Bodrugan, artists retreat.. Poppies..

My artist retreat at Bodrugan Barton.  Mevagissey, Cornwall.

 At the beginning of April fellow artist Vicki Clarke from the Fannie & Fox gallery invited me to take part in a week long painting retreat.. 

A last minute cancellation had occurred and there were two spaces available.. How could I refuse..

I set myself a couple of goals,  to work with acrylic's on paper and to 'loosen up'!

These are some of my 'poppy paintings'.

  Acrylic on watercolour paper 

 Thought you might like to peek inside the barn - looking from kitchen..

 View looking from lounge area towards kitchen

Frankie Cooper and Patricia Lomax deep in discussion.

 Many a delightful meal spent at this table..

 Views on one of our walks.. Chapel point, Portmellon

 My work accumulating during the week long residency .

The pin boards were a great idea.

 My workspace.. A mess as usual. Still life.. The 'orchid', I think it got the better of me to be honest..

View from the Studio barn.

Can't wait for next year.... 

New brooches in my blog shop.

'Looking forward'.

'The knitted cat'. 

'Frida in reflective mood'.

New brooches

 A little bit like Freida...

New papier mache brooches on my work bench this week.. 

Soon to be in Fannie & Fox gallery. Penryn.

On my work bench.. Beauties and... Cats that Knit and knitted cats... New brooches...

here are a few of my new beauties.. 

Original hand painted papier mache brooches

 finished with gold leaf.

... And then there are the cats.. 

I've got a bit carried away with cats..

Cats that knit 

And knitted cats.

Thinking about opening my bigcartel shop again 

or maybe etsy?

The 'Treweek Weather House 'is finished and has been delivered.

 Here are 'Joy and Brian' in their 1970's bungalow weather house complete with seagull. 

 Before the painting started..

Trying to get the mechanic's to work... Lets just say that plastic tubing, butterfly clips and a lot of patience came into play.

..

 Dear Brian, I love the way his head has shrunk into his shoulders.. How I've grown to love these oldies although I've never met them.. All painted from photographs.

 Back drop kitchen and shed.

 Just working on a few details.

Naughty seagull asking joy for something to eat. 

 On the sides are Joy's painting corner and Brian's shed.

Turn the seagull on the roofand Brian and Joy swing in and out. 

Joy into her kitchen and Brian into his shed.

 So cheerio my little seagull 'Merry Christmas' to you and your new family.

Weather house update..

 A seagull for the roof..

'Joy and Brian' are coming along just a few more tweeks then it's on to the trellis and the roses...

A little weather house commission... A peek at work in progress..

Icons

Once again I am distracted with angels and twinkly stars..

It must be that time of year...

I got my sweetheart to make the wooden frames which are a triumph I might add.

Real gold leaf and anything that sparkles in candlelight.

These gentle ladies are almost finished.. 

And will be available soon..

Icons.. A distraction technique.

 Well here I go with yet another distraction.. I've started working on another commission, a double portrait of a very artistic couple from Totnes but, the 'can I do this/I can't do this' gremlins got to me yesterday.

 So as a distraction, which is my favorite technique, I started on a short series of 4 tiny icons which will go to the gallery Fannie & Fox in Penryn, Cornwall.. I had already made up the little papier mache shapes, they had been sitting in my basket for some weeks patiently waiting for the idea to arrive..

 They are made from papier mache then a mix of gesso and whiting to give me that absorbent surface which I so love.. The paint is acrylic.

This last photo was taken late at night, sitting on top of my latest read to give you all some idea of size.. The book is 'Of Bees and Mist' by Eric Setiwan.