I have just  finished two paintings of summer flowers. They are drawings  on paper with acrylics and ink. I was able to add more fine details with the ink , which is difficult in oils and acrylics on canvas.

They look fresh and contemporary and I have displayed  them in black wide frames ( 40 x 40 cm ).

Denmead Art exhibition has also finished. This was my first time  exhibiting over in Denmead. It was very well organised and when I visited the exhibition on Saturday, there was a real buzz and most importantly lots of visitors.

I will keep an eye on the Denmead website to read about it  and hope it has been as successful as in previous years.

And I will have to buy more canvases and paint more pictures. Hope you enjoy the lovely poppies.

Here is the painting I finished during the Hampshire Open Studios.   "Pineapple Lilies", acrylics on canvas 76 X 60 cm.

...and my streetscene, I have progressed a little and feel I am nearly there now. I will leave it a while and come back to it later.

So I am always going on about, how much I love these Aston Martins, everytime we see one driving along. This isn't very often I have to say. So then Nig decided to give me the experience of driving one for my birthday last year. I got to drive the car around Thruxton circuit, one of the fastest racing tracks..... now how excited was I when I finally could do it.  

Lucky the weather was great. First you get three laps around the track in the powerful Mazda3 MPS. An experienced driver takes you around the track at some speed , explaining when to accelerate when best to turn into the corners and so on. Then finally I could get into the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and start driving. The car was just so easy to handle I really got carried away. My instructor wouldn't let me go any faster. I suppose it was fast enough. It  just went too fast. Shame. I thought it was a great experience, when we ordering our own? I better sell a few more paintings first. 

We went to see "Art in the Garden" at Hillier Gardens last weekend. A contemporary exhibition of over 200 sculptures displayed in the gardens. An exhibition with a difference.

We also saw the indoor " Best of Hampshire Artist'sExhibition", showing a great variety of paintings of  different media and subjects, something for everybody.  I really loved the paintings.

The "Best o Hampshire Artist's exhibition is still on until Saturday 27th of September and admission to this part is free. If you want to see the sculptures in the Garden you have to pay entrance to the garden, but it will still be on until the 24th of October. Enjoy....

http://www.hilliergardens.org.uk/whats-on.html

This years Goodwood Revival is about to start again this Friday 19th of September. Just debating with the family, if we should go again this year. We have been before and had a fantastic time.

You go for a great day out watching Grand Prix cars, from the Fifties and Sixties, racing around Goodwood race track. Visitors dress up in period clothes and enter into the spirit of the event. 

We had a picnic last time, the weather was great. There is fantastic choice of food stands , great music and entertainment. You feel like you have step back in time. Have a look at the website:

 http://www.goodwood.co.uk/site/content/revival/Welcome.aspx

 So, the first year of opening my studio as part of the Hampshire Open Studios has ended. During this event Hampshire artists open their homes or studios to the public. Visitors can meet and talk to the artists and can learn where, how and why art gets made.

I didn’t know what to expect.  I am lucky, my studio is on a corner and people could see my pink poster, which gave me a very busy first week. Many people had never heard of or been to an open studio and really enjoyed the experience.

I was happy that visitors showed such interest in my work and I enjoyed talking to them. I also met lots of other artists and had a good time talking and exchanging ideas with everyone that came.

The second week was quieter.  Most people came travelling from further afield, as part of the trail, visiting other artists in Stubbington, Hill Head and Gosport, featured in the guide.  As I had so much more time, I managed to finish another painting.

All in all I enjoyed the experience and I am hoping to do it again. It was a long two weeks on my own, so I am hoping to share the studio with other artists next year, which would give visitors more variety of works.   

Thank you to all who supported me, over the two weeks and I hope to see you all soon.