Monthly Archives: August 2016

Vote for Murmurations: my painting is in a national art Public Vote

Starlings in flight near Brighton Pier

Murmuration, Before the Storm

An unusually quick update.  I realise I hadn’t even uploaded this new painting to my website gallery although it’s visible hanging in the sitting-room on the header picture showing our Open House in May

This painting is actually in Lincoln at the lovely Harding House Gallery on Steep Hill.  (Which is indeed very very steep.)  However it’s shortly coming south because it’s been shortlisted for the National Open Art Competition.   Friends and readers of my blog and Facebook postings know I have mixed feelings about entering these competitions. It costs in time and money and it ties up work, sometimes for months. Especially as you want to show your newest and best, But this is one I really rate, and I haven’t succeeded before.


2016-05-09 10.56.55

Two Murmuration paintings at Wolf at the Door

Two Murmurations

 

 

 

 

 

Detail, Murmuration, Before the Storm

 

 

I love watching the endless sweeping and swirling of the starlings as they move in and out of complex geometrical  formations.  Brighton Pier, near where I live, is one place to see them. I have just sold an earlier ‘Murmuration’ (which you can see on the right-hand picture above) which used some decriptive jottings from Coleridge’s diary.  There’s even a wonderful Facebook page where people post their own photos and videos of the birds.

The painting is of a particular moment when there was a storm brewing and it felt as if the air was charged and something was going to happen.  There was a sulphurous tinge to the sea – I used a yellow underpainting among the many washes.

 

work in progress

Washes drying

painting detail

Close up of washes in early stages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you do like the painting I’d be very pleased if you’d vote for it here on the NOA website:

Murmurations Vote

in the  unlikely event it wins it’ll save it going through the next stage of selections.  Here it is  as it looks on the wall.

Paintings by jill at Artists' Open House 2016

Wolf at the door 2016

Art and Gardens, travel and catch-up.

 

flower and plant paintings by Jill Tattersall

Jill’s botanical paintings at ‘Art and Gardens’ July 2016

Where has the time gone?

More than a month has gone since the last post.  Such a busy month.  Taking down and returning art and sculpture after five weeks of Artists’ Open House (five weeks is TOO long).  A brief week in, reputedly, the hottest spot in Europe – which was itself experiencing a heatwave. Andalucia, so beautiful,  so so cripplingly hot for early  June. Then straight into organising our weekend event, Art and Gardens, here at the Wolf at the Door.

Art and Gardens

This happened on 16th/17th July.  Art indoors and out.  Above you can see my ‘Botanica’ series and on the left the beautiful plant-and-garden-based scrolls by Rea Stavropoulos. (Rea’s own exhibition, based on the art of Helen Allingham, is currently on at Burgh House, Hampstead.)

We wondered if we’d get many visitors as it was an unofficial happening, but it was well attended, the weather was beautiful and everyone really enjoyed themselves, including the participants.  Idyllic, really – which is what makes it all worth doing.  Though each time I think, never again…such a lot of work to organise.

 

Wolf at the Door garden

summer garden colour

Copper Seedheads

Si Uwins sculptures: Seedheads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To do or not to do?

It’s the eternal dilemma. How much time to spend actually making work:  painting and looking and thinking and planning?  How much time for publicity, that ever-proliferating demand on our efforts ? Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogging…let alone press-releases, approaching galleries, seeking out exhibitions and opportunities, a never-ending list? Workshops and talks?…not to mention updating the website…

white bird cane-toppers

White birds by Terri floating above nasturtiums

garden path with blue door

Down the garden path

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extra events

How much time to give to purely voluntary events like ‘Art and Gardens’ – collaborative and community-orientated,  intended to bring pleasure to all and opportunities for the artists? Very time-and energy-consuming, though.   Is it a luxury?  Should I do any more,  I ask?  Do I spread myself too thinly?  Writers have agents (though some fear they’re a dying breed); few artists have the benefit of a firm but kindly (we hope) external eye to comment and guide.

Jestergrass by Si Uwins

Sculptures  by Si Uwins and Andrew Jones

Seascapes in Lincoln

I omitted to say that straight after Art and Gardens I promptly set off with eight paintings for an exhibition in  Lincoln, where I had my first sizeable solo show way back in 2003.  Just in case you live or are going anywhere near there, the exhibition is at Harding House Gallery in Steep Hill, thus named for a purpose! – let’s not detail the difficulties of delivering large pictures up a near-precipice in another heat-wave!  On till 27th August, called I must go down to the Sea Again, curated by Soo Durham. No pics as yet.

There’s quite a lot in the pipeline, including some more far-flung locations for shows so I’ll try my best to post again soon. If you’d like to see our tallest kinetic art exhibit, click on Andrew Jones’s weather-vane video below!

Andrew’s weather-vane