The kids are back at school so, in the words of The Soup Dragons (1990) "I'm free to do what I want, any old time"... Hurray!! Obviously, the first thing I actually did was get some washing out on the line in the spring sunshine but AFTER that I decided to update my website blog so, Yep - it's non stop freedom party here with the asthmatic artist!
Receiving beautiful tulips for my birthday in February put me in a flower painting mood and so I filmed a flower painting workshop and put it on my Etsy shop (see link below) - have a go and let me know if you need me to go through anything with you. Hopefully it won't be too long before I can start offering some face to face workshops again. Down in distant Cornwall, where my in-laws live, the daffodils have been out for weeks (show offs) so I have lots of cornish daffodil painting ideas too. Any time now I feel I could travel more than 5 miles from my house so a seascape is beckoning. Phew - my calendar is filling up so fast. Time for a sit down and a cup of tea before all my freedom goes to my head! Sarah Hill Watercolour workshop - Spring Tulips: www.etsy.com/uk/listing/977956085/watercolour-workshop-part-1-painting?ref=shop_home_feat_1
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Oh I had soooo many plans for 2020... Bigger Art Fairs, more shows, more galleries, a Trade Fair, and a new studio. Plan A obviously got spectacularly cancelled but I am still optimistic for Plan B! Plan B still involves a new studio (with my friend and colleague Jenny Ulyatt), plenty of painting time, a positive attitude towards workshop video making, a shop on Etsy and a "pop up" gallery/open studio in December if the latest Covid restrictions ease and allow retail to open up again (I'll keep you posted). I was shielding in the first lockdown, sick with a chest infection when the lockdown was lifted (ironically) and am now perfectly healthy again but shielding again in the second lockdown. I know we can still resurrect a great Christmas from all of this and think it will certainly be a year where we all appreciate the little blessings we have so much more. Wishing everyone all the best as always and hope to see you soon. Merry Christmas! ...And I have been appallingly lax at writing blogs! Good news, I have not had pneumonia in 2019 (touch wood). Bad news, I broke my foot playing netball and have been thumping around in a huge Beckham Boot like a robot pirate since October 2019. More Good news, I now have work in two local galleries and have sold paintings and prints this year from both of them. My summer holiday in South Africa inspired a host of sunset paintings just shimmering with heat and the Christmas craft fairs have all gone really well (despite being mostly on one leg!). Thanks to everyone who came along and saw me there. Even more good news is that watercolour workshops start again in January 2020 including the new and popular evening workshop at "Outstanding art" in Durham. So, plenty to look forward to and plenty to be getting on with too if my children's recently submitted christmas lists are any indication... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everybody.
I started painting small sunny pictures and worked up to bigger pieces when I was stronger. When I was sure I was feeling better I took a small stall at the Brancepeth Castle Summer craft fair and have just had a go at a "Test run" workshop with some familiar faces. It has taken real strength to update my website though - I may need to return to the sofa this afternoon!
I'm planning to take it easy this year but am starting back again with workshops in September 2018 and I'm very excited about the new workshops with Ushaw College in Durham. Thanks to everyone who has been sending me messages whilst I have been ill - looking forward to seeing you all again soon. I'll try not to sleep through Autumn!... And I have totally forgotten to do an autumn blog! That is because I have been so busy painting glorious autumn paintings – I absolutely love autumn colours and have been enjoying splashing them about on as many paintings as possible! I also did an autumn workshop in October which went extremely well and I was very impressed with the paintings everyone produced. The November workshop was a winter view of Durham Cathedral which I then took to my lovely printer in Sunderland and got cards made for everyone. I think they look fantastic. Now I am in the middle of a whirl of Christmas art and craft fairs. I have just been to Chester Arts Fair and Brancepeth Castle Christmas Craft Fair and am getting ready to do the Durham Christmas festival this weekend. It is all great fun and I meet lots of wonderful people every year. Thanks to everyone who came down to Brancepeth Castle and said hello to me. I am sharing a stall with Jenny Ulyatt at the Durham Christmas Festival so come and find us this weekend if you are in Durham. At some point I should probably also get round to doing some Christmas shopping… The weather has been tempting us with some lovely sunny periods and then chucking lots of rain down to bring us back to reality. I have been painting some summery beach scenes to do for workshops in July but by the time the workshops happened, the rain was back again. Luckily, this does not make much of a difference to North East beach goers! Plans for July include a day of summer holiday watercolour workshops for children and adults at the studio in Durham that Jenny and I share. It will be great to have people around the studio and the fantastic community art space that Empty Shop are creating there – Jenny and I very excited about it. On the last weekend in July I have a stall at the Brancepeth Castle Summer Craft Fair. I really enjoyed having a stall at their Christmas Fair last year and am looking forward to being back for the summer fair. Add it to your list of summer holiday trips out in the local area! Now the sun is shining so I had better finish those beach paintings… Things have progressed from madness to chaos but in an extremely positive way! The Witham Exhibition finished at the end of April with a few sales but with some absolutely lovely comments and feedback. Thanks to everyone who took the time to go down to Barnard Castle and write in the book. About 3 weeks ago Jenny Ulyatt and I moved into our new shared studio in Durham City. It’s a great room and it’s part of an art community space that is being developed by “Empty Shop”. Jenny and I are thrilled to be part of it all and have big plans to make the most of the space. Our most immediate plans involve (a) considering buying a sofa and (b) working out the best local coffee shop. All essential for the creative process. My April and May watercolour workshops have continued to go well and, this month, I started a new workshop at Crook Hall in Durham. It was a gorgeous morning and we painted whilst gazing out at Crook Hall Gardens in the sunshine – A person could get used to that! My next two weekends are busy with local art shows: Heighington Art Show this weekend and The Easingwold Art Fair next weekend (20th-21st May). I always look forward to local shows that support local artists so come down and have a look round if you find yourself at a loose end. Jenny and I are teaching in a school in Manchester next week and then at the end of the month it is half term and I shall be “Relaxing” with my own children! Paintings from this last couple of months have included Lakeland daffodils, spring cherry blossom and chilly spring beaches. If I am lucky we shall be down in Cornwall at half term visiting family and sketching beautiful Cornish beaches… time for summer paintings.
Christmas is all done and dusted and I had a great time at the two Christmas craft fairs. I met some wonderful new people, sold lots of cards and prints, three original paintings went to new homes and some of my prints went into the Kemble Gallery in Durham (https://www.kemblegallery.com/). Thank you Santa. Now it is 2017 and I am making good on some resolutions. I have NOT given up coffee and chocolate and am instead holding my first Watercolour Coffee Morning Workshop on Wednesday 1st February, 10.00 – 12.30, at Greenfield Arts in Newton Aycliffe (http://www.greenfield-arts.co.uk/). Please do get in touch if you are in the area and would like to come along. I have also been making my January lungs feel warmer by painting some really big pictures of Tresco beaches. Is January too early to be ready for a summer holiday?!... Tresco summer holiday paintings – check. Fountains Abbey and autumn paintings – check. Winter landscapes – check. I have been painting 3 different seasons in 3 months. The Christmas adverts have started on the telly and I am getting ready for my first Christmas fair. I am very excited to have a stall at the Brancepeth Castle Christmas craft fair on 25th – 27th November 2016 and would love to see friendly faces if anyone is free to pop down. Then on 2nd – 4th December 2016, Jenny Ulyatt and I have a stall at the Durham Christmas Festival on Palace Green so a busy and exciting few weeks ahead. Paintings at framers – check. Cards and prints packaged – check. Asthma inhalers – check. Thermal underwear – check. Flu jab - check. Oh the glamorous life of an asthmatic artist in the winter! |
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March 2021
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