June

Last week the group show of the SEE Artists opened at Woods restaurant, Tunbridge Wells. It was a lovely opening with live music, drinks and canapes, and 10 artists are showing 2 paintings each. The above photo shows one of my watercolours, high on the wall, and in the foreground, on the left, Mark Paul Perry, who organised the show.

Me (on the right) by the drinks table

I only found out a few days earlier that I have been selected to paint a large painting for the windows of HOOPERS, a big department store. The theme is 'Sale,' and it is part of the promotion of the July SEE Art Fair here. I'm not sure how many artists are painting these 92 x 92cm canvases but we have until 21st June to complete them, and the installation of the work is on June 25th. I only just stretched my canvas and put gesso on it yesterday!

'Procession,' (Cyprus series) acrylic and gesso on watercolour paper, 11.8 x 8.3ins

 Finally, and deeply memorable, was the tribute to my ex-tutor Stass Paraskos that I attended on 24th May, at the APT STUDIOS, in Deptford, London. It was heavily attended and included a show of his marvellous paintings and a film about his life. I met some tutors I hadn't seen for some 25 years, and some people who had been in my Year at college.  It was very moving and all of us shared many sweet memories. Stass taught me at Canterbury College of Art, and I was very saddened when he died a few weeks ago. I will write more next time.

A photo of Stass, in front of tulips (he would have loved the colour), at the Tribute

 

More Applications

'Transition.'  Oil and acrylic on board, 61 x 45cm

Since I last wrote, I have been working on 6 paintings, 4 of which are now finished. The above painting caused the most headaches, as it took ages to resolve. But I'm so happy to be back to painting again, and to have recovered my health. After my last post, I went to the doctor and learned that the 'Flu' I thought I had had for over 3 weeks was in fact a lung infection! I had to take antibiotics to clear it. But the funny thing is that, in spite of feeling really lacking in energy, I painted full speed! I was obsessed with the new works. A friend on Facebook suggested that perhaps painting is medicinal for me.

So for this post, I'm adding some of the recent works.

'Camber.' oil and acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30cm

I have just posted off my entry form for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2013, with the usual doubts and reservations, as I know too well that it is a lottery! The delivery date for the painting is early April. I've also applied for the Creekside Open, a bi-annual exhibition at a London gallery that is part of a studio complex (and one of my ex-tutors from college works there). When my husband saw the work of the two selectors, he said 'You are wasting your time, I don't think they will like your style of work.' We will see.  It would certainly be very exciting to be selected. I've been to exhibitions there in the past, and also to the Open Studios of the artists working in the building.

'Winter Blues,' oil and acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30cm

As for attending the Grand Opening of the new Mark Rothko Centre, in Daugavpils (Latvia) I have decided to go. It will be great to meet up with some of the other artists who were on the residency with me last September, and to see my 4 paintings hanging in the Centre. The Opening is on April 24th, and I am going for 3 days.

Paths Long Travelled

September 25th Saturday.

This date was circled in my diary many months ago. Scrawled in red was, 'Don't forget APT Open Studios!' These open studios showcase the work of artists working at the APT studio complex, in Deptford, London. I was really looking forward to this event because several of the artists were my tutors at college (Mali Morris - newly elected to the Royal Academy - Clyde Hopkins, Geoff Rigden), and one artist, Nicola Rae, was in my year at college. I was also curious to see what they are doing now, and hoping to re-open connections. Being an artist is a lonely business, and having artist friends is of great value. They are among the few people who are able to understand one's daily obsessions and preoccupations.

I ended up spending nearly 4 hours going around the studios - there are 37, plus a gallery - and I was in heaven, being able to talk art! There was a great variety of approaches and themes, from abstract through to figurative, and after lots of animated discussions about paint and aesthetics, I had a lovely talk with Nicola. We reminisced about our student days, and I suddenly had an inner vision of paths long travelled. Far from being a painful reminder of the passage of time, the visit highlighted a luminous path stretching into the future.
('Park, Night Paths,' Oil and acrylic, 61cm x 45cm. 2010)