I have been making new work, while preparing for my artists talk at Anecdotes Design on Saturday October 11th as part of the Folkestone Triennial Fringe.

The first is acrylic and collage on paper. Sold on the day I finished it....I love the freedom of working on paper. As soon as it was done I knew its title, hope you can recognise the line from a  famous poem,

"as idle as a painted ship on a painted ocean"

The next two are acrylic on paper. I wanted to keep a record of the colours I was using, and the process reminded me of those prints you see in restaurants and hotels of flowers with  botanical annotations. 

 Flowers 2014

 Fruit 2014

In the painting below I took shapes and colours from the previous two images of works on paper onto canvas where I abstracted the original shapes and explored the space in between, which to my mind is as important to the final piece as the painted areas and gives cohesion to the painting. 

 Fallow, 2014,acrylic on canvas  60 x 46 cm

I like the simplicity of the work and how significant the colours have become as colour itself, rather than referencing or enhancing a figurative recognisable object. I suppose that that is the power of abstraction! Hope you enjoy looking at these.

 I am enjoying preparing for this! I find it hard to talk about my work, but enjoy the process of reflection and revisiting ideas and sketches to get a feel for what I want to say. 

Hopefully some of you can make it! A big thank you to Barbara at Anecdotes Design for organising this event as  a part of the Folkestone Fringe Open.

"Flow" one of the paintings I'll be talking about at Anecdotes Design on October 11th

 I am looking forward to another visit to Folkestone to  visit some of the artists works at the Triennial. Its worth checking out the Triennial blog before going as there is so much to see. 

You can check out the Folkestone Triennial here http://folkestoneartworks.co.uk/

and don"t forget the Folkestone Fringe Open. There are some wonderful pieces like "The Castle"by artists Hollington and Kyprianou, who are making subtle and sometimes less subtle interventions in the town's Wilko Hardware Store!

"a shifting, changing homage to the everyday and ordinary of 2014, overlapping the language of the museum and the gallery  with that of the retail environment at the point where sculpture, product design and branding intersect."

I have a degree of empathy with this as my two most recent exhibitions have involved displaying work in retail shops and I have enjoyed the experience and the dialogue that ensues about my work. At Whit knits in Whitstable (see previous blog postings) someone said to Linda Tilley, but this is a work of art, referring to my window display of the woven and knitted Lobster. Interesting how hopefuly the art shines through and doesn't need to be placed in the gallery to make it art.

For more about the Fringe http://www.fringeopen.com/events/ 

Hope you enjoy reading this and have time to visit.

But....Is it Art?

Delighted to have these paintings on show at Anecdotes Design in Folkestone as part of the Triennial fringe. These paintings are all about layering colours, using acrylic paint and eventually blocking, to create pieces which reveal a view within and also looking out of the landscape. I use a palette knife and in some of them I use sandpaper to reveal what is underneath. Eventually I get to a point where I feel I know where to block to create a piece.

 For more about Anecdotes Design http://www.anecdotesdesign.com/

 For more about this event at the Folkestone Fringe Open please visit http://www.fringeopen.com/event/look-for-colour/

 "cliff" 2014, acrylic on canvas, 45 x 36 cm

 "Tides", 2014, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 45 cm

 "Cove", 2014, acrylic on canvas, 45 x 36 cm

 Drift, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 45 x 36 cm

"Sculpted", 2013, acrylic on canvas, 20 x 20 cm

 "Flow", 2013, acrylic on canvas, 45 x 36 cm

Espacio Gallery opening today, PV tonight on from the 31st until the 12th of August! 

 Hope you can make it.

 "Urban Footprint", mixed media , 86 x 48cm

One of the paintings I will be showing.

Hope you are having a great summer.

 My window installation at Whitknits was runner up  for the best dressed window at the Whitstable Oyster Festival 2014.

 Hope you can make it down over the next two weeks as there are some wonderful events including the outdoor cinema on Tankerton slopes.

How the piece developed:

It started with a conversation at my "Knitting Jam" during the Whitstable Biennale in May

It then developed over time.......

and I added other elements

Like the fishing net from the Oyster Festival 2012 which was part of my commissioned installation Titled "Gaucho Sunset".

As well as my Garden Picture made in 2010 using woven fishing line I found on the beaches in Whitstable and in Chile.

Final Piece 

Also a brief mention of Pintar Rapido 2014

 "Chelsea Rooftops from the Cafe at Peter Jones" 2014 mixed media on paper, 84 x 63 cm, framed

Can't believe that  this time last week I was painting in the cafe at Peter Jones for Pintar Rapido 2014. Many thanks to the manager at Peter Jones who was so helpful and also Roger Beckett of Pintar Rapido with his wonderful team of volunteers.

 Am delighted to have been contacted by the Chelsea Framers gallery on the Kings Road to take part in their "Telling the Story", plein air event in September. Looking forward to it!

Busy time. So, I thought I'd better post news about the events/exhibitions I will be taking part in from July to August.

Today is the last day of the Creek Creative summer show in Faversham where one of the paintings I have been exhibiting is "Tankerton View" 50 x 50 cm.

I have been drawing and making studies for Pintar Rapido which takes place on July 19th and ends with an exhibition at Chelsea Town Hall on July 20th. Pintar Rapido is painting in a day in Kensington and Chelsea.  There are over 400 artists from all over the world taking part. I took part last year and it was a geat event. You can visit the show at Chelsea Town Hall on the Sunday or come and have a wander on Saturday, there are artists painting in various locations, you can't miss them. I think I will be in the restaurant area at Peter Jones ( where else!!). 

If you would like  an invite for the Sunday exhibition please let me know. For more about Pintar Rapidohttp://www.pintarrapido.com/london/index.html

I have also been working on an exciting project for the Whitstable Oyster Festival and will be posting more news about that nearer the time. In the meantime hope some of you will make it to Whitstable. The festival starts on July 26th. Let me know if you are coming.... 

For more about the Oyster Festival http://whitstableoysterfestival.co.uk/

Finally I am looking forward to taking part in a group show titled "Urban Angles" at Espacio Gallery from July 31st until 12th of August. I'll be sending out invites to the PV, if you would be interested in coming please contact me.

Hope you are all enjoying the lovely summer weather .

Knitting Jam photo/diary. Thank you all for your help.

Damon (JB Sounds herne Bay) setting up.

A new venture for Damon.

Annie Taylor takes charge. Thank you Annie!

 Up and running

Linda from Whitknits testing the large knitting needles! Couldn't have done it without you Linda.