Warrington Art Festival

The studio's are open as part of Warrington Art Festival.  Although I say studios, in fact there is only me, I am the only resident artist who actually uses the studio to work and exhibit.  The main area of the large hall is taken up with other artists work which is on display free of charge. It was originally agreed that you would have to rent a studio to exhibit, that is obviously not the case now as every tom, dick or harry can display free.  I have never ever in all my years found anywhere that lets you exhibit free of charge. 
All my paintings that are on display -in my studio- are reduced as I am giving up painting, not completely but not on such large canvas's.  I am concentrating on my textile art which starts mainly on paper and my bags which are doing really well.  My bags will be on display at the open studio events.  I cannot do textile work at the studio as the darn mice keep eating my fibres, which is no joke.  They have ruined some of my best wools and cottons.
So, come along and listen to ABBA which is nice and uplifting and view my work and, if you feel inclined, make a purchase.  Lots of sale including key rings, postcards, gift tags, bags and paintings.

Studio Update

As I seem to live more and more at my studio and my work is changing thought you might like an update.

I picked up this metal shelving for a song in a bric a brac store, its great for my weaving's and for hanging my gift tags on. Fits neatly behind my sofa.
View from my sofa, where I sit to do any hand stitching, reading etc, also now have video and dvd's to watch.
My working end, starts to get very scruffy. Boxes of wire, tools and papers. I tend to kneel on the floor when working here as its usually with a hot iron, poker or other electronic gizmo's! As you can see my bike doesn't go anywhere these days, now attached for indoor riding, but its so noisy it hardly gets used.
Hung a couple of my weaving's, this hides my scruffy area when anybody looks in the door.
View from the door, difficult to see anything as it into the light.
One side of my worktable, with the back of a hanging where I put postcards.
Part of my table where I sit and tend to do most of my work.

More lovely Snow

Overnight we have had another snowfall, not very heavy but enough to put a white blanket everywhere. Being a Sunday I have been able to take the dog for a walk and get some photos.
The pond is still frozen from the last big freeze, above a leaf under the ice.
Birds footprints across the pond. Big bird too.
Frozen pond with bird footprints.
Pathway at the back of the house to the woods.

Happy New Year 2010

A very happy new year to all those who love me and all those who don't.
xxx

Art Exhibition Soaptank Studio

The exhibition was a great success at the weekend, with over 100 visitors. I made a few sales and had a lot of people who were interested in life classes and asking if I would hold/teach them! I have no idea why, as the only bare flesh on the day was my hands and face! My artwork is buildings and couldn't be further from life painting.

I made some Gift Tags and have a few bags left so will be putting them up for sale. Just have to photograph them.

Open Studio & Art Exhibition Today

Come along to the Soaptank Studio's today and tomorrow, several artists are exhibiting their work and the Artists Studios are open, you can see them at work.
Lots to see and all exhibited work is for sale, so you can nab a Christmas present or two (or three or four). Refreshments are available.

Soaptank Studios
Unit 10a
Bank Quay Industrial Estate
Slutchers Lane
Warrington
WA1 1PJ

Ring the bell for our Meeter and Greeter.

Open Studio & Exhibition

Visit the website for more details.

Liverpool One

I have finished my painting of Liverpool One, prints will be available as soon as I find another reliable printing company, the owner of my last one has retired. It's in a temporary space on my Studio Wall I wouldn't normally hang them next to an electric socket - lol.
I have lots of photos from my trip to Scotland and I will be selling a few of them as prints, I have also started a painting from one.
Now the triathlon season is over hopefully I will have a more time to spend at my studio and should have lots more to show over the coming months.

Sad Day

It's a sad day for me today. I have closed the gallery down, packed all my pictures up and put them into storage. I have sold some original art, some prints, postcards and key rings. But the footfall promised did not materialise. Most of the visitors are on the day out coaches, they get off, have a pee and cup of tea and only have a few minutes left to browse the shops. Many have no intention of buying, its just a coach stop for them. This week they have also just opened a bric a brac emporium - loads of cheap tat. Once they have been round there then it's back on the bus ad away. I have made a loss for the last two months, so decided to quit. I am still looking for a place in Manchester, I may even go for an exhibition nearer to Christmas. But for now, nothing.

Working Gallery

My gallery is now set up and I am working while I am there.  I have two walls with my Reflections and one wall with my prints.

The right wall and back wall showing my paintings.  I have my sideboard displaying my postcards and keyrings.  I keep my paints and brushes in the cupboards.  I have a glass computer desk which I work from, great for cutting on.
This shows the left wall with my prints, it also shows where I have managed to put my easel (with work in progress).  Its the best place for light and it doesn't block my work.
This shows the end wall, I have two paintings on small easels on the floor.  Overall I am very pleased with it.  I have some bobbin lace on the table, just for a break while waiting for my paint to dry.

Patched Postcard

Another Fabric Postcard. Scraps of painted silk embellished onto felt with some wool. Finished with some stitching and beads.

Froggy

As you may have gathered by now, I love frogs. All types and sizes, tree frogs being my favourite, hence my logo (a copy of my tattoo which I designed). So it comes as no surprise that my latest post card is my tree frog! The background has been done on the embellisher, with surface stitching and my frog which I painted onto very fine net.

Fish Postcards

I did some more work on postcard no 1 (on the right), just to make the fish look more like a fish. I then started on postcard 2 (on the left). I think I will call them finished now. Just have to back them and the usual signing etc. I don't think they are too bad for a first effort with the embellisher and first go at postcards. I am working tonight but can manage to squeeze an hour or so in my workroom before I go - lol.

What a Day!

I had to go to the doctors yesterday as he had made a mistake on my sick note, he signed me off for 4 weeks, instead of part time hours for 4 weeks, so I had to make an appointment to see him to change it. My appointment was at 10:15 and at 11:00 I was still waiting, it doesn't help your stress levels sitting in the waiting room for nearly an hour, especially when baby clinic is on and you can hear all the poor babies crying as they are injected with their vaccinations. When I finally go to see him I was in and out in two minutes!! I got home to find that I had missed a delivery, but they delivered to my neighbour. I went round and they had gone out. So I spent the afternoon, cleaning out my pond and popping back and too to see if they had returned.
It was my embellisher machine - yippeee!! I have read so many blogs about them and seen such wonderful work, I just had to try and get one. I found a company that sells them at a good price, so was thrilled to find I could just about afford one.
I played around for a bit on some scraps, then cut my felt to postcard size and started on my first postcard. Mmmm, people came home, but I don't remember having dinner last night. My postcard was designed from one of my blue and white china pieces, well that was the basic idea. I found a site that shows how to draw koi carp on the pc and used that for my fish. This is where its up to at the moment, I am unsure at this time whether to leave it as it is or do some more work on the fish (yes, and obviously back it etc).

Got up this morning, made my cup of tea and just looked into my workroom - big mistake. Next minute the embellisher was on and I was playing around with Emily plays Pop. I have discovered that you can pull the fabric back off if you don't like what you have done, unless you are working on satin and trying to pull off silk fibres, the satin just rip's, so I have had to add patches. Unless its because I have coloured the satin, the fibres go through to the back and can be seen, but don't seem to have come through to the front where I wanted them, so I have added them to the front. Its now a mish mash mess - lol. I have ordered a book from The Thread Studio, can't wait to read it and find out what else I can and cannot do.