Too long

My list grew and grew until it became too big....
1. Hang washing out
2. Draw cat for cover ( still thinking about this one, as it is a tricky balance)
3. Draw wild cat
4. Hang more paintings on the walls ( the house is an obstacle course of huge drawings and paintings in frames waiting to go to Oriel y Parc in October)

Meanwhile I have work on display at Theatr Gwaun in Fishguard, in the theatre foyer.

5. Text Sophie and drop off the last of the calendars.
6. Stretch paper.
7. Put away the logs.
8. Sweep away the dust and the dirt from the studio floor and think about finishing painting the walls.
9. Send more images to Jane for the book.
10. Finish the Dream of Six Kingfishers and put together film.

Meanwhile the endpapers are now done for I am Cat and only two and a bit spreads to go. Soon I will be moving on to East of the Sun and West of the Moon.

Things I learned today....

 How to embed a film clip into my blog.

The End of the Song.

For the past few weeks I have spent far too little time walking and far too little time painting. But I have finished the owl painting.

In the garden the green reflected in the moongold.

Now the painting is hanging in The House of Golden Dreams.

On some days I feel very much like the owl. On other days I feel like the wren.

My working day today.

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