A big thank you to Kingfishers Bridge Nature Reserve for showcasing our little River Friend Books in their shop. It is a wonderful place to visit and the scenery and wildlife are stunning.
I am exhibiting the below framed paintings this year. Hope you can get along to see them for real!
This was an unusual commission to paint two wall panels on canvas to then cut and fit between wall beams in a lovely listed cottage. Way out of my comfort zone, it took four times as long to complete as I had envisaged. But a wonderful experience nevertheless. Both panels measure nearly 50″ tall and 16″ at the widest part.
The Story behind painting Panel 1 “Bring the Garden Indoors” can be viewed here
Similarly, Panel 2’s progress “Bring the Wild Garden Indoors” can be viewed here
Here are a few photographs of the two panels’ installation, which in itself was a steep learning curve for me as I had to make paper templates by pressing old lining wallpaper into the shape between the wooden wall beams, then transfer these shapes to my specially purchased canvas which was silky and smooth and took 6 weeks to be delivered! Then I had to research the best glue for the job and learned all about fish glue and its archival properties. It is water based so that the artworks can easily be removed from the wall if needs be, and it worked a treat. The wall surface was extremely pitted and uneven, which meant that some areas of canvas had to be left unstuck in order not to stretch and damage the canvas and painting. I do not think I shall ever be easy about using acrylic paints. I never enjoy painting with acrylic nor do I much like the results—it will definitely NEVER be my preferred medium. The most nerve-wracking time was cutting the canvas to shape. Fortunately both times it went well and both are now nicely stuck to the wall (I hope for many years!).
One of my jigsaw puzzle “fans” is sending me progress pictures of her latest requisition “Blue & Gold Macaws and Swamp Hibiscus” (view picture profile), so we are having a race to see who can complete their jigsaw first. I have chosen “Tayabak with Critters” (view picture profile) because the box was damaged when it arrived so I could not sell it.
This is my first few hours on Tayabak (colloquial term for Jade Vine):
…And this is the first layout of Macaws for my friend:
…So I am already playing catch-up! Progress for me has been very slow as other stuff has had to take precedence. However, my racing competitor is not having much luck either. Firstly she set out all her pieces in colour order, notwithstanding straight edges aside, then a grandchild came along and thought the pieces looked better all mixed together.
Look at Macaw’s latest “progress” picture—am I smug!!!
MORE TO FOLLOW IN DUE COURSE!
Well, that put me in my place. My racing partner has completed her jigsaw already and I have only just managed to do the outside (straight-edge very easy) bits! I toff my hat to my fellow competitor – a race truly won in magnificent fashion. I think I will stick to painting the pictures for the puzzles rather than trying to do them! Here are results at the finishing post.
Lovely words from the winner: “All done, I can go to bed now! Lovely picture, goes without saying of course. I enjoyed doing it, apart from the mishaps, thanks [pet cat], thanks [grandchild]!! Easier than 3B’s [Three New Blades] as different colour sections, but challenging enough. Nice being Matt finish as no reflection when doing it under artificial light, always a bug bear to me. Look forward to doing the Puffins [Puffins and Thrift]. Have a baked bean one plus a sprout one to do first if I can😱“
Started a new commission over the weekend. Two wall panels both 48″ tall but varying widths, bringing the flowers of the garden into the dining room. Paintings in acrylic on canvas.
Thank you so much to all those lovely people who voted for my Parrot painting as their favourite in show at Royston Arts Society Annual Exhibition in the Town Hall at Royston this last weekend. Wonderful – I am on “Cloud 9”!
…UPDATE 1st October 2023: This painting was hung in Royston Town Hall as part of the Royston Arts Festival and Royston Arts Society Annual Art Exhibition. It was voted the Favourite Painting – lovely!
Also available as a 1,000 piece traditional jigsaw puzzle (part picture – see below). If interested, please message me.
This painting first came to life in February 2015. I hoped to finish it by the first weekend in July 2015 so that it could be displayed at my Cambridge Open Studios (COS) Exhibition when my studio was open all four weekends in July. However, it was displayed sparsely-done at COS because several commissions and other artwork for exhibitions meant that it had to be put on the back burner for most of 2015. I started painting it again in January 2016 – it was not completed until 7th July: several commissions, too much golf, darts, tennis, badminton and bowls!
It is a fun picture, designed completely in my mind’s eye, using a very useful resource photograph courtesy of my golfing friend Martin Johns (two lower right birds), and a couple of my own resource pictures taken in 2014 at Banham Zoo. The background is how I would imagine a jungle to be, although I did look up the swamp hibiscus as I felt the painting needed a bit of red with all that blue, yellow and green! It was a relief to finish it, but it left a bit of a hole as it was great fun painting it. I have tried to capture the individuality of each parrot – even though they all look the same, every facial pattern is different (like a thumb print in humans). Macaws are “zygodactyl” which means they have four toes, the first and fourth of which point backwards, and the middle two frontwards. Toucans and Woodpeckers also share this characteristic – a bit of information for your next natural history quiz!
Suitable for all levels, if you fancy a day’s creative painting in this beautiful chapel, tickets are available direct from the Box office at Ely: CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
Each year the IBA have one or two exhibitions, usually in Norfolk, Suffolk or Cambridgeshire. This year they are proud to be able to exhibit in the Lady Chapel for the first time, as part of the Cathedral’s year to celebrate the life of Queen Etheldreda. The theme of the exhibition will reflect her life in flowers and plants, the recently planted Ely Physic Garden, and Harvest Festival celebrations.
All the work exhibited will be for sale, as well as cards, prints, and an IBA 2024 calendar. Two workshops will be held during the exhibition for those interested in learning about botanical art, or for the more experienced to refine existing skills. These workshops can be booked via the links below:
Exhibition details: Iceni Botanical Artists Art Exhibition
5 October: Botanical Drawing in Ink workshop
12 October: Design & Paint an Illuminated Letter
For more about the IBA, member artists and examples of their work visit their website
I am most grateful to the person(s) who nominated me, but I am so sorry, I do not feel that I am really up to being shortlisted for such a nice award. I like the bit about “…Your nomination reflects the hard work and dedication undertaken by the team at Tina’s Fine Art UK…”. Trouble is, I do not have a “team” and do everything myself, so the nomination does not quite sit well with the work ethic of having no “team”. Please accept my sincere apologies for declining your lovely offer – and very good luck to all the other nominees.
Just received the below email!
It is not easy to be physically in two places at once, but it is easy for artwork to be so!
It all started on Thursday evening: went to the Royston Town Hall with my artwork submissions and some cards and helped out with setting up the exhibition. I was assigned to checking in the paintings, and what a gorgeous assortment there was – all different paintings in many different styles.
Home and bed, then early Friday morning preparing last minute stuff for Gransden Show. This year we were allowed to set up our stands on Friday afternoon, and after hubby came home from playing golf we had a quick lunch and trundled off to Gransden with all the equipment for my stand. I thought it better not to take the paintings and cards etc., as overnight in a marquee makes things very damp. However, upon setting up the displays, and seeing that most other exhibitors were setting up all their goods, we decided to go back home and collect most of the stuff and bring it back, but leaving it in sealed boxes overnight (which still did not prevent a few things from “sagging” with the damp, but they recovered quickly.
Thank you to everyone who came to visit and especially those who purchased something – it is all much appreciated. It was a splendid day and my eldest granddaughter visited us in the afternoon and was very helpful when we had to pack away. She stayed for a Chinese takeaway afterwards, which ended a very nice day. Sales were down a bit this year – but that is the economic climate, so to sell anything is a bonus at the moment.
So all day Sunday, checking sales sheets and monies from Gransden at home. Then another trip to Royston Town Hall at 5.30 to help with packing down. When you help with an exhibition, it makes you realise just how much work goes into organising these events. I appreciate even more every chance I get to exhibit. Thank you RAS for the exhibition, and it was lovely to sell an original painting: “Autumn Leaves and Fungi, var. unknown”. I think it helped that this little painting was featured on the Exhibition poster! (The exhibition continues online until December)
All-in-all a splendid weekend, and I now have to try and get a few more “Nettie’s Nature jigsaw puzzles” made for my next exhibition stand at Swaffham Arts Festival – it was lovely that I sold out of one: “Love at First Sight” (Kingfishers amongst the reeds and daisies)
