CHESTERFIELD XMAS MARKET SUNDAY NOV 20TH

THIS SHOULD BE ANOTHER GOOD DAY, SO COME IN AND SEE WHAT'S FOR SALE ON ALL THE STALLS. I will have some hadn-decorated candles, wooden plates, cards, prints and a few original canvases.


The first Arts & Crafts Market on Oct 29th buzzed. It felt good to traders and punters alike since there were about twenty more active stalls in the market than there would have been otherwise. I took along about 20 original pictures, but it was mainly prints that sold for me as anything over a tenner is probably a non-starter in this market. The wind was fierce, so the Chinese Brush Painting workshop was a little tricky as paper kept flying off, but in spite of that, there were some successes, with bamboos rising out of the tempest.

CHESTERFIELD ARTS FESTIVAL WEEK! FRI OCTOBER 29th MARKET STALL . AT ROSE HILL METHODIST CHAPEL CHESTERFIELD ART SOCIETY SHOW FRI 29TH AND SAT 30TH

Chesterfield Market is going to be full of Arts and Crafts stalls, just in time for Xmas this Friday, so come and find me, up the top, near the pump. I will have originals on display and also prints, card, decorated candles, mirrors and wooden plates, all at reasonable prices. You can have a go at Chinese Brush painting too. Also at The Methodist Chapel, Rose Hill, is the Chesterfield Arts Society Exhibition, very reasonably priced original artworks. Fri 29th & Sat 30th Oct.

If you can't make Fri Oct 29th, I will be back again AT THE MARKET on Sun Nov 21st.

WIRKSWORTH FESTIVAL - SAT SEPT 11th - 26th

Two weeks of great events, check out http://www.wirksworthfestival.co.uk/

I shall be right in the middle of Wirksworth inside The Wirksworth Framing Company , 22 Market Place, Matlock, DE4 4ET on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th, demonstrating Chinese Painting. Come and have a go yourself, and if you want, sign up for an all day workshop.

The Art in the Gardens was a fantastic display of so many local artists, and business was brisk for many of them, in spite of the recession. The Preview evening is magical as the sun sets and the domes of the Botannical gardens are lit by turqoise lights. People spill out onto the grass from marquees glowing like some painting by Rembrandt, listening to the music, sipping wine and enjoying one of the last evenings of summer. It is an evening I love. The next days are less dreamy, but there is a real buzz as the other stall-holders set up their wares. Everything from jewellery to mirrors, wood turning, photography - something for everyone. There is music in the marquee down the bottom of the gardens, and fresh-cooked food even for the Gluten-free.
I plan to have my own stall one year, so then I will get to meet those who like my work enough to put their hard-earned cash down :)


CHESTERFIELD ART CLUB AT BASLOW - 28th - 30th August Bank Holiday W/E

This year there were too many pictures for the venue, which made a change! It was a nice show with very low priced original works of art, so if you want something affordable, then make sure you get along to the next Chesterfield Art Club Show in Chesterfield.

I won the prize for best Mixed Media entry with Stormchaser, my latest pastel-chipboard painting, so I was very happy. I did Chinese Brush Painting demos, met some amazingly interesting people who tried their hand at it, and as a result have enough people who would like to do a workshop.

Art in the Garens -Sheffield Royal Botanical Gardens Sept 4th & 5th

If you've never been to this event, put it in your diary. It's a great day out even when it's wet because there are small marquees all over the grounds with everything from crafts to fine arts on sale, and very good coffee. There's live music too, a massive display of wood turning - amazing stuff - and photography, and a big exhibition of local artists' work in the main marquee. That's where my work is. The year before last I wore wellies and a big umbrella, (no, I wasn't nude modelling) but last year it was fine and beautiful.

After the Great Sheffield Art Show -

Fantastic show. It can take a few hours to look around 1500 paintings and meet the artists with booths around the edge. One year, I promise myself, I will have one of those. Watch this space, or those booths anyway.... My paintings were in the last few, so forcing ourselves to start at No 1 and work our way round, it took a couple of hours to find I had actually sold Nightflight. We were so chuffed we had to go outside to shout, drink coffee and grin. So, really thanks to whoever bought it! I hope you really enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. It grew over a couple of months at the end of my kitchen when I was supposed to be doing other things - not that I was obsessed or anything..... One day I will use it in a story, along with Dragonship, Timberville and Waterpostman. The good news is, someone else who saw it at the Derbyshire Arts event also wants to buy it. So I must be doing something right.
I really enjoy these chipboard panels. they grow organically from the boards, dictating what is there, encouraging exploration and adventure. It's as much sculpture as painting, the use of fingers essential and not a lot of brushes involved. Yes, I get messy. Yes, the kitchen is not the place to work. So now.....Since Best Beloved said No to a summerhouse, I have requistioned the garden shed - the contents of which now reside in a nice plastic greenhouse, £25 from Tesco's Sale :)

Great Sheffield Art Show - July 10th 11th 2010 10am -6pm OCTAGON, Western Bank, Sheffield University,

This is a huge show, well worth a visit, not just for my 5 pictures on show! About 2000 paintings will be on display and many working artists to see and talk to and various events to attend. Please come and bring your friends. there is a cafe and many demos and workshops. A great day out.

ROWLSEY VILLAGE HALL 26TH JUNE 10-4PM

Another show worth seeing - this time with the Chesterfield Art Club. A variety of artworks at affordable prices. Come along and see us.

Entry free. Teas and coffees.

The Exhibition was quite an event. Some of The Dale Divas came and sang beautifully at our preview party. Meanwhile, we chomped through a beautiful feast. For the next three days Netty and I were kept busy by visitors wanting to have a go various things in her studio. There was Chinese Brush Painting, how to use a laser on stone and wood, and threading buttons into bracelets. Punters from 7 to 80 seemed to enjoy themselves. They stayed on average for over two hours, making things, having cups of tea, eating cake, painting and chatting. We sold stuff too, so that was good. The Dragonship went, and Things Are Looking up, Chesterfield Spire, Brown Mountains - both of them - Fish Supper, a Cat, a Prancing Horse and some prints and cards.


I had written descriptive haikus for each painting and invited our vistors to add their own versions of what was going on in them. There was a good response:
I will post them up soon.....

An Invitation: Derbyshire Open Arts - May 29th-31st 2010

I am delighted to be collaborating with Netty Reddish in this year’s ‘Derbyshire Open Arts’ exhibition. http://www.derbyshireopenarts.co.uk/ Our ref. is 89-90.

Our work will be displayed 11am till 5pm at Via Gellia Mill, at Bonsall, Matlock in Derbyshire: DE4 2AJ.

OPEN EVENING: 6 -9 pm FRIDAY MAY 28th
Opening Preview, and the ‘Dale Divas’ will be singing a capella – come along and hear them: they are brilliant!
There will also be drinks and nibbles, and an opportunity to see all the wonderful artwork on display at this special advance Party. And THINGS TO DO AS WELL....

Over the weekend there will be demonstrations and a chance to have a go yourselves, and bring the kids!