Cows on canvas has a new home

Cows on canvas has mooooved!

My new studio is in a beautiful Somerset location - just outside the village of Hambridge at Bowden's Farm.  I am very lucky to be surrounded by some fantastic local businesses on the farm and the amazing Brown and Forrest smokery which has a delicious cafe and far too tempting cakes.

Lots of changes over the next few months, so watch this space....

Networking and community

I have just been to the inaugural meeting of the Sherborne Artists networking group @netWORKartSherb. Being an artist is sometimes a lonely old life and it is god to get out and meet up with other like-minded people.

I took my puppy for moral support and spent half the time trying to stop her chewing up the furniture. The other half of the time was spent finding out about the new Sherborne Community Arts Centre which is hopefully being built near Sherborne House, a beautiful part of our ancient town. It sounds like a really worthwhile project - but they have lots of funds to raise in order to build it.

To do my little part I am selling my Christmas Cards this year in aid of the Arts Centre Fund - www.scact.co.uk

You can buy them here

I hope they raise the money. It would be great for Sherborne to have a art hub like this for workshops, performances, exhibitions and to build on the increasingly arty vibe that Sherborne posesses.

Cows on canvas gets all in a fluster

Well - I have had a busy time of it recently. Not painting much at the moment as I have got myself all involved with trying to stop a large supermarket being built out of town in our lovely town of Sherborne. The general consensus is that if we let them come it will ruin our historic and vibrant high street. (Oh and we have a puppy too which I am trying to train not to get all covered in paint in my studio!)

So suddenly, after being a bit half-hearted about these issues - being generally in agreement with shopping locally and supporting local producers - I have decided to put my money where my mouth is and GIVE UP SUPERMARKETS FOR LENT!! Day 5 today and going well. In fact, it is better so far - better food, more friendly shopping experiences and educating my kids about local food production - all positive stuff.

So how will this affect my painting? Well, hopefully the passion that I have for supporting local producers will translate a frenzy of painting local cows. Can't wait to start getting back in  the studio soon - just wish the supermarket menace would go away.....

New christmas card coming soon

Well it seems that all the shops are doing it, so I might as well join in too. CHRISTMAS CARDS!!

New Christmas card this year - Merry and Pippin have had a digital makeover and appear on this year's card. They will appear to buy on the website soon.

My previous design also available from the cards page.

Cows and fizz - a good combination

Some of my cows have gone on a trip to a vineyard - Furleigh Estate near Bridport, to be exact. It is in the middle of nowhere but when you arrive through the fleeing sheep on their farm, a luscious vineyard, nestling in a sheltered valley in Dorset, awaits you.

I painted these cows especially on a grapey coloured background so they would feel at home in the old dairy which is now a tasting room. What a taste it is too - I tried the sparkling wine (from the new champagne region of Dorset?) and it was delicious.

So cow painting this month has had it's perks..... Roll on October - maybe a chocolate factory next.... in my dreams.

Cow paintings to appear on cows on canvas shortly.

Another trip to London for a few select cows!

The sun is shining at last!  To celebrate, the cows are taking a summer holiday to the gorgeously eclectic Frivoli Gallery in Devonshire Road in Chiswick. Florence, Pauline, Victoria and Winnie have packed their bags full of cowy things and travelled up the A303 to see Hazel (the gallery owner) and the rather gorgeous Topsy (a dog/teddy bear) in their new (hopefully temporary) home in London. I think they will look rather marvellous nestled amongst the treasure trove of wonderful things Hazel sells there. I, for one have bought a rather marvellous summer hat there - let's hope the sun stays out so I can wear it!

Last day of cow painting at Dorset Art Weeks

It's the last day of Dorset Art Weeks today and the cows have had many admirers in my studio. It has been lovely to meet so many cow enthusiasts. In particular, it was great to meet a dairy farmer from Maiden Newton way who told me lots of useful and interesting facts about cow breeds (something which I am sadly ignorant about when people ask me) and so fantastic to meet an amazing family from Melbury Bubb who use their smallholding to help adults with learning disabilities work with animals and agriculture.
I've also been to some fabulous exhibitions locally. The inspirational Gerry Dudgeon and his jewel-like landscapes, Rose Hatcher and her colourful and skilful felt work, Carolyn Finch's amazingly detailed  seascapes, Felice Hodges use of chalky and soft colours in her abstract paintings to name but a few.

Now the cows are off to pastures new! Watch this space for cow news!!

dorset art weeks 2012

Back from London and straight into Dorset Art Weeks - bit of a contrast from London, but lovely to have an exhibition in my studio again. For a start, it means it gets a massive spring clean, wall paint and all the cows get to have their spaces on the walls rather than tucked away in bubble wrap in a corner.

I have an article all about me and my cows in Dorset Magazine this month which is very exciting for me (fame at last).  Hoping that lots of people come and visit me in my studio over the next few weeks. I am open on 26th/27th May, June 1st - 5th and June 8th - 10th. I'm also looking forward to going to visit some other artists in between opening days.

My cows visit Sherborne Castle in my Dorset Art Weeks exhibition!

More new cows

Underground cows

One day to go until the London exhibition and I am busy making my labels for the paintings. Here's another flavour of the cows (please excuse the turn of phrase, all vegetarians) that will be on show - this is the  underground cows collection:

Marble and Archie

Victoria

Camden Cow

Pimlicow

City cows take their first trip to the big smoke

My first London exhibition at the Animal Art Fair, and the cows have had a makeover especially for the occasion. I love a bit of sightseeing as much as the next person and so do the cows... posing for their portrait by such landmarks as Big Ben and Battersea Power Station. Come and see the new cow portraits and 40 other animal artists on the South Bank from May 17th - 20th with a private view on the 16th May (contact me for invite!). A sneak peak below:

This year I am very excited to be exhibiting at the Animal Art Fair from the 17th May until 20th May at Riverside Walk on the South Bank in London. There are some amazing artists exhibiting - so I feel very honoured to be amongst them.

I am beavering away in my studio like never before in order to get a collection together ready for the exhibition. Images will be revealed a couple of weeks before the show!

Website now gone live!!! Let me know what you think of it...

new cows, new website

I'm just loading all my images onto my new website which has exciting things like being able to login and a shopping cart - It is taking ages but I'm sure it will be worth it in the end.

In the meantime here are some new cows:

Vincent (has a sort of van Goghy background - swirly paint)

Parsley (as seen at the North Devon Show)

and Justine

North Devon Show

Thank you to all my customers at the North Devon Show. It was a great day - really lovely people and some great cows to paint.

Cows off to Dartmouth

Four new cow canvasses are off to Baxter's Gallery in Dartmouth on Friday 8th July.

Delamore Cows

These cows have gone to Delamore Arts:

Primrose:Poppy

and Erica

Cows get a new look

The cows have got bored of their plain backgrounds and have asked for a more exciting environment to live in. Not wanting to offend, I have tried my best and come up with Gustav Klimt meets Jackson Pollock in a liquidizer....anyway it seems to work for someone as it has already sold!!

Just working on the three for Delamore arts - very messy business this painting- my lovely new linoleum floor will never be the same again!

Exhibition News

Three cows will be going to Delamore Arts Exhibition at Cornwood in Devon for the whole of May 2011. The exhibition is in aid of St Lukes Hospice in Plymouth and is taking place in the stunning Delamore estate on the edge of Dartmoor.

Wonderful cows

Just been up to Shropshire for the weekend to celebrate 40th birthdays - went to Attingham Park. AMAZING cows - Belted Galloways and Longhorns. Obviously very used to people as they barely flinched when we took photos of them. Hoping to do some large paintings of them in the new year.

It's dogs and sheep on canvas too!

Well, the kids are back at school and my days are my own again. Although, I'm sure 9am til 3.30 pm is shorter than it used to be. I've hardly got time to gossip at the school gates and eat chocolate without children wanting some, let alone pick up a paintbrush, before it's time to go back again.

So, this academic year I seem to have started the year with labradors and sheep. I am painting the paintings that I have promised people over the years and never had time to do. But all that cow painting has stood me in good stead as it seems that labrador fur is not that dissimilar to cow and I am hoping that sheep wool is similar to a curly faced bull.

Then it will be back to painting the cows -some are currently on show at the King's Arms Charlton Horethorne, Baxters Gallery, Dartmouth and the Cottage gallery in Wedmore.

I've got to go and find some Dorset Longhorns down near Dorchester, some Highlands up on the Mendips and some Holsteins up on the hills near Sherborne. I've got some new walking boots so there is nothing to stop me now.....