Gift Certificates

Gift Certificates for my Lampshades available at my Etsy shop from today. Why not add to your wish list today...a loved one could treat you and you could take your time doing the choosing!

Modern Meets Rustic

Which reminds me...I cant believe I forgot to blog about this wonderful feature of my lampshades on the Etsy Blog last week - think I was a bit held up with open studios. Anyway, big thanks to Christine. Really love the look - in my minds eye my house looks like this...if a skip was installed outside for a few days and attracted a little of my clutter I think my other half would agree that it may!

What Men Want

One of my paintings was featured this weekend in the UK version of 'The Storque' - Etsys handmade blog. I'm in really great company here amongst some wonderful suggestions of gift ideas for men. These items were chosen by Ron of Etsy shops projector and totalradness. Thanks Ron. The painting - The Railway is one of a triptych of pubs in Hebden Bridge

My New Space at 'Open Studios'

My 'House of Chintz' corner...

My painting and prints corner...

...and my 'Water feature' corner - thanks to the melting snow and a problem with the roof! Still, it was a great weekend, thanks to the effort of all the studio members and the surprising amount of visitors who braved the weather ;¬)

Commuting to work - from Old Town to Hebden Bridge. ( What a way to earn a living! )

It doesn't always feel like work...for several reasons, not least because quite often the payment for a weeks labour is ... shall we say...nominal. Another obvious reason is that my work is also my passion and what I tend to choose to do with any odd half hour to myself. Thirdly though is the fact that my work is something I generally do here on my doorstep either at home in the hilltops that's Old Town above Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, or down in the valley in the town itself at my studio. That's where I was heading today for my second day of Open Studios and whereas yesterday I was carting all sorts of wares down in the car, having dug it out of the snow, this time I was hands free so I walked down through the fields. What a wonderful start to a working day and a reminder if any was needed of why i've ended up here as , amongst other roles, a landscape painter.

Christmas Open Studios and Exhibition

Come and join us! There are more than 20 artists and makers studios to visit, a wonderful exhibition of artist-made 'Russian Dolls' (all for sale at affordable prices), mulled wine, mince pies and more. Its always a great event with a lovely atmosphere. See you there. Northlight Art Studios, Valley Road, Hebden Bridge, W.Yorkshire. HX7 7BZ

Suburban Splendour

If you are intersted in my lampshades come and visit my new face book page for HouseofChintz HERE and hit the like button if you want to follow. Its the best way to hear of any updates to my work on folksy, etsy and dawanda. Yes i'm trying them all out to see which works best ;)

New Venture

My new venture! This is something i've had in the pipeline for a while and now its finally off the ground. The plan is to design and make as well as paint. No reason to be bored ever again!

See my new Lampshades here in Hannah Nunns beautiful shop and featured here in her wonderful blog. Thanks Hannah for launching my designs.

Latest Manchester Painting

'The River Irwell from Bridge Street at Sunset' 120cm x90cm Mixed media on deep-edge canvas. Currently on show at Artzu Gallery, Great Ancoats Street, Manchester.

This is my third River Irwell piece and hoping to do some more like it soon. Heading to Manch this eve to the theatre ( children both on sleep-overs) and should get chance to walk along the river and take some lovely pictures.

New Paintings at Ntama Gallery

The Launch of my solo exhibition at Ntama Gallery, Todmorden is tomorrow night. See a selection of new work on show HERE on my new facebook artwork page. Hope you can join us tomorrow 6.30 till 8.30pm for a champagne reception!

Giveaway Winners

Three lucky winners of my Summer Giveaway picked out of the hat were Luna, Rachel and Michelle. Their favorite prints will be in the post this week. XXX

New Vintage Style Digital Artwork

Have been meaning to tell you all about my new Vintage Style photographic prints that I showcased at the open studios this month. It was quite exciting to show something a bit different alongside my paintings and the feedback was really positive and some first sales! take a look at them in my etsy or folksy shops.

Blog Giveaway! - A chance to WIN one of my Reproduction, Archival Prints!!!

Did something like this a year or so ago and had a great response so thought id run it again as a summer holiday treat! I'm off on holiday to Northumberland for a week and will draw the winners when I return.

I will send three lucky Winners one of my limited edition size 1 reproduction prints or vintage style photos.

All you have to do is visit my Folksy or Etsy shop and leave a comment after this post here on my blog to say which print you like and if I draw your name I will happily send you that print. Three names will be drawn out of a hat on 2nd August, 6pm GMT. Good Luck !!!

Folksy

Just wanted to remind any of my UK customers that there is a way to buy my art online without having to work in dollars. I am working on uploading all my prints to my 'Folksy' shop and hope to make it my main Internet outlet rather than Etsy. Watch this space and take a look at whats there already :)

Wainsgate Exhibition

Wainsgate Baptist Church in Old Town, Hebden Bridge was the remarkable setting last weekend for the launch of a stunning exhibition of local artwork. The group of artists who all live or work in the village of Old Town comprised of Sheila Tilmouth, Alison Duddle, Weston Hammond, Nola Hayhurst, Alice Hutt, Yvonne Stubbs, Kate Boyce and AJ Wilkinson.

A spokesperson for the group said that “We were all extremely pleased to be asked to exhibit in such a beautiful and interesting old building. It is a building of historical significance located in an inspirational landscape, and it is fast becoming a creative venue of some significance”. The Launch was a great success, attracting many visitors, including a party that arrived on a specially organised ‘Open Studio bus’. Some visitors combined the viewing of the Exhibition with their attendance at the fascinating performance of the Baroque musical group‘Arioso’ who played at the Chapel on Saturday afternoon.

The Exhibition entitled Wainsgate Artists continues this weekend 10th/11th July 11am to 5pm

New Work

Hebden Bridge Open Studios & Other Deadlines!

Yes its here again, the opportunity to visit all the wonderful creative people in this valley and view an amazing array of work. Northlight Studios are of course taking part and will be open from Friday 2nd July to Sunday 4th July. I will be there all weekend, apart from Saturday afternoon (although my studio space will still be open then too) when I'll be at the Wainsgate Chapel exhibition. The Chapel is just up the road from my house in Old Town and I was very pleased to be asked to take part in the Exhibition along with other Old Town Artists, its great to do something so very local. So I am working hard at the moment to complete some new work for that. I will also have framed reproduction prints and Artists proofs on show at The Waterside gym over the Arts Festival period, from Thursday 1st July. Hope to see you soon.

Beautiful North West Coast, Mallorca ( After some Ash-cloud induced Delay)

Sunshine, Mountains, Oranges, swimming, arabic gardens, Sanfransisco trams, canoeing, hilltop villages, and lovely people - Some of the reasons we loved Mallorca.

Grand Re-opening

The Calder Gallery in Hebden Bridge is reopening today after a flood in January resulted in three months of repair work. There will be big celebrations for Phil and Sue today - doubly so because it is also the gallery's fifth anniversary. These are the paintings that I have on show there. Above is 'High Water, Widdop' (95x70cm wood panel).

These four smaller pieces (each 26cm square) are on paper and under glass in light oak frames. Above are 'Early Morning Popples Lane, Old Town' and 'Late Summer, Haworth Old Road.' Below are two pieces inspired by a trip last year to The Llyn Peninsula - 'Evening Sunlight, Neffyn Beach Harbour' and 'Last Light, Porth Neigwl'So if you are in the area pop along and join in the celebrations. Best Wishes to Phil and Sue!

Easter Hols

Isn't it wonderful what some spring-like weather and a change of scene can do for the soul? During the Easter hols we headed North, first to the South end of the Lake District and then to Cumbria and Northumberland. This place was our first stop - Leighton Moss Bird reserve on The Solway Firth. It's flat land and reed beds - such a contrast from the Penine Hills (lovely as they are, we all need change) and yet so close. It was just beautiful and so were the Avocets , Egrets and Marsh Harriers - just a few of the local inhabitants. The girls seemed to really enjoy it too and it was an especially relaxed time once we realised that we could borrow some extra pairs of RSPB binoculars so that Charlie and I could actually have use of our own.

Next Stop was the Youth Hostel at Arnside where we met up with some friends, and finished with a lovely and varied walk up Arnside Knot where this photo (with the Hostel in the middle ground) was taken from.

We then headed up to Cumbria for a really enjoyable stay with Charlies parents who live near to Hadrian's wall. On this visit we travelled to Wallington Hall - a fascinating Georgian Mansion full of wonderful decorative art and natural history collections. My favorite aspect was a courtyard room lined with Pre-raphaelite-era panels depicting the history of Northumberland. The girls on the other hand favoured a room full of dolls houses including this tiny little mouse-house (picture below taken through a mouse hole at ground level - I couldn't actually line my eye up with it without breaking my neck so taking a picture was the only solution - hope I didn't break any rules...)

New Work

Ok, managed to remember how to make a new blog post, first hurdle over. Now to decide what to put in it after so long away and so many creative tangents to cover. A good place to start seems to be with new paintings delivered today to Artzu Gallery in Manchester. These are hopefully the first of many to come over the next few months now that Winter is finally over. Yes folks I am partly blaming my lull in productivity on the cold snap. No really, the studio has been sO cold! My fingers were rendered disfunctional. I have tried to work at home but personally I get quite easily distracted. Anyway its over and i'm painting and buzzing with ideas again. I have some new work in The Calder Gallery for their reopening on April 24th/25th (See seperate post to come) and also some pieces at Ntama in Todmorden. But first off are these three new Manchester paintings at Artzu.

The River Irwell From Victoria Bridge

Castlefield and The Hilton.

Sunset, Salford Quays