FEELING BLUE.....

Before you get the wrong idea, I'm not talking about my mood, you understand!

But first let me just say Hi Everyone! It's good to be back under the grey, damp London skies once again. No really, it IS! It's SO good to be back!
Another wonderful season of 'Painting Skiathos' is over, the Greek studio's locked up and materials are packed away again for another year ....and here I am, back home in the warm fold of the family and a million miles away from the sun and sand...turquoise blue seas....warm Aegean island breeze (Oh STOP!)...and ready to embrace the long dark nights, autumn mists and bustling city life, once again.

So why the title 'FEELING BLUE'?

Well, I'm more of a pale peach, golden yellow, soft pink sort of a girl; warm, gentle, rosy, cosy, colours all, and blue rarely does it for me. In fact I don't think there's a single blue thing here in my house in London (Oh, apart from my daughter's old bedroom which is still swathed in soft blue and cream 'toile de jouy' - which I do actually love) but generally, I find blue, in the harsh English light, just too cold to live with, comfortably.

Now in Greece it's another matter. Blue is THE colour one associates with Greece; it's amazing in full sun against the harsh whitewashed walls - and it's everywhere! All over Skiathos the doors:



windows and shutters:



tables and chairs:



and even the pots:



are painted in shades of blue, from deep ultramarine and brilliant cobalt, to turquoise and every shade imaginable in between.

Not to mention the incredibly blue skies and sea:



Now all this is fine in GREECE but I wasn't prepared, on my return to London, to be equally subjected to so much blue everywhere!
called in earlier this week to see the latest exhibition at The Wallace Collection: a collection (25 in all) of Damien Hirst's latest works, his 'Blue Paintings', entitled 'No Love Lost'. Without exception, they are large paintings of blue skulls on black backgounds.



Reading quite unfavourable reviews, prior to my visit, if I'm honest I didn't expect to be particularly impressed and yet strangely (despite the fact they were all blue!) I was - and I was particularly mesmerised by this piece:



I think the critics have been unkind. Perhaps the name 'Damien Hirst' alone is enough to invite controversy and somehow gives people a free rein to write his work off as 'sensationalist'and 'gimmicky' at best, or poorly executed ('the man can't paint!')at worst and I'll be the first to admit, as an artist he was never a particular favourite of mine, till I stood in awe at the foot of his solid silver 'St Bartholomew' sculpture in the R.A's Summer exhibition but, in the artist's own words, this series of paintings created between 2006 and 2008 are 'deeply connected to the past' and mark his return to the solitary practise of painting - a new direction for him after challenging what it means to be an artist, since the very start of his career.

The fact that he has opted to present these works within in a classical environment invites a dramatic visual dialogue, surrounded as they are by Old Master paintings in the Great European tradition, displayed in the adjacent sumptuous rooms. The contrast is undeniable and his paintings, by content (and colour!) are undeniably chilling too.....but certainly worth a visit, anyway....

Calling in at another local gallery ('Artica' Washington Green Fine Art in St. Christophers place, Marylebone) I came across an artist (new to me) who, has joined the Washington Green stable of artists and is beginning to make a real name for himself,Bill Bate

His stunningly beautiful paintings, of the naked female form gliding through transparent turquoise water, glistening in sunlight, made me feel I was right back on the island for a moment, diving into the familiar crystal blue waters of the Aegean....Lovely!
You can see his beautiful paintings here:Bill Bate Collection

His work reminds me very much of that of another (Greek) artist I came across this year, Maria Filopoulou. She also paints underwater scenes of women diving in turquoise, crystal-clear seas...with a wonderful sense of abandonment and expressing total freedom.


UNDERWATER SWIMMER I (OIL ON CANVAS) - 61x68cm © Maria Filopoulou

Brrrr...all this talk of blue water is making me feel cold...time to get up from the computer and start painting! I have a new commission to prepare for; a very large wall mural for a central London restaurant. No blues in this piece, Thank Goodness! Rather, a huge panorama of the rolling hills of Tuscany, awash with glorious red poppy fields, cypress trees and ancient, red-roofed farmhouses, stretching as far as the eye can see, lazing in the warm glow of a still Italian, golden afternoon.....Can't wait, it's just my cup of tea! I'll be posting pictures here soon of the progress.....

And now, talking of tea....

Art Around the World Project

Calling all artists, photographers, musicians, embroiderers and poets!

My friend Beth (1st Angel) is organising a fantastic international charity project:

AAW
RAISING MONEY FOR GREENPEACE

If you'd like to come on board, please visit:

www.1stangel.co.uk

Where you can read all about it.

Even if you're not an artist, you can help this very worthy cause.
Please see the widget in my side bar--->

Together, we CAN make a difference!

Fields of Gold

Just returned from a gloriously sunny day, down in Kent and had to stop and get the camera out. Stretching as far as the eye can see, the fields of rape seed are a common sight now each Spring but even so, (and despite their unfortunate name!) they are beautiful! Every time I see them, they take my breath away:



So much to paint, so little time!


Wishing everyone a Happy May Day & Bank Holiday weekend!

Herons in Hyde Park

Walking through Hyde Park yesterday evening I came across these fine fellows. Standing stock still like stone statues. Oddly placed in the formal flower beds, it was hard to tell if they were real or not until, after several moments of standing completely motionless, one of them suddenly raised its long neck and took flight. What a graceful sight to behold - and what an impressive wing-span!



The Grey Heron (Ardea Cinerea) is the largest bird in Europe and a migratory bird here in Britain, which made it all the more of a delight to see them. They were completely oblivious to the curious onlookers they attracted and the noisy traffic hurtling along South Carriage Drive.

Apparently they stand still in order to stalk their prey but as they feed only on fish (and there were none to be found in the gardens!) I presume they must have already caught their supper in the nearby Serpentine lake and were gathering together to settle in for the night (unless, being as they were only two minutes away from, and all facing, Knightsbridge, who knows? Perhaps they had set their beady sights firmly on raiding the fabulous fresh fish counters in the nearby Harrods Food Hall!)

You can find out more about these wonderful birds (and hear their 'song') by visiting this excellent site:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/greyheron/index.asp#

I feel a painting coming on........

Crossing the Sands of Time......

I'm back from my travels and all fired up with new-found inspiration!


I was in the Sinai Peninsula and travelled 4 hours through the vast desert terrain in an already scorching heat, high into the mountains to visit the totally remote Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Catherine - the oldest continually running church in the world.
Standing in front of the Burning Bush


at the base of the very mountain where Moses received the tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments, was the highlight of our trip. It was quite simply breathtaking. The most overwhelming sensation in this most sacred of places was one of utter peace and humility, dwarfed as we were by the sheer majesty of our surroundings.



Egypt. It's impossible to write just a few lines about a brilliant ancient civilisation that emerged from darkness to flourish for 3,000 years, creating magnificent monuments and world changing inventions such as paper, ink, the 365 calendar and the ox-drawn plough. So I will let my photos speak for me. The desert may appear to be an empty, arid, forbidding place yet, despite The Egyptian Government now providing housing settlements:


and schools at remote desert outposts for the children of these traditionally nomadic, tent dwelling people:




The culture of the Bedouin tribes who continue (as they have done for thousands of years, to somehow eke a living from it) still survives and thrives, full of rich tradition.







I say 'forbidding' yet just beneath the surface of this hard, barren, inhospitable landscape lies a treasure trove of untold riches; seams of turquoise, amber, lapis lazuli - all manner of semi-precious stones - which are fashioned by artisans into jewelry and objects d'art.







The old markets (souks) along the coast are filled with the hustle and bustle of traders selling their wares:


Selling everything from livestock (camels, goats, sheep and chickens):



and fresh fruit, vegetables:



herbs, teas (such as mint and hibiscus) and pungent spices:




to the vibrant textures and colours of woven rugs, baskets, mats and hats:



and the craftsmanship of metal workers using silver and beaten copper.
With modern technology and the addition of water the hot dry desert springs to life in a riot of glorious colour, transformed into a botanical paradise where bougainvillea, orchids and even petunias and hollyhocks:





bloom profusely and in abundance alongside the cacti:

the indigenous, often solitary, desert acacia trees:


and date palms which, in the eerie light of dusk, stand sentinel over this far from 'empty' wasteland but rather this wonderfully rich, colourful and fascinating remote corner of the world:


And it's warm welcoming people:


On a final note, one of the most haunting images I'm left with, is this photo I took of a Bedouin woman wandering completely alone in the desert, miles from anywhere (quite literally in the middle of nowhere!)


From now on whenever I feel the need to get 'Far from the Madding Crowd' and escape from the sea of humanity and the hustle and bustle of city life, I will simply close my eyes and transport myself back to the empty expanse of the Sinai Desert, into her shoes ......
(except that she, wasn't wearing any!)

Happy Easter!

Off on my travels again this weekend to somewhere hot, barren and dry for a change (no not Greece) so I'll report in from there with (hopefully!) some new artwork to show for it.

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!

The Passion for Painting Award

I was thrilled this morning to discover I'd received this award from a fellow artist whom I greatly admire, Sarah Lynch. These blog awards are a lovely way for artists to show their appreciation of each others work and, at the same time, bring them to the attention of their friends. In accepting, there are a few rules; I must in turn nominate seven artists (with an internet presence) whose work I admire and then list seven of my favourite things. (Only 7?!! That's an almost impossible task for a Libran!). Well, here goes:

With so many talented artist friends it is SO hard to narrow it down but seven artists who inspire me for a variety of reasons (among them their skill, passion, originality, humour and dedication) are:

Bill Jones
Gayle Faucette Wisbon
Chrissymarie
Themah Carolle-Casey
Lutz Baar
Wadia Boutaba
Jorge Arcos

And as for seven things I like:

1) First and foremost, my family, without whose love, patience, encouragment, and unfaltering belief in me (despite being biased - they are also my greatest critics!) I would never have found the confidence and been afforded the freedom to be able to do what I do.

2) London - the wonderful city that for half of my time, continues to surprise, inspire, educate (and sometimes, exasperate!) me and perpetuates my unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

3) Greece (namely the idyllic island of Skiathos, where I spend the other half of my life) for it's sheer natural beauty that provides a constant source of inspiration, its wonderful, welcomimg people and its rich, modern day and classical culture.

4) The Arts (especially fine art, dance, music, theatre, literature and poetry) the rich fountain from which I continue to drink deep, indulging all my passions and creativity.

5) History - for my endless love affair and appreciation for all that's gone before....

6) Solitude - for it allows me the freedom of space and time, to focus, think, take stock, recharge, revitalise, and find the inner harmony I need to be creative.

7) Rhubarb crumble and custard