Late to shout about this but wow what an amazing experience that was. Due to show in the Drawing Room of this wonderful Enys house with the very talented printmaker Felix Packer, I knew I had to dig deep to do the space and time justice. Showing over the opening of the flowering of the beautiful bluebells, the first bank holiday weekend of May was due to pool in a flood of people, and it did in beautiful, glorious sunshine. As a 'plein air' artist, and having talked through the idea with the fabulous events team there, I knew it would be a tight squeeze on timing after the March London Exhibition, a trip to Istanbul and starting a new commission.. but if I could paint the house that has fascinated me since I showed in it last year... then that would truly be something I'd be terrifically pleased with.
Ten days prior to the exhibition opening, I just about managed to get my head around it and 7 days to go bounced in determined. Sink or swim. The problem is with my work, the weather is never on your side when you want it to be... nor necessarily is my newest little pup assistant. I knew the angle, had figured out the feeling, and I did want it to be as fresh and representative of the garden as the exhibition opened.. finishing the painting the night before, may have cut it a little fine though... When I sat back and looked at it that night before having gone through many leaps and troughs during the week, I was immensely proud of what I had achieved. The work got to go into this lovely local and busy art exhibition not far from Falmouth and sing properly in tune with it alongside a collection of my other brightly coloured pieces painted in the area.
It was wonderful to meet so many people interested in my work, and I don't think I've ever talked to so many people about my art over the course of the three days. Thank you to all those who came along it was a pleasure!
The painting then (sold) now available as a limited edition print:
‘Popping Bluebells, First Primroses, the Idyll Charms to Life Lead by the Song of the Garden’ (Enys)
160cm x 84 cm *framed
acrylic, sand, midge, mizzle, sun, little critter, honey tea, pollen, lick, warmth and light on unstretched and stretched canvas
