Ripple Retreat Donation
My family members delivering Loch Venachar to the retreat manager
Bill, at Ripple Retreat
After a long wait, my Ripple Retreat Donation, (a painting) arrived at the Ripple Retreat in Callander, Scotland. Mum and Mike, Auntie Barbara and Uncle Alan very kindly delivered my painting to Lynn at the Ripple Retreat. Later in the year, the piece will be auctioned at their Autumn Ball to raise funds for the retreat. The centre offers respite stays for children who are cancer patients and their families, on the banks of Loch Venacher. The Retreat is managed and funded by the Scottish charity ItsGoodtoGive. My family were given a guided tour of the beautiful building and grounds and were very impressed with everything they saw. Alan and Barbara live in Callander, so the painting was a welcome addition to a family road trip.
There is another rainbow Highland Cow at the Ripple Retreat - a permanent resident named Bill the Bull, created by Artfe Sculpture
Varnishing the Ripple Cow, prior to her journey, I love the way varnishing seems to enhance the colours.
When I began the painting, I decided to keep a record as I went along, so I took photos and an ill-fated attempt at video. I am a bit more composed on video these days but here are some of the out-takes from a year ago. You can see why, in the end, I just took photos!
A lovely day at White Dove Gallery
I was invited to spend the day at the beautiful gallery in Shenton, painting and chatting to the gallery visitors. I really enjoyed myself. I may have done more chatting than painting in the end - luckily I had brought three ‘works in progress to carry on with, so I think I got away with it! I met some really interesting people and saw some friends that I hadn’t seen since before the pandemic, so the whole day was a joy. It’s nice because the gallery supports several local artists and makers, and I had the chance to meet artists as they popped in to visit. I always love the chance to chat with fellow artists, it really lifts my spirits..
This gallery is dog friendly, so every now and again, I would hear the pitter-patter of tiny claws and I’d grab a couple of wet wipes, clean my hands and get ready to make friends! I managed to meet a Spaniel, a Jack Russel and a Labrador- I saw another spaniel from afar but didn’t get a chance to pet him. I think most of the dogs were regulars as they all seemed to know where the cafe was!
I had delivered my new owl painting at the gallery on Friday, and he sold on Saturday so I didn’t see him in situ, however, I was delighted that he had so swiftly found a beautiful new home.
I brought some sheeting to cover any surfaces that might get splattered, and we moved vulnerable art pieces out of the way too. I brought my day-to-day palette and a small selection of paint tubes. However, it turned out there was enough paint already on the palette to last the day. Wet wipes and kitchen roll for quick clean-ups, a drop of Zest-it medium, and a few brushes although I only used one. But the most important thing was the cough sweets!
Right next to my little table was the cafe entrance, so I enjoyed a coffee and then had a delicious slice of Bara Brith for lunch. They make wonderful cake-always a vegan option available and plant-based butter too.
Above: Inveraray on the wall at White Dove Gallery. The gallery is open on the first weekend of every month, 11-4 Saturday and Sunday. The cafe is open and you can sit inside or outside. The space is wonderfully cool on a hot day, as I discovered!
White Dove Gallery , the Old Village Hall, Shenton, Leics CV13 6DP
Painting on location this Sunday!
Painting Demonstration at White Dove Gallery
My new owl painting ‘ Air Disturbance’ , and’ Inveraray’ the big Wildflower Cow painting to display at White Dove Gallery this weekend. I’m going along on Sunday to paint in the gallery, hopefully, see you there!
White Dove Gallery, The Old Village Hall, Shenton CV13 6DP
A video showing my Highland Cow painting with flowers in progress
A short clip showing work in progress on my Highland Cow painting with flowers. This piece uses all of the colours of the rainbow.
This time its a goat looking on!
My newly available colourful wildflower cow piece ‘Glenclova’ who is surrounded by colours I could actually eat, they are so delicious. And a little goat poking out his tongue behind her back.
A new and mischievous Highland Cow pair
Multi-coloured Cows
This cute pair have been a joy to paint and are due to become available on my website once I have named them. I love the rich russet tones, offset by cool purple touches. Their expressions were fun to paint too!
Oil Painting of a Highland cow Couple
Just noticed the sheep photo-bombing the cows :D this is inevitable here in the studio !
Derbyshire Art Workshop - 21st August - Paint a Kingfisher canvas at Castle Donington
My next available workshop is a Kingfisher one, and there are spaces. This is a new venue at Castle Donington and Im really looking forward to it!
Getting small 'demo' paintings ready for sale!
I have decided to offer my demonstration paintings for sale. These are the pieces I paint for my workshops, and they are all smaller pieces, around 45-60 cm. Having completed almost a year of workshops now, I have quite a collection of these paintings. I have been going through them all and making sure they are finished, and then as soon as they are all ready to hang and varnished etc, I will have a sale event. Watch this space!
Pukaar Magazine Feature!
I was delighted to be interviewed for a feature in Leicester's Pukaar Magazine. A magazine that celebrates cultural diversity, local news, events and the arts in Leicester and Leicestershire. I had a chat with Louise who asked me lots of questions about my painting practice. This was a couple of months ago, and the article will appear in the August issue. I love this photo with Bonnie, the Poochon who was just having a quick flick through while she spent the day at work with her Mum
New website news
Unfortunately after all the planning and expense involved in exhibiting at Patchings Art Festival, I ended up catching Covid and spent the week in bed ill, instead.
It’s always good to make the best of a bad situation, so I have used the time as I started to feel better to begin to build my new website. Although I love this website and will keep it live, as a portfolio site, the originals for sale will move to the new site.
I needed a store website with greater functionality and integration ability. On my new site I am offering Klarna, so that there are flexible payment options for original oil paintings, and for canvas prints. I have a lot of polishing to do but it will be beautiful! Check it out here.
Inveraray- getting varnished ready for the exhibition
The varnishing process really does make the colours pop on an oil painting. I’m considering taking my big cow painting Inveraray along with me to the Patchings Art Festival this week. So just in case, I have varnished her and she is now drying off in the studio today. I couldn’t believe how nicely the colours in the background started to look. I’ll get another photograph once she’s upright!
Hare paintings For Sale
This piece is 50 x 50 cm and is now sold. Please contact me if you would like to commission your own hare painting on canvas. Hares are one of my favourite animals, perfect as a painting subject with their shabby-elegant looks and beautiful faces.
I like to create atmospheric textures and this piece is a good example of this. The background is made up of four or five layers and dry brushwork in several colours to give this wild and blustery effect.
Two new sheep sharing a canvas
Please excuse the mess of the tray under the canvas shelf- it gets very very painty under there!
Barn Owls getting a new look
Giving an old owl painting a new and interesting look today, fingers and palette knif all getting involved.
Kelso in her new home!
I was delighted to receive this picture yesterday showing my recent Highland Cow painting Kelso in her beautiful new home. Thank you Jim and Clare!
A really nice email to recieve!
I was very pleased to hear from Janine, one of my lovely artists from the Bosworth Festival, yesterday: Thanks Janine!
“I really enjoyed the workshop and was amazed at my painting. You made it all so simple to follow and everyone's paintings looked so different but fantastic. I enjoyed your cake too - although I couldn't eat it all! I tweaked my painting at home and thought you might like to see the final outcome.
Many thanks for a fabulous and inspiring afternoon.”
Its always great to hear that artists enjoyed their day and to see the beautiful finished piece is wonderful. Im sure you’ll agree, its gorgeous!
Big Colourful Canvas
Work in progress on the easel 76 x 102 cm
A new big colourful Canvas is nearing completion, I have some adjustments to make to his nose and horns, so this is the final editing and finishing stage. The colours are quite a bit more rich and dark than you can see here, particularly in the top right corner. The painting is so shiny and will be so for several days as it takes time to dry. This piece is 76 x 102 cm and will be for sale on my ‘originals’ page, ready to ship once dry
A gentle English Longhorn in the studio - work in progress this week
I had to take her off the easel to photograph, as there is so much light hitting the shiny surface of the painting. I hope to have this lady finished by the end of the week, I ‘might’ take her to Patchings with me if she is ready in time.( Knowing me, I wont actually decide which paintings will come with me until the day before!)
I love painting Longhorns, there is a big beautiful herd of these at Calke Abbey just up the road and I must pay them a visit over the Summer . Im using some of my beautiful earth tones, and copper for this piece, mixed in with some purples, pinks and brights.
A rainbow Cow painting triptych
Today at the studio I hope to finish this colourful guy. One of the things that I do as part of my process, as well as creating the big shapes first, is that I work intuitively on the first layers. I don’t try and worry too much about the final result. This then gives me something to respond to in the following sessions. So I have added all the colours that I wanted to add and the wild and woolly hair. Today I will work back into the paintings and edit, tidying up some of the edges and leaving others, hopefully ending up with the final cow that I envision. Watch this space, I’ll post another photo of the final piece.
I enjoy painting on three panels, the finished effect is cool and contemporary and you get different looks depending on whether you leave a gap when you hang the paintings. I’m currently feeling very glad that I have rented this size of a studio, I remember during the pandemic, when I was painting at home and trying to create a big piece like this in the spare room - not easy!