Spring flower Mayhem

Tomorrow is my largest workshop yet.  I have 9 people coming to the workshop that we are going to spend all day painting flowers and learning about their structure.

So I set it all up tonight,  before coming home.  I hope its all going to be ok,  I am slightly nervous as its been a while since I did a workshop this large,  not since my college teaching days.

I think it looks ok.....wish me luck xxx

Great Day for workshop

I had a group of students in today and as the weather was so nice we went out in the Glorious February sunshine ( yes seems odd to say that for Feb)

We spent some time in the car park at the centre( I do take them to all the glamorous places!!) and sketched the cottages and hills behind that I love so much.

We then returned to the studio and spent some time exploring some techniques whilst the stretched paper dried , including, wet on wet, water dropped into wet paint and various grades of salt.

We then looked at the sketches and decided on a suitable composition, taking things out in some cases and adding things in, in others. Then they used masking fluid to keep the paper white for the cottages so they could be a bit braver with the washes..

So check out the results. I am so pleased as its not easy to just work for a ten minute sketch, to produce a good painting and hopefully they learnt some new techniques along the way.

There was a bit of a problem with the masking fluid, I have never had it lift paper before, when it was removed, especially when I have used Bockingford paper, which is my paper of choice for students as its usually so robust, and it puts up with lots of corrections and abuse.

There may be a couple of reasons for it.

My masking fluid is very old as I don't use it very often.

We used a hair drier between stages to speed up the process, and I would normally let it dry naturally

or

I changed my supplier for the paper and although it was sold as bockinford and looks just like it I do have slight doubts about it, as it was about half the price I normally get it for. But perhaps I am just being paranoid as I have always believed if it sounds to go to be true it usually is.

Paper I am finding is my biggest problem, as I go through so much of it.

Anyway like the great people they all were, they coped with it very well and in good humour, but its did slightly ruin the smoothness of the look of the cottages as the paper was a bit damaged.

Keeping up ...

Its been very cold at the Centre, The ducks have been walking on ice quite a bit. There are being fed as the Silversmith Jeff thinks its not fair when the visitors are around they get fed but when its quieter then they don't, seems good to me.

As visitor number are low, then its been a time for preparation, Liz the potter who had a sell out Christmas, is busy filling shelves again and so is Romy the handbag maker, who is working on bags ready for the wedding season.

Sue in studio 2 has been setting up a wool exchange and a group for knitting teddybears for charity. Emily is going to be the new owner of my old studio and is starting to make preparations for her opening on March the 10th . She is going to be doing felting and textile work.

We also all met to discuss the advertising for 2012 and arrange a couple of events that will be coming up later in the year, it all went vey well and looks very positive for the rest of the year.

In my studio, its been quiet busy. Not huge numbers yet but regulars coming every week which is great as I get an almost guaranteed income. I have some great people who are working hard and have had quiet a few beginners who have done fabulous work, and hopefully they will continue with me.

I now do regular groups on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, also Saturday afternoons when I don't have a workshops. Bookings for my spring flowers workshop are just about at maximum and in April I will start doing an evening session on Thursdays. I am currently taking a few Sundays off to recharge my batteries as although I generally have Mondays and Tuesdays off I need to use Tuesdays for my own work and I am visiting my Dad alternate Mondays ( with my sister) as he is needing a bit more support. As the summer comes I wont be able to take the time off so I am making the most of it while I can.

I have also sent all my work to the states that will be licensed. I now have to do a biography and fill in some US tax forms ( help!) and then I am sorted I hope. I will continue to send work as and when I have more.

I am also working on a landscape commission. It has a long deadline on it but I want to get on top of it, as I know if I am not careful it will get forgotten. I have done a sketch and am waiting for feedback to see where to go from there.

I have a project that I am starting to try and work out. At the back of my studio I have a empty wall ( see the photo) which I have been given permission to paint. I have been thinking of running a competition ( maybe through local schools) for a design that represent 2012, so they could use the Olympics or the Queens jubilee, its really up to them. There will then be a display in the school holidays for all the entries and hopefully it will bring families in during the holidays. I am not quite sure how to organise it yet or what age group to aim it at, so any suggestions please let me know. I really have to get a move on if I am going to get it off the ground in time.

I still have to work out my sign. I have had some great offers from other crafts people but I am not sure what I want. I think my brain needs a bit of a break to make a decision, so I will sit on it a bit longer as long as I get it up by Easter I will be happy.

Generally I am pleased with progress. If I can keep up and if January and February are anything to go by , then the rest of the year should be good. I am glad I moved to the larger studio, I have never worked so heard in my life. although I don't feel it in the same way as I really enjoy every minute. What is it they say, "If you do a job you love, you never do a days work"

Painting, partridges and one for the pot

You can tell that I am settling well in my new studio, as its starting to look messy. I have found myself working all the time at the breakfast bar. It's funny as I thought I would work at the tables, but its much easier to perch on a stool as I am up and down all the time.

And I finally managed to get some painting done, this is as far as I got but its a start at least.

'Can you tell what it is yet'

Visitor numbers are getting a bit better, but I found when my students were in, people wont walk through the door. So I put up a new sign in my window. It seems to be working as when I had students in on Wednesday we had a few people still pop in, so I pleased with it.

On Wednesday eveningI walked out to go and see Pat the clock repairer and when I came back there were about 20 partridges walking up by my studio. As they saw me coming they dived round the corner to hide, but as I walked round they all turned and stared at me, it was the funniest thing, they looked shocked that someone found them as they were hiding so well, it would make a great picture, if only I had had my camera. Of course they all then panicked a flew off in a flurry.

They flew up by these wonderful trees that are at the back of my studio. I took the photos and I think I may paint them sometime.

I had visited Pat as he said he had something for me. He has a motorbike and sometimes can't collect things so I am always happy to run him places to collect items he can't get on his bike. A couple of weeks ago he bought a gas heater and a microwave from ebay for his studio and I collected them for him. It wasn't a problem as they weren't far from my house. But he was very grateful and so has given me this Teasmade. I love it, I have been admiring them for sometime and he kindly gave me this Pink one.

I think it looks great in my studio. It does work so sometime I will use it but at the moment I just love admiring it.

Working in the studio

So I have had my first couple of weeks in my new studio. Its been amazing better than I ever imagined. Its been lovely and busy at the studio, but I felt it had taken over my life a bit to much. Christmas and the New year was dominated with the opening and just slipped away virtually unnoticed. So when away from the studio, I have made a decision not to turn on the PC so much. I felt it was important to get some perspective back and so instead of getting my online shops back in action. I have been washing, dusting hoovering and sorting out. Finally we seem to have reclaimed our house back and I am trying to spend a little bit more time with the wonderful Mr WD. I am blogging but not sure when I will get back to stocking my internet shops and promoting again.

The studio is fantastic and I love being there so much. I didn't think it could get any better than in my little studio, but I can't tell you how much I LOVE being there. Bookings are coming in well. I have run a few small classes and drop in sessions and it is slowly building. The space is working well and even though I haven't had a full class yet, its been good to see it in action.

This small group, made a composition using objects around the studio and they had to make the tulip the main point of interest. I was pleased with the results and they seemed to learn quite a lot of techniques along the way.

Its been a week of flowers and this was another students work, she wanted to loosen her style up a bit, so we worked on doing some wet on wet painting of poppies. She had sketched some already so we worked from her drawings. There is still some work to do on it, but its a great start.

I have another busy week ahead and I am soo looking forward to it. I do feel I have to pinch myself to believe I am really doing this . My main aim from now on, is to put in as much work as needed to make it a success and pay me a small wage. But I think I also have to reflect on recent events and realise that I do have a life outside the studio and a wonderful husband and home that also need some attention.

Studio tour

So now I am officially open, I thought I would show you round the new studio.

I need to get some good signage as I am in the last studio in the Centre and round a corner at the back. At the moment I have this inherited banner and have added a laminated logo onto it.

As you come round the corner you see the front area and garden by my studio.

I moved my old sign ove,r but I think I need to get something new but it will have to wait a little while, until I know what I want and what I can afford.

As you walk through the door then you can see the bookcase I painted to hide the sink area. Is quite handy to put baskets of cards on. I have got card stands but somehow they didn't look right, but maybe when I am more used to it all they will come back out again.

I am pleased with the hanging rail system, now its all sorted its easy to use. It was slightly difficult to set up but as always Mr Wd sorted it out for me.

Behind the bookcase is the kitchen area, I could have put all the kettle cups etc in the back but wanted it easy for my students to access.

I find myself gravitating to the bar, and sitting on the stools by it. I quite like being over at the back. Only time will tell if that is where I end up working, or if I use the table and chairs.

I added a hook to the side of the bookcase to hang a sample of my bags as the rest needed to be folded up and as they wouldn't stay, so I ended up putting them in cellophane bags.

The browser for my art work is on the left . It was an ebay bargain that I picked up last week for £10, I was so lucky as they normally go for £30 +

My students desks have been a slight disappointment , the laminate is already chipping and I am tempted to take them back, but its so much hassle and I am not sure when I will get time . Also the legs don't adjust, so as my floor is not very straight the tables wobble a bit and my project this week it to get something under the legs to get the table straight, before my first students come in on Wednesday.

The bottom wall has my guest artists for January. The left ones , the trees, are by Greg Hunt who will be in my studio, working once a week. The ones on the right are by Gail Clarke.

At the back there are 2 comfy chairs by a bookcase that has all my Art books on, I am hoping some students will like to sit there reading the books and magazines. I have got an old yellow sofa that will probably go there when I can persuade someone with a van to pick it up, as it wont fit in the car.

Through the double doors you are taken into my covered garden.

These look out to the stables on the farm.

This is the view from the windows, I think it will be great if the students want to sit out and sketch the horses.

This is my storage area out the back

And finally a view through from my storage area back into the studio.
I hope you have enjoyed my little tour.

The Mayor was in the building

Yesterday I finally had my official opening. After days of rain we had the most glorious sunny day. I was so pleased that quite a few people turned up. Inevitably at the last minute I got lots of texts and messages, to say people couldn't come , so I was a bit nervous the Mayor would arrive and it would be embarrassing with just a couple of people to welcome them. But as you can see from the photos then it was a nice crowd.

Mr Wellydog escorting them from their car to the studio. I had visions of them arriving in a big Limousine, but they drove themselves. Which was really nice as straight away they felt approachable.

There was several people taking snap shots and I am sure they will slowly appear on the Clevedon craft centre Website and Facebook page and on here and my facebook page, so keep an eye out for them.

The Mayor greeted a lot of people as he walked through and then he was introduced to me by my studio. Anna Williams, who is the daughter of our fantastic handbag maker Romy, presented the Mayoress with a small posy.

She then posed with the Mayor and Mayoress for some photos. They were very accommodating when it came to having their photo taken.

The Press photographer didn't come, luckily they gave me a days notice that he wouldn't be arriving, apparently the sporting events on a Saturday are more important. So we did get a couple of people with cameras and hopefully the paper will print one of them. The ones you see here were taken by my son and My daughters boyfriend.

The Mayor then kindly said a few words and officially opened my studio and cut the ribbon. The ribbon was fabulous and got lots of compliments as it had Wellydog written on it. Supplied by the ever helpful John at Printed on Ribbon

They were very kind to pose for some photos in front of my pictures and hopefully a shot like this is what we will send into the paper.

It turned out they were every interesting to talk to. The Mayor had a background in engineering and the mayoress obviously loved seeing the art work and loved coming to places like the Craft Centre. They chatted for quite a while and you can see us below chatting. The lady at the back is my new landlord Judy, who has been very helpful in the last few days and did a brilliant job tidying up around the Craft centre ready for the visit.

After the Mayor left my studio there was still quite a crowd left chatting and looking round, I had quite a few sales and I also had some bookings on courses, including one lady booking 10 afternoon drop in sessions and a couple who are complete beginners and want to learn to paint together.
Judy and Mr WD continued the tour with the Mayor. They didn't rush through but went into every studio and chatted to all the crafts people. The Mayoress took a card from every studio and seemed genuinely interested in coming back. They really seemed very down to earth and related very well to everyone. They also seemed like very nice people.

They finished their tour at Dot Teas with a chat and a cuppa and even posed behind the counter.

It was a great day and hopefully will be good for both my studio and the Craft Centre. The Mayor and mayoress will also probably return later in the year in an informal capacity to help us with our 40th Year Celebrations.

I would really love to thank everyone who turned up and everyone who sent me good wishes. But I especially want to say a huge thankyou to Mr WD who has been my greatest supporter and who made sure the whole day went well yesterday.

New studio, sneak preview

I am finally in. It has seemed a long time coming. Me and Mr Wd , moved the last bits over today, its still chaos and only one picture is hung as I just want to check the strength of the rail on my heaviest painting . I will start hanging the rest during the week and hopefully get everything into some kind of order so I can find everything.

Considering I have only been in my other studio since August I have accumulated an awful lot of things.

Sorry the photos aren't brilliant, the wonderful Mr Wd took them on his mobile phone, as forgot my camera again ...opps