Update

The Beetroot Tree have had a website update which now features my work.

New work

On the hill, 15cm x 40cm, mixed media

SOLD Midnight trees, 15cm x 40cm, mixed media

Day, 12cm x 12cm, mixed media

Night, 12cm x 12 cm, mixed media

SOLD I stood beneath an orange sky, 20cm x 30cm

Shadow of light, 20 cm x 30 cm, mixed media

Journey in the rain, 30cm x 40cm, mixed media

Scar, 30cm x 40cm, mixed media

I have just completed this set of work for The Beetroot Tree gallery.  It'll be in situ ready for the Draycott Festival of Arts and Gardens this coming weekend.  Hope you can get along to see it!

Cultural challenges

It has become very easy to get my creative inspiration from tried and tested places.  I love it when Selvedge drops through my door every other month, I know that in AN magazine I'll find work that's conceptually challenging and my guilty pleasure is Country Living Magazine.  Then there are the galleries; I know where to tap into my comfort zone and see a reflection of my own work.  More recently, unless something is going to look pretty on my blog then it's not worth looking at!

And so it was a New Year resolution to seek out new experiences and new places.  Following on from seeing a BBC4 documentary about the Cuban music scene, I got last minute tickets to see Danza Contemporanea de Cuba at Nottingham Playhouse.  Wow! What an experience! 

Contemporary dance isn't normally my thing and for a few minutes I did think I would get the giggles, as I did when I saw a contemporary opera.  But I was blown away.  It helped to be watching twenty one of the world's most beautiful and talented dancers.  I was taken by the mood, the colour, the strength and beauty of the dancers.  In three acts; the first was intense and discordant,  the second lyrical and passionate and the third dynamic and powerful.  Infused with global dance traditions, it was utterly compelling.  I've not felt a part of such a responsive audience for a long time.  A standing ovation was given to shouts of  "Viva Cuba!"

So now it's Monday and I'm back in the studio with the pressure of producing some new work for the Beetroot Tree Gallery.  In my minds eye there's the colour and movement from the dance, and also the colour and movement from the stained glass artists featured in Monty Don's BBC2 programme on Master Craftsmen.  One experience from the comfort of the sofa, one from outside of the box.

Sofa envy

Here's my work in situ at the Beetroot Tree gallery.  How I love that leather sofa.  I was so pleased to find my work displayed above it!  I don't suppose I'll be allowed to swap a lovely picture for it?  No, thought not.

Inspired

The January blues have been chased away by the news that I sold some work at the Thoresby gallery.  Two pieces, Sunrise and Evening sold in the run up to Christmas.  So I have some renewed energy for my work.  This week I've been working on three pieces for the Open Exhibition at The Beetroot Tree.

Despite the snow

Red Sky at Night

                                                                          Resonance

I've also been working on a new range of cards to supply to galleries.  I've been making my own rubber stamps and I'm pleased with the results.  More supplies are arriving this week so I'll be ready to go into full-scale production on the dinner table.