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Took three paintings down to this gallery in Leamington Spa today, it's below Gaia, Regent Place, Leamington Spa.  I though it was lovely really had a homely feel.  I actually did used to visit this gallery when I lived near to it many years ago.  Then we had the Easter floods, can't remember what year that was, and I think it all got ruined in there.  Looks great now though.  I really liked some of the paintings and photographs that were in the gallery, one of the pieces I can remember from Kenilworth Festival last year (that's because I can remember admiring it there).  Adam is the guy in the picture and he was really nice too.  Visit if you around Leamington you're sure to get a big welcome.

P.S  I don't know what happened just then but I thought I'd just wiped the whole of my diary out, phew!

 
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Please dont scream because that upsets me, this is a self portrait that I actually started last week that went horribly wrong, so horribly wrong that I didn't dare put it on here.  I've been doing a lot of horribly wrong stuff in the past couple of days/weeks.  Today I have been working on it again, it was totally dry so I could start to move the nose down (that's why it's a little bit wonky still).  I had to restart the eyes and move the bridge of the nose which originally appeared to be in the middle of my forehead.  (I just checked the mirror and that is not where it is)  As you can see my skin is a little too big for my face but that is how it is when I look in the mirror.  It's quite good being able to paint someone, warts and all, usually artistic license allows you to pretty them up although I'm not known for doing too many pretty pictures. 

Oh, by the way, we went to the Private View at Rugby Art Gallery yesterday and one of my paintings has been sold.  I was so pleased, couldn't quite get over it really, the thought that someone thought it was good enough to buy.  I really hope that it gives them loads of pleasure and, if they happen to read this, I thank them from the bottom of my heart.  Does loads for the confidence that does.  I also popped over to Stratford Upon Avon to have a look at Coulrophobia hanging in The Gallery of Stratford Leisure Centre.  That gallery space in there is spectacular and I am going to investigate how much it is to hire and see if I can find some pals to exhibit with me.  I'll keep you posted.
Also I have three paintings going down to Your Gallery which is below a shop in Regent Place, Leamington Spa, called Giai.  I know this gallery because I always used to go in there when I lived near it so I'm really excited about that too.  I'll try to get some pic


 
 
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The bit that I keep messing up is the middle of the main body of the flower, I might stick it on the painting site that I am on to see what the other artists folk think of it, they will probably give me pointers in the right direction.  I think that the shadow of the petal that is peeling away needs to go in and that will probably sort it.

 
 
 
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I've made the usual mistakes with my varnishing of paintings today.  First one, shut door of studio and dont open any windows.  It says on the bottle "always use in a well ventilated space" but I'm not one to look at instructions, well not until all else fails ofcourse.  How am I now?  Slowly coming down but have got a bit of a headache, I am having trouble seeing the cursor and even bigger trouble trying to control it.  I felt sick so I thought a packet of cheese and onion crisps would do the trick there.  The studio absolutely stinks so, only now, have I opened the windows to let some air in.  Ten minutes ago, in the kitchen, I bent down to pick something up off the floor and my head tried to follow my hand.  It's not a good place to be in I can tell you.  Always ventilate when varnishing even if it is cold outside.  The pic is of the studio and the paintings that are littered around drying off.  Hopefully today I will be able to put some work on here later, that is if the head clears enough to be able to find the paint brushes.   

 
 
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Today I have been trying to bring this painting back to where it should be and I'm not sure yet whether I am succeeding or not.  I had to start again with white washes over the top of what I did to it yesterday.

I have also taken another painting (Coulrophobia) over to The Gallery in Stratford Upon Avon's Leisure Centre for an exhibition that will start on Friday.  They asked me to go to the Private View on Thursday evening but, as usual, it clashes with the one in Rugby and it would be impossible to get to both they are too far away from each other.  I was really impressed with the Leisure Centre, despite there being a swimming pool there it didn't reek of chlorine in the cafe.  I thought it was a lovely place and the gallery, which is upstairs above the cafe, was a lovely space too. 

I have been working in a complete mess today as I have paintings all over the floor, I am painting the sides (a mindblowingly boring job and a very dirty one too).  I have put a picture of the studio down below here so that you can see what I mean.


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Hello Roan Star Sailing, (one of my favourite visitors). Thank you for those words. Best wishes Wendyxx
 
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Today I was obvously not really in the mood for painting because I messed up one and almost messed this one up too.  You'll see that it has returned to black and white and that is what I had to do to try to retrieve it. 

On the plus side, today I took three paintings over to Rugby Art Gallery, Rugby, Warwickshire and they will be exhibited along with a lot of others until 25 April 2010.  I am toying with taking a painting over to an exhibition in Stratford Upon Avon tomorrow although the only one I have available at the moment is The Clown, and he frightens the pants of people.  I will let you know if I have done it!  Oh I nearly forgot, I have been approached by a Gallery in Leamington Spa so I will be getting in touch with them later.

 
 
 
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I have now managed to get Oscar finished, the painting is 30"x20" and is oil on canvas. The only colours used are lamp black and titanium white on a raw umber background.  Oscar belongs to someone that I know in Leamington Spa, the dog is quite timid and always seems to be hiding in his fur, so I have tried to show that in this painting.

 
 
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After a holiday weekend of not getting anything done I have managed to get some more work done on this lilly.  I have continued with more layers of white and added sap green and naples yellow to the bottom of the flower.  I still need to do more layers of white and some more of the colours too.  The other one that I have started I am not so keen on, it doesn't seem to be doing what I want it to so I might have to start again with that one. 

At the weekend I took my painting over to Worcester Art Gallery and I wont have to collect that one until the start of June.  Next week, 13 April, is the start of the other exhibition at Rugby Art Gallery and I have 3 in that one.  Hopefully, I will take some pics of the exhibition and will be able to put them on here.

 
 
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Oh no I'm definately into a flower phase because I've started yet another one, not just any old flower though, the magnificent Arum Lilly.  This is the underpainting of the latest one so it is still just monotone.  Sorry about the quality of the photo too, there is quite a bit of noise on it.  Still going with the other one that I started and that is pictured below.

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