Rainy weather!

Okay so it's been raining buckets, but there is still so much to look at outside! Also got myself a waterproof sketchbook, apparently you can go under water with it!! Hmmm.... I will have to test it very soon.

Cross Project

I have started a new project inspired by Salvador Dali's painting Christ of St. John of the Cross. I aim to make a text painting using text from revival stories, prayers, bible passages  to create an image using the cross. I am interested in the point of view Dali used of the cross -  which makes it look as if it is floating above the earth. I have started experimenting using photography as a starting point. Water could be used to distort the cross eventually or distort our view of it in some way. I am also interested in how water can be used symbolically to give meaning. For this reason I have started to work locally at the lakes using a cross as a motif to experiment with.

Here are the results so far....

Town and County Art Exhibition Delapre Abbey

We have a wonderful exhibition of 91 paintings, drawings, prints and photographs at Delapre Abbey
in Northampton over the Jubilee weekend.
Starting tomorrow( Thursday) and on every day until next Monday from 10.30 to 4.00 each day.
All the work is original and for sale and it is all inspired by the beautiful Abbey and grounds.

Please try to get along to see the work and do your best to publicise the event. There are other events at
Delapre during this time for the Jubilee including a picnic in the park on Sunday, Please go to the Northampton Borough Council website for details.

Threadneedle Prize pre-selected!

Well the latest news is that I have been pre-selected for the Threadneedle prize exhibition with my 'Warhorse' painting! I wasn't selected for the RoyalAcademy Open never mind competition is very fierce with over 11,000 people entering. Trouble is Warhorse needs delivering by 9th June and it's stuck at Royal Academy until June 23rd . Arrrgghhh! Help!!!

Lady with the fish. Painted

I have now painted the picture I was working on 'Lady with the Fish'. I used text to paint the sculpture itself and then other materials to create texture. This included, wallpaper, sand paper, fabric and then plaster. This was all worked over with acrylic paint and colour pencils. It will be on show at Delapre Abbey at the end of this month.

Lady with Fishes

At the moment I am working on a new painting based on a sculpture which is in the grounds of Delapre Abbey in Northampton. I am using text to make the sculpture but this time I will be using paint to apply colour. In addition to this texture will be layered into the work using tissue paper, cloth and wallpapers.

I hope to have this ready for an exhibtion at the Abbey this May with the Town and County Art Group.

Close up of sculpture in text!

The Painting in development March 24

Original Photograph

Royal Academy London Entered!

I had a really great response to the 'Warhorse' painting I made and completed recently so I decided to enter the Royal Academy Summer exhibition. Its the oldest open exhibition in the world and can have up to 13,000 works entered for selection each year! I 'm sure this year it will be really really popular with artists entering as it the Olympics this Summer in London!

I got my framing done in Wellingborough at a really good framers called Arti Farty or Sports Frames which sounds funny but they do a really good job.

Entering work for the Royal Academy involves ordering a form online. You can enter 2 works for £25 each - so I entered  'Warhorse'. I then had to arrange a courier to take my work to the venue in London as my work is large. Picture Post picked it up and took it down for me. Then I needed to have Royal Academy labels and a barcoded sticker on too. So, all in all quite alot of work and no garantee or getting in. But, I am proud I have done it and now I will have to wait until the 24th May to find out the result.

Wish me Luck!