I am having a wonderful time and am not complaining!  The weather has changed for the better, we have had weekends filled with parties, wild weddings, and friends, but NOW I must get down to the nitty gritty of promoting my exhibition.  Paintings have been completed for at least three weeks, although a couple have had a last minute tweek; some are still at the framers, many still need titles, but I really, really need to get all the promoting stuff done.That used to involve putting out a few posters and a press release in the local paper.  Now, I have to create a facebook event page, email contacts, send invites to friends and people who have bought from me before, make leaflets for hotel drops, update my blog, contact all the websites that have events pages, send out press releases and I have relented and set up a twitter account.

And this has been the thing that feels most alien.  Is it a generation thing?  I just don’t get it?  I joined initially so that I could hear first about TED events in Exeter and the latest gin and tonic tasting sessions at our local off license, but do I have to be checking it every two minutes in case I miss something? I will tweet to promote my exhibition, especially as other tweeters have offered to retweet, but don’t think I will become an addict.

Well, I’ve got to the end of the post and whereas previously writing posts has given me clarity and meaning, I still want to go AAAAAARRRRGGGGGG!!

This most beautiful estate sits high above the Helford Estuary, opposite the famous gardens of Glendurgan and Trebah. The house is set in broad lawns with an italian style terrace and views over the river out to sea. Totally uncommercialised, there is no information, map or shop and it relies on peoples honesty to put their admission fee in the box.

To the rightt of this magnificent house and lawns is a valley which goes down to the sea. A valley filled with myrtles, giant redwoods, tree ferns, and a beautiful twisted cork tree ( seen in the photo below).  There are numerous other important tree species including a huge gingko biloba.

Some paths had been tended and restored, whilst other areas had the charm of early heligan, totally overgrown and undiscovered.  At the bottom of the garden, a sign led you through the gate and down a naturally wooded path with the odd tropical tree.  Was it cleared, planted and then the indigenous trees repopulated the valley?  With no leaflet and not a single person in sight, we will never know.

The beach at the bottom was sheltered and littered with clam shells;  unspoilt and beautiful.

The only person we saw during our visit was the gardener who is single handedly looking after this huge estate garden. We brewed up a cup of tea and ate our pasties from the famous Ann’s pasty shop on the Lizard ( yes!!  they are very good!!).  The whole experience was totally magical due to the lack of human presence, with lovely birdsong and the rustle of the breeze in the canopy of the trees.  Some of them had been here for a very long time.

Off the beaten track, at the moment this remains unique, but for how long?

The Bongo ( our bijoux camping van)  has taken us to the most secret glorious spots all over Cornwall in the last 5 years, but The Lizard area is probably the furthest distance across Cornwall from Bude and there was a campsite I have wanted to stay at for a couple of years. Henrys Campsite.  It’s logo is “strange, but wonderful”.  I think I would change that to ” an oasis of quirky happiness”.  Tucked down a track off the Lizard village, you cannot help but smile as you arrive.  Wooden sculptures of seagulls, colourful buoys and tropical plants surround the small buildings that make up the tiny shop, homely reception and unisex bang bang showers and toilets.

Escorted to our pitch, we were greeted by a family of ducks.The view of the sea was breathtaking.  Mind you, we had arrived on the most glorious May day.  Most pitches are contained within cornish stone walls with tropical and wild planting.

There were so many quirky areas. I loved the tractor seat, coffee table area.  Sit on one if you ever get the chance; although solid metal, they are the most comfy of seats.  We couldn’t quite work out why the boat was above the shower block, but why not!

sea pinks, lichen and pure air

The cove from Henry’s

Over the years I have seen most of Cornwall, but with 300 miles of coastline, there will always be new places to explore.  From the campsite, we could walk to the coast path and over the cliffs to Kynance Cove.   The tide was high, so after scrambling over and under rocks, we managed to get to the cafe and sit on the bank admiring the shimmer on the sea.  The colour of the water here is azure, from green to turquoise. It is such a contrast to the North Coast where we live.  Although you don’t get the surf, it means that the sand is not disturbed and you can see right to the bottom.

We only stayed one night in the end.  The evenings are still chilly and our van is only really equipped for fair weather camping.  Henry’s do have a communal fire pit area though,  or you can hire your own fire basket with logs.

We only saw one sign.  It stated…

” Beware.. Signs have sharp edges!  We rely on people’s common sense”

No signs makes for a more relaxed vibe.

We will definately be back.  There is much to explore here from the wilderness of the most southerly point of the England, to the sheltered estuary of the Helford River.  I had to share this with you… but shh!! don’t tell too many people. It’s our secret.

And that is it’s charm.

www.henryscampsite.co.uk 

“Work submitted in application for Exhibiting membership of the Society should show a consistency of quality in all pieces, as well as a clear understanding and appreciation of the chosen media.  The Committee looks for a clear artistic identity running through all the work”.  Ok. With two seascapes and four panoramic seascapes, I think these fit the bill.

Having left them in the judging room, we returned to discover my fate;   either a big A (accepted) or big R (rejected).  Mine had neither?  I was  really disappointed to find it had been a split decision over my acceptance.  Don was absolutely gutted for me as I was told I had not been accepted.  In other words rejected…. this time; but encouraged to try again!  I went having no expectations and decided that whatever, I would take it on the chin as I had already heard the standards were off the scale of being high.

Artists are given feedback and ‘constructive criticism’ by  the secretary in front of everyone, whether you agree or not, going into great detail about presentation of work and that the mount cuts had to be absolutely perfect.  What’s being judged here…. the art or  the framing?  I knew my framing from Ian and Sally at Kilk was of the highest standard and shows my work off to its best.  Apparently, I am tackling one of the hardest subjects to get right i.e. seascape with the correct perspective and light conditions.  The paintings I thought I had got spot on were the ones they had issue with which was surprising to say the least. Other artists leaving the room listening to the feedback I was being given, were all saying what amazing work it was.Whether out of embarrassment for me or  trying to bolster my confidence,  I think they genuinely could not see why I hadn’t been accepted and agreed that the whole thing is very subjective to each judge.

So … did I set myself up for a fall just before a major solo exhibition. In one way, putting work before a panel of judges goes against everything I believe in and tell others to do.  To paint with your heart and let your instinct lead.  So that begs the question – Why did I do it.?  Having thought about this, I think that because I am self- taught and have not had the formal training of many artists, I wanted some recognition and to be a part of something.   Will I try a simpler approach and subject?  NO!!  I will carry on painting what I love and feeds my soul.  From the feedback I get I know it connects to other people too.  It’s not a case of stuff them either though.

No sour grapes.  I might try again next year. I have set my self a challenge now.  And I think through painting practice you do discover new things and are learning all the time, so maybe it will make me strive for that perfection and beauty.  As the saying goes, ” Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, so perhaps next years judges will have a completely different opinion.

Below are three taster sections of the painting measuring approx 30cm x25cm

This throws up various challenges as I try and convey the wind and movement of the sea in a larger scale.  Being such a large canvas, I have had to move it from the easel where I can barely reach the top, to the floor and even outside. Anyone who thought painting was relaxing…. well it can be…. unless you are painting such a large piece!  From straddling the corners to moving away from it the whole length of the hall to get a perspective on it,  Having created the dark areas I am not concentrating on bringing the light back into it and using oils which have greater weight and light reflective qualities. But enough for today.  I am sitting on the sofa writing this with a glass of red wine and bed is beckoning me.

But… I can’t wait to get up tomorrow morning and get going again.!!  I am finding that I get my best ideas when I first wake up, so after a quick cup of tea I will get going straight away as I am finding  the early morning  the most productive. It has helped my painting practice that I am working towards an exhibition and this one should just be dry enough to be hung, but I am finding it increasingly obsessive, wanting to go back to it frequently to move it forward as I get inspiration for colour and how to convey movement. It’s like a lost friend who is in need of a direction.

http://www.tedxexeter.com/

A day of inspirational talks from people who turned their dreams into ideas and made a difference.

Having followed TED on the net for a few years, I was lucky enough to attend this event in Exeter.

 Accompanied by my son and his girlfriend, we listening to a day of inspirational talks from people who had turned their dreams into ideas they put into practice.  TED is a place of “Ideas which are worth spreading” and the conferences put the power of those ideas out to their audience.  What made this event so special was that the curator and force behind TED who made it free to view, Chris Anderson was on the list of speakers.

I have spent the last two days wondering how I can condense a whole day of ideas and what I want to say into a blog post.  From my ramblings to my husband the following morning , as I tried to share everything I had heard over tea in bed  I quickly realized that it just wasn’t going to happen.  So you will all have to wait until I link the videos when they are released.  Until then.  Check out TED online.

The theme was Sustainability and the interconnected World.  The day started off well with the most amazing double rainbow before the heavens opened and we did the right thing by taking an ECO taxi to the Campus

Here are just a few thoughts I took away from the day.  There was so much more to each of these but these statements were some of the most memorable. More can be found on this page

http://www.tedxexeter.com/blog/?currentPage=3

Satish Kumar started off the day reminding us that we are a human community and we should all be the change we want to see.

There is a dangerous misconception that we have a choice between ecology and economic development. It comes from the White House, from No.10, from business – that nature and regulations to protect nature are a drag on business. But 100% of our services comes originally from nature – soil, biodiversity, water, resources.  Tony Juniper reminded us that we are not outside nature, but in the centre of it and have a responsibility

Peter Cox – We need to reduce methane to even start tackling co2 emissions. ( he could do a great Angelos impression)

Nic Marks with his index of happiness stated that ” I have a dream – the future will not be a nightmare”

Volunteer, learn from the Rob Hopkins the force behind Totnes Transition.  Covet less, spend less, give more. Create a world of you and me, not you or me.

Engage collective genius

Anthony Turner used pictures to show emissions.  ”We live in reality not on solid earth but at the bottom of an ocean of air”

The singing voice can free the human spirit and an open hearted approach will stop violence in its tracks.

We need fair trade in the Congo for the minerals they have which power all our mobile technology and more.

Trust your dreams and carry on.

Lily lapenna got everyone dancing to Jesse J. That young lady oozed so much self belief and confidence,she was truly beautiful.

Chris Anderson, curator of TED ended the day with a look through seven lenses of TED lectures and made his own conclusions.  http://www.tedxexeter.com/blog/

I even managed a very quick chat with Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall who was new to TED and the “celebrity” speaker of the day.

Thanks Tom and Stephie for a day I will always remember and hoping it’s repeated next year!!

I had been recommended MonkeyPuzzle Repro Art, so took a trip down to St Agnes to visit them.  Situated right on the coast in an Eco Park, we came across them more by luck than design,  as we came off the main road and travelled the country lanes towards the coast, keeping to the high ground with the Atlantic glimpsed through hedges of gorse and the blossom of blackthorn.

The people at Monkey Puzzle Repro Art were very helpful, but due to costs and being a new direction, I limited my initial print to two giclee’s and four reproductions of my images for cards.

Although still in Cornwall, it feels very different the further down the coast you go.  Wilder, more exposed as the  county narrows and the distance from the North Coast to the South Coast is only around 15 miles.  This is tin mining country, a heavy industry of the 1800′s and a big part of Cornwall’s heritage.  The mining houses cling to the side of steep valleys and the spoils have been taken over by gorse splashing yellow all the way down to the sea.

Heading back to Newquay, I collected some paintings from a gallery in Newquay and we took the coast road back to Padstow.  One of my favourite drives, this coast drive takes you past some of Cornwall’s nicest beaches including Watergate Bay, Bedruthan Steps, Mawgan Porth, Porthcothnan, Treyarnon and Haryln.

April showers were coming in off the Atlantic and the light was great for photos.  Trevose Lighthouse was picked out in the sunlight.

We arrived in Padstow and after a lunch of Rick Steins Fish and Chips (which never disappoints), we took the opportunity to browse one or two of the galleries there and realized it had not been renamed PadStein for nothing. Rick and his promoting of the area through his cookery programmes and restaurant has made an incredible impact on the economy of the area reflected by the people visiting and plethera of upmarket shops.  This included “The Drang”  a newish gallery full of Damien Hirst, Peter Blake and with many other well known artists on their lists, it was very impressive.  Admittedly the Hirst and Blake works were prints and probably executed by their minions but the fact that they were in Padstow  hanging on a gallery wall was quite amazing.

Although way out of my league, it’s nice to know that ART is such a big feature in Cornwall.

There are no rules.  Don’t confine yourself to convention or what you think it should be like.  Have no expectation of what it will be like.

Choose colour and make marks instinctively.

You can make no mistakes.  Don’t judge your painting or let others criticise it.  Keep going with it even when you feel like giving up.  If you feel stuck and don’t know where to go next, step back and feel excited about the next move.  Make it instinctively .   I can promise you won’t regret it.

Happy painting peeps!!

Being able to promote your art via your own website or online galleries has reduced costs but it is still somewhat limiting when trying to gain access to the wider public.

So… welcome to ARTMAP, the brainchild of Victor Rogers.  In its fourth year, this is a  map of Cornwall showing cornish artists that can be contacted directly, with information on websites, exhibitions and a sample of  work.  These will be distributed to all the tourist information centres, large houses and gardens, some hotels and other points of contact for tourists visiting the area.

This will be my first year on ArtMap and being in the North of the county I am out on a bit of a limb, but at least am not lost in the myriad of names in the heel of Cornwall. Lets hope it will be worth it.

www.artmaps.co.uk

The unseasonally warm sunshine has pulled the landscape out of winter and truly into spring and summer.  Leaves are on the trees, the gorse is in flower and everything looks fresh and lovely.

But…. I love the colours of Winter.  If you truly look at your landscape, far more colour is there to be seen than you think.  The low sun softens the shadows and reflected light warms the greys. The sea in winter can be very grey, but on a sunny day warms to cerulean, one of my favourite blues.

The gorse in contrast has no flower and some no leaf either as it has been battered by the Atlantic winds.  It is a tangled mass of grey and brown which in the sunlight give an overall pinky purply hue.