Exhibition at Tourist Information Centre, St Davids

 Last week I spent three and a half days with Nigel from the Tourist Info Centre in St Davids moving and hanging the exhibition that will be on there until the end of January. The TI Centre shares its space with Oriel y Parc, the beautiful and small gallery that houses a part of the Museums and Galleries of Wales collection. At one time they ran an artist in residence program in the building, but with cutbacks this is one of the things that has fallen away and the room has been idle and little used. Somehow I managed to talk my way into becoming an 'artist in residence' there, using the studio space and having an exhibition that runs through the length of the building.
Today will be my first day working there. I have never worked away from home before and require solitude when working so the idea of working in such a public space is, at the moment, filling me with dread. The residency is not a paid position, but even so I feel some, pressure isn't the right word, maybe obligation would be better, to be a little accessible to people. So, how to get the balance right?
This week I will be open to the public between 2 and 5 on Thursday afternoon, working in my studio and available to sign books. Then in the evening a more formal opening from 6.30. ( If you would like to attend please let the Parcs know as they are trying to get some idea of numbers attending.)
Other than that if people want books personalised they can leave them to be collected and I will sign at the end of the day. 
Moving my studio has been more disturbing than I thought it would be and so I am moving tentatively at first. I am hoping to be able to 'play' with some new ideas at home during the evenings. Meanwhile will see how things go one day at a time.
And for those who find Pembrokeshire too far here is a sneak preview of the show. It will be on until end January and the exhibition at Oriel y Parc in the Museums and Gallery space will change on around 25th November. At the moment is a Turner, Cecil Morris, John Bellamy and Graham Sutherland. Also beautiful silver work and exquisite glass pieces. A small but richly rewarding exhibition.

Caro Flynn is also showing some work in the window of the centre. Emma asked if I would help her to arrange the display, so, despite my better judgement I said yes. We were chatting and she had been cleaning the glass doors and shelves and I was saying how I didn't really 'do' ceramics because I am such a clutz, but, being brave I picked up the most expensive and very beautiful jug and went, 'I'll put this here then" and slammed it straight into the glass door! The noise was awful and I felt sick and Emma's face was a picture and the room ( where there was a meeting going on) went silent and everybody looked at me, and the jug, still in my hands, and fortunately for me and goodness knows how, unbroken. Well, if Emma hadn't cleaned the glass so well I would have seen it!

Glad to say the rest of the window disply was put together with more care and the jug looks beautiful, as does all of Caro's work. I am particularly taken with the small, round, owlpot.

Snow Leopards.

Cats, small and large, feature in some of my paintings. A few years ago The Snow Leopard was published and through this book I discovered The Snow Leopard Trust. They have done a great deal to support the book and through the sales of the book via the Trust they have raised money to support their work. Now they have a chance to raise money and awareness of their campaign through BBC World Challenge. 
Please watch the film about the leopards, so beautiful, so rare, and the people who share their domain. If you are moved to then vote for them to win the World Challenge competition. And share the film, this blog post, anything, to spread the word and pull in votes for them.
We will all be poorer if these animals do not continue to live wild and free in the wild places of the world.

 

In the USA if you buy The Snow Leopard from the trust you will be helping their work. In their online shop they have many things made by the people who share the environment with the leopards.
If you want to see and hear the story then get a cup of tea and settle down to watch and listen. And then vote.

 

Love at first site

It began some years ago. And it was love at first site. 

To be fair it can be said that unlike with some affairs the passion only grew, from the first days of the orange clam shell to the macbook to the iMac. 

And then she met the iPad. So slim, so seductive and offering such magic.

But very soon things began to fall apart. Years of living on a dial up connection meant that updates had been impossible. The iMac was old, sad, tired. The iPad wouldn't connect as iTunes was an antique and she railed against the foolishness of this, one purchase too far. It say there on the shelf, beautiful but useless. Until Julia came to her aid.

It seemed that all that was needed was to replace the tiger with a snow leopard ( the irony of this was not lost on her).

Everything was backed up in case of emergencies, the snowleopard was purchased and with fear in the heart, despite the gentle encouragement of Julia at Apple.com, she installed the snow leopard.

And now the iPad worked and the iMac was like a new creature. It was as if a caterpillar had woven a chrysalis and then hours later emerged as a beautiful butterfly. The iPad came to life in her hands and love blossomed.

And in between times the painting of mountain lions for I am Cat progressed.

 

 

How I would love to have a tail of my own.

Carried away with painting mountains, luckily weariness overtook me. Fortunate timing as I had forgotten that I need to leave space for the type.

A few days ago hundreds of ravens flew over heading north. Yesterday they were back, in pairs, dancing in the wind, a pair high, another higher still and yet more, declaring their sovereignty of the sky. They flew in courtship dances with folded wings and tumbling delight. For a while I stood in the garden, earth bound, and watched, with a wish for wings in my heart.

At last, snow.

The moon had ridden a clear sky all morning but when I woke at seven there was a bank of cloud. I walked out into the farmyard incase I could see even a glow, but no. And then I found out why. At last, it began to snow. Real, fine powder snow, like snow from when I was a child and before long there was two inches of snow. ( Everyone knows that snow is meansured in inches).
For a while it stopped, and then began again. 
Luckily the wood man had come from Welsh Logs. He had chains on the wheels of his pick up truck. I had been worried that we would have no logs before Christmas. We had burnt through so much as our only heating is the wood fired stove.

 On the wall by the door, a broken plate by Martha Allen.

 Hanging in the garden, a lantern.

 Max looking after the logs.

 Moonjar in snow.

Rosie
 

Now there is a kind of hush broken only by the whisper of bird wings and the swirling fall of flakes.

Pirates and treasure

Dropped Tom at school then headed to Porthllisky where there was a promise of treasure. Blue sky, red coat of a pirate, seal in the bay, walk slowed by blackberries kssed by the sea salt breeze, buzzard and the haunting cry of lifting curlew. I played with my shadow on the rock face, a sea so blue.

Back at the car I called on Jan and sure enough she had ruby red treasures, bright beetroots. I envy her the raised beds she has. They are so full and looked wonderful in the slant of morning light. Hoping to learn all that I need to know from her and Daf and Tom.

Back home, working towards finishing the KNTR calendar piece, which Hannah described as 'an incredible piece of product placement'. The piece has something from The Snow Leopard, Tell Me a Dragon, The Ice Bear, and The Panda's Child ( waiting for contract).