Reflections

A very Happy (*Insert holiday here) to one and all and if you are celebrating it - a Happy New Year. 2013 should be a good one, the biggest news being that I am 13 weeks pregnant. Not sure how this is going to impact on the artistic stuff just yet but I promise to keep you in the loop about it all. It's due the 4th July, so we are looking forward to an Independence day baby with Lincoln Washington Touchdown NASCAR Noble being the name top of our list!

Its been bus here the last few weeks so I apologise for the later blog entry. We've been getting ready for Christmas and all the Chaos that surrounds it. Now its all over and we have just a few hours left of 2012 I thought I would take a moment to reflect on this year and what it has brought us, personally and professionally. 

We relocated back to the UK from Switzerland at the end of May, which was a massive change for us. We had made so many wonderful wonderful friends there and had made so many fun memories, it really was difficult to say goodbye. Over the 4 years we had been in Switzerland we had learned to snowboard and spent time in the French Alps and the beautiful countryside. We had our first addition to our family, Belle, our Golden Retriever. Husband's career got the boost it needed and enabled us to see that living in the UK was not the only way to live. We took great holidays around Europe, maximising our central location. We made some of the best friends we have, knowing we would keep them forever, wherever in the world either of us may be. And lastly, and rather importantly for this blog, I re-discovered my passion and thrill for painting and got the opportunity to develop it. So leaving Switzerland was not at all easy.

Heading back to the UK meant being closer to old friends and of course family, which has been wornderful. Its been so nice to re-connect with people we haven't seen for a while because life got in the way. Belle has settled into her new surroundings well, claiming the nearby forest as her own. Chasing rabbits, pheasants and the occasional deer and generally lording it over all the other dogs. Husband and I also settled well in our new (its 400 year old) home although there were a few new experiences and challenges which included a steep learning curve on how to cook on an AGA and heating solid stone walls - not so energy efficient as our last place...

I also got to set up a new studio in the house so I commandeered a bedroom and took up the carpets and now I am quite settled in my lovely new space. We have a nice daily routine whereby Belle and I head to the forest first thing, me for inspiration and thinking time, Belle for small rodent chasing. This helps me to get into the right headspace for the day ahead. I can work out what I need to accomplish and brainstorm any new ideas or concepts. We head back and I do some chores before heading up to the studio and zoning out.

Being away form Switzerland has forced me to think on some new ideas and so my India project has taken shape nicely, as well as some mixed media ideas and experiments. Being forced out of your comfort zone is a great exercise for artists and for anyone who enjoys indulging their creative side. If you haven't done it before, I urge you, as a new year's resolution, to try something different. Look at something a different way, take inspiration form someone so completely opposite to your style and see what you come up with. you never know until you try! I am having way more fun now I have the blinkers taken off me. I still love painting mountains and will continue to do so, but it doesn't mean I can't try other things besides. 

I have been lucky enough to continue my relationship with the Gallery in Verbier (www.nanuq-gallery.com) and so every now and then, pop back over to see how things are going, deliver a few more paintings etc. And of course catch up with all my girls on the latest goings-on! I am still trying to find an outlet for my work here in the UK as nothing seems to fit with my concept, although I have had some sales success via Saachi online, so I might just stick with them a bit longer. 

2013 is going to be another year packed with change and challenge as I work out how to balance motherhood and painting, however I am not particularly daunted by it as there are so many fantastic artists out there who balance parenthood and full-time work (some, singlehandedly) who I am totally inspired by. There will be a way, there always is if you want something badly enough. 

I wish you all a very happy, healthy 2013 and hope you can look forward to the new year's challenges and surprises with great anticipation and eagerness to see them through.

TWEET!

 So I received news today, via the world wide web, that my two pieces that I undertook and donated to the #TwitterArtExhibit have made it to L.A. safe and sound! They will be processed and curated with other pieces from around the world and will be made available to buy on the 12th January 2013, 7-10pm. 

Huzzah! If you are lucky enough to live or be in the city of L.A. between the 12th January and the 10th February, call in. The exhibit is being held at the Exhale Unlimited (E.U.) Gallery, 953 Chung King Road, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

This year, each postcard will be sold for $35 a piece and the money raised will go to benefit Art Division, a nonprofit program for underserved youth (ages 18 – 25) showing commitment and passion for the visual arts. A worthy cause indeed.

Unfortunately my artist's travel allowance (!) wont cover a return flight and accommodation in L.A. so I wont be able to be there for the exhibition (Sad face). If any of you lucky ducks make it, I would love to hear from you. What you thought of it and any photographs of the exhibit you managed to take.

                          

                                  Photo courtesy of Fox News 

#Twitter Art Exhibit

Imagine my excitement when I read that I could be part of a huge international collaboration, pulling together artists from all over the world to exhibit in Los Angeles and (cherry on top...) it was all to raise money for great causes!! I'll explain...

Artists from all over the world are submitting tiny postcard sized works which will be curated in The Exhale Gallery, Los Angeles and sold for $35 a piece. The money raised will go to the nominated charities. Simple! 

Some very bright spark had the idea a few years ago and so far, this will be the third exhibition whereby a call to artists for entries is put out on Twitter. I saw the chatter from other artists I follow regarding what they planned to submit. I dug deeper and contacted the Twitter Art Exhibition directly to see what this was all about and if I was eligible to submit work.  But of course! Its open to everyone, but you must submit a one off piece and it has to be postcard sized (and on paper).

#TwitterArtExhibit

I thought long and hard about what I was going to submit because, as someone who likes to paint a mountain here and there (and it is representative of my work) it will not fit on a postcard and oil paints do not sit very well on paper. So that was out. So I decided to draw on the inspiration I have been getting from my latest project - Rajasthan!!

A photograph I completely love was taken in Jodhpur market and is of some tie-dyed cloth hanging over a bicycle to drip dry. I loved it the first time I saw it but could not get my head around how to best paint or draw it.

I decided to go down the acrylic route. This would speed drying times and would work on paper, plus I had the added bonus of being able to water them down slightly for a thinner (almost watercolour?) feel.

I was very pleased with the result and set about a second piece that was a sort of 'still life - Rajasthan style'. While we were at the palace in Johdpur, there was a fantastic display of Elephant Howders. These were the plush seats used to carry dignitaries (and the driver) on the back of an elephant. they were very popular during the 'British Raj' and got very ornate during this period. I thought it might be nice to have something a little unusual and stand alone on a postcard, so I painted that too. 

All finished, I packaged them up as carefully as possible, knowing their journey would be a long one and they may fall into the hands of a careless postie or two. I went to the post office, bought a 'DO NOT BEND' envelope and sent them on their way to L.A.  Fingers crossed they will get to their destination safe and sound and help raise $70 for a charity. 

The best part about this exhibit is its accessibility. It is open to everyone from anywhere and likewise, anyone can buy these little postcards. You may even get yourself a bargain! Many well known artists are submitting pieces so $35 might be a worthwhile investment.