Caroline's News

I think it is pretty safe to say that I am not very good at keeping up with blog posts. You must have thought I had dropped off the planet. Not so, I am still here, still painting but not exhibiting as much at the moment. With the current financial situation I felt it was time to take a bit of time out. We've had a lot of things going on at home, adjusting to our children becoming temporary residents at home and yet flitting back and forth as the whim takes them, par for the course, however they are both doing well at their chosen paths but from time to time still require support from Mum and Dad. In reassessing our lives we felt perhaps it was time for a move to a smaller home so whilst trying to sell we have also been looking and I didn't want to commit myself to things I couldn't fulfil. Of course as luck and the economic situation would have it we are still in Frome due to the stagnation of the housing market but that has given me time to experiment with a few ideas which I hope to reveal soon and I have several paintings drying before they are revealed to the world. Late last year I became involved with a group of artists who were collaborating with a group of Ukrainian Artists via zoom, with the help of an interpreter. This was an interesting and often challenging project which helped me to produce work quite unlike my usual style culminating with a large exhibition here in Frome which was very well received. The project is ongoing but I decided to take a step back due to other commitments. Back in November 2022 I was invited to exhibit with the Kane Gallery who operate out of The Shakespeare Pub in Totterdown, Bristol. It is a very arty area and the pub welcomes unique and interesting art as well as staging regular entertainments so it has a great footfall. Unfortunately the owner of the gallery has had some major setbacks so the artists have taken over and the pub was keen for us to continue exhibiting our work. We have just hung lots of new work in the pub which have already received great comments.

The last year.....

A cautionary tale about my exhibiting experience of Painshill Park Art Fair, Cobham, Surrey May/June 2021.

Good Days and Bad Days

Where are we? - firmly into 2021 and still living with lockdown and Covid 19

In this funny bit in between Christmas and New Year it's a bit of a conundrum to know what to do. In normal times, we, that is me and my family would usually be frantically making or fulfilling arrangements to visit friends and family but as we in Somerset, and let's face it most of the UK, have now been promoted to Tier 3 or even 4 that's not happening. So we really none of us know what to do except wade our way through the mountain of chocolate and have the odd drink now and again. I would love to be able to think of something lovely and inspiring to others in this difficult time, something to reach out to the world and say "you are not alone", "we will get through", "you are in our thoughts" and perhaps so much more. Because, of course, so many have suffered so much over the last 10 months and it's not over yet. We have a vaccine in the pipeline and many have already started to receive it which is one hopeful light at the end of the tunnel. However, let's be honest, we still have months of waiting to come before life begins to return to some sort of normal. I do wonder what we will take from this time? Will we have become better, more caring people with more thought for others, I wonder? Well that's all a bit heavy and depressing and I do like to end on a high note. I must remember that I have actually sold more paintings this year than usual, that there has been a high demand for my cards and I have managed to access many new ways of bringing my work to fresh audiences. So on that note I will finish, with hope and optimism for the future and now perhaps return to my sketchbook! See below my two most recent sales!

You can't postpone the inevitable 

A few words about how I have been spending the last 10 months during the Covid19 pandemic and how I keep going through this difficult time.

This post describes the journey I often go on when creating a new painting, from the initial inspiration to the final image.