a task and a half !!!

Now exhibition frenzy has eased slightly I am on a mission to lead a more organised life ...with regards to art paperwork etc. Anyone who knows me will know this is a lost cause in any other area of my life !!!! So I am going to apply myself to a book that I have been dipping in and out of (without any constructive action so far ) called "I'd rather be in the studio"by Alyson B. Stanfield. This was recommended to me by the lovely Julie Howe of "My curious teaparty" blog fame a good while ago and now it's time to take action before I jump off a cliff in a flurry of pieces of paper!!!
So here goes....I will keep you posted ...meanwhile would love to hear your organisation procedures/tips in all areas of your art business (especially with regards edition records all you printmakers out there) !!!
Meanwhile I must get into the studio...The Norwich Print Fair Elements show to prepare for(hanging on Sunday at The Forum Norwich)www.thenorwichprintfair.co.uk

A busy head !!!

My head is full of a new project which will hopefully see me finally get to grips with the problem of continuing to make my prints,which I can never envisage a life without, and having an alternative creative business which will not compete !!!
Oh dear this sounds like a riddle !!!! Anyway ,once these buzzing ideas become concrete I will let you know ! The problem is to stop myself thinking about these and get to grips with orders from the exhibition and making work for the Norwich Print Fair show at the Forum in Norwich to be hung next Sunday !!!! Time for a dog walk .... Happy Wednesday all !

Yet another busy week with a happy ending !!!

It is far too long since I have paid a visit here....as per usual ! This last week was hectic in the extreme but it ended with a lovely evening at the preview of my Southwold Gallery show. It was great to see so many of my images together and I have to say I felt very chuffed !!! It was also lovely to meet folk who had travelled quite a distance to see my work having already bought several pieces previously....collectors ....double chuffed !!!! I will post some pics of the exhibition later but for now here are a few images that you may not have seen !

And some of the finished results !

"Under a Southwold moon"

A break from printmaking this is a watercolour/ink/and gold acrylic design which I have absolutely loved doing ! And two more finished and ready to frame !             

A busy start !

Happy New Year everyone !!! Sorry it's rather late ! It's a busy start to the year for me as I have a solo show in February and then orders and other shows shortly after! So...  I have had to postpone all those lovely New Year activities such as new diary/year planner/getting organised(as if!!!)until
later ! I thought I would post a few photos of my working week just finished...
painting,drawing and cutting new blocks and even a bit of mixed media. Looking forward to Monday !

Happy Monday !

Hectic weekend with my stall at The Cut Halesworth. Loads of lovely stalls selling everything from lamps made out of old gas pipes ,beautiful ceramics, lots of vintage and textiles and of course a good smattering of artists. The nice thing about doing such events is that you actually get to meet your buyers and admiring non-buyers ! Something I really miss when supplying galleries....although there are obvious advantages too ! I had a real selection of prints from mini drypoints to the big prints and of course lots of the Christmas cards !!!
So after all the craziness of getting everything ready ands a hectic day I started the week very weary in a house that looked like a bomb had hit it but what a beautiful Winter morning it was !
So ...a bowl of porridge and a frosty dog walk does Mandy a very happy Monday make !!!! How was Monday for you?

Hello again !

Many many apologies for being absent from the blogging world for so long ! Have had lots of things to put on and tell you about but just never got around to it ! A special apology to Julie ....I have only just read your comment below !!!!
So what to say first ....

Well the new studio has arrived and it is wonderful ,a really special place to work and at least three times bigger than the original (the brick one )  which is now the print room only ! There have also been some new prints ,most recently this one

Happy new year !

You might think this is a strange heading but a hang up from many years of teaching in a previous existence means that I cannot help but see each September as a new beginning !!!

I've been thinking for some time now how to manage this online "me".... I am  a twitter(or should I say twit),facebook(twice) and blogger person but never seem to be able to keep up with it all so do it badly ! Hence the gaps between posts on here !

So decisions made so far....

my blog ie. here... will be an ongoing account about everything that grabs my attention,great skies,interesting exhibitions,observations on life......

facebook 'like' page .....purely print etc business

facebook 'normal'(!) ....links to here etc and printmaking /craft news,good links etc

twitter ...news,chatter,support etc etc

what do you think? How do you manage all this online lark ?!!!! Still seems muddly but hopefully will make sense eventually !

So happy new year to all my online friends and fellow printmakers,arty folk !!!

Here's to a really successful year for us all !

My next exhibition ! Work still to frame,cards to make ! One day I will be prepared !!!

New Southwold print completed !

and then there was one !!!

Well, a day of drama !
I have got to know the matriarch of this family so well that she now picks up mealworms as I drop them at my feet . Today she has balanced more and more precariously on top of the four bundles busily flexing their wings and it soon became obvious today was the day !!!

So, all of a sudden with much clattering into fences ,windows etc they were out much to the dogs amusement and frustration as I managed to stop her from having blackbird as a snack ! That is all but one who is still sitting tight and seems to be perfectly happy ! Here's hoping all will be safe during the night !




Staying put ! A good option !

new arrivals !

I'm afraid I've been rather lax of late at keeping up this oracle ! Many reasons...getting on with lots of work but also some new arrivals that have become  a great distraction !
So please welcome to the world not four and twenty  but definitely four new blackbirds that have been raised just outside our kitchen window.
A real honour !
I like to think these are a second brood of a pair who nested unsuccessfully in the arms of a mannequin lady nestled in the bushes at the bottom of our garden (Sounds weird I know ! It was given to me one day by a friend who had bought it on a whim at a local auction and I was the only person he could think of who might like it !!! Probably because it was decked out as a mermaid !)
This brood reached a good size until the nest started collapsing .The adults watched as I kept putting the young back into the nest and worse to come a sparrowhawk polished off each one !

So I like to think this pair trusted me enough to raise their next brood close where I could keep an eye on them !

Pure fancy I know ! 

and more drypoints....

 some more dypoint dabbling ! These two are all of 2'' square. I think I will put these in mounts although they were originally intended as images for hand printed cards ! The bottom two are 5x4" . Forgive the poor photography ! They are all on white somerset paper !

having fun with a drypoint ...and a few musings !

I've been really busy painting up prints etc just recently so decided to award myself a few days off to fiddle and also to make those new blocks that have been niggling away in my head !
So basically I've had a really good few days ...always amazes me how ideas for new work come buzzing the more ideas you think of...puts you in a creative state of mind ! (sounds like a new song title !)
Also ,at the end of next week I have a stall at a local food and craft street market and I was thinking I could do with a new ,easily affordable range of work (totally different to my normal ,extremely time intensive  and hence more expensive, collagraphs) for these kind of situations and also to sell online.
I have, therefore ,been having lots of fun with very simple drypoints...a real treat and a release from the endless elbow grease of collagraphs !
And here are the results...still to be finished...

I think this might be the finished style of my dabble in gift tags ! Ribbon or rafia ? Not sure !!!!

Off to the Seapictures Gallery,Clare !

 A new selection of work delivered to the Seapictures Gallery in the lovely village of Clare ,Suffolk. Hopefully they will go well as the last delivery all sold in the first week !!! ( I f only life was always like that !)
It is like a "sweet shop" for me as it's full of inspiring maritime work in all different forms and styles...including some very interesting contemporary work. If you are ever in the area have a look as the village also has some excellent places to eat and a wonderful Aladdin's cave of an antique cum junk store !!!!

new print

thought I'd introduce you to my most recent print that I finished painting today ! It is of Sheringham beach....now I need a title  !!!

head down day today ! Finished the bittern print which has been a real trial !
This will be on its way to the Haddenham Gallery near Ely shortly as part of the coast exhibition .
I have now permanently moved my painting things into my "garden" studio for the Summer. It sounds very grand but in reality it's minute, a converted coal house and outside loo ! More than half of it is taken up by my press ! My studio companion has adopted my practice of finding alternative uses for things as you can see below !

A new use for my water tray ,stored under the press !(Thankfully empty !)

The garden is looking good, here are my favourites of the moment !

Have come to the conclusion I am a bad blogger...so I will promise to do better

Have been away in Bonnie Scotland,surrounded by mountains still with a smattering of snow,old Caledonian forest,gurgling Black grouse,red squirrels, crested tits,golden eagles and even a treasured mountain hare ! A different world and one full of inspirational ideas for new blocks ! And of course the brown blob sampled many a loch too !