A Larger Arena

'Landscape-Meditation,' Chinese watercolour and gouache on rice paper, 35 x 34 cm

For this post I am going to add a selection of paintings. Colour brightens my day during these dark winter months and heralds the approach of Spring. 

'Somewhere Else,' acrylic on canvas, 70 x 50 cm

Painting on canvas will have to wait for a few weeks as I am off to Cyprus on Tuesday. On my return I will be working on some much larger canvases because I feel that my ideas about colour and brushstrokes need a larger arena. In Cyprus I will work on paper.

'Landscape-Meditation,' gouache on paper

I have recently sent out several applications for exhibitions and residencies. My favourite residency place in China is closing down and I am now applying elsewhere in China. The thought of working back there and exploring Chinese calligraphy is really exciting.

'Landscape-Meditation,' gouache and pen on paper

As well as national and international exhibition applications, I have just signed up for the SOUTH EAST OPEN STUDIOS, which will take place across Kent, UK, in June.

Translating Art and Life

'Imagine,' acrylic on canvas, 24 x 19 cm

When I started writing today it was a shock to realise I haven't written anything for over a month! Probably because so much was happening with exhibition applications, doing shifts in a gallery my local art group set up, and continuing to paint. Consequently I have not painted as much, or as large, as I wanted but I have made a lot of small works on paper and canvas.

'Imagine,' (2) acrylic on canvas, 24 x 19 cm

We opened our pop-up gallery on November 19th and there are 14 members of our group showing. It has been a wonderful experience and the range of work is very wide, mine probably being some of the more abstract work. 

''Untitled,' gouache on watercolour paper

I'm posting a selection of newbies. I'm exploring different papers - some quite cheap, some 'proper' thick watercolour paper, and with different materials - ink, gouaches, child's paints. But what is standing out for me is that I really love the expressive lines the Chinese brushes facilitate and that way of working and allowing the paint-world to emerge is very natural for me. It calls to me and suggests all kinds of exciting possibilities. So I am now thinking how I can take this expressiveness and spontaneity into the oil paintings and acrylics.

'Landscape-Poem,' Chinese ink on rice paper, 35 x 85 cm

This month will be a busy one!

'Landscape-Poem,' gouache and pen on paper

And finally, a photo of our gallery in Tunbridge Wells, Kent (UK)

My husband in front of our gallery, 'In the Frame,' in Tunbridge Wells (Royal Victoria Place)

A final note - I sent two copies of THE JACKDAW (art magazine)to the China Artists Association in Beijing last month. I have a full page in it for my report on the 6th Beijing International Art Biennale (page 26). I have been told that my report will now be published on wechat (the Chinese platform for social media), on the Beijing Biennale's pages, and I am assuming it will be translated.