Helen painted the background in acrylics and ink and then sent the canvas to me. I then added the foreground layer in acrylics. This is a unique way of working with no communication between the artists, each adding their own character and inspiration to the painting. The end result is a truly distinctive piece of art.

I really enjoyed the challenge of this piece as the colours Helen chose for the background are unlike anything I would normally use. It made me think a little differently and I am really pleased with the result.

Here’s a picture of my stand at the November market.

In May I’ll be showing some of my newer works with a range of small and large paintings all for sale. Come along and see me!

There are about 70 entries for this exhibition so it should be quite varied and I look forward to seeing the other items on display. It’s the first time I’ve entered this particular exhibition but as I am trying to enter as many local shows as possible, I didn’t want to miss out.

Cool Sticks, Acrylic on board.

Violin - Dedicated To Daniel (pastel)

So, after a month without exposure online, here is my most recent painting – “Giza Look”. It is loosely based on the three pyramids I saw when visiting them at Giza, just outside Cairo earlier this year. I just wanted to re-create the feel of them, their texture and colour. The painting is in acrylic and in a wooden frame which is free-standing.

I need to get back to blogging, too after quite a long time without much input!

Painted all over with a metallic blue acrylic paint, I then glued some metallic blue cord in a spiral shape and filled each segment with various beads and dots of acrylic white paint. It was only when I’d uploaded it and was varnishing it, however, that I noticed it bears a resemblance to a collaboration painting done by fellow RGC artists Kosana Marton and Andrea Farmer. I must have had the image of their painting in my sub-conscious mind for ages without realising it!

Here is my latest creation, “Mutable Cell I”. It is 7 x 5 inches.

I think it rather resembles “Sensuality” -which can be seen here on the RGC website. Although that was not my intention as I started creating this piece, it shows what an impact art has on you whether you are aware of it or not.

For my cup, I chose an African Drum as my model. It was difficult to work on something small and with such movement on the work surface. I used some modelling paste to create an extra rim at the bottom of the cup and make it look more like a carved wooden drum. The rest of it was painted in acrylic paints and the skin of the drum and handle are made from scraps of suede that I cut off a pair of boots I used to own!

I based the design on one of the many African hand-made bongo drums that I saw on my travels across Africa when I was younger – two of which I actually still have as mementos of my travels. The hardest part of re-creating the drum from a paper cup was getting the skin of the drum to look as though it was stretched tightly across the top of the cup! There was just not enough rigidity in the paper cup to actually stretch the suede across, so I just did the best I could.

I hope to visit the exhibition once it has started and get some photos of the rest of the exhibits – it will be really interesting to see what everyone else has created.

It is the annual Summer Open Exhibition at the Wolds Gallery, and this year the theme is “Coastal”. I will probably also be entering my “Aitch At Sea” painting and maybe try to paint another one before the entry deadline.

I have combined an abstract styled background with a realistic style for the people on the foreground. The painting is on box canvas and measures 10 x 8 inches, painted in canvas.

You can view the gallery at Wolds Village here, just click on the “Art Gallery” tab on the left hand side.