The bluebells here in Nidderdale have been absolutely amazing this year, hence the photo, but sadly there hasn’t been much sun to get that wonderful sunny, gleaming picture! The garden has gone slightly nuts with all the rain we’ve had but it is filling out nicely…we only took it over a couple of years ago when we moved in, and it was a bit of an abandoned space…dark and a bit sad and empty, and we’ve been madly growing and planting ever since- I really enjoy gardening, as I do cooking, all just part of the same creative urges I guess!

So here goes to catch you up on my studio news, and a round up of what I’ve been up to…

Right at the beginning of the month, I had the huge pleasure of working with an amazing bunch of artists; (A lot of you read this, so I’m sparing no blushes in saying that you were all great!) running my course at Lund Studios. We were looking at developing an individual approach to landscape painting, and using mark making and experimentation as starting points. It’s always a whole heap of work prepping a course but so well worth while and a real joy; especially with such fantastic people and in a gorgeous setting, and as always with fabulous food!

It took me a few days to get over running the course, and about the same to pack everything away again, and afterwards I was feeling a little bit blocked with the work I had on the go…this can happen when you have a break to do something else and you just lose the flow. I had a bunch of metre square paintings and some smaller pieces on the go and I just couldn’t really get going with them. Anyway I decided to take my own advice and have a rest and a change of scenery for a few days…we headed up to Northumberland (which for non UK readers is in the very North of England, near the border with Scotland and on the East coast)with the idea of walking and mooching and doing nothing in particular! I didn’t even take a sketchbook.

It was a happy and restorative mix of lovely coastal walks, looking around little fishing villages and the odd castle, and drinking tea with an obligatory slice of cake in some very nice coffee shops-perfect actually!

We are even appearing, however distantly, in a zombie apocalypse movie, would you believe, which was being filmed on Lindisfarne while we were there…

Although anyone who knows me at all, will already have guessed that I definitely will not be watching it!!

The great thing is that I’m sure some of those landscapes, will filter through into my work over the next few months; it can take a while, but it almost always happens. Back in the studio, I did feel refreshed, and raring to go again- I have a pretty disciplined approach to work, and definitely put in the hours, but I’ve finally learned that it’s just as important to acknowledge when you’re just tired and need a rest.

When I got back I did the usual studio sort out and got back to mark making and being playful in my sketchbook, experimenting with media and trying things out with no prior expectations…something highly recommended, no matter how experienced you are.

I’m still working out next steps on a load of pieces including a commission, but that’s OK, their time will come. Commissions can be tricky, especially when the person means a lot to you, there’s a lot of psychological pressure, and the urge to make something particularly meaningful and beautiful, can be a real bar to progress. You just have to get in the right head space, and I’m getting there!

I’ve always liked to be reasonably well-informed; to know what’s going on in the world, but currently I confess that I’m limiting my intake of news; it’s just so dark. I’ve had a smaller painting on the go for a little while, and finished it all of a sudden… I think I fancied a point of calm and quiet, and that’s what it is a small moment of quiet and calm in a noisy world….I might even call it that??

You can see it below; 36cm x 36 cm oils and cold wax on an acrylic base., which by the way is a great way of working…the acrylics act like a ‘lean’ layer, and form a brilliant base of colour and tone, texture too on top of which you can build your final oil or ‘fat’ layers. As it’s summer, I’m able to use oils for a while, and tend to use them in combination with cold wax medium which gives a lovely soft warmth, and also has the advantage of helping the oils to dry a little faster.

• I might upload a few of these smaller pieces onto my website to buy direct? My galleries all seem to like larger works, so some of these smaller pieces might find their way better direct…keep an eye out if you’re interested. Coming soon!

Below you can see the second large painting I finished this month. It follows on from ‘And Still…’ and is also about those marginal often strange liminal spaces, in this case with a deepening sky over a shallow estuary. It’s just about being there really; the feeling of space, and openness and possibility.

This one is also one metre square on a deep canvas, just waiting to be sealed and waxed….let me know if you want to know more, about any of the paintings by clicking the button below.

*If you would like to see work in the flesh, I have paintings currently available from Silson Contemporary, Northern Lights Gallery, and Look Gallery.

*I’m also delighted to be showing with the new and exciting Hayden Gallery in Marlow near London. My work will be available from the Gallery in August this year, dates to be confirmed in the next month or so, but meanwhile take a look:
Hayden Gallery

I think that’s about it from me this month,

Hope we all have a lovely creative month, take care until next time,

Jo XX

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