Oops, it’s winter

Posted on December 2, 2018 at 11:10 am. 5 Comments

Blog posts are supposed to be short, regular and up to date. I’ve failed on all counts; how did we get from June to December so quickly? ‘Time isn’t what it used to be/I remember when a minute/had sixty seconds in it/now it seems there’s only two or three’ (words from a song that’s yet unfinished due to lack of time…  oh heck!) Funny to remember how as a child time crawled by, especially in physics and PE lessons. Or when having tea with elderly relatives. The added burden now is that we not only have to live an interesting life, we have to let everyone on social media know that we’re doing it. That’s quite hard when you’re in the moment and before you have time to think ‘how fascinating, I must photograph that and put it on facebook/instagram and write a blog post’, it’s whizzed by and you’re doing something else.  I will try and make amends with a few highlights of the last six months, in keep-it-snappy for social media style:

June – Sketching in the Scillies with Art Safari – inspiring, challenging, a cheerful group of keen sketchers. I love these islands, will do it all again next year (come and join me – if you have no confidence or experience in sketching from life, this is the perfect way to acquire it!) (www.artsafari.co.uk)

July – Sketching and sailing on pilot cutter Agnes with Jo and Luke Powell – colourful Cornish festival, plenty to see and draw, so hot that when I tried to persuade my lubberly crew to go below for a drawing lesson they all mutinied and jumped over the side for a swim instead. (I joined them). A good time had by all and there will be an article in January’s Classic Boat magazine all about it. (www.workingsail.co.uk and www.classicsailing.co.uk)

July – To Hull and back (not hell and back) on trawler ‘Marie’ to participate in Hull Folk and Maritime Festival. There were storms, leaks, setbacks and challenges, but the boat stage went up and the show went on in spite of gales and rain. Humbling to be amongst such tenacious, talented and can-do people (www.seafolkarts.co.uk)

August – Boat maintenance month. Living the high life out of the water at the excellent Melton Boatyard, trying to find time for a different kind of boat painting. Boats always seem huge when you’re doing maintenance (especially old and crumbly iron boats!)  Pushed for time due to having overbooked work related events in September.

September – Ridiculously work busy. Art on the Prom in Felixstowe, Woodbridge Maritime Festival, Woodbridge Oyster Shuck, exhibition at Artspace, several teaching weekends. Sanity maintained by jumping on board ‘Poppy’ for an occasional hour or two off in the evenings when the tide is right. Want the world to stop but it refuses, just hurls me unprepared into October and November…

October, November….. still catching up, more exhibitions, open studio, catching up on commissions and regular magazine work,  lots more teaching both one day workshops and courses.

December… Can I stop yet? Don’t be silly, of course you can’t Two more open studio days to go (actually I enjoy these – studio is tidy – almost – and my shelves full of colour and all the things I’ve made) The two final dates are :

Sunday 9th December 11-4

Sunday 16th December 11-4

Mulled wine, mince pies and a bit of gentle gift shopping at Unit 7, Hall Farm, Martlesham, IP12 4PQ.

You can of course drop in at any other time but phone first to make sure I’m there (01394 549247). Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement this year and to all the lovely keen artists I’ve met on my courses. We’ll do it all again next year!