Draycott Festival of Art and Gardens

Low Moon.  HH2011

All Yellow. HH 2011

I've just dropped off some new work to the Beetroot Tree Gallery who will be open over the weekend as part of the Draycott Festival of Art and Gardens.  The pieces were inspired by the intense yellow rape fields I saw whilst out and about last week.

Hope you can make it to the festival.

A Spring Rainbow

Happy Easter!  What a week. I've been working hard and playing hard with trips to Melton Mowbray Flea Market, Rutland Water, Uppingham, Nottingham University and Wollaton Hall. Such beautiful weather! 

The landscape was so inspiring; fields full of rape in glorious yellow. The garden is bursting with green shoots and we've eaten chocolate eggs wrapped in a rainbow of shiny wrappers.  

So much colour and light....I'm giddy with it!

Such a beautiful day

We went to a beautiful wedding in Yorkshire over the weekend. The Bride and Groom were blessed with an amazing Spring day. All the details of the wedding were so stylish and colourful. The service was held in St.Johns Church in Sharow where my Great Great Grandfather, Thomas Heath Foden married Emily Sophia Gray in 1881.  It added a poignancy to the service that was full of the marriage of ideas, art and music as befit the union of this Bride and Groom. Their love shone like a rainbow.  Congratulations Amy and Pavel!

New Arts Derbyshire website

I opened up the new Arts Derbyshire website to find that I'm front page news!  Have a look!

Cor Blimey!

After a trawl back through my blog to find an image, I realised just how much work has taken over my life recently and how little the garden, chickens, and kids feature these days.  That made me a bit sad.  Then todays eggs arrived!  I couldn't help smile, and then wince when I saw this GINORMOUS egg!  The one on the right is normal sized.  The one on the left is beautiful and still warm.  We're hoping its a double yoker.

ps.  It was!  And very yummy scrambled.

Today

I bought these Stickopotamus stickers in New York and have had them in my studio since.  Today is their moment as they have inspired an American city design to complement an earlier London city design.  Better get on with it!

Ideas change

Sometimes designs just take on a life of their own.  By the end of yesterday I'd created these, combining elements from my artwork with new design elements for these reflective cards. I had more in mind but what was in my head wasn't how they turned out and I somehow lost my confidence with them.  Any way, I'll send them out into the world and see how they are received!

Wow! Can anyone lend me £8000?

Llyn Teifi tapestry by John Piper

My loyal followers will know that from time to time I dabble in the wonders of tapestry weaving.  This beautiful tapestry designed by John Piper has just come on the market.  It's stunning. 

Christine Castro

I've blogged this image before.  It's by Christine Castro. Right now it's giving me inspiration for a series of collaged spiritual cards.  I'll let you know how they go!

Pretty pictures

Here are some pretty card designs I've been working on.  I'm busy designing for Surtex next month.  There's a lot to do! I'm enjoying being back at my desk after all the excitement of Sock and setting up my exhibition at Opus Gallery, Ashbourne. I've shut the door, got a fresh cup of coffee and I'm listening to Astrud Gilberto. Bliss.

Hooray!

I recently applied for a Marketing Grant from Derbyshire Arts Partnership.  They have awarded me a £250 grant so I can attend the 'Marketing for Makers' course at the Ferrers Centre.  The money will also go towards hiring a professional photographer to photograph my products so I can put together some marketing material and improve my website and increase my online selling opportunities.  A big thank you to the Derbyshire Arts Partnership for their support.

Tile commission

A lovely friend asked if I could turn one of my pieces into a set of tiles to be used as a panel in their new kitchen.  Here are the eighteen tiles, making a panel measuring 60 x 30 cm. I think they are going to look really effective.  I'll let you know what they look like in situ when they've made their journey to their new home.

Opus Gallery Exhibition Catalogue

Here is the work for the exhibition I am having at Opus Gallery in Ashbourne during April.  The first four are my newest pieces, trying to get back some of the mark making and expression that I first had when I started working in this way.  The images are much more 'open' than some of the denser collages I moved onto.

All the work has been created within the last year.

Ashbourne is a lovely Derbyshire market town, very near to Dovedale and perfect for a spring day out.  Hope you can make it.

After the Rain 30cm x 30cm

As the Crow Flies 30cm x 30cm

Night Sky 30cm x 30cm

Passing 30cm x 30cm

Awakening 12cm x 17cm

Day 12cm x 17cm

Around Midnight 12cm x 17cm

Midwinter 12cm x 17cm

Journey in the Rain 30cm x 40cm

Quiet 20cm x 30cm

Arc of Light 17cm x 43cm

Seasons Change 17cm x 43cm

Year's End 17cm x 43cm

Moonlit Copse 17cm x 43cm

Jewelled 17cm x43cm

Daybreak 17cm x 43cm