paintings prints and stuff

The Open Studios went well and was really busy but not with buyers ... fellow artists, amateur artists, people simply interested .... but not buying much. We had a really good response though. Commercial galleries really are a better venue as far as sales are concerned.

Things are hectic as we are busy hanging an exhibition this weekend for the Open Studios event in our area. A small group of us meet up once a month to discuss work in progress and exhibitions we've been to and put several joint shows on each year. our website is: http://sitekreator.com/theassociationofleicestershireartists We're showing our work for the weekend in a lovely old Georgian house, off the gorgeous gardens of another, even nicer, old Georgian house that's a museum. We've got the whole house to spread through, it's an arts centre now. I'm feeling stretched as I've got 2 exhibitions starting in the next couple of weeks and so can't really show the work I've done for them here - so it's been busy making sure I have enough work. 2 of the group belong to another group, Artspace, who are showing at the Venice Biennale this year (Mary and Judith) so they are also rushed and stretched. I did a show with some friends last week for the ope...

The Leicester Open Studios are on at the moment and I'm trying to get around to see other artists work as well as take part in exhibitions with friends - so it's all a bit hectic at the moment. I did manage to get out to paint in some nearby woodland to paint with friends. this is oil paint on primed paper

This one was done on a cold winter day as the sun began to set. The cafe and warm hot chocolate, after we'd walked back to the car and driven into town, was such a relief - I'd got chilled to the bone. A good day's painting though with several finished pieces.

This was done the same day, sitting in the same place but looking down the beach in the other direction. The tide goes out a long way and was on it's way out, leaving pools of shining water and, for some reason, heaps of dead starfish, which soon began to smell strongly!

I like working plein air, looking at the particular light and colours of a time, day, season. One series of work is about the coast, I have to work fast as the light changes rapidly and colours change dramatically. This one was done on the first warm day of spring, In the lee of the dunes it was beautifully warm and we were able to sit painting in short sleeved T shirts for the first time in the year, Out on the beach the wind was still cold. This was done at Wells-next-the-Sea, in Norfolk. We'd walked past the gorgeous beach huts on stilts, past the dunes and sat looking out to sea and across the channel leading to the harbour, to the pine trees opposite. The sky and sea were blue and it was heaven sitting there enjoying the warmth,

Hi I'm new to blogging so bear with me while I make all sorts of mistakes :)