After 6 weeks of hard work my last beginners groups at Clevedon Craft Centre finished their final paintings. So pleased with the results. I hope they all take it a bit further and continue to draw and paint
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Onwards and Upwards
Its been a funny old month...... Once I had decided to leave the Craft Centre then it has been all steam ahead to start moving into my new studio and sort out the old one. Some students have not taken my leaving well, but I guess that was to be expected and also quite flattering, but the majority have been very supportive and understand that I have to do what I have to do. Many I will keep in touch with and some are even joking that they will record me saying little messages, to play back when they are painting, the most popular seems to be " Stop fiddling", but other suggestions have been.. 'step away from the painting" and "is that a good idea?"
The room I am using temporarily as a studio is quite small but I am settling in quite well. its a bit of a mess but you can see Fin has his blanket on the floor, so he can still sit with me when I paint. His bed will of course eventually come from the Craft centre and I think he will miss going into the studio more than I will.
As you can see on my wall I have been painting already. I did my usual stab at a portrait of Dear Mr Wellydog. I am not sure I quite captured him ( the usual frustration) but I, as always had fun painting it. I have always found it hard to convince some students that my paintings quite often can look rubbish until near the end and go through a "I want to throw this in the bin" stage, so I thought I would document a painting to show them. This just happened to be the next painting I did, so here are some of the stages, this painting went through.
and this is the final result
I have also been thinking about the summer, apart from not wanting to think about the cold and wet of the coming winter, then I am determined to have an exhibition next summer. I have a bit of an idea so decided to explore some possibilities, in doing so I painted a bucket and spade, this reminds me so much of summer I think it will have to live on my studio wall to remind me of warmer days to come;
Nice chatting with you, catch up soon
janice x
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Something to think about
..........There's always some reason, to feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day ,
I need some distraction..... oh beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
Let me be empty, weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight........
These are lyrics to a song 'Angel' by Sarah McLachlan, I've heard so many different versions of this over the years but it has been particularly poignant to me in the last couple of years as my life has changed, as my Dad has declined due to dementia. These particular words sum up my escape into painting and how it has become essential in my life. My husband is my rock, always has been and always will be. My children an everlasting source of joy, but its my painting that has become my addiction. Whilst mulling this over I discovered that the song is in fact about the Smashing Pumpkins touring keyboard player Jonathan Melvoin, who overdosed on heroin and died in 1996, so maybe thats why it resonated with me and describing my painting as an addiction, is perhaps not to far out there......
And it's hard at the end of the day ,
I need some distraction..... oh beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
Let me be empty, weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight........
These are lyrics to a song 'Angel' by Sarah McLachlan, I've heard so many different versions of this over the years but it has been particularly poignant to me in the last couple of years as my life has changed, as my Dad has declined due to dementia. These particular words sum up my escape into painting and how it has become essential in my life. My husband is my rock, always has been and always will be. My children an everlasting source of joy, but its my painting that has become my addiction. Whilst mulling this over I discovered that the song is in fact about the Smashing Pumpkins touring keyboard player Jonathan Melvoin, who overdosed on heroin and died in 1996, so maybe thats why it resonated with me and describing my painting as an addiction, is perhaps not to far out there......
Monday, November 11, 2013
My Beginners 1st Acrylic paintings
Apart form one of my students none of these beginners have used acrylics before. Some took to it lso well and I think will love using the medium, I think a couple would rather stick to watercolours and pastels.... but didn't they all do an amazing job
Sunday, November 10, 2013
The Giveaway is now closed
Thankyou to everyone who entered and
CONGRATULATIONS to the winner
*******ALISON GOODHEW *******
CONGRATULATIONS to the winner
*******ALISON GOODHEW *******
Monday, November 4, 2013
Giveaway
Over on Facebook I am running a giveaway as a thankyou to the 400 people who have liked me,
You can't enter from here but if you pop over and like my Facebook page
you can then post on the Duck Photo
with all the details of the Giveaway for me to know you want to be included. One lucky winner will be drawn out of the hat on Saturday 16th November and win this lovely painting
You can't enter from here but if you pop over and like my Facebook page
you can then post on the Duck Photo
with all the details of the Giveaway for me to know you want to be included. One lucky winner will be drawn out of the hat on Saturday 16th November and win this lovely painting
Look what my beginners are up to
They all seemed to have funs with watercolour flowers, salt and cling film
and then later getting very messy with Pastels
Friday, November 1, 2013
Latest News
Shock Horror........I am leaving Clevedon Craft Centre
I have had a wonderful 2 and a half years at the Centre. I am pleased I went there and also that I expanded into a larger studio to do more teaching. I have learnt so much and gained so much confidence in myself, my teaching and my Art work.
But the time is right to move on. The teaching has become so successful that it has started to dominate so much, that I no longer have time for me, my family or my own Art work.
The aim when I when I moved to the larger studio was to teach in the winter to help when no visitors were around in the quiet months. But the visitors never really materialised. Last year I put it down to the bad weather but even with the fabulous summer we have had, the visitor numbers have been very low. So to be able to stay at the centre I expanded my teaching, and overloaded myself. I cut down some hours earlier this year, but have had to raise them again for the winter. It became clear that I was teaching to stay at the centre to be able to paint, but in order to stay at the centre I was having to teach so much that I didn't have time to paint.....vicious circle.
I had planned to stay until March but when I was on holiday we did some sums and lots of talking and realised that with the extra cost of electricity for the heating and lighting through the winter, I gained very little by sticking the winter out, so I may as well call it quits now.
I am not giving up OH NO!!! I have learned now what my priorities are and I now have the skills and confidence to go for it.
This means setting up a Home studio, for any of you that follow me on facebook, you will know I am in a major sort out mode at the moment, so now you know why. My studio will initially be in a spare bedroom, but come the end of the winter we will look into building a studio in the garden. I will still teach, but probably only Beginners groups and Day workshops but only when I have the time.
I am working towards a Summer exhibition and also am looking at spending some time at the coast painting. I will approach some galleries and I will also now have time to visit some other Artists and perhaps works on some collaborations I have been thinking about. Being in the studio has stopped me doing many of these things, as I always felt I had to justify the money I was spending, so did as much as possible there, which was limiting.
Things I will miss
The company - Painting is a very lonely task and there was always a creative person around not only for a chat but also some feedback. I have made some good friends and met some very talented people.
Having a place to go, to paint away from home - Its much more of a motivator than at home, with all the distractions, so I will now need to push myself much more.
Some of the students - some have become real friends over the last couple of years.
Things I wont miss
Some of the students.... need I say more
Being constantly on show - you have to keep your space tidy in case visitors come. My work is on display at every stage and as some of you will know, work in progress can looking shockingly awful for a while, and people don't hold back on comments just because you are in the room.
Being constantly up-beat for the students - no matter how you feel, you have to put a smile on your face and be positive, very hard all the time. No time off for any illness.
Being cold - To save money, the heating is only ever on when the students were in, so most of last year I associated painting with being cold and wore a couple of pairs of fingerless gloves and my coat whilst doing so.
Working weekends - for the last 2 and a half years I have hardly seen my husband, I am looking forward to getting to spend some more time with him and visiting my children and other family more often.
Enjoying summer - A warm summer holiday --- bliss, the last 3 years we have holiday'd in the winter months as I needed to be at the centre during the 'busy' summer period. I also can now also have the odd weekend away yay!!!
" People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it"
George Bernard Shaw
I know some of you will think I am mad! but as from the 31st december I am moving onward and upward. I have handed my notice in and told all my regular students. It is sad but I am also very happy and at this moment have no regrets. Those of you online, will see me more often on Facebook and Twitter and I will get an online shop up and running. Also if I have said I would love to come and visit, I may actually have time to do that now.....
Watch this Space
Janice x
I have had a wonderful 2 and a half years at the Centre. I am pleased I went there and also that I expanded into a larger studio to do more teaching. I have learnt so much and gained so much confidence in myself, my teaching and my Art work.
But the time is right to move on. The teaching has become so successful that it has started to dominate so much, that I no longer have time for me, my family or my own Art work.
The aim when I when I moved to the larger studio was to teach in the winter to help when no visitors were around in the quiet months. But the visitors never really materialised. Last year I put it down to the bad weather but even with the fabulous summer we have had, the visitor numbers have been very low. So to be able to stay at the centre I expanded my teaching, and overloaded myself. I cut down some hours earlier this year, but have had to raise them again for the winter. It became clear that I was teaching to stay at the centre to be able to paint, but in order to stay at the centre I was having to teach so much that I didn't have time to paint.....vicious circle.
I had planned to stay until March but when I was on holiday we did some sums and lots of talking and realised that with the extra cost of electricity for the heating and lighting through the winter, I gained very little by sticking the winter out, so I may as well call it quits now.
I am not giving up OH NO!!! I have learned now what my priorities are and I now have the skills and confidence to go for it.
This means setting up a Home studio, for any of you that follow me on facebook, you will know I am in a major sort out mode at the moment, so now you know why. My studio will initially be in a spare bedroom, but come the end of the winter we will look into building a studio in the garden. I will still teach, but probably only Beginners groups and Day workshops but only when I have the time.
I am working towards a Summer exhibition and also am looking at spending some time at the coast painting. I will approach some galleries and I will also now have time to visit some other Artists and perhaps works on some collaborations I have been thinking about. Being in the studio has stopped me doing many of these things, as I always felt I had to justify the money I was spending, so did as much as possible there, which was limiting.
Things I will miss
The company - Painting is a very lonely task and there was always a creative person around not only for a chat but also some feedback. I have made some good friends and met some very talented people.
Having a place to go, to paint away from home - Its much more of a motivator than at home, with all the distractions, so I will now need to push myself much more.
Some of the students - some have become real friends over the last couple of years.
Things I wont miss
Some of the students.... need I say more
Being constantly on show - you have to keep your space tidy in case visitors come. My work is on display at every stage and as some of you will know, work in progress can looking shockingly awful for a while, and people don't hold back on comments just because you are in the room.
Being constantly up-beat for the students - no matter how you feel, you have to put a smile on your face and be positive, very hard all the time. No time off for any illness.
Being cold - To save money, the heating is only ever on when the students were in, so most of last year I associated painting with being cold and wore a couple of pairs of fingerless gloves and my coat whilst doing so.
Working weekends - for the last 2 and a half years I have hardly seen my husband, I am looking forward to getting to spend some more time with him and visiting my children and other family more often.
Enjoying summer - A warm summer holiday --- bliss, the last 3 years we have holiday'd in the winter months as I needed to be at the centre during the 'busy' summer period. I also can now also have the odd weekend away yay!!!
" People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it"
George Bernard Shaw
I know some of you will think I am mad! but as from the 31st december I am moving onward and upward. I have handed my notice in and told all my regular students. It is sad but I am also very happy and at this moment have no regrets. Those of you online, will see me more often on Facebook and Twitter and I will get an online shop up and running. Also if I have said I would love to come and visit, I may actually have time to do that now.....
Watch this Space
Janice x
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