Dorset Art Weeks - 11 days away

Oh my goodness. Studio still not quite finished. Still need stairs to get in to it from outside. I phoned the stair man today and he promises it will be ready in time. I hope he is right! Otherwise I may have to have the exhibition in the garden!

I have been sent wonderful photos of some cows in France by my card printer that I am painting at the moment. They are ginger, like me, and very grumpy looking (hopefully not like me).

There are so many cute calves around at the moment that I am desperate to paint.... if only there were more hours in the day...

studio nearly finished

It is been a long hard winter in Dorset - especially living in a rented house with night storage heaters - what a waste of time they are. Anyway, rant, rant, grumble, grumble - the sun is now shining and the daffodils are emerging and all is progressing in the new studio. I have a floor and white walls and light switches (no lights yet) and .......... heating !!!!!!! So excited about that.
I haven't moved in yet but will be doing in about three weeks. Then I have to PAINT, PAINT PAINt - cows - not walls ready for Dorset Art Weeks which starts at the end of May.
I'll post a photo soon.

somerset art weeks now open

The exhibition at Somerset Art Weeks opened on Friday evening (18th September). After two days of frantic hanging of paintings, we had a very relaxing private view accompanied by the lilting sound of latin guitar with the duo "de la luna" . In the photo, they are flanked by Steve Morris's chicken paintings.

The exhibition is in a 18th century congregational chapel (Rook Lane Arts) in Frome and I am exhibiting along with six other artists - Claudia Phipps, Carolyn Finch, Steve Morris, Sue Spurrier (my mum!), Alison Bundle and Sarah Fraser. It is an amazing space - very contemporary in a very old building. We have had lots of children visiting who have enjoyed our quiz and adding to our collage in the cafe.

Mulberry (who is a white park cow painted as a result of the jeep ride in my last blog) peeks out at you as you approach the doors of the chapel. At 150cm square he is quite a large beast. I am hoping someone comes who loves cows and has a very big house.....

Jeepers - a bumpy ride

I've had an exciting week visiting some Somerset cows ready for Somerset Art Weeks.

In Beckington, near Frome there is a gorgeous herd of organic Jerseys at Ivy House Farm. Geoff, the farmer introduced me to the bull of the herd with the caveat that Jersey bulls are known to kill the most people of any breed. I thought I would steer clear of him.

The cows were much more appealing to mingle with, although they did like to be scratched and want to lick my camera, which wasn't very conducive to taking photos of them.

Later on, after avoiding an torrential May downpour, I ended up near Street at Sharpham Park where Roger Saul has a gorgeous herd of White Park cattle. Marcus, the farm manager, offered to take me to see them, but I ended up driving the farm jeep (which is a first for my cow painting career) down a very soggy mud track. The cattle have the most astounding horns, which I was told they have no problem in using to protect their calves in the first few days after birth. Marcus was very kind and watched that those horns came nowhere near me as I crouched taking photos in amongst the cows.

I can't wait to paint them now......

Let the painting begin

I've got to get painting!

There are two big exciting cow exhibitions this year - the first is at a beautiful renovated chapel in Frome, Somerset (Rook Lane Arts). I am exhibiting with five other local artists ( including my mum!) in this amazing space. I can paint some really huge canvasses to fill the walls.

The second is an exhibition at Baxters Gallery in Dartmouth under the careful eye of Sarah Duggan, the owner. Her gallery is always full of quality pieces and I hope to paint some quality cows to add to her collection.

The last bit of excitement is that I might be getting a new studio - with some windows !!! It might revolutionize my painting - we'll have to wait and see.....

Beautiful Beasts

My children are revving up for Christmas, coming home with partly made angel costumes and orders for cakes for the christmas fair. In the midst of this there has been a flurry of paintings done for the Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton "Beasts" Christmas Exhibition. I am amused to think of patients, relatives, friends and staff being looked down on by five fuzzy cows in the hospital corridors. I hope they cheer people up when they are in hospital over Christmas.

The cows are also appearing on the inside of Honeybuns gorgeous gluten-free cake wrappers ( the cranberry and pecan flapjack ones to be precise!). I met Emma who runs Honeybuns the other day for a cup of tea - she is an inspirational business woman and a very lovely person too!! Also appearing on the cake wrappers is Alison Bundle's work (she was also having tea!!) - fantastic animal sculptures and fabulous person. Now all I need is to eat some of the cakes.....

Brilliant Baxters

I'm very excited!!

In June, I spent a lot of hours feverishly painting four new paintings, before my children broke up for the school holidays. I was really pleased with them and now it seems, so were the cow painting lovers out there - as they have all sold in July at Baxters Gallery in Dartmouth.

I also have some fantastic new images to work with from Roskilly's nr St Keverne in Cornwall. They have a herd of 100 Jersey cows that provide the milk for their delicious ice cream and I spent a happy hour in the sunshine snapping away at them whilst my kids threw hay around.

Cow cards and prints are now on sale at Roskilly's in the fantastic Bull Pen shop and gallery. It is a great place to go , what with seeing the milking, eating the multitude of ice creams on offer, the great restaurant and the gorgeous courtyard to hang out in - we're going again next week for a barbecue evening and live music - can't wait.

Green Cow Cards are also now stocked at Stourhead Farm Shop in Wiltshire.