Happy Monday

This blogging is a steep learning curve! I am groping my way round it but feel as tho I am getting to grips with some of it. Apologies if I haven't got it all right so far. I ought to say a few things about myself and my journey in art. I will be 55 years old later this month and originally hale from Essex - no Essex girl jokes! I came here to college in 1970 and never left. Back in the mid 80's I had a lot of surgery and that has left me with some health problems topped off by chronic fatigue. I find the chronic fatigue particularly frustrating as it limits what I can do in a day. I first started painting in the late 80's but didn't take any serious lessons until the end of the milennium when I went to a local art teacher Christine Burnett who trained at St Martin's in London and is a fantastic teacher. Three years ago I was lucky enough to be a prize winner in Leisure Painter Magazine's Annual Competition and this year I have again had a painting selected for their exhibition at Patchings Art Centre (http://www.patchingsartcentre.co.uk/), my painting and all the others in the exhibition can be viewed there.


This is the painting that won me the prize.



What else about me? My husband and I have been married for just over a year and he has brought with him 2 lovely stepsons - not literally they don't live with us. I also have a beautiful stepdaughter from my previous marriage and she lives in Hampshire with her partner. My husband is a porter at the local hospital and is also a keen photographer, which kind of compliments my interests too. He is the most patient man to put up with my chaotic mind and my liberal use of every room in the house as a work room. I would be lost without him.


I am totally mad about all types of art and have more recently become fascinated with working in all kinds of media not just paint. I have so many favourite artists and particularly like the work of Kurt Jackson who lives and works in Cornwall. I also admire Gillian Ayres, Sally McCabe, Amanda Hoskin, Anthony Frost for his vibrant colour, John Piper, and so many more. Among the traditional artists I am influenced by Cezanne, Matisse, Paul Klee, Van Gogh, Kandinsky and many more. I also love the sculpture of Barbara Hepworth and Andy Goldsworthy's work which is so concerned with natural surfaces.


I have been prompted to start this blog after reading so many fascinating blogs and getting involved with 2 groups on the net, the Mixed Media ATC's (uk only) and Fibre Artist Traders. I have yet to make my first trade on either. I have also been following the 2007 Bead Journal Project unofficially and have started my version of a journal page for July which is below.

My theme for this is "Shine" - no coincidence that I like Take That! This is my effort for June:


I printed onto calico and then added various fabrics, covered it all in organza and burnt some areas back with a soldering iron before added stitching and beads. I think it needs a bit of tidying up. If I manage to do a page for every month I think I will probably make a wall hanging with them.

21.00 I've just had a phone call from my best friend and I'm a bit emotional -her daughter gave birth to her first child this afternoon, a boy. We have all been waiting so long for this baby, or so it seems. He hasn't got a name yet so I'll just have to say congratulations on becoming Grandparents for the first time Ann and Barry and welcome to the new baby - may you have a long happy and healthy life. :o)