Travels South and North

It's been a few weeks since my last blog - apologies for this. I have an annoying habit of regularly leaving my camera in the wrong town, and therefore can't provide pretty pictures to illustrate my stories. Luckily today I have my camera with me, as I have a few hundred photos of Saltburn to upload and sort through. Allow me to explain...

Saltburn and Carmarthen

Yesterday I popped over to Saltburn-By-The-Sea, a victorian seaside town on the North East coast. I have been commissioned to make a picture of the town, so it was the perfect excuse to have a day at the seaside. It's a really beautiful place, and I've taken plenty of photos to help me get to work on the picture. I have already got hold of an old map of the area, and my first job is to draw out a rough layout of the piece, making sure to include all the buildings and features that make Saltburn special. Including the pier, the old hotel The Zetland, and the amazing Huntcliff...

I have been working on another piece this week, the subject of which is close to my heart. I found an old map of Carmarthen and Tenby in Wales, and decided to make this area my next focus. Until very recently my grandpa lived just outside Carmarthen, and annual holiday for most of my childhood was to Wales. 

I had a great time looking up all the places we used to visit, especially when I realised that some of the more remote rural areas are available to view not only from the sky, but from a street view as well (thanks Google!). Here is my progress so far:

RA Summer Show update:

One of the pieces I've entered at the RA Summer Show this year...

Last week I took a trip down to London to drop off my selected works (and those of four other artists) for the Royal Academy Summer show. Having decided that hiring a courier was too expensive, team RA (which includes myself, printmakers Janis Goodman and Hester Cox, mixed media artist Josie Beszant and painter/printmaker Ian Scott Massie) decided to pack all our work into a big suitcase and deliver it to London by hand.

As I discovered after 10 minutes of hoisting a glass-filled suitcase up the steps of York train station, this may have not been the best idea. However, you'll be pleased to know that each one of the 10 pictures arrived in perfect condition, and were speedily and efficiently removed from my person and filed away in the substantial storage areas of the Academy by their helpful assistants. Now I have up to two months to wait to find out if either (or both) of my pieces have been successful. watch this space....

British Craft Trade Fair

I just wanted to briefly mention the BCTF, which has been taking place in Harrogate over the last few days. I look forward to this event every year, as it's a great chance to see the high standard of British art and craft being made at the moment. This year was no exception, and I particularly loved the handpainted ceramics I saw by Katie Almond.

Thats all for now!

Rosie