A Gentle Autumnal Ramble.

What a long and beautiful autumn it has been with the trees producing not only magnificent colour but also a bountiful harvest. We have Winston apples to see us through the winter, wild blackberries and a glut of quince which not only makes delicious jelly, it is also lovely baked for crumble and purée. The hot summer dried out the plants and brought Autumn on earlier than usual which also halted my ecoprinting but I have enough samples to try out a few ideas and I did make a symmetry book for friends celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. The three images mentioned in my last newsletter have gone off to the framers and when they come back I will put them on the website.

The Eden Valley Artists exhibition at Riverhill Himalayan Gardens went well with over 500 visitors and my ecoprint workshop had children queuing up to have a go. Putting on a group exhibition is a major task but also very satisfying when there is good feedback. The committee worked so hard to get things right and I was pleased to be part of that. We had more artists entering than ever before including 4 new members and most things went to plan! There are always minor hiccups.

When I wrote my last newsletter I was just about to start my second year of Creative Shift with Sally-Anne Ashley and what a year it has been. I have got so much more from it second time around, partly because last year it clashed with Open Studios and I couldn’t give it much time, but also I have been able to go so much deeper this year and can really see a change in the way I work. I am working slower and more methodically and noticing small changes as I progress instead of rushing into everything. Consequently I have made a lot of work but not many finished pieces.

I was also very lucky to be able to host at Longmeadow Studio an Iphone Photography Workshop with fine art photographer Sarah Medway as part of the EVA programme. Sarah is a fellow member and patiently walked us through the process and techniques. Do take a look at Sarah’s wildlife images on her website https://www.sarahmedwayphotography.com

Another artist for you to check out is Karen Crompton (KC) who exhibited in the Art Surrey Show at Epsom Downs. I went along specifically to see KC’s work after getting to know her through The Arthouse and Creative Shift. I can genuinely say that I thought her work the best in show. Looking at her soulful paintings and drawings online does not to do them justice. KC is also a founder member of Bluehouse, a gallery and artspace in Esher where you can meet artists, see and purchase their work and do workshops. Do pop along if you are local to Esher. https://www.bluehouseartspace.com.

I am currently exploring what can be achieved with high flow acrylics. They behave more like ink than paint and I have been experimenting with different papers and acrylic mediums to get different effects. I like the transparency of them and have tried a few things out on gesso but it is early days. I have put all my findings in a notebook and posted a video of it on instagram. Scan to watch.

I need to update my technology as I am having to write this on my Ipad which is not ideal. Adding photographs is also proving to be an issue hence none this time. It is going to be expensive and time consuming to upgrade, I am not sure how to move forward with it so I may miss a newsletter while I sort it out but I will still be active on Instagram and Face Book. You can always get in touch with me for a visit to Longmeadow. Wishing you a very happy and healthy winter and hopefully I will send you an update in the New Year.

Best wishes JaneS.