"Paperwork" Exhibition, at Edinburgh Ski Club

Macmillan Art Exhibition & Sale 2014

I just got back from delivering the below two pieces to the Macmillan Art Show "INSPIRED!" 2014, at Bonhams Auctioneers, Queen Street, Edinburgh. "Rhododendron Joy" can be seen on their show website at www.macmillanartshow.org.uk. Fifty per cent of the sale proceeds for these pieces will go to Macmillan Cancer Care.

Full Bloom

 

 

Rhododendron Joy

Latest Rhododendron Painting

I finally got this one finished today. Tried to capture the drama of the blooms against the dark leaves.

Finished rhododendron

Finished this one yesterday. I think I managed to capture the delicacy but also the vibrancy of colour in the plant.

Still working on the second one...

Rhododendron season at last

It is the glorious rhododendron season in South Edinburgh and the gardens around Morningside and Midmar are sporting brilliant bundles of colour. A glorious sight even in the current rainy weather. My favourite deep pink one in my own garden is in full flower and has been inspiring me these last couple of weeks to make some celebratory images.  Current works in progress shown below. I have laid down watercolour base layers and will now be working on top with pastels and coloured pencil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week's work

This week I have at last got round to making some mixed media works inspired by the crocus I photographed earlier this year at the Meadows (Edinburgh). I have several pieces on the go but these two I am the most happy with so far. They manage to capture some of the joy and thankfulness of being alive that I feel when I see this sight each year in the spring..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Broom on Blackford Hill

Photos taken this morning on a walk up Blackford Hill (Edinburgh). Glorious yellow colour everywhere. My favourite season on the hill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Latest Work - Altered Book

Following on from the Artists' Book Making course I did this year I have been working on this little Altered Book. I've had the book for a while - found it in a second hand book shop a couple of years ago - and wanted to do something with it as it is a lovely little book.

The book is about trees and I decided to alter it by adding material illustrating my own responses to some of the different types of trees described in the book, as well as highlighting and responding to some of the comments in the book itself. I made the (somewhat scary) decision to cut out all the original pages and fit a box rim to the end cover to contain the looseleaf pages I chose to put back in.

It was an interesting project with a lot of possibilities. Once you get over the initial shock of "drawing on" a real book (!), it becomes fun to pick out things that attract your eye or mind and respond to them. 

Willow

Rowan  

 

 

Sycamore

 

 

Chestnut

 

 

 

 

Crocus in the Meadows - so sad they have gone already!

I was determined to capture the crocus at the Meadows on film this year, for inspiration for some mixed media drawings. They are such an uplifting sight for the soul somehow.  Cherry blossom coming soon...

Latest Drawings - Blackford Nature Reserve

Here are a few of my latest mixed media drawings inspired by the Blackford Hill & Pond Nature Reserve in South Edinburgh. Click on each drawing to see a close-up view! These drawings attempt to capture the 360 degree experience of walking through this area. What do you think?!

 

 

The next one is more of an experiment, using a mylar top layer over the paper, with a section cut out of the mylar to partially expose the drawing underneath.

Pictures of my work at the "ecartists" exhibition, St Margarets House, Edinburgh

The latter image is of a flutter book (folded from a double-sided single sheet of A3) I recently as part of an Artists book making elective I am taking at college. It features image portions selected from my woodcut prints of Blackford Hill & Pond. 

Latest Exhibition - St Margaret's House, Edinburgh

I am taking part in a four person exhibition from 9th till 15th February (10am-5pm) at St Margaret's House, 151 London Road, Edinburgh. All the artists are currently studying at Edinburgh College of Art (ECA). Please come along if you are in the area. Here are some images of works of mine which will be on display.