day, the sky was stunning.

See you all next week for Book shelf week x

Shopfront

I think this is one of the best Shopfronts I have ever seen. The new Urban outfitters in Stockholm is in a converted cinema! I like the fact they haven't tried to change it.

I was given and I have bought a lot of very inspiring books recently so I have decided to have a book week next week, starting Monday. i think you can tell a lot from someones bookshelf so here is a sneak peek of part of mine.

It's that time of year again

Ahhhh, lovely thoughts of a holiday that seems so long ago amidst the mountain of paperwork I put off throughout December and the dreaded...................Tax return!!!!

I found Bengt&Lotta in Stockholm

To all the self employed people out there, I am feeling the pain too. I am halfway there and my tips to you are light some candles, spread out on a large table and put some nice music on, then pour yourself a very large glass of wine, then another until you can't focus and have to start again tomorrow ;)

My very nice music today comes courtesy of Camera Obscura, I just rediscovered their 2006 album 'Lets get out of this country'.

It makes me very happy indeed!

Back tomorrow x

Home!! (Sigh)

We are back from our trip to Scandinavia. I prayed for snow and boy did we get it. I fell in love with Stockholm but I do not think I have ever been as cold in my life. Thermals were bought and extra socks worn. We ventured out just one evening after we got back to our hotel because of the cold. We walked for hours during the day and it took so long to thaw out so we played cards and yahtzee on the bed instead. I liked playing with the lights as you can see.

I have never been anywhere more friendly as Sweden....or expensive.

More photos tomorrow as I sort them out.

Happy New year to you all, I feel this is going to be an exciting one.

Things I am excited about today:
3191 evenings.....and THE BOOK later on the year, whoopee!
Camilla is guest blogger over at Design sponge (my two favourite blogs in one).
Karin updating her etsy shop with her pebbles and more.

Finally finding the music of Simone White after seeing the Audi adverts.

It looks like Tim Burton has done it again with Sweeney Todd.
My Christmas present from hubby coming back from the framers!!!!

I have been doing some drawing and collage recently. I really feel I need to do something for me in these cold dark evenings. I love painting each day but I don't seem to have time to experiment as much as I would like to, so this Winter I will be opening my own etsy shop for tiny originals and prints....coming soon.

Up, up and away

Blimey, has it really been that long, I have all good intentions you know but time is just disappearing in front of my very eyes! The month has flown by, it has been a very successful month, the gallery has been very well received and I couldn't be happier!

But my days are very long, long gone are the days when I paint uninterrupted for hours, I now have lovely customers to distract me, which I love but I now paint long after the gallery has closed at 5. I have had just 2 proper days off this last month and the so I am sooooooooo looking forward to this Christmas break which starts tomorrow at 2.30 until January 6th. woohoo!!

We are heading off to Denmark this Christmas to spend time and to celebrate my Mothers 60th birthday and then me and hubby are going to Stockholm for 3 nights. THIS I cannot wait for, some time alone to enjoy, strolling hand in hand through a new city, talking, making plans for the coming year and generally spending some quality time together which has definitely been lacking here of late. I am also hoping to go and visit Karin in her studio and so many little shops I always read about on her blog.

I have not had my usual time Christmas shopping trips out this year so I have bought many gifts from Blogger friends and Etsy. I will be doing this every year now and supporting handmade. I can honestly say that the work of Kajsa of Syko fame never fails to brings a smile to my face. I am the proud owner of quite a few bits and pieces of hers and honestly the quality and finishing is excellent and the small details really delighful. There are a few lucky girls in my family this year. She is also a kind and wonderful person too which makes it all the better buying from her.

Before I go, I have to share with you the work of John Button who I have fairly recently discovered. I purchased a piece of his which I am yet to frame but will share with you once it is. I have much admiration for his work and I simply could quite easily live with one of his paintings on every wall. He is an English artist living in Stockholm, and he is clearly inspired by that special Scandinavian light. Go and see his work at his website. What makes it all the better is he is a very nice man too. Here is my favourite piece of his.

So I am now going to spend the next few hours reading blogs, something I have not done for such a long time and catch up on all your goings on. Thank you to all who have read my blog this year and been so patient with my erratic posting, I miss this space but something has had to give these past few months. To the readers who have emailed encouraging some words for you my new years resolution is to do at least one post every week....so there...its in print now.

Thank you for staying with me and being so patient, I will be back in the New Year...I promise.

Merry Christmas everybody and a very Happy New Year xxx

Where to start?

Hello folks....

What a month....its just flown by. Its been such a long time since I posted that I nearly didn't, but the lovely Kajsa encouraged me to so I will start with small steps again. So we are in and settled and the gallery is open. Here are just a few photos from the gallery and studio. We are really happy here. I have been made to feel very welcome so far by the community. The local people are just so friendly, it is a very special place. The response has been slightly overwhelming. It is lovely to have people point to their houses in the paintings. The opening was exhausting but so much fun. The town hosted a Victorian evening with Ice rink, snow machines and roasted chestnuts, I slightly overdid it with the mulled wine (first of the season) but hey ho I thought I deserved it.

I'd just like to point out my lovely Mum made the stars for the window which are also for sale, they are great for on the tree, I will try my best to get a better photo of them for you.

I am finding it a little hard to paint and be on show and chat but I'm sure I can get used to it. I had a film crew in from S4C yesterday filming me paint so I had to brush up on my Welsh speaking skills. I studied Welsh in school but that was 13 years ago so I may just go to a local class for a refresher.
So, hwyl i ti a diolch yn fawr iawn i'r pobl o Biwmaris. xx

Things are going well with the move and opening. I will post photos when I get some. This is a new painting of Penmon lighthouse just 5 miles from where we will be moving to.

I am enjoing the new Sigur Ros album. I also received their New film in the post today so very much looking forward to seeing that tonight. I bought the edition that came with a 116 page booklet. I'm so glad I did it is magical. You can find it here

This is one of my favourite music videos.

so there you go!

Back soon.

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