A new YouTube demo

Just about sneaking in under the wire to qualify as a weekly event, I managed to overcome some fat-fingered tech issues and get this latest video uploaded: you can hear about my IT travails in the commentary….

Teamwork

I was absolutely honoured and delighted when I was invited by the good folks at ken Bromley Art Supplies to participate in a unique collaboration with 11 other artists to create a piece of artwork during the month of Inktober.

Naturally I said ‘yes’ and then sat back and waited for the piece to make its way round the UK. It duly landed here in Yorkshire, and as I was next to last, it was a great privilege to see the other great artists’ work……..here’s a link to the full story on the Ken Bromley Blog: mu contribution is the one in the bottom left hand corner.

A new YouTube demonstration

Happy to announce I finally got around to filming a new demonstration for my YouTube channel-well, at least parts one and two-which are now live to view.

In the light of the continually evolving COVID situation, I’m resigned to the fact that, with a couple of exceptions, my usual calendar of demonstrations for art clubs and societies is unlikely to resume until next spring at the earliest: many clubs rely on village or church halls for venues, and for obvious reasons these aren’t available and won’t be for some time.
So, I have decided to set myself a target of a new YouTube video on a weekly basis. Logistically it’s not an issue, it’s the subject matter I could use some help with: if there’s anything specific you’d like to see demonstrated, please let me know and if it’s within my abilities I’ll be happy to do so.

Here’s the link to YouTube

More shameless marketing

I never dreamed that the rumours that I heard at a workshop in early March would be true, and that we were about to enter a strange way of living that was like the plot of a science fiction novel, with restricted movement, deserted streets and shuttered shops.

Almost immediately, I resolved not to waste the vast amount of free time we’d all been presented with, and set out to find other activities to fill the void – after all, I could only (legally) walk our spaniel once a day!

What I did was to draw….every single day, often more than once, and in more than one sketchbook- I think I had at least 5 on the go. Looking through them now I can see a real progression, so I will carry on with the daily drawing: as I write this there is still no prospect of a return to any semblance of how we used to live.

I hope you enjoy this selection from the many I did over the strange spring and summer of 2020 – they’re in no particular order and with no captions other than dates on some – just the drawings as they appear in my sketchbooks.

The book is the same format as my previous publications: A5 landscape, on a nice matt paper, and as always, please let me know when you order if you’d like the book signed or with a handwritten message if it’s for a gift.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/868495336/lockdown-drawings-from-my-sketchbooks?ref=listing_published_alert

The fruits of a strange spring and summer 2020

Some good news, and a blatant marketing post

I’ve just updated the workshops page ( well, mainly deleting stuff) with details of a fabulous new venue: Quirky Workshops, near Penrith-

Here’s their home page, and details of the first event can be found either on my own workshops page, or under the paint & paper page on their website. Feels great to be writing something positive after over 6 months of gloom and doom.

https://www.quirkyworkshops.co.uk

So, now the shameless marketing/selling bit: in common with every other artist, the spring and summer has been completely barren of any opportunities to make any income from demonstrations, workshops and art festivals, so I’ve been relying on commissions ( mainly house portraits for gifts…ooooh…Christmas is not too far away, so plenty of time to organise a really special gift-just drop me an email ), and selling my 2021 calendars and new sketchbooks…still available in my Etsy shop…just click the link to the right of this post.

An actual workshop-live and in person!!!!

After over 6 months of gloom and doom, with cancelled demos and workshops, I am absolutely delighted to be able to announce an actual, live workshop-the first in a series-in a new (to me) venue!!!

This well established place looks amazing, the reviews are excellent, and I cannot tell how much I’m looking forward to this( especially the home cooked lunch, which is included in the cost). The first date is in November, with a second in December, and three more pencilled in for next year.

Here’s the link to book:

https://www.quirkyworkshops.co.uk/paint-paper-print-workshops/buildings-in-the-landscape

and here’s a photo of the venue itself-looks idyllic, doesn’t it?…I can’t wait….