When I should be painting a cat I am thinking of love......

and musing on music for this, below. The poster was in a shop doorway in St Davids. Curious that it is also heart themed.

 

Art in Action 2011

Sometimes life is just too busy to blog and then things get a little out of hand. Art in Action was so busy that for the first two days of being there I found that I still had not wandered around with my camera. Despite arriving early I had so much work that it took all day to hang and then once the doors were opened it just seemed chaotic.

The evenings at the lovely Judy Dyble's with Hannah Willow, Catherine Hyde, Tamsin Abbot, Anji Spangle and Robin. Over the weekend my sister Maxine joined us too, and organised the chaos of the day.

I have more photos and will make a page on my website later but for now this was my stand, or rather, a small part of it.

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And in the Best of the Best tent this is the piece I voted for. I love Karen's work. 

Since being home I have tried to settle to work. I have to finish the cat book, do the cover for City of Dragons, work on the calendar image for KNTR, sign and number and post the calendars, try and organise things for an evening of words and music at Theatr Gwaun in Fishguard on 12th August at 8pm

Hoping for dry weather tomorrow as despite all that I have a wish to ride in the morning on the heavy hoofed Uther or great patience through a valley thick with meadowsweet.

More photos of Art in Action later. Time for bed.

Elmo the Meercat, Pixie and the Field of Clover

I love my cat

How light becomes the soul

At Art in Action many people said to me that I was blessed with a talent. Blessed indeed. But it is a fine line between madness and sanity that I sometimes walk and often feel that the drive to create is what keeps me on the right side of this line. And it helps me to cope in our world which is sometimes such a dark place.
So, a wonderful day at Art in Action where the art is beautiful and such a celebration of life and beauty and humanity. Then home in the evening and I watch the news unfold of what happened in another place. There are times when such things seem overwhelming.
We are left with a feeling that there is nothing we can do. But there is.
There is too much darkness in the world. One of the things I love about Art in Action is the way almost all of the artists are focused on celebrating the beautiful through their work. 
For years candles have been a symbol, for Amnesty International in particular. A symbol of light in a dark world. And I cannot find the words to say what I feel inside but I hope that others who feel the same way will join me.
I would like to celebrate all that I hold dear by just taking a small piece of time, lighting a candle and thinking, of those who had  their lives taken from them in Norway, in Afghanistan, but also of all those who I love here and now. Just a small thing, just a short time. And if I can share this with friends who wish to, and friends of friends until we can weave a small web of light and love around the world then that would be good.
For how light becomes the soul.

Best of the Best at Art in Action, Waterperry, 2011

A sky full of birds

It has been a day of birds. Flocks of rook and jackdaw have been tumbling the sky with ragged black wings.

All day I have been thinking and packing.

I have packed a kingfisher, and owl, a bear or two, some paint, paper, brushes, pencils, towels ( you never know when aliens might be around), some wolves, a bowl, badges and bags, cameras and cards and nails and string ( always string). There are things in boxes and bags and bundles, and still I am not done.

Steady rain falls.

I have packed a good heart and hope and expectations, courage and a little foresight, and always, always a good book.

And all of this has bundled into a dragon van for its first big public outing.

Tomorrow I head off toward Oxfordshire and on Wednesday I will be setting up and settling in at Art in Action. Looking forward to settling down to paint.

Some years ago I had a dream of six kingfishers. A few weeks back  painted them, and one of the things I will do at Art in Action is gild them.

And I am please to say that today I was accepted on the "Mumsnet" blogger network. I hear them so often on the radio and usually am very impressed with all that they have to say, so proud to be a part of their blogging network. And very impressed with my friend Meg Rosoff, who is one of their 'featured' bloggers. Her new post is LOL.

Enough distraction. TTFP ( Time to Finish Packing).

Reading Boy to Elmo

Walking, still working, with Mo.

Aprox. 2 and 3 hours, with thinking time between.

Then 4,5 and 6.......

and finally, 7 or maybe 8 hours later.....

Almost finished, still wet.

People often ask me how long it takes to do a painting. This one took about an hour or two drawing as well, and then there was the rough, which I did whilst watching A Knight's Tale with Heath Ledger and the lion came out looking rather like Heath Ledger, which was strange.

So in this case I would say that it took about 10 hours, and 45 years ( as it has beneath and behind it the experience and learning of a lifetime of drawing and painting.