Bayswater Artist

Whippets

2011-03-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

Ode to Jack

This is a story of Black Jack the brave

A handsome young whippet

Some 10 weeks of age

Who waved

A white tipped tail from Sussex to Staines

On his arrival at Island Close, number 24

He was eagerly welcomed by one and all

Jack sniffed every corner

And good he found

Wagging as he padded around

Following the footfall of another great whippet

Charlie aka Sir Selinko Bluechip

The two were instantly best of friends

Curled together

Matching book ends

Jack loved to be with his newest mate

Longingly leaning over the gate

When quarantine ended

Jack was free to explore

To the Lammas and Laleham

Running as fast as his little paws

Would go

Fearless Jack, Barking loudly

At other dogs in manner rowdy

Got him chased by a Dulux giant

Gave wobbly legged Jack

A bit of a fright

But his love of the chase

And for having a lark

Won’t stop Jack from teasing the biggest dogs in the park

Jack otherwise occupies his time

By chewing, chomping and choking

On rawhide

Or sometimes shoes, cushions and suchlike

Despite his diminutive size

He usually has Charlie’s prize as well

Jumping Jack, as he is fondly known

Leaps like a cricket

To shrieks of ‘Jack get down!’

He tried puppy classes

But wasn’t that keen

Bob and Elaine didn’t seem

To understand that whippets rarely do commands

They prefer to be asked politely

As is only rightly

And will certainly ‘Sit!’

But only on carpet or fuzzy blanket

/(Jack although an adventuress sort

Does enjoy his creature comfort)

A typical whippet, a fussy breed

Jack is especially fussy when it comes to feed

He wishes he could live on treats

Roasted lamb and juicy meats

Reluctantly he potters out of bed

For breakfast – if it comes from

A can

He flops back down again

And waits for something else instead

Maybe a crunchy Gravy bone or two

He sighs staring at the fridge top

A puppy Markie, Denture Stick

All of these will do the trick

A piece of ham, a lump of cheese

I’ll even sit, if you please!

The trouble is

He’s hard to resist

Especially after giving

One of his loving little licks

Tickly whiskers bristling your cheek

Don’t think him soppy

This fierce little puppy

He is Jack the destroyer

Cuddly toys beware!

There’s just one thing that makes brave heart Jack waver

The noisy scary Henry hoover

At the end of this ode, I’d say

Jack and Charlie have had a long day

Filled with love, fun and play

I’ll sign off now

For sleeping soundly are little whippets

Paws aloft

Dreaming of...rabbits?

2005

Rosy Lee?

2011-02-17T00:06:00.000-08:00

Any excuse!

Bracknell

2011-02-16T00:53:00.000-08:00

It's a bit like living in Centre Parcs.

New start

2011-02-14T01:22:00.001-08:00

I took this photograph on January the first as a reminder of good intentions and getting off to the right start. Plus I like the effect of squeezy marmite.

Sleep and other small pleasures.

2011-02-13T06:51:00.000-08:00

I brought the sleeping face at Long Acres Garden Centre in Bagshot which is good for special food, gifts and dog beds. This bit of concrete has made such a difference, it's a focal point to the garden. Carefully placed just outside the patio doors there's also the chance it may trip up Ben if he nips out at night for a sneaky cigarette.

Sheepish

2011-02-12T09:00:00.001-08:00

Jakes@Trilakes Feed the assertive sheep, 50p a bag.

Steamy

2010-12-05T16:05:00.000-08:00

The trees in Swinley woods were steaming, like vampires in direct sunlight after the snow.

Snow

2010-11-30T11:43:00.000-08:00

Snow finally arrived in Bracknell today. If I didn't have dogs I would have appreciated this fact from indoors.

Do not touch

2010-11-29T06:40:00.000-08:00

Another Anish Kapoor piece in Hyde Park. My Dad stepped over the boundary wire to get a closer look and was moved on by the security guard.

N-ice

2010-11-28T14:03:00.000-08:00

Shards of ice glittering on the frozen pond in Hyde Park today.

Kensington Gardens

2010-11-12T04:26:00.000-08:00

Well fed Geese and ducks.

Every Cloud has a silver lining,

2010-11-09T09:51:00.001-08:00

if it is being reflected in a giant stainless steel dish.

Reflecting on my day in Hyde Park

2010-11-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

Not only is Hyde Park the home to art on the railings on Sunday, I came across this mirror (one of four) in the park by Anish Kapoor.

A Short Story

2010-10-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

I was therefore relieved to discover a squirrel with no tail.

Lucky rabbit foot?

2010-10-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

I looked out of the kitchen window and saw this. Why would next door nail a rabbit to their shed I wondered. As vegetarians it seemed out of character.

Tree topless

2010-10-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

I wasn't quick enough to capture the lightening flash but I love the colour of this sky. The sunshine was intense and then the rain fell. Leafless trees are beautiful too.

A Dove Tale

2010-10-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. I saw this striking Dove Cote in a pub garden, 5 minutes outside of Burgess Hill today and wanted to share.

Magic

2010-08-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

I noticed new toadstools popping up in Swinley Woods yesterday, although this is a photo from last year. Autumn is my favourite Season and am starting to look forward to Christmas!

Spidery

2010-08-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

A spider catches his reflection in my bath! I don't usually mind putting spiders outside but this one didn't fit in a pint glass so I left it for the man of the house to evict.

Standing outside of the Pink Flamingo's

2010-08-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

Like Ballerinas.

Sun-day

2010-08-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

It isn't sunny today at all, in fact it feels a bit like autumn. I'm spending this Sunday tidying up the studio.

Bootiful

2010-08-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

I visited Birdworld today in Farnham Surrey. Out of all the beautiful and exotic birds I photographed today - this is my favourite snap.

Mountains

2010-08-13T15:11:00.001-07:00

A mountain range on a seashell.

'firs'day

2010-08-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Another Woodscape!

Tweeting

2010-08-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

A day planned in the studio tomorrow.

Gold Leaf

2010-08-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

A finished Woodscape painting.

White Nun

2010-08-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

Bayswater Road on Sunday. Four Nuns heading in the direction of Tyburn Convent, near Marble Arch.

Branching Out

2010-08-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

I thought you might like to see a work in progress. This is me dusting the sky with a large dry soft brush to remove all the excess paint down to canvas. This accentuates the contrast between the smooth, flat as canvas sky against the rich textures of the Forest.

Bootylicious

2010-08-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

Forget carbooty the best way to spend Sunday is at Bayswater Rd.

Pine Needles

2010-08-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

This photo I took in Upper Harbledown makes me pine for Willow Wood. I'll be back at Christmas time!

Can't see wood for the trees

2010-08-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

Woodscapes in progress, watch this space!

The butterfly effect

2010-07-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

I was in Swinley Forest this evening gleaning inspiration for a new series of wood scape scenes. This photo is of a patient Speckled Wood Butterfly that I happened across which kept nicely still. Unfortunately while I was occupied the Horseflies were busy too.

Nosey!

2010-07-29T12:41:00.001-07:00

I had a few sniffles after this nose went to a new home on Sunday. I'm on maternity leave and am already missing Bayswater Road. Time now to reflect as a painter and smell the roses!

Bayswater Road weird and wonderful

2010-07-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

A new artist Gosia Kryk has joined Bayswater Rd, I've just uploaded her to the website;
www.bayswater-road-artists.co.uk
I'm very impressed by her pitch. That's what I love about Bayswater Road, as anyone fascinated by painting - there is so much weird and wonderful art to see and every week it is a unique experience.
This is a photo I took a couple of years ago which shows the road in summer time.

Coming up Roses

2010-07-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

Am receiving lots of enquiries via the website
www.bayswater-road-artists.co.uk
from Artists about exhibiting at Bayswater Road this month. I'm encouraging everyone to see the road for themselves and research.
There's a minority of painters who sell well and frequently but there are many who don't. It's not always rosy for the artist at Bayswater Road.

ArtWeb

2010-07-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

ArtWeb who host my website selected me as one of their featured artists on their new Facebook account which was nice surprise. This is the image I gave them, of my Bayswater Road Pitch. Normally my paintings refuse to hang straight on the railings because of the clips I use so this photograph is unusual.

framed

2010-07-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

Today I found the small frames for my surrealist images, at last!
Despite not being able to carry larger pieces to Bayswater for the time being, I am still painting them. This Hot air balloon floated away to a new home on Saturday.

Hedgehog blogged

2010-06-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

We saw a hedgehog in the hedge(!) at the bottom of the garden this evening. As you may guess, painting is going very slowly this week.

A poem for Friday

2010-06-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Beach Hut

Quietly Creaking

With a doorstep full of sand

The hut – licked by salt air

Ship shape stripes

Flake away

In a row of candy colours

Tasting of the sea

Shutting out gulls cries

And winds whispers and shouts

In a cupboard full of damp towels

And blankets

Sticky ice cream fingerprints

Coffee cup rings

Driftwood and seashells

World Cup Hopes

2010-06-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

This is my footy tribute! I wish the country got as excited about Eurovision.

Dandelions

2010-06-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

Dandelions are one of my favourite flowers to paint. They have an ethereal and magical quality, if you blow on them you are supposed to make a wish. I had guests sewing on the beads with these at our BBQ which was a great help. One of my (male) Bayswater Rd colleagues mistook them for nipple tassels however so maybe I should re market them!

Blog bogged

2010-06-15T06:16:00.000-07:00

Two weeks since I last wrote, what happened?! I've been blogged down making art, looking after whippets, home and husband. This is my pitch on Sunday, it was a quiet day. I'm not able to attend this week so I have a fortnight to prepare my surreal pieces for launch.

Key to Success

2010-05-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

This is a still life I set up for an art class. Is Surrealism my key to success this week at Bayswater Road?

The icing on the cake

2010-05-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Three new artists joined the Bayswater Road Art Exhibition, I posted their receipt and newsletters today. Three new reasons to visit on Sunday!

Fantasy Fish

2010-05-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

Today I have been drawing all my random thoughts. Tomorrow I will be painting them.

Look Out!

2010-05-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken last year. I've always enjoyed the surreal, another artist at Bayswater encouraged me to hang the paintings like this, it wasn't my original intention hence two left eyes. I wonder where the owner of each of these have hung them! When I was in Las Vegas in April I discovered the work of surrealist painter Vladimir Kush, amazing and well worth looking out for.

Thirsty Work

2010-05-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday by 8pm, Waterloo was coated in a fine layer of empty plastic bottles. A bit like our lounge really. It's too hot to do much today. However I am planning a surreal series of pen drawings. Ever seen a floating strawberry milk shake?

Sundae

2010-05-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

Loving the ice-cream weather

Sunrise

2010-05-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Drifting up and away
Carried by hopes and dreams
Wrapped in a sunrise blanket
Saying hello to today

2010-05-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Paintings drying in the sunshine. Happy with work, it means I can varnish tomorrow and have the afternoon off. Sunny days aren't the best to be selling at Bayswater surprisingly. When it's too hot Hyde Park is packed with sun worshippers spread over every square inch of grass but the road is deserted. Looks like I need to buy a sun hat for Sunday and keep my fingers crossed for serious art lovers.

Up and away

2010-05-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

Today's task was cutting out hot air balloon shapes which I've pasted to canvas. They look fairly convincing, I've avoided the look of a light bulb or plectrum. Once dry I'll be doing a wash of colour over the top this evening. At this stage everything looks hopeful. I feel I'm really up and away with this series of paintings. Now to update website.

Watching paint dry...

2010-05-19T01:45:00.000-07:00

It's 10am I've been up hours to prime canvas. At lunchtime I'm going to Ascot with my husband to have an Anti-D jab which will be a break and then it's back to do second coats. It's an exciting time for me as this is when the anticipation builds...what am I going to paint? On the other hand today, I am basically watching paint dry.

My first Blog!

2010-05-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking for a while to start a blog. There are a few reasons but mostly to tell people about the Bayswater Road Sunday Art Market and to shame me into being more productive during the week. Today I've been chiselling out staples to remove canvases that have gone wrong from stretchers (36 total although I have only managed 7). In the past few years I've become more experimental as a painter.

As well as exhibiting I'm membership secretary for the Bayswater Road Artist Association known as BRAA. I've two new members receipts to post today which is good news. Am also looking to recruit new artists....

2010-05-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Bayswater Road on a Sunday