The Church Exhibition

This is a picture of the church exhibition where I displayed my jewellery and some of my paintings

Bamburgh Castle in Acrylic

Girl on Beach in oil

this is the second time I have painted this girl on a beach the first was done in pastels this is done in oils

Cat in Pastels

This is one of Colin Bradley's pastel pictures which I always love doing because you always get good results using his methods

Hadrians Wall in Acrylic

Pyramids in Acrylic

Cypriot Cafe in Acrylic

This painting was done from a photgraph I took whilst on holiday in Cyprus the thre old men were unaware I had taken their picture

Venice at Night

This Acrylic painting was done in a workshop with Reg Marsh and was painted almost entirely with a feather

Dancer At Rest in Acrylic

Rose in Shadow in Acrylic

I painted this picture of a rose in shadow as my entry for peace in the church exhibition in February

Orichid in Acrylic

This is a painting in Acrylic of my orchid

What's New

It's Easter Sunday and no I'm not having any Easter eggs ! after all that exercise at the pool and the gym over the last couple of months I don't want to undo the good work. I've lost 3 1/2 lb but it took me about 2 months never mind it's all in the right direction. Not able to go to the gym or swimming for a couple of weeks as I have just had my back done again, spoke to the anesthetist about feeling groggy for several days last time I had it done, this time no grogginess but the hiatus hernia is giving me some jip! not surprising really as i had to go 12 hours without any food or drink!! mainly because I was last AGAIN went into the hospital at 1 p.m. having fasted for 6 hours and I didn't go down to the operating theatre until 5.45 pm took my jam sandwich but I think it was still too long to fast!! maybe it's because I am out of the area that they always put me in last. Still think myself lucky I get done at all . I was a bit disappointed this time he only did the one side and no top up for the other side! bit like doing only half a job really, i mean if you've got pain in both sides of your back whats the point in doing only one side? I think he didn't have time he had 13 to do in just the afternoon session.

I have been painting today and have finished yet another orange painting, why orange I don't know but i seem to be obsessed with this colour at the moment will post some pictures of my latest paintings soon

The Church Exhibition Feb 09

Painting with the Children at the Nursery

Painting with the children at the nursery is so rewarding they so look forward to us going

Whats New Now! 20.3.09

Well it's 3 months since I last worked and I'm not missing it one bit! I have been very busy with the art and the jewellery. Last month we had an exhibition in the Church where I did quite well last year, but this time I sold only 3 pieces might have had something to do with the fact that the local shop opposite had a promotion on that weekend on their jewellery buy one get one free!! however I did pick up a jewellery party which went very well, that's my daughter and me we sold 6 or 7 pieces sell worth turning out for. I'm taking a break from the art clubs for a month it's been a case of too much of a good thing at the moment and I have decided to concentrate on getting fit and tryyyyyyyying to loose some weight I have been to the gym and had a programme built for me taking into consideration the back problem and I have been working hard on the exercise and the diet for about 8 weeks now and have lost 3 lb !!! that's less than half a pound a week still it's in the right direction. so each day I walk the dog for about 20 minutes then twice a week go to the gym do half an hour doing the exercises then do 20 minutes swim on the days i don't do the gym i still swim for about 45 minutes on the weekends I only walk the dog. However I am due to have the back done again on 7th April so I will have to rest for about 2 weeks I am going to ask for less anaesthetic this time as I was groggy for about 2 - 3 days last time.

Today we went to the funeral of an Aunt she was 85 and died quite suddenly, it meant a family gathering which I find quite stressful these days as we do not have any communication with my sister and her family which makes gatherings like this very difficult however this was particularly difficult as my father does not speak to his sister and she was also present at this funeral so we all had to smile and be polite.

What's New Now 9/12/08

Well you know the job I got in September for a few hours a week! It looks like I'm to be made redundant !! I have been nagging the company to get my pay done properly through their pay office as they have just been giving me cheques each month with no pay slips, well it seems they have been trying to sell off the company and the possible buyer has agreed to take on existing staff but as I had not been put through the payroll proper yet I don't qualify!! so unless the new owners want a hand over period I shall be unemployed by Christmas I think I have managed to get the pay office to process all my payments proper so I should get a p45 at the end of it which is something I suppose I hope they get it all done soon because if the buy out falls through it looks like the company may go into liquidation and then I will have a problem sorting out the paperwork, at least my back is holding out and I should be able to look for another job, the trouble is jobs for a few hours a week only are few and far between. I have had one or two Jewellery repairs just recently which I love doing it's as interesting as actually making jewellery making people's treasured jewels wearable again for them.

FREE DEMONSTRATION 4TH DECEMBER 2008

Thursday 4th December 2008

Demonstration by EDWIN CRIPPS

snowscape in acrylics

free admission demo starts 7 p.m.

The Hythe Centre Thorpe Road Staines TW18 3HD

free refreshments

Also the official launch of the EDWIN CRIPPS

range of artist materials in connection with

Andrew Henry of www.01784artsupplies.co.uk

tel 07979391381

Whats new?

Well just before I had my back done I started a new job for a few hours a week, going back to work after 3 years is hard even if it is only for a few hours but the up side is that my back is so improved that I am able to do it. The jewellery has proved successfull although I have not yet broken even but still it funds my hobby. So between painting jewellery making and working (notice work comes last) I don't have a lot of spare time, but what time I do have I spend doing the blogs and walking my dog Charlie, yes thats something else I can do now walk the dog.

Edwin Cripps and Me combined effort

This snow scene in acrylic was done in a workshop with Edwin Cripps to be true Edwin did all of the sky and the trees to the left but the rest is mine loved doing the workshop

Back to the Back 21.10.08

It's 2 weeks since my last back de-nervation and I'm just getting over the operation, the anesthetic they gave me this time knocked me out completely and for 3 days I felt like I had a hangover, my hand was badly bruised where they put the needle in and since the operation my hiatus hernia has been giving me hell. I also had a few pains shooting through my back and some general back pain directly after the procedure this time but it has since settled down and the back is feeling good now. Must remember to ask if the anesthetic affects hernias and if they can give me less next time The right hand side was the main one to be done this time but he also topped up the left side so hopefully I will not need it doing again until April 2009

Painting with Springtime Nursery 29/9/08

Painting with Springtime Nursery 29/9/08

Painting with Springtime Nursery 29/9/08

Paint Brush Bonanza ala Edwin Cripps

The fantastic Edwin Cripps range of paint brushes have arrive these are my particular favourites they have a wooden handle synthetic

bristles with a distinctive black tip these brushes hold an enormous amount of water and release it only when pressure is applied. An altogether amazing brush endorsed by a professional painter Edwin Cripps and bears his name on the wooden shaft Available only from 01784art.com Andrew Henry see link

Margaret Robinson Retrospective Exhibition

Windsor Street Gallery

6a Windsor Street

Chertsey

KT16 8AS

18th to 30th October 2008

Art Exhibition 13.9.08 to 20.9.08

Art Exhibition

Edwin Cripps Artist of the absurd

Liam Pipe Pencil Drawings

Steve Letchford Watercolour Wanderings

At The Studio Riverside Art Centre 59 Thames Street Sunbury on Thames TW18 5QF

Saturday 13th September to Saturday 20th September

closed Wednesday

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Virginia Water Art Society Exhibition

close up

Virginia Water Art Society Exhibition

Well this is me at the Summer Exhibition we had some wonderful weather and the exhibition was very successful lost of paintings were sold and lots of jewellery

Creativity gone Mad

Well my creative juices are running over I've taken up jewellery making. My daughters bought me a jewellery making kit, beads tools etc. so I started to dabble and hay presto I'm hooked. I started to explore the Internet for beads etc. and came across a couple of sites in China selling metal beads I liked the look of them so ordered a few, I was pleased with them when they arrived and made one or two nice bracelets and earrings etc. Then I discovered metal bashing wow now that was good, so I asked my dad if he still had his metal work tools and promptly commandeered them. twisting the wire and then thumping the hell out of it is quite therapeutic. Joking aside some of the designs I got from my daughters craft work book are really quite pretty. So for the last month or so I have been beavering away and took myself of to hobby craft fantastic place ! fantastic place to spend a fortune and I did! Well I hope I can recoup some of my expenses next weekend at the Virginia Water Open Air exhibition otherwise this hobby will turn out to be just as expensive as my painting hobby!!

My dog Charlie 13.5.08

Well! Charlie who is a tricolour King Charles Cavalier is now a quadcolour if there is such a thing. Yes he's been at my paints again! this time it was Phthalo Green so he's black white & tan with phthalo green lips chin chest and front paws!!! Thank god for baby wipes the paint that he stole from the art room was acrylic liquitex and like the very good mannered dog he is when he stole the tube he came to show me that he had stolen something an when he was sure he had got my attention he then bounded off to the bedroom with me in hot pursuit.. The paint wasn't the only thing he stole today, there was the sewing pin, you know the one's with the coloured ball on the blunt end, it's the second time he has managed to get his sticky little mouth on one of my sewing pins and yet he did bring it to me to show that he had got it before once again bounding off to the bedroom with me hot on his paws, the other thing was a reel of cotton, unfortunately he didn't own up to that one so by the time I discovered he had it, it was squashed flat and covered in dog slob. Charlie's steeling is obviously a cry for attention, because he mostly does it when I'm absorbed in something, so he steels something of mine, but just to make sure he gets my attention he runs up to me stops dead in front of me and puts his head on one side, then when he's sure he's caught me eye he runs off to the bedroom, if he thinks I haven't got the message he runs back to me with the stolen object and with a glint in his eye runs off to the bedroom again, he knows he's in trouble and will often get a tap on the nose for steeling but it doesn't seem to deter him.

Bridge at Nightfall

This is an oil painting I have just finished it's still wet and i'm not sure but I may do some more to it once its dried. It's certainly given me a good chance to experiment with oils and see how to work with them

Azalea

I don't paint many flowers but this was inspired by the Azalea we had growing in our garden it's in acrylic and was started during our Wednesday painting sessions at Runnymede Art Society and completed at home

David Hyde Demonstration 2/4/08

This is David in action at Virginia Water Art Society painting in Acrylic paints

David Hyde Demonstration 2/4/08

This painting is in Acrylic and was the result of a Demonstration by David Hyde at Virginia Water Art Society he used the acrylics like chromacolour in a watercolour way for doing washes and fror blocking our areas, also using light over dark as only acrylics can do.

Mother & Child By Patricia Lumley

This is a painting in Acrylic done by a friend of mine I love the fluidity of it and the simplicity of colours

My dog Charlie 1.4.08

Oh yes my dog Charlie now I could do with some advice. Charlie loves the post No! he really loves the post when it comes through the door he goes barmy running up and down the hall ears flying tail wagging when he gets to the letters on the floor he picks them up in his mouth shakes them tosses them up in the air treads on them with one foot and opens them with his teeth.
Now I've managed to control this behaviour when I'm in by shouting at the top of my unmelodious voice LEAVE IT CHARLIE LEAVE IT and he does, but when I'm out and the post arrives oh does he have a field day and then the letters become a jigsaw. He very nearly shredded my husbands passport last week not to mention the insurance cheque that arrived to refund some of the money we had spent on his ear problems. We did buy a letter basket but when we went to fit it on the inside of the door we realised we would not be able to open the door wide enough to get through as the basket bangs against the wall. We did think of an outside post box but have you seen the price of them? I did try posting stuff through the letterbox myself and so long as I also shout LEAVE IT CHARLIE LEAVE IT through the door he's OK, so I reckon I need to get a Dictaphone with a continuous tape and tape me shouting the magic words also this would have to be activated by the noise of the letter box opening. Oh well I think I'll just put a cardboard box outside the front door with letters written on it. What do you think?

Whats happening now 1/4/08

It's the 1st April and my back has been fantastic I am still taking the painkillers but I am able to do a lot more than I could before the decission now is do I cut down the painkillers and do less or carry on doing the things I enjoy and carry on with the painkillers? I don't think the operation will ever allow me to do away with the painkillers altogether,but while I'm still so active it's hard to even cut them down. oh well chin up all three of them .

Dachshund

Another Pastel Dog this time a Dacshund this was my second attempt at this particular dog the colouring was very hard to capture and I had to resort to very soft pastels to get the blending right.

Glass again in acrylic on a black background

This Acrylic on canvas reminds me of summer I love trying to paint glass esspecially on a black background

Tropical Seas

This one is Acrylic and I used the texture paste as shown to us at the workshop with Dee Cowell
I used it on the rocks tree trunks palm leaves and the waves not an over kill then! I like the effect but I think you have to be careful not to make it too thick and getting the hang of putting it on with the palette knife is tricky

Girl on Beach

Yes another pastel instpired by a holiday photo

Never To Old Never To Young to Paint

Tuesday 11th March Runnymede Art Society Went to Springtime Nursery to paint with the Nursery Children aged between 2 1/2 to 5 years old all pre school children the Artists from Runnymede were aged between 58 and 82 years old We painted scenes of the seaside. We showed the children how to create clouds by taking out some of the paint with tissues and how to sponge yellow into the blue see to make green the children and artists both had a wonderful time. This is the third visit to the Nursery and the room buzzed with the interaction between the artists and the children, some children remembered us from our previous visits and we full of excitement. Runnymede Art Society will be holding their Spring Exhibition on Friday 18th and Saturday 19th April where the work of these very young artists will be displayed alongside the work of the members of the Society which proves you’re never too young or too old to learn to paint. Runnymede Art Society meet every Wednesday afternoon where they paint together at the Hythe Centre Thorpe Lea Road Egham from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm anyone interested should contact Jean McDonnell on 01784 741599

Never Too Old Never Too Young

Dee Cowell Workshop

Dee Cowell came to Runnymede Art Society on Thursday 6th March 2008 and is pictured here with Reg Marsh. Dee is by far one of the best workshops we have had for a long time she worked so hard from about 9:30 am to 3:30 pm taking us step by set through the mastery of using texture paste with watercolours and acrylics also using slowing medium, volume medium and glazing medium she supplied all the materials for us to experience these painting aids she worked tirelessly with each individual as well as working with the class of 16 as a whole

Dee Cowell Workshop

Two of Dee's paintings I think they should be named bold and beautiful

Dee Cowell Workshop

Dee Cowell at work with the Runnymede Art Society members