Sussex Prairies front cover

Sussex Prairies back cover

Summer needs to be enjoyed. It’s all too brief and fickle in this country. So as well as starting to work again properly in my studio I’ve been doing other things.

Here are a few: hunting out some good new galleries (suggestions welcome). Mainly in the south-east, a few further afield. Putting some of my work for sale online with Artfinder – more soon. Arranging a two-artist show with Hove plein air painter Gail Tait for the autumn. Entering a few open art exhibitions – it takes time, it’s always a toss-up! And planning a really exciting project to do with the Night Sky. Fingers crossed about this.

Sorting out photos. Here are some from my most recent completed piece of work, ‘The great Big Prairies Concertina Book’. I made this for Paul and Pauline who created the wonderful and inspiring Sussex Prairies garden near Henfield, Sussex, now a major tourist draw but started from scratch a mere 6 or 7 years ago. Thirty feet of sketches, collage, painting, pastels and what-have-you – that’s mixed media!

The book unfolded

I tried to give a stream-of-conscious picture of this lovely, quiet place. Swirling concentric borders, plants, litlle winding paths. Leaves, flowers, botanical names, sculptures, events, pigs, the resident dog, snails…

rusting iron sculptures

Fire and flame in the garden

leaves

Wolf at the Door sculpture (at Jill’s studio)

I usually make books for particular occasions or people but will consider commissions. Be warned, it’s a very unpredictable medium – you never know what’s going to pop up!