Patchings 2014

The Patchings Art Festival all sped by in a bit of a whirl again this year. There is a mad buzz of activity on the Wednesday as everyone arrives  with their stand props and art work all securely bubble wrapped ready to set up their areas. 
When the show finally opens on Thursday morning there is a tense excitement as the crowds pour into the venue and hundreds of people all dissipate around the festival grounds. There were 48 coaches and a field of cars on the Thursday alone!
There is so much to see that you could spend all four days here, you just can't see it all.
I was invited by The Artist and Leisure Painter magazine to demonstrate each day in their marquee, five demos throughout the day. The marquee gets very full with people sitting on the floor and standing where they can. Each year I think I will find the time to go around and take lots of photos, but the days just seem to fly by.

This is one of my half hour demos, using acrylics on Bockingford watercolour paper. It shows how I go about beginning a painting outside by looking for tonal blocks. The more time I have, the more the painting builds up.

This is a second example using the same idea but just an extra tonal dimension. I quite like the simplicity of these type of paintings.

Then I did a couple of watercolour demos, this one again a half hour demo with a simple background wash and three figures. That little lad on the right REALLY wishes he had a finishing net!

I did a few flower demos too which always seem popular. I try and pack as much into the half hour as I can, so I don't always finish a painting.

Terry Harrison demonstrates in the Art Materials Marquee at the other end of the show, this was him busy on the first morning. As you can see, it gets really busy and he always seems to attract a crowd.

David Bellamy and Jenny Keal came to say hello, which was lovely, although we only seem to meet up at shows!

There are some wonderfully talented artists who display their work at Patchings, it is my favourite show of the year and a chance to see old friends as well as make new ones.

Haidee-Jo Summers and Michele del Campo, two of my favourite artists.

Preparing for the Patchings Art Festival

I can't believe another year has flown by and its Patchings this week once again. It really is my favourite show of the year, this is its 21st year and it seems to get better and better. There are so many talented artists to see, some demonstrating and others willing to chat to visitors and answer questions. 
If you can visit - 5th - 8th June
Patchings Art Centre
Oxon Road
Calverton
Nottinghamshire
NG14 6NU

I have been invited again to demonstrate on behalf of The Artist and Leisure Painter Magazines in their marquee (number 24) its right in front of the main entrance. The marquee has seating for you, and all of my demonstrations are free, you don't have to book, you just come along, find a seat and watch a demo or two, they last about half an hour.
I will be painting 5 paintings each day. The demonstrations will be at 10.30 11.30 1pm 2.30 and 3.30 the media and subjects will be listed on my black board so you can plan which ones you want to watch.

Ive planned some lovely demos this year which include figures, children paddling, (with nice reflections) boats (with lovely light on the water) and a bit of an experimental demo using mixed media. I have an idea the direction this demo will go in, and am planning on using stencils, sponging, transparent colour and opaque colour. I don't know what it will look like because it will be what ever takes my fancy on the day! That should keep me on my toes, so this one will be an exciting demo for me, especially with 50+ people all watching!

Birthday Tea - mixed media

I shall take photos during the show and put them on my blog next week. If you follow me on twitter I shall tweet from the event (phone signal permitting) with images.

My morning walk

When we are young, we never have time to smell the roses, but as we get a little older we begin to realise that we need to make the time. I try and go for an early morning walk whenever  I can and today I thought it might be nice to share it with you.

Its quiet in the village at this time of day, I love the dappled light, the sound of the water and the birds, they seem so loud, but that's probably because it is so quiet.

I am heading towards the 'Ford bridge' where there is a family of ducks I have been watching since they were tiny. There is a small run off where the ducks can get trapped when they are tiny, so a make shift rescue bridge is placed in the river to help them along. I have watched a line of them balance on the wood and hop up out of danger.

I'm not sure if its a good idea, but I count them, and there are 11 survivors this year out of 15. The heron has a lot to answer for, he stands silently along the bank here on the left and watches for any limpers or stragglers. This is the family this morning, sunning themselves.

The calm for the ducks is certainly shattered as a Labrador gallops up the river. He is having such fun it is hard to begrudge him!

I follow the river past the village car park and now begin to see parts of the village the visitors rarely see. The river narrows and I cross this little bridge, the iris are in bud, the shrubs are covered in blossom and the hedgerows seem particularly lovely this year.

The honeysuckle is amazing this spring, the hedgerow smells wonderful.

I pass the little stables along the way, these two love a bit of attention, a nose rub, goodness, they are velvety soft.

Then further along, its the chickens, in the blossom orchard. Most of them seem to be hiding this morning, now these are what I call 'free range' these are the hens I use as models for my paintings, and the eggs in my cooking. What could be nicer? 

After collecting the eggs, its time to head back, this is such a beautiful place, and just a few hundred yards from where I live. There are little lanes like this all over the UK, with people enjoying today, just as I am.

My walk takes me back along the river where I look for the trout. There used to be so many of them, but now there are very few, I think the heron eats them. However, i did see one this morning in the sunshine, lets hope the heron doesn't!

This is the little seat I like to sit on, there are lots of these along the river and at this time if day it is so peaceful, there is hardly anyone about. I am now almost at home, my walk is a wonderful way to clear the mind and smell the roses.

A busy couple of weeks

I spent a lovely few days in the Lake District at the Derwent Pencil Museum at the beginning of the month, where I demonstrated and taught for three days, meeting some lovely people there. We had a fun workshop painting chickens and learning various techniques, all of which feature in my new book to be published very soon! 

If you buy my book from me from my web site on-line, I am giving away with it a FREE blank stencil worth £3 and a Daniel Smith dot card. I can't wait! Its such a lovely book, I am sure you will love it too.

I seem to have had another hectic couple of weeks.

Yesterday it was an early start for me driving to Wales to visit two art groups, in the morning I was demonstrating flower techniques in Torfaen and in the evening, boats and harbours in South Wales. This is one of the paintings I completed in the evening, there was a camera and projector and a hall full with 75 people, so the big screen was very important. It did mean the room was dark and I was lit, so it looks like I am painting in the dark, but I wasn't really!

Easter at the farm - (not for the squeamish)

Easter this year was full of the joy of new life, with the arrivals of the Spring lambs. I have been looking forward to visiting the farm for weeks and i was thrilled to witness lambing in full swing when I arrived. (Violet and Richard probably weren't quite as thrilled as I was as they had been up most nights last week helping the ewes with the lambing) but I am just an on looker and for me it was fabulous!

As the mothers wait to have their lambs in the centre of the shed, there are penned off areas where the new arrivals and their mothers are safe for a few days before being let out onto the fields.
I peered over the pens to see some wonderful tiny new lambs and their proud mums peering back up at me.

This is me with a 6 hour old lamb, it was so warm and soft, absolutely wonderful. 

I was fortunate to witness the birth of a lamb, which was rather special - but look away now if you are squeamish in any way.....

The new lambs nose and tongue is just visible, this is the perfect birth position I am told.

Violet needs to assist the lamb a little, but the mother bonds straight away and begins licking her new arrival. I never thought new born lambs could be yellow! There is something rather wonderful about watching this whole process. 
I kept my distance as the sheep don't know me and its important not to spook them at such a time.

This is the new arrival, isn't it wonderful? The other ewes are a bit curious and come for a look at the new arrival, they don't get too close and are not a threat in any way.

After a couple of days to make sure they are ok, they are then let out into the field next to the farm. Unfortunately, the very tiny ones are easy pickings for the fox and the following morning sadly one of these lovely little lambs had been taken.

This is where I take a lot of my photos which I then use for reference in my paintings... sketches and paintings coming soon, i am sure!

South Korea, Leicester, Peterborough and Tewkesbury

I was full of good intentions, as soon as I got back from South Korea I was going to write my blog, but life got in the way and things became so hectic that a whole week has flown by. My feet have hardly touched the ground.
The week in S Korea was fantastic, the students were fabulous, I tweeted images each day so here are a couple of photos from one of the 6 workshops I did.

I had such a fun workshop in Doncaster with a lovely group of people all wanting a fun day painting a street scene, it was great. (Such fun I forgot to take a group photo) 

Then Driving south, my next demo was in Leicester, wow this group have a fabulous venue, these are the gardens. Inspiration on their doorstep all year round, stunning. 

They had specifically asked me to paint an allotment scene, so this was what I did for them. This is a very jolly group, lots of banter, it was such a fun morning.

Then it was off to Peterborough to paint flowers, wearing my piny (apron) from South Korea. I seem to buy one each time I go because they are so lovely.

Friday I had a catch up day which drifted into Saturday as well but on Sunday I had a switch off day. This week I have demonstrated in Tewkesbury and have tried to catch up on admin before it piles up so high I can't see over the top of it!

I am excited to be helping at a farm with lambing over the week end as well as visiting a sheep auction, I love to see all the fabulous different breeds all penned ready for sale, and watching the auction is fascinating. If I manage time to do a sketch, I shall show you, meanwhile, I have another busy day tomorrow.

Off to South Korea again

I'm now all prepared for my week teaching in South Korea. Everything is ready to pack and its the excitement before travelling time! The flight is long but I will watch a couple of movies and try and sleep a bit, I like travelling but not the actual travel bit, if that makes sense? I am not sure if I will manage to blog whilst I am away but I will definitely tweet and take some photos. 
This is the lovely family who organise our trip and always make us so welcome, we are looking forward to seeing them again.