Nicki Paints

Wish me Luck, I'm Going In!

2012-01-31T20:05:00.015Z

Gosh I've not blogged in an age... Time is speeding fast just now, I'm about to enter possibly my busiest patch ever - which is just fantastic, but also a little daunting! Ill tell you a little about what's been happening, and what's happening next...

Christmas with the family was lovely. A few weeks before I finished my last commission of 2011, this ruined croft house, which went down well as a surprise festive gift, I'm pleased to say!

'Wildreness Ruin, Strathmore' Mixed media on paper, 20 x 14" (commission, sold).

I also finished my last paintings of the year - an abstract inspired by the fairy lights I hung around my gilt hall mirror as part of my Christmas decorations, and a megalithic landscape featuring the stones at Glengorm, Mull.

'Fairy Lights and mirror' acrylic on canvas 16 x 20" (currently being exhibited in the Winter Gallery, An Talla Solais - available).

'Kissed by wind, stones, Glengorm, Mull' 16 x 20" acrylic on canvas (available).

As we moved into the new year, I managed to catch myself up with the work I started after visiting the Stoneworks Early Architecture project (see my blog post here), and finished these two pieces.

'Broch 2' acrylic on canvas,12 x 32" (available)

'Broch 1' mixed media on canvas, 20 x 20"

In mid-January I took a jaunt over to Ullapool to take up an exciting opportunity to exhibit in An Talla Solais' new 'Winter Gallery'. It's clever use of resources, which sees one of the boat trip booking booths that are normally found on the harbour front during the Summer pressed into seasonal use as an additional gallery space. I was interested to see how one could use the space to hang wall based work in an unusual way, and hung a selection of my colourful abstract works. 'Colour Makes Me Happy' is on until 19th February.

Another day, another abstract... I got an idea stuck in my head for a week or so after listening to the Laura Marling song 'Failure' quite a lot in the car, and had to exorcise it onto canvas. It's about those nuggets of pleasure, fulfillment, hope or happiness that can pepper a spell of depression or sadness...

'You'll Smile Again' 16 x 20" acrylic on canvas (available).

This one I just finished the other day (for something that's in the works in the next few months but isn't totaly conformed yet, so I won't tempt fate). It's a revisit to my Orkney work, taking paintings I did there (sheltering behind the back of the car from the wind and rain) at the Bay of Skaill (beside Skara Brae) and taking elements of the landscape / seascape of that area into abstract form.

'Bay of Skaill, Winter, Abstract' 20 x 20" mixed media on canvas.

February starts with a bang, with the first day of 28 drawings Later - a project encouraging people to draw every day for the month of February and post their work to Facebook. It's good practice and sounds like a lot of fun, so I am sharpening my pencils and getting out my ink in readiness.

The next thing on the calendar is a week painting trip to the Isle of Lewis to study the stones of the Callanish, and do some landscape work. I'm leaving the family at home and travelling with a friend for company, so it's a bit of a road trip - fingers crossed for no trouble with storms and cancelled ferries! The best work from this trip will be going to Inchmore Gallery, where I'm delighted to be exhibiting as part of the Spring Exhibition (more on that in a later post).

'Lustre' at An Talla Solais & The Market Street Collective

2011-11-28T19:43:00.019Z

Wow, where has the last week gone? Last Monday I was off on a merry jaunt to the West Coast with my good friend Katy Kitchenham (of Timespan, heritage and arts centre in Helmsdale) to catch 'Lustre', the latest members show at An Talla Solais, Ullapool. This morning I wake to snow and more snowing, so glad we made the trip last week and not today - because we would have missed a treat!

An Talla Solais was set up in 2003/4 as an arts initiative aiming to provide gallery space for contemporary art and crafts. A couple of years later the committee and artist community pulled a staggering fundraising stunt and were able to open the current centre, based in Ullapool's old doctors surgery. The building currently holds rented out artists studios, gallery space, offices, a community room used for various classes and events, as well as the new Market Street Collective shop (more of that later).

I've only been a member of An Talla Solais for less than a year, but it had been on my radar for some time as both a place where 'interesting stuff happened' and as a group of creative souls who were really progressive, producing really interesting, fresh, inventive work. I live a 70 mile drive away from Ullapool and felt a bit sad that I couldn't join in, but when I discovered they took membership from all over, as far as Edinburgh and Glasgow, I signed right up. I don't get to visit or help out as much as I would like, but I'm very proud, in a very tiny tenuous way, to be associated with something so dynamic and exciting!

Taking of dynamic, 'Lustre' certainly was! My first impression walking through into the gallery space was a contrast of angular and soft forms - at first I was greeted with vibrant and sculptural textiles and beautiful turned wood, and then with stone, gravel, perspex, wire, rough worked and wild driftwood...

Highlights for me were Charlotte Watters' tiny silver cup, so delicate you felt it shouldn't be touched by human hand. Both Katy and I were drawn to Florence Jamieson's beautiful terracotta glazed platter with a cat and twinkling stars. Eireann Strange's tiny patchwork boxes definitely demanded several looks, wondering at the tiny patient stitches.

Bridget Ramsey's three pieces involved perspex objects distressed with ink or embellished with writing in clever ways which involved transparent layering. This was particularly interesting to me - as was John Mcintyre's 'An Hour Before Dawn', which involved a wooden frame with a delicate interlacing of thin wire and seed beads within it, giving the impression of a star chart or star scattered sky - because they both sat close to ideas I've been firming up for 3D work I'll be making during and after my trip to the Isle of Lewis in February. So the trip was worth it to me to experience those artists wonderful work alone.

The wall based 'part two' of the members show will be taking part in the Early Spring at Eden Court, Inverness, and I'm looking forward to entering some work to that myself - although with so much talent involved with An Talla Solais there's always a real danger ones humble efforts might get squeezed off the available wall space. Somehow I wouldn't mind though, when you are treated to such inspiring and glorious stuff!

A second reason for taking the trip over to Ullapool on a windy Winter day was to check out the new The Market Street Collective shop within An Talla Solais' premises. Such a clever idea, concived that to help man exhibitions without needing to pull in tens of volunteers to gallery sit, and also allow the centre to be open for longer and on more days of the week - as well as providing a extra way for local artists and craftspeople to market and sell thier work outwith An Tall Solais member or special exhibitions. The Collective have formed themselves up as a separate group to An Talla Solais, and in return for use of the room, will donate 10% of takings to An Talla Solais - much needed revenue for the organisation. The current run is a pilot, but hopefully should roll on into next year and beyond. I can't help but think what a logical and brilliant solution this is for all parties involved!

I must say, the shop is just visually stunning! The Collective have worked hard to not only source and stock from amongst the members some very, very high quality work, but also have taken such a tender care in the display of it that you simply can't help but be uplifted by spending time there. And of course an uplifting, warm, inviting shopping experience is what makes you want to open that purse and spend, so this aesthetic integrity alone bodes well for a long and fruitful future for the shop.

The selection of items on offer is impressively large for a small space - greetings cards, mugs, breathtaking silver jewellery, beautiful handwoven scarves and throws that scream 'glossy interiors mag', striking paintings, accessories made with Harris Tweed, earthy yet stunning pottery, wordy witty screen prints...

I do hope the collective are going to be working on an e-commerce site and be offering mail order in future, as I really do think what they have created has a unique selling point which exsists both within and outwith it's physical location and relationship with An Talla Solais and Ullapool. Something curated with such care, marketed direct from the makers, straddling the honest / earthy and ethereally beautiful deserves to be shared with the widest possible audience!

My only regret during my visit was that I was just one present off completing my Xmas shopping, having promissed myself a non-panicing December... Next year - and I hope the collective does push forward into the next Festive Season - I know exactly where I will be coming to stock up!

Abstracts

2011-11-28T19:43:00.011Z

'Scapa Bay Abstract 3'
40 x 40"
Acrylic and oil pastel on canvas.

For one reason and another I seem to have shifted recently into a phase of painting a lot of abstracts. Ever since I took up brushes again I have produced abstract work, but I think only now I'm truly understanding why I do this...

I think there is a definite truth to the thought that keeps occurring to me, which is that when I am painting abstracts it is the most authentically 'me' as an artist that I can possibly be.

I actually really like this feeling. It's a kind of freedom. I know whatever I create, even if I'm not absolutely happy with it, it comes from somewhere very genuine and honest. There's a certain ease and grace about that.

'Orkney Held Me Close and Blew Me Away'
24 x 24"
Diptych - two 24 x 12” canvases.

Acrylic on canvas.

I have always admired landscapes, and I felt for a long time that I wanted to paint them. That was a huge ambition as an artist, to become a competent landscape painter. In order to do that I began to learn this complex language of composition, mark making, colour use, depth, perspective, that allows me to make that type of work. I am a student. I work. I learn. I improve. I evolve - but it's a dance, and the landscape leads, with me following and trying to keep up.

Studio Collage Collection of CD Sized Artworks
for Inchmore Gallery

I remember seeing my first abstracts as a child, and then later studying Kandinsky at school, and just feeling this kind of soaring, bubbling over, exploding feeling of awe, and amazement, and emotions - and belonging. As a kid you usually feel a belonging to a family, a place, a school, a band, a sport (and of course I did), but I also felt a belonging to abstract art - because those works expressed in physical form what the inside of my brain looked like. My amazement was that someone had hard wired inside *my very being* and extracted my inner languages and made them real. It's kind of like someone playing you a video recording of your imaginary friend, whom of course nobody else knows or can even see.

Of course all that is in some ways a sweeping, emotionally driven overstatement - but you know, most of it isn't... Whilst of course there cannot be one universal visual language, the language of talking in colour, form, texture, pattern, space, tempo, contrast is universal I think. I guess it's rather like saying I know a person is speaking some sort of English, it's not *my* sort of English, I'm not quite getting the dialect and the intonation, the references are a mystery to me, and they have different views, but the fact they are speaking English at all, that makes sense. I understand it without effort or conscious thought - whereas my French is a learned thing, and I can only speak and read a little, and I have to put a lot of effort into communicating that way.

'Soft and Hard'
16 x 16"
Acrylic on canvas.

In recent years I became aware of Synesthesia, which as Wikipedia puts it is...

...is a neurologically based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.

Synesthetes might involuntarily connect particular colours with letters of the alphabet, or experience certain taste sensations when hearing sounds, or find sounds create various visual responses... It's something I'd really like to learn a lot more about.

To me emotions always have had certain colours and textures (these do change a little sometimes with time). Places occasionally have an association in my mind with colours or shapes. Sound and music have always been experienced in a visual way, like animations inside my mind - music is very beautiful and has shapes, colours, textures, physical movement... If I hear a lot of sound I feel quite overwhelmed and experience what I've always thought of as 'white out' in my mind, everything becomes blank and the visuals that usually play out in my mind disappear. Time I experience as a 3D space which I can move about and view from different angles depending on what data I wish to access.

My inner world speaks in texture, colour, movement, space, light and dark...

'Ocean'
8 x 8"
Mixed media on canvas.

Of course what may be considered 'true synesthesia' gets a bit jumbled up with more learned ideas, like what objects or colours or shapes might be 'male' or 'female', red is stop, green is go, and no doubt some associations may have been formed by childhood experiences. Perhaps I had a book with coloured days of the week which formed all my Wednesdays into 'blue' in my minds eye, perhaps that's not real synesthesia at all? A calendar where Saturday was always marked in red? I know it's been proven that people tend to associate 'sharp' sounding words with angular shapes, etc. Never the less, it's all part of the rich tapestry of information, memory, experience and association that I draw upon when creating art.

'Self Suspended in the Universe'
16 x 20"
Acrylic on canvas.

When I create abstracts there is always a 'process'. This changes depending on the subject matter, if the painting is a commission, or for a certain project, where the inspiration is coming from. Some of how I pull together a painting does come from the inner parts of my mind, some of it is quite subconscious, but other elements of the process are quite methodical and consciously thought through.

Sometimes certain colours (sometimes those from more representational work I am working on) excite me and I feel moved to take them off, on another canvas, to somewhere more abstract. Sometimes I'm inspired by shapes, or music, or the landscape or something else in nature, events in the news... I tend to get down rough sketches, or a plan of colours I want to use - some sort of basic building blocks. From that I will make connections. So for instance if I am painting something based around the idea of 'love' I will start to make associations, some of which I guess are learned and universal - I might start jotting down colour swatches in reds and pinks, say - and others will come from somewhere less obvious - for example 'love' to me is always circles (did I get this from copying a lot of Celtic knot work I wonder, or somewhere else). Some elements of the painting will simply come from what I think makes the other elements work together, what 'finishes' the painting off.

'The Riots'
16 x 36"
Acrylic on canvas.

I rarely plan a whole abstract down on paper in advance of starting painting - I've long since given up beating myself up about this (I used to feel it was very un-studious and slapdash), the truth is I can usually see a kind of 75% complete version of my original vision for the painting in my mind eye, so I kind of know where I am headed. This gives me enough to plan out the size and shape of canvas I need - which fairly often will get compromised a little according to what canvases I have in stock, I find it generally better to get onto an abstract ASAP whilst it's all fresh in my head. I usually try to make a start within three days, which often isn't a big enough window of time to get anywhere and buy a special canvas. If it's the right project though I'll wait, and in the mean time keep jotting down ideas and sketching things out to keep it as fresh as I can... My ideal is to begin right away, the moment an idea comes.

'Colour Makes me Happy'
40 x 40"
Acrylic on canvas.

Often the finished painting has drifted away to a lesser or greater degree from the original vision I had - but that's fine, I really believe that a painting is a journey and an experience and that the process of painting can be absolutely as important as sticking rigidly to some plan or initial vision. It's nice when things evolve on the easel. There has to be some link back to the original inspiration though - or the thing has to have grown from that 'parent idea' into a child that can stand on it's own two feet. At the end of the day the painting has to look good, hang together visually, be something I feel has a sense of completeness.

'Moine Thrust'
Triptych - three 8 x 8" canvases.
Overall size 8 x 24 (hung without spacing).

When painting I always think creating an abstract is like some sort of dance. It's the dancers movements and steps on the canvas. So I am always looking at the individual elements and the tempo they have, the way they flow one to the other, and where they lead around the canvas. Individual areas of canvas have to work, like the sections of a dance, but the whole picture of where the dance started, moved to and ended has to work too. And the dancers need to have considered all areas of the dance floor. Each hand movement or step needs to have been precise and well executed, but also they need to become part of a stronger, better whole.

'Floral Note'
20 x 20"
Acrylic on canvas.

I have no idea really how others judge my abstracts. I have had people say they feel a real connection with certain pieces, and that is such an awesome thing! There is no doubt that when someone views an abstract work all sorts of subjective things within them comes to play. I can intend the elements or whole as something, but it's entirely up to the viewer if they agree (if they have some advance clue of what I was thinking) or have their own interpretation. I do get a huge kick out of the thought that whilst, as the artist, I explore my inner world, my views, the things that move me, that inspire me, that get me excited or make me sad, each viewer of any of my paintings goes through exactly the same process. So many truths! I'm not sure how much the art buying public gets excited about abstract painting, I feel blessed that I do sell some of this work, even through a recession, but for me abstract painting is never going to be a fully commercial activity. Whilst I'm happy to let these babies go out into the world, I could no more stop painting abstracts as I could chop off my own hand. And thank goodness for that!

'Icons Ascending'
Triptych - three 10 x 14" canvases.
Acrylic on canvas.

Babywearing Art

2011-10-28T06:45:00.009+01:00

It's funny how things twist and turn and you find yourself going off in unexpected directions...

A couple of weeks ago a Facebook friend posted that it was International Babywearing Week. I've carried all my children in slings, as well as having been involved in babywearing advocacy in the past, and I'm a huge fan of all the snuggly benefits - having said that with my youngest child now being 4 1/2 it's not something we get to do so very often these days. Hearing of the event stirred up warm, fuzzy memories for me, so I decided to draw on them, have a break from the usual lines of work, and produce something fun, for pure pleasure...

'Close to my Heart'
20 x 14" watercolour and pencil on paper

Doing that little doodle gave me such a happy feeling I decided to do something a little bigger and more complex. I love textures and have been experimenting on and off with layering wonderful, buttery Sennelier pastels over acrylics. It seemed the perfect project to push this technique a little more - so many possibilities for texture. So I included the rough weave of the sling, a fluffy jumper, stylised leafy hedge in the background, smooth and curly hair - all so much fun!

'Close 1'
16 x 20", Mixed media on canvas

Once I was on a roll I couldn't stop - I'd learned a few things through the process of painting 'Close 1' and I wanted to see if I could put them into practice. I also wanted to paint with darker shades, and have some fun with giving this mum a tattoo, nose stud and funky dyed hair.

I don't know about you, but I've always been fascinated with comparingMums (and Dads!) and their babies. Not just seeing if you can spot resemblances, Mum's nose or Daddy's eyes, but also seeing the pureness of a baby's face, just as nature created it, compared to an adults face, which is at least in part how *we* have created it. For example I love seeing a Mum and kid who resemble each other, but the Mum is wearing heavy make up and the child of course none. I notice this a lot with my youngest, who is the spitting image of me at her age. I don't wear make up all the time, but when I do and I lay it on with a trowel it's so interesting to see our faces side by side in the mirror. I also get oddly sucked in by parents with lots of tattoos or piercings, say, holding a newborn. Comparing Mum's dyed hair with the shade of her child which might be far closer to her own. It kind of celebrates the diversity of people, but I also wonder if it's a kind of visual version of nature v. nurture? In any case I love all the endless possibility of how people can look and how parents and kids can compare and contrast. Can't help feeling there is a whole body of work in that...

Anyway, I digress!

'Close 2'
12 x 24" mixed media on canvas

I'm not sure if I'll be doing any more of these. I'm tempted, I think it's so good for you as an artist and person I think to do something you get a big kick out of, but there's no escaping I've got quite a few projects on the boil just now, so we shall see...

A Give Away a Day - Day Five

2011-10-14T13:17:00.002+01:00

Oh I am so behind! I'd totally missed doing Day Five of my 5 day giveaway, apologies folks!

So here we go, better late than never...

To celebrate my newly available Ancient Places greetings cards packs, I've got a pack of ten to send FREE to someone.

Featuring many of the images in the 2012 'Ancient Places' Calendar, these high quality, glossy A6 size greetings cards come as a pack of 10, featuring one of each of the images above.

Each pack comes cello wrapped with envelopes included. They have been left blank inside, so are suitable as birthday cards, notelets, thank you notes...

The great value packs, when you exclude the shipping element of the purchase price, cost just a quid per card! Great value over buying single cards - and something unique to send to your friends!

Just leave a comment on this blog post and I'll have someone picked at random. As always make sure you leave me a way of getting in touch - an email address, a link to your blog or Twitter account...

Entries close at midnight tonight, good luck!

Terms and Conditions... The draw is free to enter, no purchase necessary. Stated prize only, no substitutions or cash alternatives available. Prize includes shipping within to any Worldwide location - please be aware, the promoter (Nicki MacRae, www.nicki-paints.co.uk) will not be held for any import taxes or local fees incurred on import of the prize into the winners country of residence. Entries close at 11:59pm on 14/10/11 . A winner will be drawn at random from all comments on this blog post (one entry per person via the blog only). The draw will take place on 15/10/11 and the winner will be notified within 48 hours of the draw via the method specified on the blog comment. The prize will be held for 30 days, if after this time the prize has not been claimed it will be forfeited.

A Give Away a Day - Day Four

2011-10-09T18:14:00.003+01:00

So by now you already know how fab the new 2012 ‘Ancient Places’ calendars are, right? Hooray! A whole bunch of glossy full colour reproductions of my prehistoric landscape paintings from the last couple of years travels. On sale now and available for immediate dispatch.

Tonight’s give away is another chance to win one a copy of the calendar for yourself, free of charge, and posted for free anywhere in the World.

To win just have a look on my website - www.nicki-paints.co.uk - and tell me the answer to the following question….

What’s the total number of paintings reproduced in the 2012 ‘Ancient Places’ calendar (clue: it’s not 12, not that easy!)

To be in with a chance of winning, just pop a comment on the end of this blog with your answer to the above question. Please make sure you leave me a way to contact you should you be drawn as winner - an email address, a link to your blog, Twitter account, etc.

The winner will be drawn at random tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled!

If you’d like to share a link to this blog post on Facebook or Twitter, or your own blog, then I’d love that! Thank you!
Terms and Conditions... The draw is free to enter, no purchase necessary. Stated prize only, no substitutions or cash alternatives available. Prize includes shipping within to any Worldwide location - please be aware, the promoter (Nicki MacRae, www.nicki-paints.co.uk) will not be held for any import taxes or local fees incurred on import of the prize into the winners country of residence. Entries close at 11:59pm on 09/10/11 . A winner will be drawn at random from all comments on this blog post (one entry per person via the blog only). The draw will take place on 10/10/11 and the winner will be notified within 48 hours of the draw via the method specified on the blog comment. The prize will be held for 30 days, if after this time the prize has not been claimed it will be forfeited.

More Broch Building...

2011-10-09T08:39:00.014+01:00

On Friday I headed back up the road to the STONEworks Early Architecture Project at Spittal, Caithness to lend a hand with the broch building ( you can read more about brochs and the project here in a previous post).

I must say again what a absolutely lovely team there are on site, and thanks to them for making Ian, my husband, and I so welcome! It seems it has been a busy week, with school parties, artists, and a lot of coming and going - so kudos to them for managing to make everyone that arrived on site feel informed, welcomed, involved and useful.

Since being on site last time in was amazing to see the difference in the structure - whilst it wasn't obviously a lot taller, the whole thing had 'bulked out' and gained a kind of beefiness. Very impressive.

Although I'm obviously interested in brochs and that time period in general, I think one of the things about being on site that I enjoy the most is simply the playing with stone. I just love stone. I love the feel of it, the colours, the textures... Bloomin' lovely stuff!

Whilst we were there, the digger was being used to lift some heavy lintels into place to create the effect of being underneath the broch staircase. These were really beautiful bits of stone. Of course the short timescale of this project means only a proportion of higher wall is going to be get built on top of the structure (as seen in these pictures), but the lower level still has to be as authentic as possible.

This is the system of plates and wires which will facilitate the destabilisation of the broch at the end of the build. The plates will be pulled one at a time. There is always a chance the structure might refuse to fall - adds a bit of drama to the last day on site, will she, won't she?

One of the things I was most looking forward to seeing was the little guard cell built with a corbelled roof within the wall structure. I really wanted to take some photo's from inside of the newly enclosed space, I'm kind of into the idea of 'enclosure' (as you'll know if you've followed my work). Sadly it was just a few stones off being capped when we clocked off for the day - this is how it looked as I left site, still very beautiful (and reminded me of a painting of the inside of a souterrain that I've still not got around to)...

My husband, Ian, said he really enjoyed doing something different for the day, practical and problem solving.

This is the top of the lintel over the main doorway into the broch, at an interesting stage of build.

I took a short time out of hands on help to do what I call a 'memory sketch' - these don't necessarily turn out as facsimile copies of what I am looking at, I try not to become to fixated on that, but instead they are an exercise in searing into my mind colours, textures, shapes, ideas, light, feelings... It fixes things in my mind so I can call them back much more readily, more than a sketch, a process for observation and recall.

I've got a big abstract canvas on the go, based on colours and shapes from my first day broch building - but I've just realised I don't have a snap to share with you just now... Next blog post I promise!

There are all sorts of ideas coming from my visits to the project so far - some revolve around layering and stacking, others around enclosure / protection, others come from the rock itself (especially the brilliance of the newly quarried rock). Thoughts that involve paint or ink, but also perhaps working 3D and textiles (even though these aren't my normal areas of work). I'm really hoping I can make it back on site late this coming week to tidy up and expand these ideas.

There's a week of the build left, last day is Saturday 15th October. Again I'd really urge you to get on site if you possibly can and see and experience this wonderful and thoroughly interesting project first hand!

http://www.aocarchaeology.com/stoneworks/

A Give Away a Day - Day Three

2011-10-08T17:40:00.000+01:00

Studio prep' sketch of the Great X of Kilmartin in mixed media - 16 x 20"

Sorry there was no give away as planned last night - I was up in Caithness at the STONEworksArchitecture experimental archaeology project, and arrived home half asleep, aching, filthy and didn't get a chance to post (more on that in another blog post later tonight).

This does mean we have THREE more more give aways still to come (tonight / Sun / Mon night).

Tonight I am giving away an original piece of artwork. This colour mixed media sketch was produced in the studio when I was working on a large acrylic of the Great X of Kilmartin, some wonderful standing stones in Argyll. I visited at Easter this year as was treated to some amazing misty mornings with crazy colours and eerie atmosphere.

This painting will come to the winner in the rough, it will need to be suitably mounted and framed, but is signed on the rear (and will of course be well protected in transit). It's not often I give away original work, even cropped and mounted this is quite a large piece of work, and will look great on someones wall.

Tonight there are TWO ways to win...

* Just leave a comment on this blog post saying 'I'd love to win!', making sure you include a way I can contact you - a valid email address, a link to your blog, a Twitter account user name, etc.

and / or

* If you use Twitter, just tweet the following: I'd like to win an original @nicki_paints #Competition - please RT, thanks!

You can enter one way, or the other, or both if you like - but only one entry *per method* (that's still double chances to win!).

Sadly I can't offer a way to directly enter for Facebook users, as Facebook have laid down some very strict rules on these things, but I'd love it if you would be kind enough to pass on the link to the comp blog post on Facebook and tell your friends they can win...

The original sketch photo posted to Facebook earlier this year.

Terms and Conditions... The draw is free to enter, no purchase necessary. Stated prize only, no substitutions or cash alternatives available. Prize includes shipping within the UK, shipping to EU or Worldwide locations is available at cost - please be aware, the promoter (Nicki MacRae, www.nicki-paints.co.uk) will not be held for any import taxes or local fees incurred on import of the prize into the winners country of residence. Entries close at 11:59pm on 08/10/11 . A winner will be drawn at random from all comments on this blog post (one entry per person via the blog) and all tweets on Twitter to @nicki-paints with text stated above (one entry per person via Twitter). The draw will take place on 09/10/11 and the winner will be notified within 48 hours of the draw via the method specified on the blog comment. The prize will be held for 30 days, if after this time the prize has not been claimed it will be forfeited.

A Give Away a Day - Day Two

2011-10-06T18:51:00.003+01:00

'Dornoch Cathedral Angel' framed giclee print.

Hooray, yesterday's winner has been pulled by random number generator, and Justanordinaryweirdo you have won! Please drop me a line to let me know your address and I'll post your calendar out ASAP!

OK, give away number two...

Another exciting recent development for me has been the release of 17 new giclee print designs.

'Emotion in Ink: Self Doubt' framed giclee print.

Rain on the Firth framed limited edition giclee print.

'Gurness Stones and Movement' framed giclee print.

These high quality professional giclee prints made with 75+ year archival inks on beautiful watercolour paper. Signed by the artist and available in a range of sizes and framing options: -

Paintings featured include landscapes, abstracts, figurative and of course standing stones and stone circles.

These are a really affordable way to own a piece of my art. The largest framed and mounted prints measure a whopping 22 x 26" - if you try measuring that on your wall you'll be as surprised as I am at just how big that is! I'm hugely proud that, even as a small self representing artist, I've been able to launch these products which are competitive with certain high street chain stores (without compromising quality).

'Tomnaverie Stone Circle I' framed giclee print.

'Stenness Stone and Storm' framed giclee print.

Tonight's give away prize is one 8 x 10” print (in a 12 x 14” mount) - ready for framing. You can choose any of the images available in this size (if you wish you can upgrade to a larger print or add framing at cost, the value of the prize is £32).

To enter just leave a comment on this blog post telling me which is your favourite giclee print image, and why you like it.

Entries close at 11:59pm tonight. The winner will be drawn tomorrow and notified within 48hrs. Please make sure you leave some way that I can contact you in your comment - an email address, twitter user name, a link to your blog, etc.

Good luck!

'Connections' framed giclee print.

Terms and Conditions... The draw is free to enter, no purchase necessary. Stated prize only, no substitutions or cash alternatives available. One entry per person. Prize includes shipping to any worldwide location - please be aware, the promoter (Nicki MacRae, www.nicki-paints.co.uk) will not be held for any import taxes or local fees incurred on import of the prize into the winners country of residence. Entries close at 11:59pm on 06/10/11 . A winner will be drawn at random from all comments on the blog answering the question, above. The draw will take place on 07/10/11 and the winner will be notified within 48 hours of the draw via the method specified on the blog comment. The prize will be held for 30 days, if after this time the prize has not been claimed it will be forfeited.

A Give Away a Day - Day One

2011-10-05T15:47:00.003+01:00

Last week I promissed a competition over the weekend. Unfortunately I went away at short notice and couldn't keeep my promise - so instead I've decided to offer a prize every day from today until Sunday, so that's five chances to win instead of one, hooray!

Today, to celebrate the launch of my 2012 'Ancient Places' calendar, I have one copy up for grabs tonight!

The calendar celebrates the last 18 months of my travels visiting and painting the stone circles, standing stones and other prehistoric remains of the UK, and features 15 glossy full colour images showing a selection of sites in Wiltshire, Argyll, Aberdeenshire, Orkney, Mull, and the Highlands.

It costs £12 including UK postage (worldwide shipping available - £14 for EU, and £16 Rest of World), via my website, and is available for immediate shipping.

To win your copy, leave a comment on this blog telling me your favourite megalithic site and why. Please feel free to pass on a link to this blog post (via Facebook, Twitter, email, etc) to anyone else you know who might like to win... Make sure you leave me some way to get in contact with you if you are lucky enough to win - an email address or a blog I can contact you through. Good luck!

Terms and Conditions... The draw is free to enter, no purchase necessary. Stated prize only, no substitutions or cash alternatives available. One entry per person. Prize includes shipping to any worldwide location - please be aware, the promoter (Nicki MacRae, www.nicki-paints.co.uk) will not be held for any import taxes or local fees incurred on import of calendar into the winners country of residence. The draw will take place on 06/10/11 and the winner will be notified within 48 hours of the draw via the method specified on the blog comment. The prize will be held for 30 days, if after this time the prize has not been claimed it will be forfeited.

Rock n Roll! Building a Broch...

2011-10-05T12:23:00.008+01:00

Last Thursday I was lucky enough to be able to take a trip an hour and a half up the road to Caithness to drop in on an exciting experimental archaeology project.

Members of the Caithness Archaeological Trust (CAT), experts from AOC Archaeology, the Archie Sinclair Fossil Centre, and volunteers from the community and further afield are working together to build a section of replica Iron Age broch wall to learn more about the building process, and then force a collapse to to find out more about the way in which brochs collapse.

Already a over week into the build, I arrived on site to find the whole floor plan of the broch had been marked out on the ground in paint and a rough pattern of stones. This immediately forced a gasp of breath from me, acknowledgement of the sheer size of such a building project Brochs as ruins seem impressive, but as a pile of collapsed stone, or even a fairly well preserved example, such as Dun Telve in Glenelg or Dun Carloway on Lewis, I have never got that feeling of the 'bigger picture' as I did seeing those markings on the ground. This, it seems to me, is the best way to get a feel for scale and complexity.

Work on the main section being built, around the doorway, was well under way with a few courses of stone already laid. A small digger had just been brought on site as an acknowledgement of the enormity of the task, to be completed in just a few weeks.

The process of building roughly took the form of laying large slabs of Caithness flagstone on at the wall edges, and then filling in the central area of each layer with progressively smaller stones in a kind of jigsaw fashion, then throwing chippings and small stones into the gaps to fill in any voids. This, I was told, was the key to the stregnth of the structure.

I was really excited to find out that a guard chamber (as these small 'rooms' are known) was to be included into the wall near the door, and I will be forever thankful to John Barber of AOC for patiently explaining to me the process of measuring and constructing the corbelled roof of the cell. I know with absolute certainly that I'll be using this information in art projects in time to come.

Around five hours of lugging rock and climbing up and down walls was absolutely exhausting, but made all the more bearable by the lovely folk on site - and the wonderful scones and cake that has been laid on for our breaks!

It's a shame I didn't think to get someone to take a photo of me, covered in rock dust from head to toe, as I'm sure it made a funny sight!

John Barber told me he had invited artists and other creatives on site in order to see what they made of the project, not just the build but the atmosphere and teamwork on site. I must admit to coming away wondering exactly what I was going to pull from the experience, but I already have some sketches down for an abstract painting that's quite firm in my mind and ready to paint... I've just pulled a suitable canvas from the back of the studio and I'm hoping I can start work today or tomorrow, before heading back to the project this coming Friday (I'm really interested to see how that corbelled chamber has come on).

I will of course report back here...

To find out more about the project and keep up to date with progress, visit the website - http://www.aocarchaeology.com/stoneworks/

New PrintsI

2011-09-18T19:25:00.004+01:00

I'm so excited! Amongst the other projects bubbling away right now, my new range of giclee prints have been prepared and made available on the website. I'm so pleased they are now available to people, I know there has been demand for some of the pieces for a while - I really think the wait will have been worth it.

I've decided to offer them in a variety of sizes and, for the first time, a ready framed option - the ultimate in unwrap and go (I can't keep count of the number of prints, photo's and pieces of artwork I have here waiting to be slotted into a suitable frame and hung, I thought I'd make the process a bit easier for people who like a nice simple frame, already colour matched with the print to show it off at it's best.

At the moment I'm offering them up on a pre-order basis - the order goes off to the printers in a couple of weeks, after that I'll be keeping some prints in some sizes (and some ready framed) in stock, but not the whole range (as there are just too many different options), so this is a *great* time to order exactly what you want.

Orders will also be delivered to you in good time for Christmas - so perfect if you want to grab an unusual gift for someone.

Needless to say, all the prints are made using professionally captured images, highest quality (75+ year) archival inks and artists papers - they really superb quality.

What a wonder it is we live in this age where we can do such clever things, and make owning art so affordable! The whimsical prints start at just £15 including shipping, and the landscape, abstract and other printings start at just £32 for a signed, mounted and delivered 8 x 10" print.

A massive, original size 16 x 20" print such as many of the standing stones pieces) mounted, professionally framed, signed, and posted with a certificate of authenticity - measuring a whopping 22 x 26" in it's frame, just try measuring that on your wall - is just £120!

I'm offering 10% off on orders placed before the end of Sunday 25th September 2011 - just a week to get your discount. Unfortunately my website can't handle discount codes, but pop your order through and I'll just refund the discount amount, easy peasy. I *could* be persuaded to offer a further discount for anyone considering placing an order for two or more (non-whimsical) prints, just message me to chat...

My order will be going through to the printer at the end of the month, and then I should have orders out to people, in their hands, by the middle of November at the very latest.

If there's anything else you want to know, then of course just drop me a message...

Link to the prints section of my website...

Re-evaluation

2011-08-28T11:34:00.009+01:00

I'm home a few days now from a week at Edinburgh College of Art Summer School. I must say, what a full on week! Not only was it my first time away from my kids for a week (which is a silly worry, they were all chilled about it and most capably looked after), but also the first time I had been in Edinburgh during the Festival and Fringe. It was also the first time I had stepped into an art college as anything other than a fleeting visitor.

There, I have said it. It's been like my dirty little secret, you see...

I am a self taught artist.

I tend to keep that under my hat - not hide it, but not shout about it either. For years I've been harbouring a chip on my shoulder about my right to practice as an artist given I stopped my formal art education half way though an Art A-Level.

I say formal education, ever since I got back to painting as an adult I've always learned - self taught, attended workshops, spent time with other artists, watched demo's on the 'net, read books, visited exhibitions, played with new materials and techniques, pushed myself into new challenges... But somehow the fact I didn't have a degree has always mentally held me back from feeling 'authentic'.

Edinburgh College of Art - facade of the main building.

The week at ECA Summer School, therefore, became quite a big thing for me. Of course nothing like gaining a whole degree, but walking into the 'art world' that I've never quite felt a proper part of was quite a watershed moment (even if perhaps the rational mind told me it shouldn't be).

The ECA building itself is quite imposing and grand, and each day we walked into class up a huge stately home style, sweeping stone staircase. As we walked to the studio, we passed stunning classical sculptures and works by Anish Kapoor, no less! The studio itself seemingly could fit almost my entire house inside, and it's huge windows and sky lights looked directly out onto Edinburgh Castle in very close proximity.

A full week life drawing is no easy thing. I find even a day physically demanding, but five days of intensive work, stood at your easel, deep in concentration is quite exhausting (not least because I feel a need not to moan too much as the models don't exactly get an easy job of it either). Our tutor was the fabulous Graham Flack, who's patience with me though endless hours of frustration was much appreciated!

Charcoal isn't one of those mediums that I instantly fall in love with, so a couple of days working solidly with it almost broke me as a person - but you know I'm a big fan of that saying 'that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger'... By day three I'd grabbed a brush and ink and was feeling a little more in my usual shoes.

By the end of the week I must admit I was rather a jittery mess of different ideas, new perspectives, tired limbs, new friends, copious coffee, increased passion and confusing endless possibility.

Graham was a wonderful tutor. I have to say I wanted to weep with the "unfairness" of his critique a few times, but after a cooling down period would always see that he had a very valid point. Equally it was great to get feedback from the other (undoubtedly talented) students on my course, and I gained a few new insights into my work from them too. It was quite a challenge for me to be working in monochrome and single colours, as regular followers of my work will know I do tend towards technicolour in my work.

Being in a room for consecutive days, for hours at a time, with other artists was, in itself, a huge revelation - I guess I'm so used to my usual working pattern of being in my little studio alone, grabbing 15 mins and an hour here and there, painting at a furious pace in between blasts of frantic family life.

One thing I learned about my work that week was my tendency to be bold could often almost be seen as aggressive - and with much after thought I think it's a very valid point. My personal life over the last few years has been a bit turbulent (and I am playing no violin here, I think everyones lives contain such periods of change and sadness), and I think perhaps the full on attack mode of colour and contrast I can sometimes get switched into can be a reaction to that, survival mode. After much deep thought though, I realise at heart I am quite a loud, bold, almost brash kind of person, so I guess I'm never going to loose it entirely. But I can seek to find a little balance and sophistication, nurture these aspects in my work, and I can see this will become a bit of a theme for me in months to come...

I felt I wanted to produce a painting that sought to explore these mixed feelings and process of re-evaluation that I've been going through over recent days. Bold v subtle. Striving v acceptance. Frantic v calm. Colour v monochrome.

Re-evaluation.
20 x 20"
Acrylic on canvas.

'Re-Evaluation', Nicki MacRae 2011.

Details from Re-Evaluation

It'll take a few days for me to decide if the painting was successful, for it all to filter in, but in terms of the trip - the trip was definitely successful in prompting a major re-evaluation of myself and my work.

As for the future, I'm currently working on plans for another megalith painting trip over the winter, plans and prep' for two new bodies of work which hopefully will result in exhibitions in 2012 and 2013, a charity Xmas project, the 2012 calendar and prints are also still 'in the works'. So it's all good... Fingers crossed for all of that, bad luck could blight any of those plans, but l feeling of lack of validity in what I do is certainly not going to to trip me up! ;-)

The Riots

2011-08-13T14:25:00.008+01:00

'The Riots' (diptych)
16 x 36"
acrylic on canvas,
by Nicki MacRae.

Of course in the UK it's been impossible to escape the news of the riots in London and other UK cities over the last week or so. My old home of Bristol was also involved in it's share of looting and violence. Even cocooned up here in a sleepy, rural, sparsely populated corner of the UK it's been on the minds of everyone you meet.

I don't tend, on the whole, to operate as much of a political creature - that's nothing to do with apathy, or disinterest, or any feeling of disconnection with politics (I vote, I take an interest in the news and follow as best I can the affairs of state, but I don't tend to holler my views about so very often). It has everything to do with the fact that I rarely see a distinct line to be drawn in any political argument. I see too much that politics is an unavoidable blurring of lines, concocting of compromises, and a constant attempt to make the best decisions for the biggest majority of people (or so it should be). I see a constant stream of grey areas and balancing acts. Very few issues seem to be clear cut and crystal, so I find it very hard to say 'yes, this is *right*'.

It's been interesting to read and hear debate in the aftermath of the disturbances, but one thing I have heard a lot of is a drawing of lines. Use of the word 'they' and assumptions made (on both 'sides' - although I hesitate to use that word).

Don't get me wrong, I don't condone for one second the violence, theft and senseless destruction of the past few days. I also feel deeply for everyone who's found themselves caught up in it all , and those who've lost life and their families. It's all so very sad.

I think there is a deep danger though in 'them' and 'us'.

The way I see it, at the end of the day we're all humans, we're all made of the same basic things. We each have our own unique traits and talents, but we are all for the most part 'blank' people, each thrown into a mixer of variables - childhood experiences, home life, taught values, levels of self esteem, discipline, opportunities, education, moral grounding, cultural specifics, role models, suggested aspirations, lucky breaks - and come out the other end into the turbulence of youth moulded by our upbringing and those around us. We're all capable of making 'good' and 'bad' decisions through our lives, we're all capable of blame, and making excuses. We're all capable of doing wrong, and we all have the ability to decide to make good choices. There for the grace, go I.

I feel strongly it's possible to denounce the actions of another without resorting to thinking you know everything about them, or making sweeping statements. It should be possible to explain ones actions without having to find reasons to defend them or justify them. It OK to admit that things are complex. It's bad to over simplify - even if that means we can't sum things up in neat ideas and catchy phrases.

I agree with denouncing criminals and criminal behaviour, but I don't agree with blaming certain age groups, ethnic groups, certain trades or professions, or those of a certain locality en masse. Things are rarely that clear cut.

As soon as we get into a place of 'them' and 'us' we draw up walls and draw lines of war, and then things get much harder to put right.

The painting started as an image in my mind that I just couldn't shake.

The two shapes and two different sized canvases are weighted to give an uneasy feeling of being slightly 'off kilter' whist still holding in common certain elements of their form.

The shapes represent the 'them' and 'us' of the discussions after the events - both seething with energy, and although different, basically made up of the same marks and colours.

The white space all around is the 'blank' of possibility - possibility to be whatever shape, colour, type of person - but also space not being used to spread into whilst we cling tightly in groups, and space which then forms a divide.

It was tempting to make the white quite literally a 'grey area' but I think that colour has too many negative connotations, and I wanted this to show possibility as well as division.

Reminder About Trees For Life Exhibition

2011-08-12T10:31:00.004+01:00

Just a little reminder about the Trees for Life charity art exhibition... There's an abundance of wonderful work now available on the exhibition blog. All work is available to buy now at a flat price of £45, and indeed a whole lot of pieces have sold already!

My entry to the exhibition, 'Cairngorm Scots Pine'

If you are in the Edinburgh area, the actual exhibition will be taking place at Out of The Blue between the 1st - 13th November 2011.

It's a wonderful idea and raising money for a great cause - so do take a look!

Sale!

2011-08-01T18:53:00.003+01:00

Did that catch your attention?? Great! ;-)

I don't know, 'sale' isn't really a word we seem to use in the art world - reductions seems kind of acceptable, just! I come from a more general retail background and sale is always the word that makes people get a little excited, so you'll have to excuse my hollering there... :-).

I've been having a studio tidy and reorganisation. As anyone who follows my work will know I do a lot of experimenting, and I paint at a furious rate (I never have less than three pieces on the go, and usually a lot more than that). I spend at least a little time everyday sketching or painting. Work amasses in my small studio space pretty fast - and the places where I exhibit only have a limited space too - so it's essential every now and again I have a little rationalisation process and the best way to loose a few pieces from the chaos is to make them a tempting bargain.

I announced the reductions on my Facebook page a couple of days ago, and already a few of the smaller pieces have been snapped up, but there are still a lot of nice pieces available - some have a small discount that I'm hoping might tempt someone who might have had an eye on them, to take the plunge, others have a whopping 50% or more slashed off to (hopefully) ensure they go off to a good new home soon!

Here's a tiny snapshot, but you can see all the reductions in one place here on Facebook (don't worry you don't need to be a member). The discounted works are grouped at the end of the photo album. Don't forget I am happy to organise an installment payment plan for any pieces / orders over £100.

'A Private Place'
16 x 16"
Acrylic on Canvas.

'Self Suspended in the Universe'
16 x 20"
Acrylic on canvas.

'Hoary Old Stones XIV'
12 x 12"
Acrylic on canvas.

'Stars / Stones 1'
16 x 20"
Acrylic on canvas.

'Expressive Abstract 1'
12 x 12"
Acrylic on canvas.

'Hoary Old Stones XVII'
36 x 24"
Acrylic on canvas.

Icons Ascending

2011-07-16T09:18:00.004+01:00

Some time back I created a one-off, diptych abstract which I called 'Faded Icons'. It had been first inspired by a trip I'd made to the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art in Glasgow (a wonderful place, which I hope to visit again soon). I became interested in the painting of religious icons, the colours, use of gold leaf and then the idea of creating something which references these things, evoked a sense of 'spirit', but without the use of figurative forms. I was also interested in the idea of aging, decay, crumbling plaster and fading paint.

'Faded Icons' (diptych)
Two 8 x 10" canvases
Acrylic on canvas

Following the sale of this piece, I was delighted to be contacted about a commission for three more similar panels. I'd always intended Faded Icons to be the start of a series, but I'd got distracted away to other projects.

The new canvases were to hang one above the other on a staircase, and had some very specific dimensions - three panels of 10 x 14" inches, narrow canvases so as to not protrude too far into peoples way, hanging two inches apart.

After chatting with my client, experimenting a little and making up some swatches, we agreed there should be a flow of marks 'ascending' through the three canvases, and this caused my first quandary - how to paint the canvases in sequence so that, when hung, they would give a seamless appearance. My husband came to my rescue, whisked away the panels and returned with them attached to a pole, which was then clamped to my heaviest easel for support. This set up was surprisingly sturdy!

The next stage was to give each panel a coating of a grainy, rough medium, which along with impasto layers of paint would give the piece it's texture. These were applied in sweeps and lines, with fingers, down the length of the three canvases. The idea was for the top-most panel to have the least texture and the bottom the heaviest, to give an idea of 'weight' at the bottom and 'lightness' at the top.

After giving the medium some time to set hard - shorter than I had expected due to some very warm weather making the studio rather hot - I coated all three canvases in specially mixed paint colours, varying from more an orange colour at the top, down to a rich, darkened cadmium red at the bottom. This was perhaps the most alarming stage of the painting - the canvases really were very vivid and distracting. It was hard to focus on anything else in the room, so I was glad to move on to the next part...

As I applied the next layers of paint I followed a similar colour scheme to the original Faded Icons painting. That green of oxidised copper and turquoise and deeper blues. Again the idea was for the lighter colours to just slightly dominate towards the top canvas, and the deeper hues to be dominant towards the bottom canvas, adding more weight.

The final stage involved adding very selective sweeps of copper and gold metallic paint. I used my fingers for this process, and worked slowly, standing back or leaving the room often so as to keep fresh eyes. I t would have been very easy to over-do these colours and 'kill off' the subtle textures and colours I'd laid down before. At a point I knew it was done and to stop, an instinctive thing.

The finished panels - the top canvas...

The middle canvas....

The bottom canvas...

As they now hang...

'Icons Ascending'

I was quite pleased with some of the complex textures I managed to create, and managed to get some nice photos in good outdoor light before boxing the painting up to be sent to my client.

I must say, the whole commission - whilst giving that little edgy feeling of challenging myself - was a delight to work on! My clients were lovely, very clear about what they wanted but also very open to ideas and suggestions and happy to let me take the piece off to new places, and have given me some wonderful feedback...

Stunning, wonderful, brilliant, striking, and uplifting - and everything that we could have hoped for. You have hit it right on the nail.

Some of the nicest words you could hope to be emailed when working on a project for someone, I was over the moon!

May I say how much we have enjoyed commissioning this triptych? It has been exciting to work through the ideas with you, and seeing your preparatory swatches helped to refine our idea of what we were looking for. It is, of course, a rather nerve-wracking process (for artist and client), waiting to see whether the finished artwork lives up to the ideas that prompted the commission. My wife joins me in saying that you have responded magnificently to the challenge and we look forward to hanging them, and enjoying them for many years to come. That you enjoyed the process of creation, and that your fee is so reasonable adds further pleasure! Many thanks for everything.

On that happy note, I'd just like to say I do hope to work on some similar projects as other work allows, I hope to do some more paintings in this series, and would be overjoyed to be asked to do similar commissions. Thanks once again to my delightful clients for trusting me to take their ideas into paint!

Tree's for Life Charity Exhibition

2011-07-01T10:35:00.004+01:00

I love the grapevine, especially when it brings news of fun, exciting and worthwhile projects to become involved in!

A few months back I heard, via other artists, about an exhibition that was being organised to celebrate the UN's 'Year of the Forest', in aid of the fantastic charity Trees for Life (an organisation I'd been interested in for a long time), who's aim to to help restore the Caledonian Forest.

The exhibition will be taking place at Out of The Blue in Edinburgh between the 1st - 13th of November 2011.

All artworks are postcard sized (around 6 x 9") and for sale at a uniform price of £45 - so affordable art for all!

You can flick through the work that has been submitted so far on the exhbition blog - http://treesforlifeexhibition.blogspot.com/ . It's been rather fun watching new pieces pop up on there every few days, and then other pieces getting a big red 'sold' put next to them. The work is very diverse and interesting.

If you have seen something you fancy on the blog, then this link will give you all the info' you need to make a purchase.

If you're an artist (painter, photographer, illustrator, fibre artist, embriodery expert, mosaic maker...) then I'm pretty sure sumissions are still being accepted - and every piece really does make all the difference! You can find out more here...

This is my submission, 'Cairngorm Scots Pines' which was drawn in Derwent Inktense pencils and ink on watercolour paper. My blurb for the exhibition blog tells the story behind the piece...

This artwork was an impromptu piece, created amongst the hustle and bustle of a childrens adventure play park, the clamouring for ice cream, shouts of excitement, queues for rides, pushing of buggies, crying of babies, whoosh of the roller coaster - and yet these bold scots pines serenely towered over all. Man can create all the exciting diversions it likes, but somehow nature out-impresses every time.

Cairngorm Scots Pines

6 x 9"
mixed media on paper

Hopefully it should appear on the wesbite sometime soon, so keep an eye out!

Derwent Inktense Blocks & Pencils

2011-06-17T09:56:00.009+01:00

I've been meaning to write a post about Derwent's wonderful Inktense products for a while and not had a chance to put finger to keyboard, but reading one of my favourite blogs this week - Vivien Blackburn's 'Paintings, Prints & Stuff' - talking about Inktense Blocks, I thought I'd respond to Vivien's question (about others experiences) with my own thoughts...

I first heard about Inktense Blocks as they were about to be launched, I spotted a few ad's in artists magazines and was intrigued, so decided to do a little Internet research. What I found was lots of art forum posts with people scrabbling to get hold of a box. More intrigued!

After looking about the net most places seemed to be out of stock just days after launch, but my excellent local art shop (Artmedia, Inverness) were wonderful, and ordered me a box in as soon as they could. They came in right before a painting trip to Kilmartin, Argyll - so the perfect chance to have a play and see what they could do!

'Templewood Stone Circle' - Inktense Blocks and acrylic ink on watercolour paper.

My first experiments were with bold, expressive mark making. There's something about the chunky sturdiness of the blocks that makes me want to work large and bold. This field sketch of Templewood Stone Circle was done on a wet watercolour block, working the Inktense Blocks into the damp paper, then allowing to dry and creating deeper lines on the rough, dry paper. I used a little white acrylic ink on a fine brush to finish.

I wanted to do some abstracted work using patterns and motifs of pre-historic pottery from sketches I made at the fantastic Kilmartin House Museum (do visit if you find yourself that direction). So I used the Inktense Blocks to lay down blocks of colour and build layers, varying between rubbing the side of the blocks onto wet paper, and rubbing them dry and then spraying with a mist of water and allowing the ink to defuse. I also used brushed acrylic ink in this piece. I also had a little play with how they would react when heated by BBQing them - don't try this at home (although it made some interesting shading on the page and it's something I'll use again)!

'Beaker Abstract 1' - Inktense Blocks and acrylic ink on smoked paper.

This was another piece I made using similar techniques...

'Beaker Abstract II' - Inktense Blocks and acrylic ink on smoked paper.

I was so impressed with the Inktense Blocks that I decided to get a set of the Inktense Pencils (which have been around for some time longer than the blocks and seem already a very popular product amongst artists).

These work so amazingly well in tandem with the blocks, as well as in their own right. They can act very much like a good watercolour pencil, but are able to lay down very vivid marks with little pressure or water, and best of all (like the Blocks) once wet and dried any marks set permanently, allowing you to build up layer upon layer of texture and intense colour. Now layers, that's my kind of painting!

I took the Inktense Pencils out on a day trip to the West Coast of Scotland and gave them a good testing painting a seascape on the beach.

To get this one started I sketched out, in appropriate colours, a rough impression of the scene with the Inktense Pencils, then sprayed with water and worked over with a large brush to blend. I then went for a mixed media approach using also Neocolour II crayons, watercolour squeezed straight from the tube, and more Intense to build the colours and detail. I have to say using the pencils in this way felt entirely natural and flowing, and I have a feeling I'm going to be using them *a lot* for landscape sketches. I think my next landscape experiment with them will be on brown paper and perhaps finishing with a few soft pastels.

As I was getting used to both the Pencils and Blocks I started to realise the full potential they have for expressive, abstract work. This photo is a work in progress shot for another 'Beaker Abstract' - as I was working it I really started to get a feel for use the kind of spontaneous, fresh, vivid, energetic marks and shapes I could create.

I decided to just play and see where I could take them. I started a little series of abstract doodles based on the theme of 'emotions'.

Each used both Inktense Blocks and Pencils, with the addition of acrylic inks on rough watercolour paper, with a combination of working on dry and wet paper, spraying, blending with a brush, and using the Blocks as paint pans, taking colour directly off to paint with.

'Hope' - Inktense Blocks and Pencils, with acrylic ink, on watercolour paper.

'Melancholy' - Inktense Blocks and Pencils, with acrylic ink, on watercolour paper.

Finally this is a little piece I did in the field the other day of some Cairngorm Scots Pines. I used the Inktense Pencils here, worked with a brush and a little water, and then dry over the top, with a drawing pen and black pastel pencil.

I really do like both the products in the Inktense Range. The intensity of colour excites me, but also the ability to brush or spray them out into quite subtle washes. The effects gained with a pencil or Block on wet paper are really very intense and dramatic, and excellent for expressive mark marking. The setting of the ink upon drying and ability to layer to very intense effects is just perfect for my work. I like the range of colours, on the whole, in each selection tin, on first glance some colours seem a little acidic and bright but I've found them to be versatile and a crisp starting point for blending. The tins are great for carrying around, protecting the product whilst not being too bulky, and on thier own a tin of each, large brush, watercolour block pad and a small water spray bottle is a pretty neat and versitile field sketching kit! I also really appreciate how well they work with a range of other media for mixed media work - watercolour, gouache, soft pastel, acrylic ink, drawing pen, graphite, and other pencils and crayons.

And I'm only just starting to explore the possibilities for using them on fabric - that will be a whole another blog post!

If you've not already tried Inktense, don't hesitate, give them a go!

The Artful Art of Making Art

2011-06-16T18:08:00.003+01:00

You'll have noticed work output from me has dropped off a bit recently. I found myself having a bit of an internal dialogue with myself about it, and thought it might make an interesting blog post. Well possibly!

The combination of a month long illness running into some of the busiest weeks of my kids school year has combined to shut out art almost entirely. Much of this is the same balancing act that mums everywhere juggle - family life v work v self v other pressures and responsibilities - but having previously been involved in other enterprises and various charity work since becoming a mum, being an artist seems to be the trickiest for me to juggle (which is in contrast to the fact I find it the most rewarding thing I've ever done).

The trouble is with art is that like many things it's hard to turn it on and off. This does sound like a bit of a cop out, I know (and there's much to be said of being disciplined in the way you work and the way you gather inspiration, but beyond that...), but in order to create in a real and meaningful way I find you have to keep in a constant loop of...

... as soon as life gets in the way and breaks your (at least partial) focus on creating you've kind of hit a blank wall!

Restarting the process, I find, can be a little bit like push starting a car - you have to give it some considerable shoulder-shoves in order to build up some momentum before it starts to 'roll' and help you through the pushing process a bit (to get back to the 'almost drives itself' cycle).

In these 'still' moments it's very tempting just to say 'OK, let it go, give it up', and stick to the things that are more pressing - the school run, the housework, the garden, keeping up with friends and the rest of everyday life.

So I find myself in one of those lulls pondering that same old question - are the shoulder shoves worth it? And what's next if I do? Where am I headed and what's on the horizon.

Big stuff!

Paying By Installments

2011-06-04T11:27:00.004+01:00

'An Hour in Icy Wind at Brodgar'
£145 including shipping.
12 x 24"
Acrylic on canvas.

Something I have been doing for a while, but have never blogged about or made more widely known, is that I am happy for clients to make payments by installments for any original paintings or commissions of value over £100.

'Fall Flare'
£130 including UK shipping
16 x 20"
Acrylic on canvas.

So how does this work?

If you have seen a painting you love on my website or Facebook page then drop me a line to let me know you'd like to make a purchase, and let me know you'd like to pay by installments.

Over email (so we both have a note of what has been agreed for easy reference) we can decide on installment amounts and a schedule for payments.

I'll mark the painting as reserved on my website and any other sales venues to it's held back for you, so nobody else is able to purchase it.

I'll also send you a detailed invoice showing your first payment made and detailing the amounts to be paid thereafter.

Payments can be made by Paypal (you don't need a paypal account, just a credit or debit card), cheque, or direct bank transfer, as you prefer. If you wish I can automatically bill you at intervals via paypal as per our agreed schedule of payments, to make your life a little easier.

On payment of the final installment I'll ship your painting.

If there's anything more you'd like to know about this, or if there is something you'd like me to reserve for payment in this way, then just let me know!

'Scapa Bay Abstract 2'
£110 including UK shipping.
24 x 12"
Acrylic on canvas.

Photo's of the Highlands? Can you Help?

2011-06-02T17:41:00.004+01:00

If you follow the blog you will of course know that I'm hugely interested in ancient remains in the landscape - if you ever wondered how I turned into such an obsessive about old stones, you can read the story here in this old blog post. I'm also interested in our architectural heritage, and history in general.

Invershin Farm Standing Stone

My 'patch', if you like, these days is the Highlands, and over recent years I've used the Highland Historic Environmental Record a lot to research both painting trips and family days out, to look up things I've heard of or seen on my travels and get the lowdown on them, or generally have a nosy around the landscape I live in. It's a fantastic resource.

The team behind the database are currently hoping to get more people involved in contributing photo's and information to the database, and I wanted to put a shout out to anyone who's a Highland resident, or who's perhaps visited the area, to take a look back through their photo's and see if there's anything they have that they would be willing to have added to the records.

Bonar Bridge

The snap you shot of the ruined bothy looking lovely in evening sun, or the pic' of the interesting old jetty the kids pointed out, or the photo WWII pill box you found on a walk might just be able to come into new usefulness!

The HER website explains much better an I can the kinds of things that are recorded...

All known sites of potential archaeological or historical interest are recorded. Sites on the HER include the more obvious and visually impressive sites, monuments and buildings, as well as smaller features, historic gardens and designed landscapes. The HER also includes sites associated with folklore, place names, historical events or people, or sites mentioned in literature or shown in paintings, of which no trace may now survive.
We record sites of any date, from 9,000 year old flint scatters to post-war industrial buildings, and even everyday items such as old petrol pumps and phone boxes. Of course not every site is currently known about, and our records are being constantly updated and extended. If you know of a site that you think should be included on the HER then please contact us.

There are several ways you can get involved...

If you are a Flickr user, there is now a new Highland Historic Environmental Record Flickr group where you can easily add photo's from you own photostream.

If you are on Facebook you can join the Highland Historic Environmental Record Facebook page and upload your photo's there (with the bonus of getting lot of interesting bits of news and information from the team on your Facebook feed).

Of course you can also simply email the team with your pictures, the contact details are on the HER website.

Dun Dornaigil Broch.

Have a dig around and see what you can find!

Long Time No Blog...

2011-05-31T13:17:00.002+01:00

Goodness, it's been an age since I updated here! I must admit I get very caught into the habit of firing all my work in progress snaps, bits of news and general ramblings onto my Facebook Page (which wonderfully now has over 1000 followers). It also automatically feeds over to Twitter, for those who prefer to tweet, but I forget to blog!

I do kind of wonder how many people are reading over here in Blogland - perhaps you could leave a comment on this post and say 'hi'! :-)

So what better way to get things started again than by a little round up of what I'm up to right now?...

Main thing I'm getting done this week is a new commission. It's been in the planning with my delightful client for some months now, and great to be going into it with such a clear idea of what's needed - so it's all slap and splodge and getting it done now :-). It's also wonderful to be asked to do an abstract commission, I really enjoy working on abstract projects and would love to get asked to do more! The collaborative aspect of an abstract commission is quite a thrill.

My husband managed to rig me up a great easel attachment to help me paint these abstract canvases as they will hang in my clients house - so much easier! They are now all textured with rough paste (to mimic old plaster on crumbling walls) and painted a bright (very bright!) red undercoat colour.

I've recently tried out Derwent Inktense Blocks and Inktense Pencils, and I'm absolutely loving them, especially when used in mixed media pieces or with acrylic inks straight from the bottle dropper. This experimentation has become a series of paintings - abstract renderings of emotions. I'm still going with these, I'll do a full blog post on them soon...

I'm still quite behind with the standing stones work I want to get done after my various travels. I'm half way through quite a big canvas of the Great X of Kilmartin in the mist (acrylics, 24 x 20"), so need to finish that off.

I've just completed this 16 x 20" acrylic and oil pastel painting of the Leckuary Standing Stone, Kilmartin.

I've got lots more material to work on from both my Kilmartin and Aberdeenshire trips.

I've got a couple of cool things to work on over the next few days too. I'm contributing a painting to the Trees for Life Charity Exhibition, to take place at Out of the Blue, Edinburgh in November (do check out the blog, work is already going up for sale as it comes in and some wonderful pieces have been contributed already!), so plan to get on with that.

I'm also hugely excited to be doing a swap of artworks with fantastic New Zealand artist Karen Neal (again do check out her website, well worth a gander at her finely detailed and sensitive wildlife paintings). Karen has so kindly promised me this amazing acrylic painting of a Whitefronted Tern in flight, and to be honest I'm kind of overwhelmed. I've promised Karen a highland scene with croft house in return, to remind her of her travels in these parts - I'd better pull something pretty special out of the bag to live up to that amazing bird!

Finally I'm long overdue completing some sketches for a possible commission of three panels featuring aspects of the Broch of Gurness. Wonderfully, I was there during my Orkney trip back in February (you can read about the broch and my visit here) so have everything I need, just trying to pull all the ideas into something that hangs together nicely (excuse the pun).

Work on Display - at Highland Love'Arts

2011-03-11T18:32:00.006Z

I just thought I'd do a little blog post about a little gem of a shop that's opened in the next town - and where I'm pleased to say you can find a good selection of my work for sale.

Dornoch Cathedral

Dornoch is a completely charming little place, when the honey and rose-coloured stone glows on a summer evening it's just magical. Famed for it's golf course, it has an attractive cathedral, a castle that you can stay in (it's a hotel) and one of the loveliest beaches around. Its streets team with tourists, and with interesting shops selling books and baked goods, venison and honey antiques and newspapers, bras to Barbour.

The High Street Dornoch

The welcoming shop front at Highland Love'Arts

Along the High Street, facing the north door of the Cathedral is a brand new little Aladdin's Cave called Highland Love'Arts. Just opened a few weeks ago it aims to champion local arts and crafts, along with offering a smattering of antique treasures, Highland gifts, and an already popular baby and toddler clothes agency.

Vintage and crafted jewellery in a period cabinet

Hand crafted tartan corsages

As you walk in the door a woodburning stove greats you with a cheery glow, and the whole shop has a warm and welcoming feel.

The friendly hearth

Wonderful, locally made knitted, sewn and felted bags, amongst other giftware

Handmade teddies peek of out baskets and boxes

Word has been getting out to local creatives, and the shops been rapidly filling up with home-made teddy bears, scarves, bags, corsages, paintings and prints, and all manner of treasures...

Artwork, tweed and woolen goodies create an eclectic but complimentary display

Friendly proprietor, Geraldine Aust, has also actively been seeking out locals with talents and skills to commission special pieces she has particularly wanted to feature. One such happy arrangement came after a fruitful search for a locally based, talented sewer - and the production of these gorgeous wedding ring cushions were the result. She's currently seeking someone handy with crochet hooks for another such project...

Handmade ring cushions

The shop hopes to offer a good selection of items for those getting wed, or having babies christened in the cathedral, which is just a few steps away. A happy marriage, you might say, of business and location. Later in the year the second phase of business will fire into action - a gorgeous, boutique B&B, including one extra special suite with just perfect for a brides wedding preparations, or honeymoon night. Also space for receptions and celebrations, or private dining.

Cute display of the most gorgeous christening dresses

The shop displays a wide range of artwork, and the largest wall has been given over entirely to a gallery of work by artists from around the Northern Highlands. Local scenes nestle with arty nudes, and famous castles hang by glowing angels.

At the time of typing this is the largest selection of my own work hanging in any one location. There's quite a selection of my angel paintings currently on display - and for a very special reason, which I'll hopefully be able to tell you more about soon (so ready those diaries if you are up for a creative and nurturing retreat adventure!).

Gorgeous light streaming across some of my paintings

Just part of the gallery wall

If you are in the area, do take some time to discover this wonderful little shop, which is blossoming into something rather special even as we speak.

Web Links...

Highland Love'Arts website (currently being developed and expanded, so worth bookmarking) - http://www.highlandlove-arts.co.uk/

Carinhill B&B, Therapies and Retreats - http://www.cairnhillbandb.co.uk/

An Orkney Sketchbook - Part 4

2011-03-04T17:43:00.002Z

The Stenness Stones

Also within 'The Neolithic Heart of Orkney' are the Stenness Stones, what's left of the mighty rocks of an arrangement of 10 or 12 stones, once with an impressive henge around. It's been suggested that this was a horseshoe or incomplete circle of stones.

You'll see by the stance of my, usually very hardy, son that on our first visit to the stones it was pretty chilly! I was the only one who stayed out of the car for more than a few minutes.

The main problem I had - repeatedly - at this is site was that the direction the weather was coming in from was directly behind me if I sat in the most obvious spot to paint - meaning head turning and glancing behind every few moments to make sure I didn't get surprised by a great wetting from above! I must say it meant by sketching was frequently out too, not being able to stare at the subject concentratedly.

As you can see from this A1 sized mixed media piece I didn't quite manage to run to the car on this occasion - although I have to say, perhaps oddly, that this is maybe my favourite painting of the whole trip. Although technically a bit of a disaster, it says so much about the trip and my experiences. And I rather like the texture the rain has created!

I managed to catch a lovely sunset at Stenness one evening. The photos don't really do it justice, it was much lovelier and more vibrant in real life, but I didn't want to waste time playing with the camera and miss the chance to paint it.

This was the painting I made at the time - 12 x 24", acrylic on canvas. Again running out of time as the light faded fast I ended up having to scratch the final fine detail into the still wet paint with a fine palette knife. I'm not sure how I feel about the clouds in this - it was such a rushed painting experience, only a few minutes to record what I was seeing, and I was sat in almost darkness, guessing, by the end, as I hadn't thought to grab a torch. I've had some nice comments about it though.

Another colour sketch where I got caught out by a downpour chasing up behind me - strange eerie light making the yellows and greens in the landscape shine an acidic colour, and the grey of these stones shine a greenish shade.

Being around for the full moon was great, and whilst I was just too chilled to sit painting, I managed to spend some time with the moon, soaking the atmosphere up, and got some useful shots.

Back in the studio, I'm already working with these photos. I've just completed a 16 x 16" canvas with acrylics - a bit experimental, I worked most of the painting in one go, covering the canvas with a deep blue colour (much more true to my experience of the night than the long exposure coveys in the photos) and scratching in the detail quickly with an old dip pen nib. Reusing that technique I had to use on the island to speed my work in the cold conditions.

By far the best photos of the place from the trip though were taken by my husband, in the full moon. I lightly Photoshoped one of these photos, and used it to paint this acrylic (16 x 20" canvas). I'm really pleased that I was able to let go and keep the looseness I had been forced to use on the trip when working fast and trying to keep fingers from ceasing. I was very worried once back I would tighten back up, but it now seems entirely possible to keep it all wild and woolly and in spirit with the place and my experience of it.

An Orkney Sketchbook - Part 3

2011-03-03T15:41:00.009Z

The Watchstone

Just at the beginning of the road causeway between the Stones of Stenness, a few cottages, and the Ring of Brodgar is a huge monolith called The Watchstone, about 19 feet tall. I say it again, but if this were one stone, on it's own, in a field, almost anywhere else people would stand beneath it in awe at it's sheer size and weighty presence, and it's powerful position watching passage along the causeway - but here it almost becomes lost amongst the splendour of stones stones everywhere.

It has to be said, whoever thought to put a handy wee pull in in tarmac next to the road and it really saved my bacon during this trip. The spot is so exposed, and it allowed me to grab camera or materials from the car, get something down, then scuttle back pronto!

It was lovely that from the roof garden of our very handy holiday flat in Stenness, we could see the Watchstone quite clearly (Brodgar was visible in clear-ish weather, but must smaller on the horizon, and the Stenness Stones hidden behind a nearby building).

The above drawing is on A1 sized watercolour paper - acrylic inks and chalk pastels. It was hugely challenging to do, as the only spot I could lay such a huge board flat (it needed to be, as if you lifted it even a little off the ground it would have taken me off like a sail!) was next to the gateway of 'Odin' (a holiday home at the site of another monolith with an interesting story, now destroyed, you can read about it on jar the excellent Orkneyjar website) at the edge of the road. You can see in the painting where the wind took the ink off my brush and splashed it everywhere!

One night I took a series of photos of the Watchstone in darkness with only the full moon for lighting. Unfortunately the one item I forgot to pack for the trip was my tripod! Being handheld the photos weren't as good as they could have been, a bit fuzzy, but plenty good enough to paint from.

Each had the moon with a slightly different arrangement of illuminated clouds around it, and some I had taken from a low angle down the bank below the base of the stone. By printing several of these pictures I was able to piece together a pleasing composition back in the studio, and so far I've completed two paintings. The first was a big A1 mixed media piece on watercolour paper - watercolour, gouache, chalk pastel.

This was for my husbands birthday, and he was pretty pleased with it I think. Just need to take it to the framers now and we're talking about hanging it in our hall I think. Nice reminder of the trip.

The second piece is a mixed media - acrylic and charcoal - on a 16 x 20" chunky canvas. I've so far not been able to find / arrange the right lighting to get a really good photo of it, but it's got many layers, a lot of ragged areas, and lines scratched into the paint. I really wanted to push, with this one, the feeling of sitting under the stone and being entirely dominated and overwhelmed by it, convey the wild wild, and also the magic of that night - it felt more than a little enchanted.

An Orkney Sketchbook - Part 2

2011-03-01T12:00:00.000Z

The Ring of Brodgar

I just love this place! It always looks to me like a tilted crown on a fuzzy heather-haired head. If you visited anywhere and came across a circle like this you would be blown away, but add it's position between two lochs, the causeway crossing to reach it, the beautiful vast hollow in the landscape it occupies, the impressive barrows and cairns all around - including the mighty Mae's Howe, the masses of standing stones and breathtaking Stones of Stenness and Watchstone, the Ring of Bookan henge hovering on the horizon... well it's just magical in a way nowhere else is!

There were two main problems in getting paintings and sketches of this place during my visit...

One was the, admittedly not huge, distance from the car park to the circle - it's just a few moments but when carrying a full rucksack of art gear and several canvases or a drawing board in gale force winds, also dodging heavy rain showers, it becomes a game of timing it right and running for it before you are either blown away like the sail on a ship, or run out of time to achieve anything before the next soaking.

The other, really, is as simple (or hard!) as getting a good angle on it. The stones once numbered 60-70, but the remaining beauties are scatted about, arranged in a few small groups mainly, with some of the most interesting and impressive stones standing almost alone. Given the close proximity of water, and the fact the circle is on a rise, the places from which you can view the full circle in a pleasing composition are a bit limited. This means one of two options - focus in on a section, or end up using a bit of artistic licence to get what you want ;-) I will admit to squeezing up the stones in a few paintings just to make what I had to work with, well, work.

Although I might have played a few tricks with the subject matter consciously, much of any inaccuracy or change of usual style in the paintings were in fact an effect of the conditions. Now I'll admit here, as much as I appreciate the importance of working en plein air and the benefits for your work, I was always all for the comfort and warmth of working in the studio. I have to say this trip has changed my mind! When your fingers have mostly ceased from cold you have to adopt an impressionistic style, as you loose all fine control. Ditto when your arms and legs get stiff from bracing against the wind, you don't tend to jig and bob about in the same way you might normally.

February was always going to be a slightly bonkers time of year for outdoor painting - but on an island that's famous for it's winds it was going to be even more challenging! I think in some ways we escaped quite lightly with the weather - but there's no escaping the short Winter days, and that the wind got up to force 8 at times, with wind chill down to minus temperatures.

I had to use a knife to scratch the fine detail into several paintings as I simply couldn't afford the extra time at the end of painting, getting colder and stiffer, to work the detail with paint. I also had to take a decision that any rain, sand, dust that got onto a canvas was simply part of the painting and the experience.

The conditions meant all sorts of 'interesting solutions needed to be found in order to make painting possible at all. I found a couple of spots along the road that passes the circle where we could safely pull the car into and my angling the front of the car into the wind, I could work half in the boot of he car, which worked OK.

I'm excited by the work I got done at the circle whilst away, but I'm also really excited by the material I have brought back....

There are some wonderful textures and shapes in the stones, and I hope I can use these to expand the idea I had started to develop before I went away of taking stone textures and building them into semi-abstract works.

I'm hugely grateful to my husband who, after I returned to the holiday apartment one night from painting the sunset, absolutely shattered and frozen, went back out in the cold to try and get shots of the Northern Lights - which due were just about visible through a lot of cloud. The photo's didn't come out as great as they could have with a less cloud cover, but I think I should be able to do something with them... :-)

An Orkney Sketchbook - Part 1

2011-02-22T09:19:00.010Z

As followers of my Facebook page will know an have seen, I've just returned from a 5-day painting trip to Orkney. Thankfully it's not the huge journey for me that it is for many from other parts of the UK, a couple of hours drive and a hop on a ferry, but still crossing the Pentland Firth is always a bit magical - and Orkney has this other worldliness about it. The changing light, the ever-present wind, the stunning beaches and brooding moorland...

I've come back with heaps of material, colour sketches, paintings, photos, notes... I'm not sure quite how to deal with them, so I guess I'll need to section things up into bite-size chunks!

So, no particular chronological order...

The Broch of Gurness

I missed this the last time we travelled to Orkney, but so many people (my husband included) said I needed to visit this place - indeed I may have the pleasure of painting it for a commission some time, so it was high on the 'to see' list.

I love the story behind the discovery of this wonderful site, as described the the brilliant OrkneyJar website...

Until the summer of 1929, the site of the Broch o' Gurness was nothing more than a massive, grassy mound by the shore... The remains of the broch were discovered by Orcadian poet and antiquarian, Robert Rendall. While sketching on the knowe, one of the legs of Rendall's stool sank into the mound. Carefully removing some of the nearby stones, Rendall uncovered a staircase leading down into the mound.

As you would imagine, visiting in February, it was a bit wintry - but just after we arrived here and I had managed an initial look-around, the sun suddenly broke through the cloud, illuminating just the small area we were in, and I was able to capture some amazingly lit photos!

Apart from the obvious boggling of trying to make out one house to the next, the immediacy of the surviving architecture, feeling you could sense how the past-inhabitants lived, wondering how in 100-200BC maybe 40 families lived in this space, small things really appealed to me about the place... The stonework in itself was fascinating!

I was also really taken with the solid-ness, huge-ness, sturdy nature of the doorway into the broch itself - very commanding and powerful! And there is a wonderful open pathway up to the broch door. Put me in mind of all sorts of ideas of portals and pathways through life...

The remains of the central hearth really could be a piece of abstract art in it's own life. No idea what the significance of the 'wall' coming away from it is... Must find out...

Sadly I didn't get much painting done here as right after the wonderful shafts of sun moved through the site, it started raining. No sooner had I got my kit out I was putting it away again.

How it All Began - Stones

2011-02-14T18:26:00.004Z

So on the eve of another megalithic adventure (painting in Orkney, not hugely far for me, but still involves a ferry and some of the UK's best ancient sites, so I'm stupidly excited), I thought it would be interesting to revisit the history of me and pre-history.

How on earth did I get so obsessive over old rocks in fields? Why do stone circles delight me so much?

This post also fulfills a promise to you all to share some paralysingly embarrassing photos of me. What can I say, I'm either a good egg or really stupid ;-)...

'Hoary Old Stones XIV' - AVAILABLE

It all started when I was 8 or 10. I remember sleeping over at my friend Helen's house and not being able to drop off, reading my way through her huge pile of 'Tell me Why' books. One picture stuck me, it was an illustration of Stonehenge. I was in total awe that such a thing existed, not in some exotic are barely imaginable country across wide oceans, but in Britain, and maybe only 50 miles from my home!

Somebody else must tell me they remember Tell Me Why encyclopedias, I can't find any photo's on the net and I'm starting to imagine that I dreamed about them!

After much frenzied-child begging of the various adults in my life, a family friend agreed to take me along on a visit to Stonehenge. No pictures exist, but I imagine if they did my face would be simply a huge gaping-wide open mouth. To kids of around ten a double scoop ice cream cone can almost make them self-destruct with pure pleasure - to this kid the idea of those huge stones in that field blew away every boundary of reality.

'Clava Cairns Stone 1' - AVAILABLE

A few years later, when in new possession of my first SLR camera, I was taken on a day trip to Avebury. If Stonehenge was the spark, then Avebury was the catalyst for a lifelong obsession!

Look I know it looks like I am wearing a slice of fruitcake on my head, but it's a SCRUNCHIE, they were fashionable once, OK? (but possibly not worn quite in that way, hmm...). the Devil's Chair at Avebury.

Everyone has one of these photo's, right?

When I was digging the above photo's out I came across this, which quite surprised me. It's me sketching up on the henge earthworks at Avebury, when I must have been about 13. I don't remember it being taken at all. Thank god the scrunchie has gone!

I didn't initially remember being mad on art at this time, but it just goes to show... I realised this was the year I did work experience in an art shop, and drew Celtic knotwork greeting cards to sell. Maybe I don't remember as it wasn't really an 'exterior' thing at the time - perhaps that came much later...

I'm not sure what age I was here, possibly about the same, on my first trip to see the megalithic delights of the far West tip of Cornwall. I remember being awed by Men-an-Tol, the Merry Maidens, Lanyon Quoit, as well as taking in the mines, lots of Celtic art (which I was very into at the time), lots of galleries, a medieval-style meadery, and seeing a play by Molière at Minack Theatre. Yup, so that sets in stone the geek tag then!

Just to finish up, I was digging about in an old portfolio folder, and found these, lino prints (obsessed, moi? Choose a nice pot of flowers like everyone else, me?) from my GCSE coursework. OF COURSE the 'G' was supposed to be that way round, totally intentional Sir, honest!!

Mud and Magic

2011-02-06T18:55:00.007Z

Our little family has been reeling from a yukky fluey bug for a couple of weeks now, one after the other getting ill, getting better, and then going down with it again. After my husband also ended up in bed and on antibiotics I was feeling very secretly smug that I had managed to largely escape - then I woke feeling ikky this morning too.

I decided a little walk might shake it out of my system, but the first planned trek fell through when I realised that the kids, after being sick for days, just weren't up to walking very far - so instead we headed a little way North to a spot (near the road, so not too strenuous) where we knew the remains of a stone circle exist (which we had never explored before).

Work, pleasure and fresh air all in one shot - excellent!

We arrived in the map marked spot, only to realise the circle wasn't quite where we thought. Both my daughters had just woken, groggy, from a nap, so my son and husband went off to try to spot it whilst I sat with them in the car. Some time later they appeared looking rather miffed. the conversation went something like this...

Me: Did you find it?
My husband: No!
Me: Oh well, no need to be that upset...
H: We found something...
Me: ???
H: Knee deep cow dung!

And looking down, both were coated half-leg high in the kind of stuff you really don't want to be coated in (apparently an icy crust broke beneath them, dropping them into the mire below)! So what would any good wife and mother do? Help them clean up? Whip out the package of spare clothing she had thoughtfully put in the boot? Insist they all drove home straight away and run them a hot baths? Yes? No! Ask them if they mind sitting in the stinky stuff whilst she still tried to find the circle.... (whoops!)

Anyway the stone circle turned out to be overlooking where were were parked, just hidden by a few trees! Not wanting to totally alienate my menfolk by keeping them from getting decontaminated (or gas my poor girls) I didn't stop too long - just long enough to grab some photo's and do a quick sketch to get the place set in my mind.

The site is fab! Small but at a wonderful spot. If you want to read where to find it, and all my jolly theories then you can see my entry on the Modern Antiquarian website, along with that from other contributors...

Oh and I was mightily inspired, walking back to the car, by the wonderful patterns that has formed in the ice in the ditch at the side of the road - I have no idea how! I think these will make it into some kind of abstract - just as soon as I have a few other paintings done and dusted. Kind of reminded me of rock art - something I'm researching into more, and which I think is going to be featuring in my work soon. Neat circle.

Commissioning Artwork

2011-01-31T18:05:00.009Z

I’m very lucky, I get asked to work on some amazing projects - ones that are close to people’s hearts, ones that really touch me, ones that introduce me to new ideas, ones that are full of joy or passion!

I thought it would be useful to blog about the process of commissioning a painting or piece of design work…

Ideas…

Usually when someone gets in touch they have some idea of what kind of piece they are looking for - sometimes it’s a fairly firm idea, a painting of a photo they have, or something similar to a painting I have done before but with key changes made, and other times they haven’t yet narrowed down to a definitive brief, although they have a few scattered ideas.

In those situations I see my job as being a kind of ‘curator’ pulling together ideas and suggestions for the client to dig into, and like a magpie pull out the ones that catch their eye or imagination.

I'm happy to be approached about a wide range of types of commissions... In the past I've worked on everything from landscapes, to fantasty pieces, to tea towel designs! Portraiture isn't my purest passion (I know some wonderful artists who specialise and excel in this type of work, so often try to pass classical portraits on to those masters of the craft) but I do sometimes take on figurative paintings which have a wider story to tell. Oddly I've not been asked to do many abstract commissions so far - which is something I'd love to do, I think the process of working with a client on that kind of project could be fun!

I contacted Nicki about commissioning a painting for me. The painting is something very personal to me and so it's very important that I commissioned an artist that would 'get' me. Straight away I felt that Nicki and I were singing from the same hymn sheet, she totally understood everything I asked of her and has included me in every step of the process so far ~ Angie.

I commissioned a painting from Nicki for my Brother and Sister-in-law's wedding present. Nicki took the time to visit the setting, Little Garve Bridge in the Highlands and took photographs from all angles to get the 'feel' of the place ~ Caroline.

Discussing…

I am always happy for people to call me on the phone, but for commissions I find email so useful! Both parties have a record of what’s been discussed and agreed, and it’s very easy to pass back and forth photo’s, swatches, sketches…

Discussing a commission is always a very individual process, client to client. Certain elements are essential to decide - a painting on canvas, or on paper? A piece of design work to be supplied in digital format?

In the case of a painting to hang, I usually work in either mixed media on paper (some combination of watercolours, pencil, pen and ink, Neocolor II pastels, gouache, acrylic inks, metallic or pearlescent paints), or in acrylics on canvas. Occasionally a particular piece calls for something different - acrylics on a panel for framing, or pastels on paper, or a simple pen and ink drawing... but whatever the clients ideas, I’ll happily work through the options for making it come to life.

I try to point out the practicalities to consider after the work has left my hands - specialist framing needed for pastels for example, framing costs for paper based pieces, or the fact a gallery wrapped canvas can be hung as is with no further thought or effort...

I emailed a few photographs of my dog and we entered into a dialogue about what type of style I would like it done in, and with what media. As I am completely clueless about art I completely trusted her judgement, which proved to be the right thing. She is truly an expert at her craft and incredibly professional throughout, while showing great personal involvement with her work and the process. We had long online conversations about the character of the dog and the aspects of her personality that I hoped to capture. Throughout the process I was kept informed and really felt that Nicki was giving her all to create an individual piece of art that would be treasured ~ Lynda.

The best bit has been that rather than an artist taking over my idea, Nicki has stayed in touch constantly and we've worked on it together, incorporating each others visions and bouncing ideas back and forth, opening our hearts to each other and baring our souls to give each other a better understanding of how the other one works ~ Angie.

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words…

A big part of the process for me is producing sketches and mock up’s for a client. This ensures the client has a firm idea of what I am proposing (often several alternate options) and also ensures I feel happy with how I will produce the final piece. Sometimes I need to analyse a photo or room scheme, and produce colour swatches. Sometimes I need to explore elements and abstract them, try different compositions, or try a few times to capture the right ‘vibe‘. The aim is to get both the client and myself to the point where we both feel fully satisfied that we can see the finished piece in our minds eye, and for my part, if given the go ahead, that I could plough straight into work without further preparation.

During this progress I’ll often ask a client to supply extra information to help me perfect the proposals. If it’s to compliment a room then emailed things like wallpaper swatches, paint swatches, photo’s of the room can help an awful lot! If it’s a portrait of a person or place then sometimes additional, slightly different snaps of the subject can be helpful.

When Nicki had done her initial sketch she showed me an image by email and I instantly fell in love with it and knew she was right for the job and gave her the go ahead for the piece ~ Lynda.

I sent Nicki a few photos to give her an idea of what I was looking for, we then discussed colours and the overall look. Nicki came back to me with a couple of sketches (that were breathtaking), we discussed more ideas, and also the decor of the room the painting will be hung in, I showed her the wallpaper of the room. Nicki went off and unpicked the wallpaper to define the colours she will be working with ~ Angie.

The Quote…

At this stage, armed with all the essential info - size, medium, sketched out plan, colours agreed, and all other info gathered - I can quote a cost for the commission. I try in most circumstances to give a flat, round figure for the job fully completed, including all necessary packaging and shipping. I find it helps everyone know where they stand.

Once I have offered a quote for a commission, I leave it and all the information and sketches with the client to ponder over… At this point the client will not have accrued any costs, and is more than welcome to walk away if they are not sure about the project, or the material I have produced.

I feel this is important - you wouldn't buy a car without having a good idea of the cost, or without knowing the number of seats or the colour of the paint. Without that vital info you simply can;' make a decision - although I do love it when a commission is given the go ahead, and I can tighten up the ideas and sketches, polish the whole thing into a finished painting. I think that process can be quite exciting for the client, and for me too! A kind of magic happens that you can't fully predict at the quote and discussion stage.

I always say that every commission project needs to find it’s right time, and it’s right pair of hands to make it come to life… These things have a way of working themselves out, and I’d no more wish to take on a project a client wasn’t 100% sure and happy about, than I would take on a commission I didn’t think I could complete to mutual absolute satisfaction.

Some projects seem to come to fruition quickly in a mutual frenzy of excitement, some are slow burning and come together a little further down the line at a more relaxed pace, and others don’t happen - which is fine and as it should be. I enjoy the different dynamics, and even those commissions I prepare for and don’t end up carrying out I always enjoy the process and learn something from!

Timing…

Timing is always crucial to discuss, if the piece will be needed for a very fixed date - such as a birthday, wedding or anniversary - or a looser deadline - like the completion of a room. Sometimes I am able to begin commissions more or less right away, and at others times I operate a waiting list type system. A lot can depend on the complexity and size of piece, if I have other deadlines I am working to, and if I need to order special materials in for the project, or make special site visits or prep‘ sketches from life… I’ve discussed projects that have only had a few days to complete, and ones that are not needed for a year or more - whatever the circumstances I’ll do my best to help if I can, and be as honest about what I can and can’t do.

Basic, but it works - my door-based work planner!

If a Quote is Accepted…

If a client decides they are happy with my quote and the information I have provided, then I get them scheduled into my work plan, let them know when I can start, get materials on order… I usually at this point ask for a small deposit payment (or closer to the time if the commission isn’t due to start for a few months). Something around 20-30% as a token of the clients commitment to the project.

As I Work…

As I work on the painting I like to provide updates - photo’s and thoughts - to the client. For those that wish this can be done privately via email (a good idea if the painting is to be a gift), but many people like to share the progression of their project with others, as I post updates on my Facebook page and blog - it created quite a buzz of excitement for everyone I think. This is of course entirely up to the client to choose!

If I need to make changes to the agreed plan with a painting, am running behind or ahead of schedule, or need further information then by keeping in regular touch with the client I can keep guiding the project to completion. Within reason of the originally agreed brief, I’m always happy to tinker with the painting if the client has comments or suggestions as I work.

She shared digital pictures with me throughout the process and when I asked for some little details to be tweaked re the colouring she was happy to oblige and tweaked away until I was 100% happy ~ Lynda.

When the Commission is Complete…

I show photo’s to the client for approval. Sometimes this comes back right away as a happy yes, other times we agree little tweaks and changes that can make it even better. This exchange of thoughts can often take a few days - and is really important!

When both the client and I are fully happy, I invoice for the final payment (by PayPal / credit or debit card / cheque). Once this is received I get the painting packaged up and dispatched to the client. Sometimes this can take a few days - for example, I always give acrylic paintings a good few days drying time to ensure they are perfectly dry and the paint hardened enough to be sure there will be no sticking to packaging.

And After?

I love to know that a parcel has been safely received and what the client thinks. I am always a little nervous, but the buzz of getting that happy email and hearing all the client has to say is a pure joy!

When the finished article reached me, in plenty of time for my gift deadline I almost cried with delight. It totally captured her and the Cornish landscape I love so much perfectly. My husband was bowled over by it and it now hangs in pride of place where it can be admired by all. Nicki is an absolute joy to work with, caring, friendly, honest and professional. She is an amazing artist and a truly lovely lady and I am looking forward to working with her again with another commission I have in mind for the future ~ Lynda.

I honestly don't think I would be able to find another artist so in tune with her clients and so committed to achieving what the client wants ~ Angie.

The landscape that was completed was just completely amazing. You could feel the atmosphere of the river and surrounding area. Everyone that has been lucky enough to see the finished painting has been astonished at the detail that Nicki put into the painting. Having the painting of the place that they were married was just the icing on the cake for them and it is something that they will treasure always ~ Caroline.

To Commission a Painting....

If you are thinking of commissioning a painting, just drop me a line! I'm always happy to have a chat about any project to see if we can make it happen, with no obligation.

Connections

2011-01-26T19:53:00.002Z

'Connections'
16 x 16"
Acrylic on canvas

Not the best photo, I'll take another tomorrow in daylight...

I was remarking this morning how the idea of 'connection' or 'connectedness' kept coming up in things I was reading, discussing, etc... Connection with other people being important, bouncing off and interacting with others bringing inspiration, connection with the seasons and nature, connection with that around us defining who we are and what we experience… And indeed it was ‘connectedness’ that brought me all the connections with ‘connection’ ;-). I felt inspired to paint something with that theme today.

After a bleak winter where the weather took control to an extent, I’ve realised how out of tune with nature I am, and that’s something I want to work on this year. Part of what I painted today is about that - being connected to the seasons, the cycles of universe, the weather, nature around us…

The figure I intended to remain androgynous, but he seems to have turned into a rather hansom bloke! ;-) The blanket / cloak around him is about comfort - feeling comfort able and in tune with the cycles around him - but also as I wanted him to be of no definable age in time, profession, social status, etc. Traveller? Perhaps? Druid? Sorcerer? Monk? Soldier? Labourer resting in the field?

Oddly the image also ended up being a lot about balance too - that was accidental, but perhaps balance and connectedness aren’t so very alien to each other? One to ponder more…

Clean / Slate

2011-01-21T15:15:00.002Z

I keep stumbling over this colour, I've mapgie-d it together...

Clean Slate by nickimacrae on Polyvore.com

Organic Pure Corriedale Denim over-dyed DK knitting yarn
blackeryarns.co.uk

Nicki Paints
blogspot.com

Daydream Wallpaper - Blue
hyggeandwestshop.com

Nethercote Wallpaper - Blue
hyggeandwestshop.com

Gifts - Wall Hangings - Blue Mix Harris Tweed Wall Hanging - Little...
littlehouseoftweed.co.uk

Nightsky Pyjamas - pyjamas - nightwear from Hush
hush-uk.com

Standing Stones - Your Thoughts...

2011-01-19T15:05:00.003Z

A few days ago on my Facebook group I asked people to let me have their thoughts about megaliths - standing stones, stone circles. I had some fantastic responses - so insightful! Thanks so much to all who contributed!

I thought I would put all the posts together and see what the most used 25 words were amongst them. Unsurprisingly stones and standing ranked right near the top, but very interestingly so did feel.

Ranking as highly was just, which I think reading peoples posts back, says something about the simplicity of the concept of what they mean to people - " it just makes me feel happy", " I just feel very relaxed", "I just think why, how and who".

Other common words were emotive ones - peace, love, power, calm - and ones which describe chronology - time, history, back.

A lot to ponder on and mull over!

For a bit of fun I did a Wordie of these top words...

Starting in Art

2011-01-17T22:19:00.003Z

Ahh! I had a lovely message yesterday from Katherine, a very lovely and interesting lady who always seems to have a million ideas and nuggets of information spinning round in her head, so I was delighted when she said...

Hi Nicki, I was wondering if you could give me a bit of advice. I am feeling very inspired to do some painting tho I don't have much artistic ability and know nothing about it lol. I was wonder what is the best way to start out?

... because I can see that she'd get a lot from splashing some of those ideas over paper or canvas.

I was just going to tap a message back, but I've been asked this question before, and I thought it would be great if I, and anyone else, could give Katherine and others thinking the same a few our our thoughts - and maybe start a few folk off on a new hobby, career, or just a few hours of fun!

So these are my thoughts, and I'd really love it if any of my arty pals would be willing to share a bit of their knowledge and advice too :-)

Katherine, I am so so pleased that you feel inspired to paint (or draw!) - I honestly think there's a very basic human need to 'create' in all of us, and we all benefit as people in letting it out. Obviously, as art is my personal passion, I get excited about enthusing about that particular creative activity, so I'm sat here smiling as I type.

As a self-taught artist, and one really very early in her commercial career (although I guess I've always been doing arty things through my life, even when I've not realised I was - website design, retail displays, mural painting...) I always flinch a little when asked anything that puts me in the shoes of teacher or instructor, but I can tell you about how I got started, and the processes I got through - and perhaps something in that my ring true in your mind and give you a push to get started.

I guess I started very much as you feel now, a need to pick up a brush or pen, but no clear path as it what to do with it once I got started. I wanted to create, but also I overwhelmingly wanted to 'express', and also I felt it would allow me to relax. I had gone through a few changes in life, had a challenging job, small kids, and needed to find both a voice and mental space. I felt instinctively getting back to the art that I had enjoyed as a teen would do that - I was right, and HOW right!

Now I can look back with a few years experience under my belt, when I look at the past me sat with a brush, questioning 'what next' I know now what I would say. I would tell myself that there are three questions I must seek answers to...

What did I want, at this stage, to get out of art?

If what I wanted to produce great works of technical skill, and had that sort of engineers . mathematical or scientists mind, then I guess I might have been best to sign up to a course or find myself a tutor. To seriously study some art history, and get some instructional DVDs from the library.

However if what I wanted to was have fun, enjoy the process, relax and express myself I think I would have told myself to forget representing things, in fact don't think about the word 'art' and all it's connections at all. I would have put myself on some relaxing music, maybe a few scented candles, a nice glass of wine or a hot mug of tea, presented myself with a huge sheet of blank paper (or the back of a roll of old wallpaper, or a flattened cardboard box) and said 'take away the whiteness'. I think it doesn't matter what with either - paints, yes by all means, old tester pots, your kids felt tips, the marker pen you use for parcels, hell splodge on your cold tea bag!

I think the thing is not to 'create art' but to remove fear. The fear we might 'do it wrong', or the fear what comes out might not be exactly what we had in our heads, or it might not be 'good enough', or even that we might let ourselves go a little too much! I think even if the ultimate goal, say, is to produce intricate botanical illustrations, or reproductions of Renaissance masterpieces, then you have to learn to let yourself go enough to trust your instinct, loosen your limbs, and, very occasionally, to fail (before learning from it, and trying again).

Do you know your tools through and through?

If you cook then over time you learn that, this pan is the right size for that recipe, and a little sugar with the tomatoes works well, or a certain spoon won't fit in a certain jar. All those little things help you make the best meals. If you walked into a new kitchen with no prior knowledge of the controls on the oven, where the whisk was kept, and what the strange vegetable in the veg box was, you'd not expect yourself to cook up a three-course for ten people in forty minutes! But all to often I think folk (myself included!) sit down with a pack of brushes, a box of paints and expect with a few hours graft to produce a great likeness of the Taj Mahal - not that they presume they are naturally gifted artists, or that art is 'easy', but that that *must* be the end goal of sitting down to paint, right? And when it doesn't come out as well as you hope it can be very demoralising, and the 'I'm not very good at this' thoughts creep in.

If before you seek to complete a piece you know the many types of mark each pencil, pastel and brush can make, you've enjoyed a dreamy afternoon or two mixing colours and experimenting with how they go down on the page (remember the joy in making mud pies as a kid? Its all there for the taking!), seeing how different it is to draw or paint on paper, and cardboard, a scrunched paper bag, a scrap of fabric, newspaper, a bit of wood (or even what its like to run a stick over a sea flattened beach, or build shapes with gravel on your drive!) then the task of taking your thoughts about a project, your feelings / memories / what you are looking at, and making them into a pleasing sense on the page becomes so SO much easier!

What excited you, inspires, you fires you up?

I clearly remember that feeling of needing to make art, feeling the creative energy carrying me off, but having absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. Sometimes I would look around and ask others 'what shall I paint today' and pick an answer at random, and it might or might not feel right once I got started. Or I might think I should paint a certain thing 'because it would be a good exercise', and sure that sort of discipline is important, but perhaps not in the earliest days when you're creative bud is so tender that a hard frost of defeat could make it shrivel before anone had got to enjoy its blooming!

I read a wonderful quote today which was...

"Collect samples of everything you like, things that move you. Take them home and analyze what it is that moves you...look for the 'Aha!' Then do it your own way." Cheri Christensen

I used to hear the advice from artists - 'keep a journal' they would say with unnerving surety - and I would think, yeah, OK, for those that have the time! I am too busy painting! But now I see that, as a cart comes before the horse, the journal comes before the art. I don't keep a journal in a traditional sense as well as I might, but I do magpie all the time, scribble notes of things I have heard or seen, tear pages from magazines and pin them up, hoard shells and pottery and feathers and things that please me. Make up digital moodboards, when I have 30 minutes to spare... I try to be aware of a mood I am feeling and how I got there. Or see a beautiful sky and snap it on my phone whilst trying to memorise every shape and colour. Every day I am gathering, not just direct inspiration, but things that enhance me as a person, things that make me happy, things that make me think, things that make me feel.

I wish I had told myself right from those early days to take pleasure in being a magpie. Be open, be aware! Gather things to your heart and fully experience them. Then when you sit down to create things will tumble from our mind without prompting, and without feeling like strangers.

Katherine, my advice would be...

Don't worry about what you have to hand in terms of materials. Use what you have, and explore it to the full. Look for the surprising and untraditional and give it a try, because in that experimenting you'll gain some of the most valuable information and get some of the best experiences. I often sketch with a biro on the backs of envelopes, but by all means don't deny yourself the joy of buying something if it gives you pleasure and makes you feel you are investing in your hobby / passion.

If you buy one thing, buy a journal with good paper (I like the Daler Rowney books, not too expensive you are frightened to make a mark in them, study to take weather and being carried about, and paper that works for most media) - try and do something in it every day. It doesn't need to be a sketch, stick in things from magazines, or bits of packaging that interest you, leaves, feathers, grasses...Try printing with objects around your house - scrape a paint loaded fork or toothbrush, the imprint of a bit of cloth or paper napkin, make some potato blocks! Sploge colours together to see how they work and interact. Record the colours of a sunset without trying to actually 'paint it'. Or the textures and colours in the sea, or your dinner, or the sofa! Record how you feel - what colour do you feel, what shapes do you feel, light or dark lines, does your doodle fill the page, or is it small in the centre of the page, or the corner? If you sketch try never to tear it out, keep it, even if you hate the sight of it one day it will teach you something. If you really can't bear to look at it, then rather than tear it, cover it up with a collage - and remind yourself that everything comes in layers. We don't destroy what has gone before, we can't really, we build on it.

And, above all, remember to invest in yourself, as our art is nothing without the 'us' that goes into it!

And ENJOY IT!

(and let us know how you get on!! :-D )

A Castle, A Stone and A Lama

2011-01-16T18:43:00.010Z

Well that was an interesting day...

Headed out this morning to spend a few hours exploring and painting my local standing stones. I realised that I am always in such a rush to jump in a car or plan some mad adventure that I neglect the local ancient wonders on my doorstep!

Armed with camera and a bag of art gear I set off this morning, after waiting for a downpour to ease, to Edderton, where the Clach Biorach (or Sharp Stone) sits in a field on the edge of the village, in view of the houses (I always think I'd enjoy waking to the sight of it).

There's a bit of mystery about this stone - it has some of the Pictish carvings which are fairly common in this area - but was it an ancient stone that was later carved, or is the erection of the stone contemporary with the carvings?

As you'll see I didn't get terribly far with my sketching as the wind got up and then the rain really set in, and I was driven back to the shelter of the car.

Abandoned colour sketch!

After sitting for a bit I decided the only thing I could so was head off through the storm, in the direction it was coming from, and see if I could make some headway somewhere that direction. As I drove along the main Tain to Ardgay road the most wonderful thing happened, the skies got lighter, the sun began to break through, and over the firth the HUGE full arch rainbow appeared. By the time I stopped the car somewhere safe a grabbed the camera, a second half rainbow has appeared too! Now you're looking to see the lovely snap of the rainbow aren't you? Hmm, well I'm afraid this is all you are going to get, as in my excitement at the overwhelming display of colour I forgot to change all the settings on my camera. Oh dear! You'll have to take my word for it that is was awesome.

On down the road, through Ardgay and Bonar Bridge, up the Lairg road and off towards to tourist haven of Falls of Shin... In a field beside the road near Invershin Farm is another less known but lovely standing stone. I'm always passing it. I always say the same thing - 'nest time I will stop'. So today I did!

It looks quite small from the road, but when I got close I realised it was a few inches taller than me, at around 5'5"! It's a really handsome stone with a mop of brilliant mustard lichen, quartz stripes and beautiful vertical striations.

Although I'd run out of time to sketch, I got some wonderful photo's and really soaked up this place, so I'll be painting this one very soon!

So why was this blog post called A Castle, A Stone and A Lama? Well when I got back to my car a little head appeared at the nearby gate (I think he was after my peanut butter sarnies) and I realised how very rarely these three things must come into alignment in one shot... an ancient rock, Carbisdale Castle (it's a youth hostel, you can stay there!) and a visitor from South America!

I have to say, my meditation group, where I headed right after, was much less filled with crazy imagery in comparison ;-)

Festive Gift to You!

2010-12-10T07:32:00.005Z

If you were one of my kids I'd tick you off for trying to search for your prezzies, but as the gift in question is rather timely just now I thought I'd let you all have it early!

This is my gift to you all - clients, supporters, friends!

'SEASONS GREETINGS'

Just like Santa, I've hidden it under the tree - so to find it take the link on the right to my website, select 'Gallery', then 'Greeting Cards & Prints', then scroll all the way down to the bottom...

Have you been feeling a little bit like that too? I thought maybe so ;-)

The artwork is free to download - stick it on your fridge, put it on your desktop, pass it to a stressed friend. It should print well up to A3. But please don't use it commercially without checking that out with me first... And if you tell anyone about this - and I'd LOVE that - please point them to the blog, or my website, of the Facebook group, not just to the link direct ('cause that would be a bit like someone sneaking in the back door, pinching a mice pie and legging it, and we want everyone at the party!) :-D

There have been a few people having issues with the download page - it seems to be a glitch with the site I have used. If lots of people try to download all at once it gets cranky, but now demand has slowed we should have less problems. If you find you can't download at all then just drop me a line and I'll make sure you are sorted out...

Thanks for all your custom, support and friendship in 2010!!!

Nicki

Early Winter

2010-11-28T13:38:00.002Z

Like most places, we're currently under a blanket of sparkling snow. I'm also though still noticing a lot of russet and golden leaves on trees - and we've been having a lot of those gorgeous snow skies with icy grey-white with golden or peach sprinkled clouds...

All in all it's got me into a mind set of crisp whites, steel blues, golden and silver bimetallics, bronze, ochre and tan, offset by jet black.

I've been on a mad hunt for some grey herringbone Harris Tweed fabric or a large blanket in a similar style with which to make a hall curtain, after staying at the wonderful Blytheswood Square Hotel in Glasgow last weekend. The watches below are from http://www.harristweedhebrides.com/ the company who have supplied many of the fabulous drapes and cushions there. Undoubtedly I carried a little of the vibe of the hotels sumptuous but clean and quirky interior design back home with me :-)

I pulled this mood board together as I was looking at Christmas presents and kept spying these colours, and I've started over the weekend a few abstracts on this general theme.

early winter by nickimacrae featuring a tweed coat

TWIST FRONT CARDIGAN | TOAST
145 GBP - toast.co.uk
Cardigans »

TWEED PROMENADE COAT | TOAST
275 GBP - toast.co.uk
Tweed coat »

Anthropologie.com - All That Remains Bobbies
10 GBP - anthropologie.com
Anthropologie »

LUISA NECKLACE
35 GBP - toast.co.uk
Necklaces »

MAC Cosmetics UK | Eyes | Shadow | Pigment
15 GBP - maccosmetics.com

METALLIC BANGLE | TOAST
9.50 GBP - toast.co.uk

Bhaltos Bag Harris Tweed Hebrides
harristweedhebrides.com

ha200-a1 Harris Tweed Hebrides
harristweedhebrides.com

Navy Harris Tweed Hebrides
harristweedhebrides.com

ha200-e1 Harris Tweed Hebrides
harristweedhebrides.com

Black Harris Tweed Hebrides
harristweedhebrides.com

WPPG01 wallpaper
thornbackandpeel.co.uk

Jewellery & accessories | Jewellery | Anthropologie
anthropologie.eu

FRAMED: On the Edge & All Hung Up

2010-11-15T09:03:00.011Z

I thought it might be good if I posted a little bit about how my art is presented, and what that means for those lovely folks purchasing work. I try to explain in my item descriptions, but I know when shopping online it's always hard to imagine how things look...

Canvases

I paint on two different types of canvas, those with a 'deep' or 'chunky' edge, which looks like this...

'Hoary Old Stones XII'

...The edge itself is about 1 1/2" (or nearly 4cm). They create quite an impact when hung - and have the added bonus that, as I always finish the sides neatly (either by carrying the painting around onto the edges or by painting them a co-ordinating colour, they can be hung without the need for framing.

The other type of canvas I use is a 'narrow' edge canvas, which is about 3/4" wide (or about 2cm). Again I always carefully finish the sides of these canvases, but of course they can be framed if you prefer, or if that suits your decor better...

'Expressive Abstract 1'

As a point of interest, I use high quality canvases by several manufacturers (alas I'm not so clever at making my own!) usually with cotton in a brilliant white finish. The brightness works well with a lot of my work. Occasionally, however, for some landscape work I use a natural coloured linen canvas, which brings a warm earthy hue through the layers of paint - something which is hard to recreate in any other way.

Hanging

All my canvases go out ready to hang - by this I mean they always have cord or wire attached at the back and all you need to do is pop a hook or hooks in your wall.

Works on Paper

I always send work on paper (pastels, watercolour, pen and ink, mixed media...) in a plastic sleeve and in a stiff, study package to avoid bending or damage. I tend not to offer such pieces framed as its such an individual thing, and whilst I think it's important to match the work to the frame, it's also important for the frame to match your home. It's not so very often I find that a piece will *only work in one particular frame - leaving things open for people to also work with their personal taste. Being that I sell many of my works online, removing the added weight and fragility of a frame also helps me keep shipping costs down.

Framing Requests

I've recently has a wonderful framers open literally right on my doorstep (a few hundred yards away!), so I am happy to take any unframed works in for a quote for framing should you wish to receive it framed and ready to hang or give as a gift. This applies to works on paper and to those on narrow framed canvases. There is no charge for this service past the price at cost of the framing, and any additional surcharge the extra weight causes to shipping your painting.

'Rain on the Firth' (on a narrow edge canvas) just back from the framers (currently on display at the Strathpeffer Pavilion Art Fair).

Caring for Your Painting

Whilst it's easy to know how to care for a framed piece, sometimes its hard to know what to do for the best with unframed canvases.

As I paint in acrylics, caring for your painting is pretty straightforward. You may occasionally wipe dust from the front and sides of the painting with a soft cloth. If necessary this can be *barely damp* (beware a wet or damp cloth *could* potentially lift paint, but one that's barely damp to the touch will be fine and will help in fully lifting any dust). I would advise not using any cleaning preparations like polish or diluted detergents.

Mixed media canvases will have been sealed in with fixers and varnishes, so you can look after them in the same way (again a dry cloth or ones that's so barely damp it almost feels dry to touch, and no cleaning substances).

I always advise not hanging paintings directly over radiators, and of course do remember that hanging very near open fires always runs the risk of dulling the painting with coal or wood dust. Any work - print, canvas or framed ink, pastel, pencil or watercolour - hung in very bright conditions will most likely fade over the course of years, so if you love something very much do consider hanging in a less sun dazzled part of the room.

All in all though, art tends to be pretty easy to look after - and more than worth the occasional careful dusting for all the pleasure you get back in return!

Lots of new paintings on the website...

2010-11-08T21:43:00.002Z

I finished a new Hoary Old Stones piece today, and then as I was dealing with the admin after I became mortified that I'd not yet photographed properly and uploaded my six (!!) other most recently completed paintings to my website. So time for a huge catch up!

Also had lots to mark off as sold, which is never a bad thing! That's the kind of work I like :-)

I thought I would post a little round up of the new works (I post a lot of work in progress snaps and newly completed works, paint still wet, to my Facebook page, but I mustn't forget to come and update here too)...

** Just some teaser pics, just click the photo and you'll be whizzed as if by magic to some more info! **

'Everyone has wings...'

2010-11-04T18:05:00.004Z

It was my birthday yesterday, yay! I kind of like that I get a whole day dedicated to me (well and the thousands of others who celebrate on the same day, but lets not split hairs) and did nothing special to deserve it bar turn up on the right day (surely some of the credit here should go back to my Mum?).

As usual, knowing all the best people, ;-) I was spoiled rotten with thoughtful gifts and kind messages, but I especially wanted to share with you this gorgeous hand crafted gem given to me by the ever-talented Nicky Nobbs, she of www.nicksartystuff.blogspot.com and queen of Altered Art.

The text reads....

'Everyone has wings, creating makes them visible'

Isn't that gorgeous! :-D And very much what I believe myself. We all to one degree or another have a deep rooted need to create - whether it be art, or handicrafts, gorgeous baking, putting together wonderful home interiors, photography, building collections, having a passion for make up...

It's a wonderful Altered block of wood in delicious colours, and enough sparkle and glitter to make me feel I should have ready some award ceremony speech ;-). It even has it's own little pencil and paint brush. Too cute!

Currently it's gone to live on the little shelf above my watercolour / drawing desk in the studio - I think it will inspire me there, and bring a smile :-).

Thank you SO MUCH Nicks - just SUCH a wonderful, personal and stunningly lovely gift. I shall treasure always xxxxx

New Card Design Launch!

2010-10-30T19:33:00.005+01:00

I'm really pleased to announce the launch of a new limited edition artist card design - 'Nurturing Hope II'.

The card has been especially designed for this project, and in support of Camilles Appeal, a charity formed to help children under the age of five who are suffering from a brain tumour. £1.50 of the sale of every pack will be going to the charity.

The original concept for this mixed media design is a painting I did some time back called 'Nurturing Hope', which is now owned by Hayley Shave, an inspirational friend, one of the Appeals founders and doting mummy to Camille, the little girl for whom the charity is named. I took it and wanted to work it into something bright and upbeat, using a continuing theme of the curves and curls found in the shape of a heart. My thought is a Christmas theme for those who are religious and those who are not, the idea of love nurturing hope - which of course sums up Camille and her family's story, and that of other kids in her shoes.

The cards are being printed, as I type (well perhaps not quite now, I expect the printers are busy having a curry and watching X Factor rather than standing at a hot press) onto 350gsm glossy cardstock, and will come in packs of 10 all professionally plastic wrapped and all ready for gifting or using.

The cards are A5 size - standard greeting card size (approx' 10 x 15cm across the face.

The image was created with Christmas in mind (and I hope will look gorgeous gracing any festive mantelpiece) and have been left blank inside to leave you room for your own message. By request, they have also been left without a specific Christmas message on the front, so they can be used as general greeting cards, notelets or birthday cards too. Perfect!

A pack of 10 cards is £5.00, and postage is a flat rate (no matter your order size) of £2.

To make a purchase, just follow this link to my website...

I'm expecting delivery hopefully in around a weeks time, so I'll begin shipping orders the following week in plenty of time for you to get your christmas card list written and wet your tongue for all that licking!

What's Inspiring me Today: Feeling Blue

2010-10-22T10:58:00.002+01:00

I just keep stopping these bright hues of blue everywhere, perhaps I am just missing summer skies now winter seems to have hot the Highlands already!

feeling blue by nickimacrae featuring vintage style jewelry

Shelter From The Rain Print
20 GBP - hannahzakari.co.uk

Vintage Kitty Lace Pin
8.50 GBP - hannahzakari.co.uk
Vintage style jewelry »

Vintage Owly Brooch
7.50 GBP - hannahzakari.co.uk
Vintage style jewelry »

M·A·C Cosmetics | Eye Shadow / Pro Palette Refill Pan
$11 - maccosmetics.com

M·A·C Cosmetics | Eye Shadow | Electric Eel
$11 - maccosmetics.com

M·A·C Cosmetics | Eye Shadow / Pro Palette Refill Pan
$11 - maccosmetics.com

Folksy :: Buy "Dala Folk Horse Decoration - Blue"
4 GBP - folksy.com

Scandi Button Coin Purse
9.50 GBP - hannahzakari.co.uk

teal 15mm acrylic star gems at Paperchase
2.75 GBP - paperchase.co.uk

Volksfaden - Daisy Chain Blue
1,45 EUR - volksfaden.de

Ribbons, Tie Backs, Tassels and Trimmings, London UK
vvrouleaux.com

Illamasqua Store - Eyes - False Eye Lashes No. 11-12 and 20-24
illamasqua.com

stock.xchng - clouds (stock photo by dleafy)
sxc.hu

Autumnal Trees / New Abstract

2010-10-20T20:47:00.006+01:00

A few days ago I was travelling by car along local lanes in the late afternoon sun, enjoying all the glorious autumn colours - and wishing I had thought to bring my DSLR camera (not really needed for a trip to the supermarket)! I grabbed the iPhone and snapped away as we sped along, at least hoping to capture some of the wonderful hues.

When I got home the photo's were naturally blurred, but I decided to pick a few of the prettiest and most interesting to mash them up in Photoshop to see if I could pull something interesting together, and came up with this little, rough digital abstract...

Today I felt really inspired to grab a 16 x 20" canvas and throw an abstract together with a loose basis in the digital abstract. This was how it all turned out, and I'm quite pleased. I decided to keep things a little brighter and warmer, ignoring a lot of the dark greens in the digital work, just feeling my way with it as I went.

It's potentially quite an exciting new way to work, which I think about using and developing in future.

I'll try and grab a better snap, and think on a name, and maybe get it up onto the website tomorrow.

For Dad MacRae

2010-10-15T11:28:00.002+01:00

If you follow the blog or my Facebook page you'll have noticed I've been rather quiet for a few weeks (and normally I just can't stop wittering away ;-) )...

Sadly we lost my Father-in-Law a couple of weeks ago (who I consider to be my 'other Dad', a great and wonderful man) after a long and very brave battle with cancer. It obviously it hit me, and the whole family, for six (as these things tend to do).

One of my projects over coming weeks will be to complete a painting of him. A few years ago he and my husband climbed a local hill (something Dad has really wanted to do) and my hubby took this photo of him at the top. He had harboured a dream of starting to do proper hill walking in his retirement, but I think in the months that followed this walk he realised that his battles with cancer had weakened him to the point that dreams of climbing mountains were past. But still he kept fighting for life and all the other things he loved in it - he was that sort of man.

I started the painting at the end of last year on a visit, at Dads request, in a very rushed and disorganised way. I think he was a little disappointed that I didn't just crack on with it and present it to him, and I really really valued his faith in my abilities, but I wasn't hugely happy with the way it was going and every time I got the painting out to work on it when back home it just made me feel very sad. The time, and my emotions, just weren't right, so it sat bubblewrapped in a very early stage, unfinished.

I think now's the time to crack on and get it completed, I'll obviously post updates as I go. It's going to be a difficult project...

Nicki Paints

Wish me Luck, I'm Going In!

'Lustre' at An Talla Solais & The Market Street Collective

Abstracts

'Icons Ascending'Triptych - three 10 x 14" canvases.Acrylic on canvas.

Babywearing Art

A Give Away a Day - Day Five

A Give Away a Day - Day Four

More Broch Building...

A Give Away a Day - Day Three

A Give Away a Day - Day Two

A Give Away a Day - Day One

Rock n Roll! Building a Broch...

New PrintsI

Re-evaluation

The Riots

Reminder About Trees For Life Exhibition

Sale!

Icons Ascending

Tree's for Life Charity Exhibition

Derwent Inktense Blocks & Pencils

The Artful Art of Making Art

Paying By Installments

Photo's of the Highlands? Can you Help?

Long Time No Blog...

Work on Display - at Highland Love'Arts

An Orkney Sketchbook - Part 4

An Orkney Sketchbook - Part 3

An Orkney Sketchbook - Part 2

An Orkney Sketchbook - Part 1

How it All Began - Stones

Mud and Magic

Commissioning Artwork

Connections

Clean / Slate

Standing Stones - Your Thoughts...

Starting in Art

"Collect samples of everything you like, things that move you. Take them home and analyze what it is that moves you...look for the 'Aha!' Then do it your own way." Cheri Christensen

A Castle, A Stone and A Lama

Festive Gift to You!

Early Winter

FRAMED: On the Edge & All Hung Up

Lots of new paintings on the website...

'Everyone has wings...'

New Card Design Launch!

What's Inspiring me Today: Feeling Blue

Autumnal Trees / New Abstract

For Dad MacRae

'Icons Ascending'
Triptych - three 10 x 14" canvases.
Acrylic on canvas.