summerland

painting

2012-01-21T06:18:00.000-08:00

i have missed summerland

i've been busy painting and not just on canvas
this is my dining table it was a painting table in the studio

but a coat of this amazing paint in old white
some wax and now i love it
my small intimate romantic dining table

above it is a painting from a stay at obras in the alentjo region of portugal

i see it and remember

another table

this one i have had for 20years
my twins did their homework on it...its been my studios
a little sanding down and a lick of paint and wax and now its my lovely desk

above it a series of paintings called journey

painted in memory of a dear friend
i think he would like it

and today's little treat

from fabulous flowers who are going to have their own blog post ...soon

ebb and flow

2011-11-09T03:32:00.000-08:00

sometimes life takes unexpected turns and twists

new paths
new adventures
sometimes it feels more like a river
it ebbs and flows

i have moved from my beloved forest home

moved back to live beside a river i love

its not far away but very different

there is a huge sky ...and soft colours

and as for my home

beautiful isn't it? not all mine :)
i have a huge light filled flat

its doesn't quite feel like home yet

maybe i'm lucky enough to have more than one home

light red over black

2011-10-04T03:08:00.000-07:00

life has been hectic, frantic even
mostly fun
and some not so fun

through it all my mind drifts back to this

seen at the whitechaple gallery

it enchanted me and i return to the memory of it
it brings calm

its interesting to see the photographs of people looking at the paintings during mark rothko's first solo show in the uk in 1961

there's a photo of a woman looking at the work ....i'm sure she was feeling what i felt

more about this painting here
and about the exhibition here
i enjoyed the film

hay on wye

2011-09-19T06:31:00.001-07:00

this weekend saw the opening of my show

at the lion street gallery in hay on wye

brent blair, the owner did a great job of hanging the paintings

even the late arrivals

it really is a lovely gallery

no pics of me trying on the fabulous jewellery they have...
but here i am before the opening starts

lion street is fun... these are the neighbours

i had a perfect time

especially coming home over hay bluff...magical, mysterious and as wonderful as ever

upton house party

2011-09-14T02:15:00.000-07:00

i've been to a house party...here at upton house
a 1930's millionaires mansion in the english countryside

fun to visit as you can actually touch things...well somethings
and its feels like the family are still there...just in the next room

the main room was beautiful
but the bedroom was interesting

and the bathroom...the height of 1930's art deco glamour
aluminium gilding and red

well worth a visit

i have to go back to see the garden ...when the rain and wind stop

a new painting...a new series

2011-08-29T10:09:00.001-07:00

new paintings are emerging
they are forming a series...i have a name for the series

patteran

patteran....coded marks left by gypsies

in this one some of the marks and certainly the mood are inspired by the things in my studio window

things from bali, from the garden
and from portugal...those wooden objects are pushed through loops to form fastenings for leather straps

above is a detail and below is the painting
(click on it to enlarge)

Patteran, mixed media on canvas 100x100 cms

i am loving painting these...but what do you think?
any feedback most welcome x

patterns

2011-08-23T10:43:00.001-07:00

these from roman mosaics at conmbriga, portugal

and these are little bits from the latest paintings

pink hedges

2011-07-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

once again i have a gallery selling my work in the border town of hay on wye

famous for books

and the river wye

i was up there delivering paintings this week and decided to stay a couple of nights... this was the view from our campsite

the sunsets were amazing

i loved these old wagons

but what i loved most was this pink hedge

and these pink flowers in the pub garden

and this colour co-ordinate shop

sorry no pic of the new Lion Street Gallery....its lovely...
and i will be happy to deliver more paintings there again soon :)

lavender fields

2011-07-25T03:23:00.000-07:00

its that time of year again
snowshill lavender farm is a must visit for me

one very happy artist

i hadn't planned to visit that day...but just happened to be wearing a perfectly lavender outfit

this one even matched my new shoes :)

ps print of a lavender field painting available here
and new paintings in the studio soon!

coming home...

2011-07-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

to a cold grey wet uk was made a lot easier when i got to my studio and found this

containing these

thank you so so much to my lovely workshop painters bee and pauline who sent me my own sunshine
a thank you for the use of my studio one day whilst i was away

guess what i'll be painting tomorrow!!!

second light

2011-06-23T03:31:00.000-07:00

these are the first two in what i think may well be an ongoing series...related to the previous post but slightly different

where to start in describing their roots.....

probably a magical month spent in morocco years ago

thinking about magic carpets...inspired by this recent blog post and this blog post from last year

wanting to use glorious vibrant colour

but mainly about internal worlds...thinking

i have synesthesia...in my case a beautiful combination of touch and colour...textures appear as flashes of colour

i often think about texture in my painting ...but am incorporating it more directly in this series

other things i have been considering are entoptic phenomena... visual experiences derived from within the eye or brain, particularly phosphenes ... characterised by the experience of seeing light without light actually entering the eye

they are often seen in altered states of consciousness....which is just how i experience painting

sky gardens

2011-06-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

maybe its the solstice,
the clear starry skies of portugal
or the spectacular lunar eclipse we saw

or maybe its this cosmic rose link

but i have been painting sky gardens

combining painting and old textiles bought at estremoz market

a new direction for my work...combining recurring themes in a new way

its going be interesting to see the reaction to them

i wonder what do you think?

introducing a fellow painter...

2011-06-17T02:36:00.000-07:00

today i have a guest blog post! a first i think

i'm very pleased to introduce you to laura wright

Hi, my name is Laura Wright. I am a painter based on the South Downs, nr Brighton, UK. I take most of my inspiration from my immediate environment and/or coastal towns I have recently visited in UK, south of France and Andalucia, Spain. I usually visit Cassis in the south of France every summer and completed an artist’s residency in Competa, Andalucia which had a big impression on the colours I now use in most of my paintings. I am drawn to coasts and live on the South coast. I believe there is always a better quality of light.

The paintings below are the first three in the series I have been working on for the forthcoming show at Corte Real Gallery, Paderne, Portugal (starting 16th July) with artists: Sally Stafford and Beth Richardson. The colours are typically Mediterranean.

Sussex Townscape

Norfolk Coast

Cornish Coast

Working towards the exhibition at Corte Real has given me free rein on using these vibrant colours, which I often tone down for the UK market and tastes. I prefer to use bright bold hues - which doesn’t necessarily reflect the British landscape. My palette is predominantly made up of coeruleum blue, lemon and naples yellow, yellow ochre, cadmium red, and burnt sienna. I also use lots of zinc white and touches of Paynes grey. I finish the work with a gloss varnish to give a slight sheen and more vibrancy to the colours. The varnish also protects the paint which is quite dense - having been worked in layers. This, I think, is also a safeguard for long distance transportation.

I have so far made three of the six paintings (above) for the Corte real exhibition, these first three are all 61x61cm and I am in the early stages of the three larger canvases (100x100cm)
The images below are in the primary stages of two of the subsequent three large canvases of this series and they are also based on coastal views of UK, using a bright Mediterranean palette. I am organising a visit to the Corte Real Gallery to see this work en situ and take away some inspiration from the trip.

Early stages of Fowey Harbour (top) and Looe Harbour, acrylic on box canvas, 100x100cm

To see more of my work visit my website: www.laurawrightpaintings.com

thanks very much for this intro to your work laura...i hope we actually get to meet in portugal, sally x

images of heaven?

2011-06-16T04:11:00.000-07:00

ludger here at OBRAS took this photo
its a detail of my latest painting

doesn't it look like a medieval star map?
almost a feel of last nights amazing lunar eclipse

you can read a bit more about the painting here
its the blog of uk artist laura wright

more about her here soon

cork oak morning

2011-06-13T04:38:00.000-07:00

a cool spot on a morning walk

obras evenings

2011-06-05T03:10:00.000-07:00

i’ve been at obras for 4 days and already there is so much to record and show
where i’m staying is a centre for artists and for scientists....more about it here

on friday night we had a shared evening
show the work of installation artist annemie bogaerts (from the netherlands)
and theatre company director miira sippola (from finland)

the installation was made from local materials...earth and marble dust
the whole thing looked beautifully ethereal in the evening sun
here’s a very short video so you can hear it too

collaborations especially between different disciplines interest and excite me....very much a direction i want to move in

and actually am! more about that soon

below is 30 seconds from another obras evening
sunset, bird song and bells

to ing and fro ing

2011-06-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

yesterday i arrived in portugal

it feels be good to be back at obras
among friends
with this view from my terrace

and this familiar rose garden

and these two beautiful creatures

no painting today but i am thinking about writing
thank you to beth for sharing some of my writing here
on her inspirational 'do what you love' blog

bluebell island

2011-05-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

i live in a valley
a valley in the heart of the forest of dean
just behind my cottage (and to the front and either side is the forest)
its a mass of bluebells during may
this year has been particularly wonderful
the photos above are just outside the back garden in an area i call my island

ian took this portrait of me there last year

there's more of my bluebell island in the video below
including some of the paintings it inspired

a perfect weekend

2011-05-12T04:03:00.000-07:00

i have been away for a few days

its been like a dream... a perfect dream
some things you can take pictures of
but other things like nightingales singing, twinkling sagittarius stars

and most especially kind, funny and talented friends are clearly and keenly remembered if not shown here

we stayed at saint-michel-l'observatoire in the luberon area of provence
here's our hotel...wonderful views of the mountains....and great food

of course i have to show you some food from france...so hard to chose which of many photos

we shopped for a picnic
and after a walk through oak trees

we saw this

ochre towers in the bright sunshine

one day i found my perfect french garden

lavender

more lavender and rose in a cake

as my amazing new friend said....fantastic flavour ...but a bit like eating soap

thank you so much to all concerned
i feel privileged and immensely grateful

summerland

2011-05-04T01:21:00.001-07:00

my dear friends lindsey and liz came with me to the opening of my summerland show

lindsey made a great video at the start of the show
love the birdsong, sunshine, the sound of her shoes...
and hearing her refusing a glass of champagne!

thanks lindsey!

and here are a few photos of the show before the people arrived

***warning it all gets a bit girly from here...
but do come along if you like shoes and dresses

we matched the flowers perfectly

and here is a view of my coat from the back...i do love it!

and here's the photographer

and here is her own very new art and ceramics website
...and to be fair here is liz's too... we have some painting e-courses in mind...watch this space

forget me not

2011-05-01T03:19:00.000-07:00

and here it is the new video
i love it

i really hope you enjoy it

what be they?

2011-04-24T02:50:00.000-07:00

the sun has shone for days....the forests looks amazing
the bluebells are out in places...but not quite at their best yet behind my house

i have been making another video

the story of a painting....a painting painted outside in the sunshine
a painting that ends up being hung in this gallery as part of my soon to open summerland show

the film maker is the talented woody morris...and this is the first film of his that i saw
moseley green - the story one man’s resilience to a changing forest

Moseley Green from woodrow morris on Vimeo.

my new video is coming soon,
as are lots of photos of the orchard i have been lucky enough to enjoy this spring

six little birds

2011-04-18T02:29:00.001-07:00

i first read about maki and her 1000 birds for japan project on india's blog

6 little birds have flown into my forest....thank you maki
so beautifully made, and presented

and a poignant reminder not to forget

click here if you would like to read about the project

yellow ribbons

2011-04-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

here in the forest yellow ribbons appeared on trees...all sorts of different trees

not actually officially part of the hoof campaign to save the forest from the effect of proposed legislation
but it became a wide spread symbol of peoples discontent and protest

here is a painting i painted at the time its one of three and part of my 'summerland' solo show (more paintings here)

yellow ribbon 72x24 inches
mixed media on canvas

the yellow ribbons became the wood pigeons i see so often...flocks of them eating the acorns in the winter months

all but a very few of the ribbons were removed on febuary 19th at a victory day celebrating a temporary reprieve

but these are still here

attached to one of the roadside memorials of which sadly there are more

i see it most days...it makes me think

faith and doubt

2011-03-09T05:04:00.000-08:00

today is turning into a very good day
sam phillips has sent me the first draft of an essay about my work
that he has written for my new solo show 'summerland'

to say i am delighted is a huge understatement!

he also sent this a link to a guardian film
made with artist jyll bradley it's

about flowers
and artists
and cornwall
and trains

and about faith and doubt

i think it's beautiful and moving and inspiring

its also reminds me of a story i was told by an old forester
about the train that took the first plums of the season from the forest of dean
to london....
and how like the flowers they were regarded as so special by people living in the city

teaching and learning

2011-02-28T12:22:00.000-08:00

a few days ago i held a painting workshop in my studio

we had fun
we worked hard

we used a lot of paint!

but lots of paint....colours mixed by the workshop painters was left

colours that i don't usually use...new colours

i didn't want to waste the paint....the colours were so vibrant and spring like

i had run out of my favourite colour of green (ara acrylics in green gold)
so instead i painted a series of meadows using the left over paint

a spring series

using more blues and lilacs and purples than i usually use...colours mixed to paint hyacinths

and different greens
here are some details from one painting

and here's the finished painting

Spring 100cmsx100cms

painting it reminded me of portugal...
where the lupins will be blooming soon
and spring comes early

these paintings will soon be on their way to the corte real gallery in portugal

the next workshop is painting roses on 11th may
i'm looking forward to it...teaching and learning !

fading but still bright

2011-02-25T01:55:00.000-08:00

i bought a metal box...with beautiful colours

fading in and out

bright and cloudy

it influenced and informed a painting that will be part of my new solo show

here are some painting details

the box and a memory of foxgloves in a misty distance
lead to this finished painting

i'm thinking of another bright but fading memory
of a beautiful time in a beautiful place
new zealand
where i was planning to be this month

my thoughts and prayers are there

valentine's day

2011-02-14T03:34:00.000-08:00

just back for a beautiful, inspiring but too short trip to brittany

saint malo, megaliths, the emerald coast and paimpol

great scenery mixed with sunshine and wonderful food...perfect

and this from paul verlaine printed on a sign near to the megaliths

"here are fruits,
and flowers,
and leaves
and branches.
and then,
here, my heart,
that beats only for you"

gabby young and turner

2011-02-06T12:29:00.000-08:00

actually ....life is not all painting and protest i was in london for a few days ....

loved loved loved seeing the amazing gabby young at the barbican

a wonderful visual and musical performance
here is a pic of the amazing newspaper dress she wore...from gabby’s own blog

and here is a very happy man...

i had planned to arrive early to the barbican to see the japanese fashion show and the performance by students...strangely prevented by students protests and the ongoing work on the underground

the props of that show and the beautiful people in beautiful clothes makes me sad to have missed that

also had time for a short... but moving visit to tate britain
seeing the turners there lifted my heart

this land is my land ...this land is your land

2011-02-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

painting and protesting...more paintings soon

spreading the word for our woods

2011-01-24T04:26:00.000-08:00

readers of this little blog will know i live in the centre of an ancient forest...the forest of dean...a magical mysterious place between two rivers and two nations

more and more people are starting to hear about the forest of dean as the uk wakes up to the coalition government’s proposals to sell off the forests of england

on a cold and snowy day i and over 3000 others attended a rally to voice their protests...this is a video of the event made by talent film maker woody morris...it captures the spirit of the event and the love we all have for the forest

Hands Off our Forest from woodrow morris on Vimeo.

i was too shy to be interviewed but the people who were made an excellent job of expressing the feelings of all...this forest is not for sale...it already belongs to all of us

please please sign the petition here
because where ever in the world you live one day you may want to visit our beautiful forest
and we would be happy to see you enjoy it without restrictions

more info about the local hoof campaign here

pay it forward

2011-01-08T08:24:00.000-08:00

anyone else playing this on facebook?

"Pay it forward for creative people: I promise to send something I'll make myself to the first five people who leave a comment on this update. They must in turn promise to repost this as their status. The rules are that the items must be made by you personally, and they must be received by your five folks in 2011! Be creative and get cracking!"

pop over to my face book page...

http://www.facebook.com/SallyStaffordPaintings

i definitely want to make something textily...
x

little flowers newly blooming

2011-01-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

all the snow has gone...and the family too
so yesterday was a day to paint again....
i thought i would paint the vintage silk flowers i often wear in my hair...paint them against the melting snow....

and that is what i started to do ....but it turned out like this a winter solstice sunset

winter solstice 100cms x 100cms

probably inspired by this...a recent walk and the video from the last post

as well as painting i have been working on some little flowers newly blooming

a new website just for my painting workshops

the summerland studio

happy new year to all and may all your flowers bloom

flourishing imperfectly

2010-12-23T08:35:00.000-08:00

solstice was beautiful here in the forest and now its nearly christmas

i wish you all the joy of the season

like many i have been thinking of the past year and the future one

one of the new skills i want to learn is video making ...here’s my first effort...
very far from perfect

like many i don’t do the new year resolution thing...

but do choose a word for the year for 2011 its

flourish

so here’s to flourishing imperfectly!

music by dragonsfly - a musical landscape across world traditions, with distinctive celtic and eastern flavours groove-driven, passionate, entrancing...

yes indeed!

lunar eclipse and winter solstice

2010-12-20T12:20:00.000-08:00

all this and snowed in too!

happy solstice everyone!

i for one will be getting up early

lunar eclipse and winter solstice

photo by ian

tree of life

2010-12-05T05:14:00.000-08:00

we have a very welcome visitor from australia
he has brought the sun and also a gift i was given in papua new guinea earlier this year
australian customs took the carving away to be sprayed for insect life

but now its here with me in the forest and i love it!

i was told the myth that the carving portrayed...
something about the smallest getting to the top of the tree on the backs of the other animals

but to me it is so much a tree of life

success on the internet

2010-12-03T03:49:00.000-08:00

december's issue of artists and illustrators magazine has an article about artist's websites and blogs

quite out of the blue i was asked to if i would mind being interviewed as part of the feature...of course not!

so here i am...

thank you so much to writer sam phillips and to artists and illustrators magazine!

and of course thanks to ian for the portrait

any guesses as to where i was?

2010-11-28T11:28:00.001-08:00

this is the most photographed statue

did you know?
....its the amazing vigeland park in oslo, norway
work of one man gustav vigeland...
all 758 figures were modelled in full size by him...no assistants...no students...
just him

showing what it is to be human...

a place i have wanted to see for many many years
and finally went with my lovely daughter

there were also my favourite trees

...lots of places to sit outside in the snow and relax!!

and of course ....shops!

samhain

2010-11-07T11:11:00.001-08:00

i so loved painting the autumn roses in the previous post that i have continued the themes

in addition i was thinking about the celtic year...
the turning of the wheel
about the letting go of the past and welcoming the new

samhain 100x120cms

more about the celtic year in my other shared blog

autumn inspiration

2010-11-03T03:12:00.000-07:00

the sun has been shining and the forest is amazing
really the best autumn i have ever seen..and i will post some photos

i have been inspired by a wonderful gift i received from india
much much better photos of her eco dyed textiles on her own lovely website

also inspired by some roses i painted when fresh but much prefer now

not that have got around to much textile work yet...but am certainly thinking about it...

and this is what happened

autumn roses
30x30 inches

autumn soul in a northern forest

2010-10-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

memories of youth and happy nights in the amazing wigan casino

a glimpse of the autumn forest of dean

more love ...that's what we need!

painting workshop

2010-10-13T06:04:00.000-07:00

recently i sent out an email to people on my list about a painting workshop i'm holding at my studio in the forest of dean

it had a wonderful response...and is now full....thank you

i am going to do a second one on tuesday 16th november

if you are interested please click here for more details
it would be lovely to see you

sally x

ps here is a video of me painting so you know what to expect

armona island

2010-09-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

i sort of knew i was going to like the formosa natural park
as we flew over it into faro for a short visit to portugal

a brief taxi ride from the airport to alhao port....
a ferry ride
and you're there...the island of armona

there's Carlos bar on the beach at the jetty

and a walk through the picturesque holiday cottages brought us to to our destination

casa bougainvillea

beside the lagoon...that filled and emptied with the tide..
especially high with the full harvest moon

the samphire glowed as the sun set

and the wise dog from carlos bar
came to visit

he knew i would come back

lavender fields

2010-09-10T03:58:00.000-07:00

last month i visited snowshill lavender fields

once again it was harvest time...
in fact the very last field was being harvested....

luckily the test planting area was still uncut

and there was an added bonus this year

i was looking at the photos and my sketches because i wanted to paint lavender today...

but maybe i want to paint sunflowers...
oh decisions decisions...
i'll go to the studio and see what happens

...or maybe roses...
i am listening to this

those forest sheep...

2010-08-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

a few years ago there was a project to create a flock of fibreglass forest sheep decorated by schools and by local artists.

sheep wander the forest freely around here... very much a local feature
the project was called sheepscape and it was great fun more here

i painted 'spring lamb'

i recently freed him from storage where he had been kept for the last couple of years

and i wish i hadn't!
he proved to be a bit troublesome in the 'i'm a forest sheep' way that they have

i had just finished a pair of commissioned paintings that i was looking at on the shelf above mr lamb...when disaster struck
a gust of wind blew one of the paintings down...
straight on to the awaiting pointy ear...

and this was the result

so another pair of paintings were painted and now there are three!

the sheep doesn't look even a bit sorry!

arraiolos memory

2010-08-20T13:02:00.001-07:00

arraiolos memory
100 x 100 cms
mixed media

a painting inspired by stitching and churches and walls and music

and grasses and being outside in the sunshine

the alternative name for this painting was

'this is my church'

i can do the dreaming bit...

2010-08-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

i took these pictures in arraiolos in portugal
where the romans introduced the art of textile dying using plant material

i thought india would like them

and now i read she has a wonderful new project...
'a whirled-wide sewing circle for gatherers, menders, dyers and dreamers'
click here to see it

oh count me in please...
just need a needle and some thread....

new limited edition prints

2010-08-02T02:36:00.000-07:00

Hope over at Darcy Gallery has been very busy producing these limited edition prints of my work
i'm very pleased with the quality...
the colour and the way the texture is captured is excellent
if you'd like more information please contact Hope at Darcy Gallery

silver and gold...

2010-07-18T11:02:00.001-07:00

in the evening the shadows on the walls were blue....really really blue
we tried to draw them

then i painted the walls

back home in the forest i have been painting to this

on a milk white horse

2010-07-16T12:47:00.001-07:00

she points her toe...bends her knee

more meadows...

2010-06-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

can't resist showing you some photos from today's walk

and this is taken from the door to my studio

i think i'm in summerland

corte-real gallery

2010-06-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

my first days in portugal were spent visiting Michael, Pedro and Simon at the beautiful Corte-Real gallery

where amazing things hang from the trees

sometimes the art work hangs outside

the garden is full of things to delight

and even the flowers look happy

inside is amazing but sorry no photos
some of my work is available from the gallery now...
and more portuguese work will be on show at the end of this month

from one forest to another...

2010-06-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

on friday i arrived in portugal... and now i'm in the beautiful alentejo region famous for it’s cork oak forests

here are some photographs from home...the forest of dean taken last week

and here are some from OBRAS where I am staying now

i am waiting for my paints to arrive...they were lost somewhere in the north...but apparently have been located and will arrive today....

they said that yesterday as well

picnic in a painted orchard

2010-04-14T02:47:00.001-07:00

well the studio open day went very well...many thanks to everyone who came...these pictures were taken at the end of the day...i wish i had some of the lovely lovely food, cider and perry

yes... i am wearing an amazing, much admired India Flint dress...this has been making me so happy...and the post about it (well them) is long over due...but will arrive next week, promise

now i have to get back to a soon to be very untidy studio...
painting for the Chelsea Art Fair...
and that is very soon

sally x

dancing in an orchard

2010-03-26T01:48:00.000-07:00

Tree of the Sun, Tree of the Moon
Uploaded by sallystafford. - Independent web videos.

i often feel like i am dancing during the process of painting
but i've never seen myself paint before
now i have a video and can see that is exactly what is happening

video is 14 minutes long and shows me painting an orchard....i had a dream about floating above an orchard in the moonlight...that started a whole series of paintings last spring.

this year i have re visited the theme...but this time the recent snow has crept in

i hope you have time to make a cup of tea and enjoy x

two paintings...

2010-03-19T03:42:00.000-07:00

off to enjoy the sun in portugal
soooo busy painting at the moment....but the spring weather is making it hard to stay inside
discipline i suppose....but i rather wish i was going with these two

the new studio

2010-03-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

is starting to feel like 'home'
especially these beautifully sunny spring days

gifts....

2010-03-05T09:10:00.000-08:00

last gift from a very dear friend who i miss so much......such a pretty table with a rim of hand painted flowers

combine that with the random painting title generator result....
'still life with hidden concept'

and this is what you get

well this is what i got

and this

as for the hidden concept...maybe its my old favourite
'the summerland'

summer journey....

2010-03-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

i am so pleased to be going back to portugal in june...to stay as artist in residence at one of my favourite places in the world obras
and then very exciting news...in july i'm showing my work at the beautiful corte-real gallery in paderne

so looking forward to it...
today the sun shone and spring was in the air i love spring here in the forest
followed by summer sunshine in portugal...just perfect

my world has contracted...

2010-02-21T03:32:00.000-08:00

to the studio
and the garden
and later at night to a small space in front the sitting room fire
a couple of days ago i walked to the garden centre through the snow and bought in some spring
inside the old studio is warm and cosy...even with the doors open
the fairy lights scatter rainbows
the new/old easel takes up less space and works beautifully (thank you mr s)

the new paintings reflect the new simplicity and clarity
and the fluttering of the many birds at the bird feeder outside the window
moving and staying still

its snowing again....

2010-02-18T06:31:00.000-08:00

making it very difficult to paint spring flowers
its been snowing for 4 hours now so its already much deeper than these photos

i've been painting lavender fields in an effort to feel warm again

here's a photo from a walk last weekend...i live next to the sculpture trail through the forest and i haven't seen this one for a while
more about the trail here

solving problems....

2010-02-09T06:24:00.000-08:00

i thought i solved one problem only to find i had actually created more

my beautiful new studio has turned out not to have enough ventilation
something i clearly hadn't considered properly before i took on the lease....not something i've ever had a problem with as i usually work outside...or if not outside with large doors open

so now i have a problem...not insurmountable i'm sure but very trying and emotionally draining as i am desperate to get back to work after a long break...luckily my new landlord is amazingly positive and helpful...and busy...still i think i'm hopeful we can solve it..no of course i'm sure we can!

i'm not going to even begin to mention my computer problem as i can feel the tears welling up just thinking about it :(

so to cheer myself up i've been painting roses...lots of roses...and i've found that bright pink paint again...hurray
also some very very good news that deserves a separate post....

moon woman

2010-02-01T09:29:00.000-08:00

i've just posted this picture...and some words about her to the wrong blog...it went on the celtic year project by mistake

any ways she's very lovely made in haiti...and was sold in aid of the haitian relief fund...more here

and at the celtic year project

(click on the photo to enlarge the picture...the texture and detail is lovely)

back in the forest

2010-01-30T07:49:00.000-08:00

back home from sunny Queensland and amazing Papua New Guinea
suntan and henna tattoo fading quickly...
back to painting here in the snowy Forest of Dean

this one is the first of the year
painted to celebrate imbolc...using white silver and pale yellow...(and a touch of pink)
painted for the celtic year project

hello again....

2009-12-06T01:57:00.000-08:00

a brief post
today i'm off on my travels
a bit of winter sunshine before a new year of exciting opportunities and new places
i have taken the plunge and signed the lease on a wonderful new....very big...studio
more about that in the new year
in the meantime a happy holiday to everyone and look forward to seeing you here in the new year

ps spending sometime here...mmmm....i know...but someones got to do it!

credit risk or market risk?

2009-11-13T08:20:00.000-08:00

lying in bed this morning i was wondering how i feel about painting sunny spring and autumn meadows on a gray stormy day.

the answer is i feel happy! in my studio i have the wood stove going, my music playing, often incense burning and usually an offering made. i think about my favourite meadows and i am transported there.

unusually today someone was sitting in my comfy chair beside the wood stove asking me to listen to their explanation of the difference between credit risk and market risk. all that and the dog being sick this morning means it has been rather a trying day.

but somehow magically and momentarily i did feel as if i was sitting here in one of my favourite meadows in the mid summer sun shine.

i wish my daughter would listen to me about being an actress, it would save us both a lot of stress if we didn't have to fill out investment banking job application forms.

pink birds and butterly wings

2009-10-30T04:24:00.000-07:00

the pink birds have flown and very happy they look in their new home
the golden meadows, silver birches and dancing orchards have all found new homes....thank you to everyone who made the AAF in Battersea so successful for me x

as i just wrote to the lovely keeper of the Pink Birds:

5 years ago i took the leap of faith to go full time painting .... i always knew it was the right decision for me...although difficult at times...now i feel so joyous and grateful and privileged to live where i live and have the life i have (well most of the time)

to celebrate i bought a ring......it looks like butterflies wings........i have never wanted to wear rings before but this year i gave up biting my nails

i’m not sure if it’s amethyst or fluorite but either is fine
amethyst is a stone of spirituality and contentment and fluorite is used to bring order to chaos....according to my book

actually looking around the house and studio i rather hope its fluorite

well back to work...lots to do in the next few days as more shows coming up and i have very very few paintings left

living in the forest

2009-10-28T01:59:00.001-07:00

through every window i see the forest....and it sees me
the house faces east and west...its in a valley that runs north to south...
how different that is...
how aware of the day passing i am...from the early first light that i see bringing the forest in front of the house alive as i make my tea...tea to be drunk in bed with the forest in front of me...then down to the table where i sit at the computer....more tea as the sun reaches the deck and the still beautiful meadow....
the stargazer becomes the sun worshiper

it was a perfect time...

2009-10-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

possibly makes sense if you listen to this...but not as often as i have i hope...

it was a perfect time,
i'm glad i spent it with you

part of a series...secret gardens.....sketches really but i dont seem to be able to sketch anything less than a metre square these days...probably destined to only be seen here on summerland

seeing the skyline

2009-10-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

on friday i delivered painting to derbyshire....it was wonderful to see the skyline and the open spaces so different to the forest

walking through wild grasses

2009-10-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

wild grasses is the title of the painting in the previous post...shamelessly lifted from Robyn's comment which i neglected to acknowledge, sorry about that...

anyway a keen eyed reader has spotted a fairy princess walking in the meadow, not that i believe in such things of course...

more of the same...

2009-10-13T03:40:00.000-07:00

thank you so much for the lovely comments and emails about the golden meadow paintings. the autumn continues to glow...and the paint is flowing. here are a couple more of the latest pieces.

Birch and Bracken 100x100 cms

Wild Grasses 100x100 cms

...and sometimes there is a detail in a painting that i wish i could cut out and keep (and sometimes i do just that ...but not with this one!)

detail from Wild Grasses

the moon...

2009-10-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

i've been thinking about the moon

it often appears in and influences my paintings. recently i found a very early painting from a time i was on an art foundation course more than 20 years ago.
i was and still am fascinated by the white horses...mainly found carved into the chalk hills of the wiltshire landscape...early land art.
the one i was particularly attracted to was at cherhill.
i recently found this painting in my old studio... its the cherhill white horse in the moonlight. for me the painting was about being restrained and being free...i believed the horse could rise from the hillside during the moonlight and gallop over the down lands...but most of the time it was contained and two dimensional in a hollow of cherhill. the painting attempts in a naive way to represent the horse carved into the land just at the point when it is touched by the moon and is becoming three dimensional.

by the light of the moon

at the time i felt my life was constrained ...but painting was a taste of freedom.

more about the white horses of wiltshire here
and another very recent moon painting on the celtic year blog

autumn gold

2009-10-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

the wonderful autumn weather has been very conducive to painting this week...just as well as the affordable art fair in battersea park is coming up very very soon.

I have been immersed in autumn golds

golden meadow
mixed media 100 x 100 cms

autumn meadow
mixed media 100 x 100 cms

no surprise really...i don't have to look very far for inspiration...this is my meadow...it should have been cut weeks ago but i love it too much

a bit late....

2009-09-30T03:21:00.000-07:00

but here are some images and some music from the final day party for h art at the bridge at wilton....the sun shone the music played and we even sold some paintings.

i had fun....
listening to the music of jazz fusion

seeing the beautiful garden going down to the river wye

even the carpark is fantastic

meeting a big fan of pink birds

and engaging in an art (or possibly cider) related discussions

thank you to all that made it a lovely day...see you next year x

i'll take you there

2009-09-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

i'll take you there

today has been beautiful, sunny, warm

i have painted sunflowers

thinking of the south of france, of bali and of greek water...so my sunflowers are warm islands floating in cobalt teal seas

cobalt teal is my new favourite colour...

acts of courtship

2009-09-22T01:17:00.000-07:00

one of the paintings that have found a new home this week is this one

its one of a series...acts of courtship...a series title suggested by a friend one evening when we were putting the world to rights...every now and then an act of courtship makes all the difference

a romantic painting, going to a romantic new home

pink birds

2009-09-14T04:47:00.000-07:00

the story so far....a lovely lady who purchased one of my paintings from the summer cafe many years ago got in touch...she still likes her painting very much and would like another...so far so good.

the new painting was to be a triptych....based on pink flowers, chrysanthemums ...it shows how long this has been in progress...they were in bloom last year at this time when we first discussed this piece!
I have been thinking a lot about this painting...and i also had a dream about it....always a good sign..see here for another painted dream....i dreamt about a fluorescent pink bird flying in a turquoise sky...and here he is.

detail from pink birds

instead of three pieces there are 4
the pink birds are japanese anemones...the spent flowers are stars in a turquoise and cobalt hubble inspired universe
back on the land the pink flowers are growing abundantly....when i painted this it was warm and sunny....i felt like i was back in my beloved bali
i love this painting and would be very happy for it to live in my newly decorated sitting room
but i know it was painted for someone else.

pink birds

gold

2009-09-09T11:56:00.000-07:00

yesterday I spent the day in the cotswolds visiting galleries and enjoying a day out. the sky was grey but occasionally the sun came out and the landscape glowed....unfortunately this rarely happened when i could stop and take a picture!
not that it matters really...i am always just as...or possibly even more interested in the hedgerows and verges. the contrast between the gold bleached grasses and flower heads and the still green hedge is a subject i return to every year in my painting.

when i came home i spent a little time at my favourite spot in the forest. the silver birches are changing colour and the place twinkles with quivering gold leaves.

today was spent printing...ian and i have developed an interest (or in my case slight obsession) with cutting lino blocks..here are our latest efforts... i did managed to get some gold paint in...you can never have enough gold....thats what i say :)

think pink thoughts....

2009-09-05T05:59:00.000-07:00

phillip and i have been to chepstow....to think pink thoughts...and drink too much lovely coffee
we had fun and went to see our friend at art on the railings
they hadn't had as much coffee as us so their thoughts weren't as pink :)

dartmoor

2009-09-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

yesterday i went down to the brownston gallery in devon. instead of coming straight home i spent the afternoon on the high moor.

autumn seemed to have arrived early in dartmoor. in the late afternoon the sun and the rain fought it out and the ponies and i were treated to rainbows that looked near enough to reach out and touch.

i want to paint all this...and i want to go back...soon.

but before i do i have a flower painting commission to do...today i bought lots of new colours to try.....including these

i hope the lady commissioning the piece meant it when she asked for pink!

take two paintings

2009-09-02T04:02:00.001-07:00

English Lavender

a couple of weeks ago i visited the lavender farm at snowshill in the cotswolds. a storm was gathering and the sky darkening. the harvesters were working trying to beat the impending rain.
these paintings painted in the studio later show two approaches to the subject.

in the first i am exploring perspective...the rows...what makes this blue field distinctly growing lavender... how to make this a lavender field that isn’t baking in the southern sun...the light on a distant field...and the wild flowers growing on the edges of order.

the second painting is more about actually being there...it’s a field lower down the valley...in the moments after the storm had moved off in a different direction.....a time when everything looks bluer, softer, more at peace. the last evening before the crop will be harvested in the morning.

from a painting perspective it’s been wonderful to explore a new subject especially as i haven’t been painting as often as i usually do.

from an emotion point of view it’s been cathartic...the evening at the lavender field followed the memorial service of a loved and much missed friend.

Lavender Evening

birth

2009-09-01T09:59:00.001-07:00

this is the view from my window...very early this morning.
the sun is rising over the Forest, hands wave and clap as my new blog is born!
a blog about a meadow deep in a forest, about painting, about creating, about celebrating art, writing, living things and life.....at least I think that’s what it about but time will tell.