some new paintings....and trying to do what comes naturally

Well... I'm trying not to look around and just do what comes naturally for a week or so and see what comes out! I've enjoyed doing these and like the colours...I'm battling between two styles at the moment but maybe they'll come together or one will win the other over? or they could be two bodies of work showing the same thing but in two ways? they could alternate in a book format maybe? the one with the girl is the before I painted over it... the character was putting me off.. Now I look at it I quite like it? oh well! just felt a bit too twee and obvious? I like the ambiguity of the others for the moment!..

At the same time I'm working on my book for Bo...I like these images but not sure on the story yet.. and these would be sketches...

Phantom...the final stage of printing!...

...and they're looking great! these photos aren't so great though as taken on my iphone. I hope Laura likes it as much as I do!

I went to see a couple of shows recently..

I went to the Millenium Gallery in St Ives and saw Marcel Hansellar. It was a brief but great show. I am not so keen on the more explicit work, as it interferes with the pleasure of my eyes resting on the work. It makes my mind go on overdrive when I just want to sink into the painting. But anyway here's some of it and the beautiful colours!..A show I missed there back in July was Joy Wolfenden Brown. Her work is so intimate and soft but so strong. Very inspiring!. Thank you Millenium! I popped in to see my amazing friend Faye, who has a studio at Trewidden Studios in Penzance. It was lovely to see where she works as she's a hugely inspiring friend, artist and mother. Go see her work here.

some more inspiring work from Andrew Hem

...beautiful, loaded and inspiring!

It's inspired me to paint from life so I'm heading out in the next two weeks to see what I come up with. It is time!

some more scrummy work that you could eat if you could!

another great artist.... Olaf Hajek....I love this work ...

vibrant, delicious and scrummy!.....this makes me want to get in the studio and lay some paint down! He's got a nice apartment too and he's pretty cute!

julie Morstad

I really love Julie Morstad's work and here's her site!.. hope you like it too! ...

...simple, beautiful and exquisite.

Phantom!

Well... I've been at college all day printing!. Not for me, but for my placement. I've designed a book of illustrations by former MA student Laura Wady and screen printing the cover! It's looking good! I just hope it all fits together ok and I don't let everyone down!. I'm working hard on the small things so fingers crossed everything will be fine.. Here's work in progress with a dummy book I made to see how it may look...

The final count down...

UNIT 3... I've decided to do what I love doing and then work out what it's all about along the way.. I love collage and I love drawing well. I love exquisite work and I would love to be able to produce work that is described in such a way... A long way to go and this is a new piece along the lines I would like to work. The thing is I've seen this kind of work and know I am influenced by what I have seen soo I need to work on the different levels in my own way so i make it my own.. I'm hoping to draw animals from life, so that means going to a farm, the zoo, the museum and others so I'm looking forward to pushing myself and seeing what comes out!... this is something I stayed behind after work to do.. I haven't done any of my own drawings so I used Kiki Smiths drawing of a deer to show as an example.

platinum award for A Book Like THis

Well I had a surprise this morning when I was delivered a package that looked like a painting. Well it was framed but was a framed disk...a platinum disk! which is over a million sales.. how amazing.. It has my name on it!...why? because I did the artwork for it! Cathy and the guys had kindly added my name to the list of people to get one!. I am so stoked!.. finally I have won an award for my artwork!...one of my little goals in life. Now one for my children's books please! Although I think that may take a little longer! good news to ease a hard slog of work.

Julia Stone cd Artwork

Julia Stone cd artwork... It took me just over two weeks of solid painting to do 10 illustrations for the 10 songs, and also the title lettering etc, but I got it all done in time for her to put the cd out a week or so later.. a very quick turn around and generally looking great!.. I love the cover! all inspired from vintage posters from the 50's.. All briefed and designed by Julia. She knew exactly what she wanted...as usual which is great and helps speed up the process. So here are some of them in the cd booklet.

Lovely ladies that do lunch!!

Today I gave a lecture at Fowey Luncheonclub. I didn't know what to expect but I definitely didn't expect the Fowey Hall! it is a lovely building and the ladies were very welcoming . I took Anna up with me and we had a lovely lunch and talked to the ladies on our table who were just lovely! I really enjoyed it and will definitely be putting them on my mailing list for any future shows! Thank you ladies! xxx

and here's a letter from the ladies after the event...

I've been inspired by a walk! every morning I walk my dog for nearly an hour up to beacon just a mile or two away from where I live. I've found a walk that takes me into my work but has a lovely field and some woodland to walk through. I love it! It really starts the day off really nicely! after a mornings work I am off on my only holiday in a couple of years.. I'm going to the End Of The Road Festival in Dorset on Thursday and can't wait.. I've really needed a break this year!... it's been constant! so hoping to come back tired but inspired!... I also stumbled across a great magazine when I went up to PCAD Plymouth College of Art and Design for an interview for a part time lecture post there. It's called Oh Comely and it's worth a look. A book to pause and drink coffee with! I went to the Lizard the other day and stayed at a friends Farm.. Beautiful place with a tipi and an amazing kitchen, chickens, sheep etc and we went for a misty walk along the coast and stumbled across a farmer and his cattle Bobo chased one and frigtened me to death, thinking he'd be trampled but all was fine. We camped there and had a great weekend! in the misty rain!

Today i went to see the final year MA show.. I only had time for the Illustration but was really inspired by how good it all looked! I bought a fe

w of the more affordable pieces I loved and would love to buy more so will hopefully

buy some books when my next cheque comes in!