Journal
Opening Day!
I had such a lovely day at the opening of my exhibition at the Russell Gallery and was so grateful to everyone who made the journey to see me and my paintings on this very hot day - including friends and fellow ROI members Sarah Manolescue, Linda Alexander and Natalia Avdeeva. I also had the chance to catch up with lovely collectors, some of them buying their fifth, sixth or seventh Haidee-Jo painting which is so touching. I was also really happy to catch up with Ken Howard's wife Dora, who happily took home one of my India paintings. Ken used to visit my shows at the Russell Gallery and collected some of my paintings which meant the absolute world to me. I will forever be grateful for his and Dora's support.
Lots of the paintings are selling which is the most rewarding feeling for an artist and on a practical level means I will be able to do some of the much needed building/repair work that my cottage and studio require which is exciting! As well as people coming in to the gallery and choosing, some are being snapped up from those who can't visit and are being wrapped carefully and sent off to Arizona, Nashville and California. There are still lots of my favourites available and I hope many more get chosen by collectors before the exhibition closes on the 20th June. It certainly was wonderful hearing about how my work moves the people who love it and how much they appreciate living with the paintings they have in their homes.
I had to drink a lot of iced lattes to survive the heat that day - this may have contributed to my buzzing and excited state haha! I now have a 'buy me a coffee' page which I find is a lovely little way to support fellow creatives that I enjoy following from time to time :-)
With my brilliant children at a family wedding last weekend 💛
Milly hanging out the washing - one of my favourites in the exhibition
Exhibition opening and a heatwave!
We've been having a little heatwave here in the UK - here the temperatures have reached 34 degrees Celsius which wouldn't be so unusual in July/August but feels very strange in May!
The paintings are now hanging at the Russell Gallery and I can't wait to see them tomorrow when I travel down on the train for the opening. We've been getting early sales already which is wonderful, including the largest painting I've ever exhibited, 'The May Queen'. Of course there are many of my favourites in the show and my wish is that they all find homes. Sarah in the gallery is busy arranging shipping as lots of them are flying off to the USA - always so grateful for the support I have from American collectors - thank you! 💛
The garden is looking gorgeous right now and I am able to cut plenty of roses to have in the house in vases - roses are absolutely my favourite flower in the garden and are so easy and rewarding to grow. This year I've planted four new ones already, I always buy them from David Austin as they're so gorgeous. Particularly stunning right now is the Lady of Shalott with her large orange and coral blooms.
May - exhibition prep!
It's been all go in the studio getting 60 paintings framed and ready for my new solo exhibition which opens on the 28th May. There's so much work that goes in to prepping for an exhibition - choosing the work, measuring and ordering the frames, thinking of titles, making an inventory, varnishing where needed, signing, framing, pricing... not to mention promoting which I haven't really started yet! Looking at all these paintings, I feel a sense of nostalgia, pride and excitement - it's a collection of work that I'm really pleased with. There are oil paintings created at home and also from travels, and for the first time I'm going to be exhibiting gouache paintings too. There's also the largest painting I've ever exhibited anywhere - The May Queen measures 44" x 54" and it's a joyous celebration of the blossom season.
This is my very favourite time of year, I'm enormously happy pottering around the garden or sitting outside with Maisie in the sunshine with a coffee or snack. The lilac trees have been absolutely magnificent this year, and now the blooms are starting to go so the path is a carpet of purple flowers. Walking back to the house from the studio in the early evening under the lilac tree my heart is full of beauty and wonder.
I think you'll find this my most joyful collection of paintings yet. I do hope you can get to see it in person at the Russell Gallery London before the 20th June, but for those who can't here's a link to the exhibition inventory. Paintings can be purchased from May 20th directly from Sarah Russell.
May - The new book is almost here!
I can't quite believe I've written another book!
This book came about through seeing how artist students will sometimes tie themselves up in knots with painting theory. 'Shadows should be warm, things in the distance should be blue, I mustn't use black...'
In truth painting isn’t black or white, right or wrong, and an essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.
I didn’t want to write another ‘how to’ book, so this one is more of a ‘why not?’ book. I would love to lift from your shoulders all the preciousness and anxiety and for you to give yourself permission to try and fail, to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and to question the painting rules you know or take for granted. Some of these are not really rules or even advice, but just limitations that we impose on ourselves.
With a playful spirit I hope this book will have you questioning the restraints you may have unknowingly adopted, and that it will open your mind to discovery and freedom.
Keep close the question that every artist before you has asked in their own way: ‘What else might be possible?’
'There are no rules. That is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Go against the rules or ignore the rules. That is what invention is about.' Helen Frankenthaler
The book will be released on the 16th June and I have received an advance copy - it's so nice to see it and hold it in my hands!
I'll soon be adding them to my website here so that you can buy a signed copy from me if you wish - they will also be available from Amazon, Waterstones and other book stores - though not signed copies of course!
I really hope you'll enjoy this one, let me know!
April - a quick visit to Venice
At the end of April I had an opportunity to join a few artist friends for a quick visit to Venice. It's been so long since I was last there - thirteen or fourteen years so it was long overdue... and wow!
It seems crazy to say but I had completely forgotten how intensely magical Venice is - I'm sure you will know but there's just this stunning combination of light, water, beautiful old architecture everywhere you look - and then you add to that the absence of cars and that you can just walk around and there are incredible views everywhere - it truly is a painters paradise.
It was only a four day visit but I came home with seven oil paintings which will all be framed up for my Russell gallery solo exhibition (28th May to 20th June). The weather was beautiful and I wish I'd had a few more days to spend there. And although Venice is very busy with tourists, I always seem to manage to find a few quiet and peaceful spots just off the beaten track.
I will absolutely not be leaving it so long to return to Venice, and I'm looking forward to another visit to Italy in September when I'll be teaching with my friend Joe Gyurcsak in a castle near Gubbio. I am hoping to add a few days in Florence too, another place I haven't visited for a while.
March - Incredible India!
At the end of February I packed my oil and gouache paints and flew to Delhi via Istanbul. It was the start of an incredible adventure in Rajasthan organised by my friend Harsh Agrawal for fellow artists in Arteva - an international artists collective in which we all share a passion for travel and painting from life.
I have never been to India before and didn't really know what to expect and I am so glad I had the opportunity to join this trip. I had the most incredible experiences here - riding on a camel in the desert, sunset and moonrise dinners, celebrating the holi festival, drinking hot chai on street corners, watching leopards during jeep safaris, meeting and painting members of the Rabari tribe, drinking the best lassi in Jaipur, celebrating Aimee Erickson's birthday with four birthday cakes, sketching in flower markets, buying beautiful block printed textiles, eating the most delicious food everywhere we went, painting in a ghost village, staying in historic forts - as one of my friends said recently it was the trip of five lifetimes! I even had my fortune told by a parrot - who told me I am an artist and my work isn't appreciated as much as it deserves to be!
We've been surrounded by colour, music and dance, explored new tastes, met elephants, camels, cows and goats and so many enthusiastic and friendly people. I feel so fortunate to have shared this dream journey with an amazing group of artist friends, and I'm still processing it all! I brought back many gouache paintings and some oil paintings and I hope to take some of these into larger studio works when I get some steady time.
Remember the blogging days?
Back in 2010 I started a blog posting paintings and I came across lots of lovely artists doing it but it fell by the wayside after a few years and that was at the time when Instagram was going well. You know, the days when your followers actually saw your posts and your following steadily grew over time? Anyway Instagram has been great in many ways but the emphasis is on the images (and videos now) with little room to write. And I quite miss the writing because I always seem to have a lot to tell you so I thought why not start a little journal page on here? I can update it with things I've been up to or forthcoming events, places I've travelled, people I've seen, studio tips, even home and garden updates if you like that sort of thing - and I know you like to see pics of little Maisie from time to time!
Unlike a blog you won't be able to receive notifications when I've posted a new entry so please just check back occasionally if you enjoy reading what I've been up to.
It's so wonderful to have you with me on the journey, sharing laughter, tears, adventure, beauty and magic!
You're always welcome to visit the studio for a coffee if you're passing through Lincolnshire - just email me first to check that I'm home :-)
Sending you lots of love xx