tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70333422723914493402024-03-04T21:18:17.239-08:00WORKS IN PROGRESSWork & reviews by Edinburgh Artist Fee DicksonFee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-85558126998239098942010-10-12T10:15:00.000-07:002010-10-12T10:28:27.316-07:00New works and SoloExhibition at RedBubbleThe Solo exhibition at Red bubble is now live, and tomorrow is the reception. If you'd like to talk about any paintings, ( or anything really!) follow the link below and come along<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/groups/solo-exhibition/forums/11428/topics/164044"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" src="http://solo-exhibition.com/images/Solos-20101011/SOLO-Fee-Dickson_350w.jpg" width="350" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/groups/solo-exhibition/forums/11428/topics/164044">Join me at Fee Dickson's Solo Exhibition, 'Beauty and the Beach'</a></strong><br /><br />This exhibition, and other upcoming shows has inspired me to do some new work, a series based on the rural landscape around my parent's house in France.<br /><br />Unusually for me, I'm not painting either from photos or from life, but from memory. It's a fun experiment. Seeing as it's where I walked the dog for 4 years, I know the landscape pretty well, and I'm trying to show it in my favourite early morning light. ( though, I have to admit to slight cheating... I think the sun is rising in the North in my paintings...)<br /><br /><br /><img style="WIDTH: 95px; HEIGHT: 135px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://ih3.redbubble.net/work.6079652.2.flat,135x135,075,f.jpg" /> <a href="http://ih0.redbubble.net/work.6078353.2.flat,135x135,075,f.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 93px; HEIGHT: 135px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://ih0.redbubble.net/work.6078353.2.flat,135x135,075,f.jpg" /></a><br /> <a href="http://ih1.redbubble.net/work.6072564.1.flat,135x135,075,f.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 92px; HEIGHT: 135px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://ih1.redbubble.net/work.6072564.1.flat,135x135,075,f.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://ih2.redbubble.net/work.6071562.1.flat,135x135,075,f.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 93px; HEIGHT: 135px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://ih2.redbubble.net/work.6071562.1.flat,135x135,075,f.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The colour values don't quite match the paintings at present, as I have no photoshop here in France, but it's a little taster of what I have been up to..Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-4262100416138671392010-10-08T05:52:00.000-07:002010-10-08T06:07:46.010-07:00Shows, shows and shows<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ih1.redbubble.net/work.2440471.3.flat,550x550,075,f.harbour-boat-3.jpg"><br /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ih1.redbubble.net/work.6049958.1.flat,550x550,075,f.fee-dickson-solo-banner.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 386px; height: 259px;" src="http://ih1.redbubble.net/work.6049958.1.flat,550x550,075,f.fee-dickson-solo-banner.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Next week, I have a solo show on at RedBubble, which I'm very excited about. <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/elizabethbravo">Elizabeth bravo</a> has created this great flyer for it. These shows on RedBubble are not only a great way to showcase your work, they are a chance to discuss the work with lots of people. For an artist working on their own, that can be a godsend to get some feedback.<br /><br />I'm also showing some paintings at <a href="http://www.peterpottergallery.org/PETER_POTTER_GALLERY/home.html">Peter Potter Gallery</a>'s winter exhibiton, opening on the 29th of october. I'll add a flyer for that once I know more. But it will be very nice to have this painting framed properly and shown to the public - it's been hanging in my kitchen too long!<br /><br /><a href="http://ih1.redbubble.net/work.2440471.3.flat,550x550,075,f.harbour-boat-3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 382px; height: 550px;" src="http://ih1.redbubble.net/work.2440471.3.flat,550x550,075,f.harbour-boat-3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I'm also in discussions with <a href="http://www.blackmarketart.co.uk/blackmarketart.co.uk/Welcome.html">Blackmarket art.co.uk</a> about being represented on their website, and in hotels around Edinburgh. Again, Will post more when I know more..<br /><br />And finally, I have a feature spot in <a href="http://www.artgallery.co.uk/artist/fee_dickson_2">ArtgalleryUk</a> for the next week or so - lots of original work on sale there.<br /><br />Now I think it's about time I went and produced more paintings..Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-20405068409151651362009-12-09T04:22:00.001-08:002009-12-09T05:08:44.064-08:00Homage to Bernard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACgpkidbCFE0SvuSsTu2LQVEqzqYBpQjlHqExvBbBFCt1ZLjcUNPwFAl5w_nQLoRyHwbVOAtHi-pJKowUQ3KE-oqjPhexTA5Sll4d84XF2bFK2Uuo27bCrkrkpvPFg3VbXmNoTpOqFbA/s1600-h/4224673-1-bernard-lacoque.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACgpkidbCFE0SvuSsTu2LQVEqzqYBpQjlHqExvBbBFCt1ZLjcUNPwFAl5w_nQLoRyHwbVOAtHi-pJKowUQ3KE-oqjPhexTA5Sll4d84XF2bFK2Uuo27bCrkrkpvPFg3VbXmNoTpOqFbA/s400/4224673-1-bernard-lacoque.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413217898406026818" border="0" /></a><br />I'm long overdue a blog post on how my show went ( well) and other things, but today I'd like to talk about <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/lacoque">Bernard <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lacoque</span></a>, a very talented artist who I've just found out passed away this week.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rR2j7cqQKeAkVoOjUMuwDygLEUhoGW0tS3MsQheXfP3otq2tTW1gc061urZ9nO-rKFWmgljV08wchcdW_4bGfAnvCJUKK3g174mGTLI4ffxGr2MkFUVAi-Cp3-dMVCnXEjG5O67uOuo/s1600-h/3746647-2-bird.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 107px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rR2j7cqQKeAkVoOjUMuwDygLEUhoGW0tS3MsQheXfP3otq2tTW1gc061urZ9nO-rKFWmgljV08wchcdW_4bGfAnvCJUKK3g174mGTLI4ffxGr2MkFUVAi-Cp3-dMVCnXEjG5O67uOuo/s400/3746647-2-bird.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413220313619756050" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Bernard was an incredibly prolific artist, and one who was warmhearted and generous with his praise of others. The joy of a place like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Redbubble</span> is finding artists whose work is radically different, yet you can wholeheartedly enjoy and appreciate each others work - and a relationship of sorts, of mutual support and recognition, springs up, and before you know it develops in to a friendship of a kind. Not long ago, Bernard commented on my Valle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">d'Or</span> series, and I replied back it would be great to see them in a gallery . 'yes', he said, 'then I'll come and see them!' - Would that he had been well enough to do so.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTd_5q4hakWdEw2w6rBiu6W8y7Ghcv2ZZ8xsPM1ZhjbxkuMxyTupj-RhTAlnAoSptVP_lhKWtd-m-jKQ49EySW9W81zomNgWNcBqtt3WPCe0A_tBK2br3MU3sepmT5iw3xTcDX4wiMrWA/s1600-h/3366141-2-nude.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTd_5q4hakWdEw2w6rBiu6W8y7Ghcv2ZZ8xsPM1ZhjbxkuMxyTupj-RhTAlnAoSptVP_lhKWtd-m-jKQ49EySW9W81zomNgWNcBqtt3WPCe0A_tBK2br3MU3sepmT5iw3xTcDX4wiMrWA/s400/3366141-2-nude.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413221737538962642" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPcY1XJPWkuIS1LQhy7NtYGk2YLp2H4pb4M-xyJTNIYqKGR_BrkwdkU1d8uXpNCG67SfTX-Ky52X8qzf94ydms_TSWXUQaCCTJMDQP6DeGSqZjnPjOrv8KiJ2HGHPHSe262qxDii73ro/s1600-h/3361639-2-french-kiss.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 98px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPcY1XJPWkuIS1LQhy7NtYGk2YLp2H4pb4M-xyJTNIYqKGR_BrkwdkU1d8uXpNCG67SfTX-Ky52X8qzf94ydms_TSWXUQaCCTJMDQP6DeGSqZjnPjOrv8KiJ2HGHPHSe262qxDii73ro/s400/3361639-2-french-kiss.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413221660861111330" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbhLj2-iLDFCJ67g4Oq5dDmMO8tVN-ueB4vy6nooCFkzswryR1P1QPwxBOe6HLpZ3etjEDKpLK-yPJojZAjcd4q-z31Rpk7HiTBV4ACXvpK2dnIXlqVlExMRxFK0uItuZz1D_Zc81R9A/s1600-h/3319109-3-face.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 114px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbhLj2-iLDFCJ67g4Oq5dDmMO8tVN-ueB4vy6nooCFkzswryR1P1QPwxBOe6HLpZ3etjEDKpLK-yPJojZAjcd4q-z31Rpk7HiTBV4ACXvpK2dnIXlqVlExMRxFK0uItuZz1D_Zc81R9A/s400/3319109-3-face.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413221592586038546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bernard's</span> images were a punctuation in my day - they would pop up in my image feed, and though I didn't comment on every one, they would always make me smile. He had a gift for sad faces, for cartoon like drawings that were expressive and touching.<br /><br /> He drew on whatever came to hand - books, lottery tickets, newspapers, sometimes feeding in to the story behind the art, as with the 'resistance' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">piece</span> at the bottom. No titles for him, all drawings were 'face', or 'bird', or 'nude' - his three favourite subjects. I just bought a calender of his 'faces', so I'll still see his pictures every day. But I wish I had done it when he was alive, so he could know how much I loved his pictures.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghklJOoNcau9Iv47ii02rzzhe9HM4sh1UbbQj0a5q16YRn-iA6whdnouIoIio1RdZbo1TcDaF55FxInZSPpu2DcX5LuKO4lZJWBnSW7bjWgjh4K740tfeTyst1TV8xM48ZjAktH_RZU5k/s1600-h/3825239-1-bernard-lacoque-face-to-face.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghklJOoNcau9Iv47ii02rzzhe9HM4sh1UbbQj0a5q16YRn-iA6whdnouIoIio1RdZbo1TcDaF55FxInZSPpu2DcX5LuKO4lZJWBnSW7bjWgjh4K740tfeTyst1TV8xM48ZjAktH_RZU5k/s400/3825239-1-bernard-lacoque-face-to-face.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413218012898844578" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I didn't know Bernard well - I didn't even know he had been ill. But I did like him tremendously, and I treasured our dialogue, as I do with a good few <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Redbubble</span> artists. He was funny, clever, and utterly unique in his artistic style. I will miss him greatly.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnV63LXZarPwRKh8rJ7VcpsBYkcv-FA7DBDj_XBOsLGSWzCrRIVflDnw8Ilr0Hs1r6XI_FQ-T9VUVgPDESxuReaelSKm2Lz8jmfjdugFsP5Iqj0WT3o-LMuyDjnhW1h5RFH8bp0bvpGqM/s1600-h/2922901-2-r-sistance.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 96px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnV63LXZarPwRKh8rJ7VcpsBYkcv-FA7DBDj_XBOsLGSWzCrRIVflDnw8Ilr0Hs1r6XI_FQ-T9VUVgPDESxuReaelSKm2Lz8jmfjdugFsP5Iqj0WT3o-LMuyDjnhW1h5RFH8bp0bvpGqM/s400/2922901-2-r-sistance.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413220118582772514" border="0" /></a>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-15609407085407572222009-11-27T04:41:00.000-08:002009-11-27T04:41:04.040-08:00The show is ready..<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1c0Exx2DCOzAEIztAjHGcYWSdX3IMKjB5pG1_0yqmojP7psBJBi1vDNQNgO3v4JxP35sesDw1jVucIEB0OWKD1IwC9xIBMRHTQqVawo4leaRV5PVgc259PvnHaRlWxe-ZO6gEUOcYV8/s1600/christmas+exhibition+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1c0Exx2DCOzAEIztAjHGcYWSdX3IMKjB5pG1_0yqmojP7psBJBi1vDNQNgO3v4JxP35sesDw1jVucIEB0OWKD1IwC9xIBMRHTQqVawo4leaRV5PVgc259PvnHaRlWxe-ZO6gEUOcYV8/s320/christmas+exhibition+copy.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just finished hanging my paintings along at Joseph Pearce's. It was really exciting seeing the Valle D'or series, all together, all framed, for the first time. The bar staff loved it, which was encouraging! Vanessa and myself have both put a lot of work into promoting, so I'm really hoping this goes well. If not - well, it's a start, right? and something to learn from. Now roll on sunday!<br />
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</div>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-51782999261910334492009-11-20T03:56:00.000-08:002009-11-20T04:00:44.666-08:00UPCOMING SHOW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R5ocbqNCJ_A6tFL41njoHv2_TuJT6BM-jNWeX1LybiamuuREdRwCsMusWJc2l7CLP3hqatzYGHuN6nKUI_xMicaqI8M5XAeciOYI0Cd0h4SqKx3gHowe8LPv9_5Nt34lFSGbITHknC4/s1600/lemons+and+plums+set+nt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R5ocbqNCJ_A6tFL41njoHv2_TuJT6BM-jNWeX1LybiamuuREdRwCsMusWJc2l7CLP3hqatzYGHuN6nKUI_xMicaqI8M5XAeciOYI0Cd0h4SqKx3gHowe8LPv9_5Nt34lFSGbITHknC4/s200/lemons+and+plums+set+nt.jpg" /></a><br />
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Had a very exciting meeting with Vanessa of <a href="http://www.delicartessen.co.uk/Default.aspx">Delicartessen</a> yesterday about a christmas show at <a href="http://www.bodabar.com/mt-static/pearce.html">Joseph Pearce's</a>, with all the work shown here and possibly a few more - haven't quite decided yet.<br />
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Delicartessen is a mobile gallery -Vanessa has a stable of artists that she exhibits at a range of places across the city - bars, restaurants and even a youth hostel. A friend of mine on redbubble, talented ptographer <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/ranger1">Chris Clarke</a> reccommended I talk to her months ago, but as is often the case with me I lacked the courage to make the call and get my art out there. But inspired by a very good couple of weeks, both selling prints and calenders on Redbubble, and a lot of enquiries about buying originals, I decided it was time to stop procrastinating and approach some galleries and people.<br />
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The day after I put a package of work and cv's out there, I got a call from Vanessa, and she came round to have a look at my work. She particularly wanted to see the Valle' d'or series, so that's going to be one of the things shown at Pearce's. It's not a solo show, but there will be a lot of my work up there for a couple of months, with a saturday morning preview on the 28th of November. To say I'm excited is an understatement .<br />
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The drawbacks? there's aways some..unlike my work on canvas, all the Valle D'or series need framed. That's going to be tricky both in terms of money, and also to ensure I find the right kind of frame that doesn't detract from the serial nature of the paintings. Clip frames would be the obvious option, but I'm worried they'll look a bit naff, so It's going to take a bit of thought to work that one out. But I am really excited this series will be shown. It's a bit of a 'baby', in that I know I love them but I wasn't sure about how anyone from the art world would respond to them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrk9eCRLBmv4Bk4-5ZoM9wgVFHIQyRzzSloXSRxJwzEiIk_sFkdFERna38bDsuaJuRPPAI3ORWrLniuB-hjiGQ0zwp_Cktm6YZpYzpHnP00EDd-h4GtUyTHyM20uFBTgsIoCv4TUZvJI/s1600/valle+dor+series+nt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrk9eCRLBmv4Bk4-5ZoM9wgVFHIQyRzzSloXSRxJwzEiIk_sFkdFERna38bDsuaJuRPPAI3ORWrLniuB-hjiGQ0zwp_Cktm6YZpYzpHnP00EDd-h4GtUyTHyM20uFBTgsIoCv4TUZvJI/s640/valle+dor+series+nt.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>The other drawback - well, it's not a huge drawback to my mind, but anyway - is that Pearce's is not a dedicated gallery, but a gastro pub. Hence the morning preview, and the (very slight) chance of damage to the paintings. But I've always had good experiences with selling through informal arts venues, be it bars or cafes or even markets, so I'm not seeing that as a bad thing. This is going to be a lot of my work shown in one place - probably almost 20 pieces - and it'll be awesome to actually be able to invite people to a show of mine.<br />
<br />
So..umm..hurray! Now I have ten days to prepare..Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-3100320316005683692009-11-18T02:55:00.001-08:002009-11-18T03:11:03.522-08:00Raiding the cellar..I was down in North <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Berwick</span> yesterday, picking up some paintings from a gallery someone had shown an interest in buying, and looking for various bits and bobs in my parent's cellar there. I came across a wee pile of watercolours, mostly from 2002, and thought I'd put them up here just to show how much my style has changed over the years. I painted almost exclusively in watercolour back then, and most of my work was commission based one way or another.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBY8p4H_KtyqWlGoBsJQtyvIR6WNwaC09KPdx3A8tAoNu1ojX_OzDOhl4XvnAoTfx_qZFjW1vhE4Vpj35CKfa3orebs74lERtrme5tkKexewU3u8Q8_ZJAzA2uBjxTN9uo_qqq7sXH4nw/s1600/edinburgh+castle+watercolour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 353px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBY8p4H_KtyqWlGoBsJQtyvIR6WNwaC09KPdx3A8tAoNu1ojX_OzDOhl4XvnAoTfx_qZFjW1vhE4Vpj35CKfa3orebs74lERtrme5tkKexewU3u8Q8_ZJAzA2uBjxTN9uo_qqq7sXH4nw/s400/edinburgh+castle+watercolour.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405396234989986162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/feedickson/art/4152898-1-edinburgh-castle-2002">Edinburgh castle</a><br /><br /></span></div>I used to be asked to paint Edinburgh castle all the time – I ended up trying to find a lot of different angles to paint it from so I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">didn</span>’t get bored with it!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaCgkIbVHvDPdLRC-iH9EpGsS_LoN_cYgTc9A24Aj-ZoiE3hchWRe86E5GiG7OJoioVR7cRsB8TbT_2Ppp2FBi-imfoZSvH206GiCz3qwwT68r88D87B26HkX65mBFYQGpQRgD-E29-Y/s1600/ann+street.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 358px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaCgkIbVHvDPdLRC-iH9EpGsS_LoN_cYgTc9A24Aj-ZoiE3hchWRe86E5GiG7OJoioVR7cRsB8TbT_2Ppp2FBi-imfoZSvH206GiCz3qwwT68r88D87B26HkX65mBFYQGpQRgD-E29-Y/s400/ann+street.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405396819206880530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/feedickson/art/4152722-1-ann-street">Ann street</a> </span></div><br />This is an old piece from when I was mainly doing watercolour house <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">portraits</span> to commission. This was my ‘sample’ painting, of the centre building in Ann street, one of the finest streets in Edinburgh’s new town. I actually used to have a similar painting on my business card, but unfortunately a lot of people thought I was an artist called Ann Street.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNZPbh56oJtp-mAItcPbnuXi08fbnUMY8xQHoFc_RIM9r5oshBf9mZx774DEbkU3Aynj9NRzt0i1GzP_kqMUcno54ozHC9XgYoRwBxW1Kq0ptOM_2psf0jpogf_-eMu7T2jauPzoU7iU/s1600/St+Bernards+Well.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 332px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNZPbh56oJtp-mAItcPbnuXi08fbnUMY8xQHoFc_RIM9r5oshBf9mZx774DEbkU3Aynj9NRzt0i1GzP_kqMUcno54ozHC9XgYoRwBxW1Kq0ptOM_2psf0jpogf_-eMu7T2jauPzoU7iU/s400/St+Bernards+Well.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405397555521717602" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/feedickson/art/4152827-1-st-bernards-well"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">St <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bernards</span> well</span></span> </a></div><br />A gallery who'd bought a few of my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">pieces</span> asked for some S<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">tockbridge</span> pieces. Unfortunately they didn't think many people would recognise this one, which still surprises me ( maybe they just didn't like it :p). It's a lovely old folly that sits on the water of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Leith</span>.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-gAJEYno-Xq4a45UGY7Nulb3dQk9a6Z6c-pRg8BpHFxoid0qVNULcxon4zI7ct1bt1kQrj5mwT8Z-dPxymVTZ1dVViZ4HP6mBFRn_v3mo7r2Z8JyFNoMoAEPDwDD1SpNQWJvmFf47ZQ/s1600/fidra+watercolour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-gAJEYno-Xq4a45UGY7Nulb3dQk9a6Z6c-pRg8BpHFxoid0qVNULcxon4zI7ct1bt1kQrj5mwT8Z-dPxymVTZ1dVViZ4HP6mBFRn_v3mo7r2Z8JyFNoMoAEPDwDD1SpNQWJvmFf47ZQ/s400/fidra+watercolour.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405398435271704210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/feedickson/art/4152949-1-fidra-2002"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Fidra</span></a><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">This was a commission from a couple who lived near <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Fidra</span>, an island of the East coast of Scotland. I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">wasn</span>’t quite happy with it at the time, so I ended up doing another for them. I seem to do that a lot! Maybe I should make myself just do ONE painting per commission..<br /><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Anyway</span>, there ends my trip down memory lane. I'm thinking of putting some of these older works up for auction on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Ebay</span>, with 30% of the proceeds going towards charity. I'd be interested to know if anyone thought that's a good idea?<br /></div></div>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-7153938711732172122009-11-13T03:19:00.000-08:002010-12-29T01:56:25.023-08:00Works in progress : Morar BayI thought I'd do a slightly longer post on a work in progress today, showing you a bit of my studio, and the tools of the trade.<br /><br />First off comes the base image - I generally print two or three versions of whatever photo I am going to work from, with different lighting so I can both get some sky drama and pick out the details .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48dTGVHaxQ2PLW6Rz1cbUvRX2us_izjhlKaIUlLJfVK_RqoHuvdJscpi19Ox0HvzSRFbuWAHU91nS_iRKoijt5YZ7za5UECGrgC96bGwB1w-2979B0PUa5JplY28bp3v8vCeNfLJAv5c/s1600-h/morar+bay+photo+1.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 249px; HEIGHT: 224px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403548108128640978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48dTGVHaxQ2PLW6Rz1cbUvRX2us_izjhlKaIUlLJfVK_RqoHuvdJscpi19Ox0HvzSRFbuWAHU91nS_iRKoijt5YZ7za5UECGrgC96bGwB1w-2979B0PUa5JplY28bp3v8vCeNfLJAv5c/s400/morar+bay+photo+1.jpg" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiluRbE1tXhXruGAm3-icdAR0N3lyjbgl-xxeBdgNo-CH6LWF-EPGgKy5o6ntboy_mbaitoY6mvBvyalHf4kEnwtBdqeqDPFNNM2Rx7gB_0F29UimiMk76C72pMxXxoGyfaqWyLFFl6s/s1600-h/morar+bay+photo+2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 247px; HEIGHT: 223px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403548283899865154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiluRbE1tXhXruGAm3-icdAR0N3lyjbgl-xxeBdgNo-CH6LWF-EPGgKy5o6ntboy_mbaitoY6mvBvyalHf4kEnwtBdqeqDPFNNM2Rx7gB_0F29UimiMk76C72pMxXxoGyfaqWyLFFl6s/s400/morar+bay+photo+2.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Then studio set up - the joys of being a very skint artist means a studio in the living room. Thankfully my fiance is very patient if I'm not done by the time he gets back from work...<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTi0tEOBE250PLNx2f5KxwtJQ_VSEJwl2Yn5udnC9R-C22H-GN179jvcKZtO5_K4FNnsdlC0-kqf5O4lPf6cAflLCMx9XspeQ0VzbPx5aH1vIIvp956zt3AUtbqx7Pi8crRumYL2X-7s/s1600-h/studio.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403548823646045010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTi0tEOBE250PLNx2f5KxwtJQ_VSEJwl2Yn5udnC9R-C22H-GN179jvcKZtO5_K4FNnsdlC0-kqf5O4lPf6cAflLCMx9XspeQ0VzbPx5aH1vIIvp956zt3AUtbqx7Pi8crRumYL2X-7s/s400/studio.jpg" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />One good thing about it is I get to watch TV while I paint ( or rather listen).<br /><br />Once the painting is at a stage as shown above, I'll often take a pic and fiddle with it on the computer to work <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">out colours</span>, contrasts, what it's going to be like if I put all the landscape elements in. It helps rather a lot when I'm a bit stuck.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 273px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403550201502760466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWt5VTLzAHdMhLQaJsG5Exz5eoTU9pOY-IGYrQUuZS0ts2DMSGoNjP7uqCOvBGYc7MfENT-GqQ3YtHoQC04WhO75m-vWrbZz98Ll0soNqmH5bCmCk1qer0LqQMSDL-GdBOGZvC5lrDuyI/s400/morar+bay+1+pshop.jpg" /><br />I can tell now I want the blues to be a lot more intense, the boat to be far to the right ( not where shown above) and that yellow taken down to a slightly less <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">mustardy</span> colour.<br /><br />So back to painting. Half way through is always the bit I like least - I know where I want to get to, but I don't always know how I'm going to do it . I probably shouldn't admit that! I'll update with a finished version later, if it goes where I want it to go..<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Edit to add - the final version :<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://ih0.redbubble.net/work.6053602.1.flat,550x550,075,f.morar-bay.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 538px; HEIGHT: 480px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://ih0.redbubble.net/work.6053602.1.flat,550x550,075,f.morar-bay.jpg" /></a></p>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-88981834705199344572009-11-11T04:03:00.000-08:002009-11-11T04:19:02.934-08:00Works in progress - ArisaigI took a break from the Valle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">D'or</span> series yesterday to start work on some more highland paintings, inspired by a trip out to the car where I noticed a big canvas that had been left in the boot..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkoAAFwnVn5gRGlVMBtMRe_vrFLYHu1Igma948CxxUpJha8cC2mfnBovOsnSg_XDzUoygUZQ5uHPzjn_sZR9hZXQkbFL9G2MsgnSskHU-d31xONnXNQjOBAN9XACvcjHAk4LhgLE3cyg/s1600-h/arisaig+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 399px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkoAAFwnVn5gRGlVMBtMRe_vrFLYHu1Igma948CxxUpJha8cC2mfnBovOsnSg_XDzUoygUZQ5uHPzjn_sZR9hZXQkbFL9G2MsgnSskHU-d31xONnXNQjOBAN9XACvcjHAk4LhgLE3cyg/s400/arisaig+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402816361832571378" border="0" /></a><br />I took some stunning sunset pics when I was up at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Arisaig</span> in June, but hadn't done much with them yet as it's too my mind quite tricky to turn a sunset photo into a sunset picture without it looking rather tacky. But I felt emboldened yesterday and decided to give it a shot anyway. I'm a bout three quarters of the way through this painting, and I'm at this horrible stage where I can see all the bits that need work, but I don't want to start on them in case I ruin what I've done. Because I like it! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Grr</span>. Wish me luck..<br /><br />Finally, there's still two days left in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Redbubble</span> Sale : one calender like the one below sold this morning, plenty more available..<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/calendars/page:0/product:calendar/size:medium/view:preview/2765732-6-the-sea-the-sea-paintings-by-fee-dickson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 416px;" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/calendars/page:0/product:calendar/size:medium/view:preview/2765732-6-the-sea-the-sea-paintings-by-fee-dickson.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/calendars/page:13/product:calendar/size:medium/view:preview/2765732-6-the-sea-the-sea-paintings-by-fee-dickson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 416px;" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/calendars/page:13/product:calendar/size:medium/view:preview/2765732-6-the-sea-the-sea-paintings-by-fee-dickson.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Calenders <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/feedickson/calendars">here</a>, Prints and cards <a href="http://feedickson.redbubble.com/sets/98276/works">here</a>.Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-80033531323736802382009-11-10T02:49:00.000-08:002009-11-10T03:28:39.813-08:00Sea Sale! 3 days only..First off, there's a sale on at red bubble of all my works that are linked <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">to</span> the sea. 15% off all prints, cards, posters.. Just hit the link and go to the <a href="http://feedickson.redbubble.com/works">sale gallery</a>.<br /><br />Calenders are also reduced by 15% - Check them out<a href="http://www.redbubble.com/mybubble/calendars"> here</a>.<br /><br />The sale only lasts three days though so don't wait around..<br /><br /><br />And a quick update on what I have been up to painting wise..<br /><br />I finished my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ardtoe</span> Beach series with this painting here :<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW88e6FRJ07e3xi0q4uhLejPKzEtGowlsetorcgKvv2OqZ7MZZY3IfAWkL5ghyphenhyphenNSiDaa5tkEtv_jOaCCiFRDeRQRd72iY25PDrZzIc2604E4VKY-j2rwPRvnh5sLT3RQu2FTqLo_9E-Rg/s1600-h/ardtoe+beach++3+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW88e6FRJ07e3xi0q4uhLejPKzEtGowlsetorcgKvv2OqZ7MZZY3IfAWkL5ghyphenhyphenNSiDaa5tkEtv_jOaCCiFRDeRQRd72iY25PDrZzIc2604E4VKY-j2rwPRvnh5sLT3RQu2FTqLo_9E-Rg/s400/ardtoe+beach++3+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402426951174250162" border="0" /></a><a href="http://feedickson.redbubble.com/sets/98276/works/4070608-2-ardtoe-beach-i-i-i">Also in the sale.<br /></a></div><br />I painted it up fairly quickly, and thought, 'hey, I'll finish it off after I come back from my weekend away. Upon my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">return</span> though, I realised there wasn't any more to do really. This made me happy :)<br /><br /><br />I've also been working on my Valle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">D'or</span> series again - I'm up to 11 paintings now. Almost enough for a calender :p. Very pleased with how some of the new paintings have been coming along - not sure if this will be too small to see, but will give you the gist.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Hmm</span>. Weirdly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">unfixably</span> blurry! but if you click on it, it takes you to a full version that is fine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmgwZ6GUcC6H8J9bLsycu4ek3Uy4krpaVhu5-qt5EvTl9hglNfVouAWzI6AsUuvrdNAEsAJg2W7i2o1t7dwsxnCo78nmL4hhqkJuvi_Hh65rBXmginIc_NdnRZ-apRLVhbp-EJA0573E/s1600-h/valle+dor+series+copy+small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 879px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmgwZ6GUcC6H8J9bLsycu4ek3Uy4krpaVhu5-qt5EvTl9hglNfVouAWzI6AsUuvrdNAEsAJg2W7i2o1t7dwsxnCo78nmL4hhqkJuvi_Hh65rBXmginIc_NdnRZ-apRLVhbp-EJA0573E/s400/valle+dor+series+copy+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402434273426905538" border="0" /></a>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-24846848059336411792009-10-30T03:49:00.000-07:002009-10-30T04:39:45.105-07:00West Highland paintingsBroke my long spell of not-very -much -painting at all with a couple of paintings inspired by our holiday in the highlands last week. It's always difficult to pick up a brush again after a long time away, so I was quite pleased with how they turned out. Some paintings are better in photos than they are in the flesh, with these it's the other way round, but here they are anyway.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwJzp9loCIEKNtQU5zNaVoSkoVdcsknM-rE-9FCaZ9lhJd1Szc1O5Csw5SASLernyIDcddVVKv4_q0NubqoV-0LzUl_qk4h8kEdAFuwNnz1d2vaPU3k1x4wmZ6lvN7vN7Tv2eds0ZX-s/s1600-h/ardtoe+beach+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwJzp9loCIEKNtQU5zNaVoSkoVdcsknM-rE-9FCaZ9lhJd1Szc1O5Csw5SASLernyIDcddVVKv4_q0NubqoV-0LzUl_qk4h8kEdAFuwNnz1d2vaPU3k1x4wmZ6lvN7vN7Tv2eds0ZX-s/s400/ardtoe+beach+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398345027957814754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQnQRI2_ZG_gSfjKHvxKhj7te57ooTCjAv3N8btYkUPt1mLU55J7NJUiTE5L6IJFmuYhIY7J8WKgRLNI-cQhBisPLpBAdh6BP3Ail3ELFeQ8i8D1dThOVaiiVkJuMg-gz2zBFdqirKgY/s1600-h/ardtoe+beach+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 307px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQnQRI2_ZG_gSfjKHvxKhj7te57ooTCjAv3N8btYkUPt1mLU55J7NJUiTE5L6IJFmuYhIY7J8WKgRLNI-cQhBisPLpBAdh6BP3Ail3ELFeQ8i8D1dThOVaiiVkJuMg-gz2zBFdqirKgY/s400/ardtoe+beach+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398345906287770914" border="0" /></a><br />Both are acrylic on Box canvas, 16" x 12". The originals are for sale at £120 each, or £200 for both. As always, cards and prints can be bought at Redbubble via the link on the side.Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-66051910301322734982009-09-28T12:33:00.000-07:002009-09-28T13:07:34.709-07:00Just a quick heads up that 2010 calenders are now available on RedBubble, with a shiny 15% discount for the next two days.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/calendars/page:0/product:calendar/size:medium/view:preview/3849804-7-works-on-paper-fee-dickson.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 301px;" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/calendars/page:0/product:calendar/size:medium/view:preview/3849804-7-works-on-paper-fee-dickson.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/calendars/page:13/product:calendar/size:medium/view:preview/3849804-7-works-on-paper-fee-dickson.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 300px;" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/calendars/page:13/product:calendar/size:medium/view:preview/3849804-7-works-on-paper-fee-dickson.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />Check out my various calenders <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/feedickson/calendars">here</a>. There's a lot of great calenders by other people too on Redbubble, so if mine don't tickle your fancy, have a look around the site anyway, you may find something that does.Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-41097536063730972222009-06-22T23:09:00.000-07:002009-06-22T23:33:46.893-07:00RECENT WORK<div align="left">Hallo, poor little neglected blog..</div><div align="left"><br />I've not been regularly painting, and no regular paintings means not much to write about. But I do have a few things to show.</div><div align="left"><br />First up, my partner and I took a wee trip to the highlands and I produced a couple of en plein air little canvases -</div><div align="left"><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 339px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 329px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:large/view:main/3264333-3-sanna-beach.jpg" border="0" /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://feedickson.redbubble.com/sets/73080/works/3264333-3-sanna-beach"><em>Sanna Beach</em></a><br /><br /></p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 340px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 303px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:large/view:main/3264299-2-back-of-keppoch.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://feedickson.redbubble.com/sets/73080/works/3264299-2-back-of-keppoch"><em>Back of Keppoch</em></a><br /></p><br />These, and the hundreds of photos I took, will be used as the basis to work up some bigger canvases. Hopefully I'll be back up there later in the year to work as well - the west coast of Scotland does just make me want to paint, paint paint.<br /><br /><p></p><br /><p>Secondly, a commission to paint the local bistro out here in France. The proprieter is leaving, and my mum wanted to give her a leaving present. Hopefully it will remind her of good times there - We certainly had many great evenings at Le Lion D'or.<br /><br /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350405188227918674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 329px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUGsz3JMA6g0Ps3qJk8vKjR9hEfMjt6izreL-fxeVNaCamM2KRoh9MSX2XRL836cqo0HN5GY-c4the6sDZqL7m7rgrx_JnYcTUhHh_TooRYmLMXBlNlz8Xhyk-qcxYuyQf7YETM1CoZM/s400/lion+d%27or+copysmall.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /></p><p>Finally - some good news in that a couple of sets of paintings have sold - Belhaven Bay and East Beach tryptichs were sold through Blues and Greens gallery in North Berwick recently.</p><p></p><p>And that's the news for now..hopefully there will be more to show again soon.<br /></p>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-6443777732527089982009-05-11T01:17:00.000-07:002009-05-11T02:01:49.984-07:00RECENT WORKS - PAINTING PRESENTSNow I'm back in Scotland for a while, regular service can resume...<br /><br />My painting schedule has been pretty scrappy and intermittent of late, but what I have managed to get done is a couple of presents for people.<br /><br />Painting for presents is a funny thing - whenever I am painting regularly, it seems quite a lot of my output is always marked out as presents. If I have a wedding coming up, or someone I want to thank, or a birthday, I never like to give people something 'off the shelf' - I'd far rather make a bit more effort to make something that is personal to them, that I think would suit their taste.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://feedickson.redbubble.com/sets/66102/works/3038230-2-la-barthe"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 448px; height: 222px;" src="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/backgroundcolor:ffffff/size:large/view:main/3038230-2-la-barthe.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Sometimes this is easy - La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Barthe</span> was a painting for our neighbours in France, to thank them for all their help to my family of late, phoning the hospital daily for us and generally rallying round in times of trouble. Subject matter was fairly easy then - their house, nestled between the maize fields and the hills. I wanted to catch a soft twilight light, and the way the house glowed <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">goldenly</span> when the sun was rising or setting on it. On the computer screen, it looks almost too vivid - garish almost - but seen hanging within their sunny yellow <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">salle</span>, it works.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://feedickson.redbubble.com/sets/57218/works/3038250-2-lighthouse"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 393px; height: 386px;" src="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/backgroundcolor:ffffff/size:large/view:main/3038250-2-lighthouse.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Lighthouse was a slightly trickier one - a wedding present for my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">swedish</span> friend Anna and her new husband Neil. I've never been to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Worthing</span>, where they live in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Uk</span>, or Sweden, but I know her well enough to know she'd like a stormy sea scene. I asked a mutual friend for some help, and he suggested using a lighthouse she liked in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Sweden</span> - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Morups</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Tånge</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">fyr</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.unc.edu/%7Erowlett/lighthouse/swe3.htm"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 279px;" src="http://www.unc.edu/%7Erowlett/lighthouse/photos/Sweden/MorupsTaangeSWE3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Morups</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Tånge</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Fyr</span>, April 2008</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Creative Commons photo by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Sune</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Frack</span></span> </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">So I pulled together a few images of the lighthouse, such as the one above, and set about creating a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">turneresque</span> moody sea, with gloomy colours but a pale yellow light. Challenging, but fun - and hopefully enjoyed by the recipient.<br /><br />It's one of the nicest things about being a painter - being able to give people pictures that are personal to them in some way. Just as well I like it though, as we have a lot more weddings coming up that need presents of some kind..<br /><br /><br /></div></div>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-43533356121938946192009-04-27T22:30:00.000-07:002009-05-08T01:00:22.201-07:00Anne Staub - FeatureAfter a bit of a hiatus, the blog is back -my father's on the mend, family crisises resolved, and I've managed to get myself engaged. So - back to real life (or internet life) with a feature on Anne Staub discussed previously. Please click on the pics to see them in their full glory - am limited on the size ( and number) I can show them here!<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong><a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1003/works/2927125-3-follow-me"><img style="WIDTH: 120px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 85px" alt="" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2927125-3-follow-me.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1680250-9-wildflowers.jpg"></a> <a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1003/works/2924713-3-le-jour-avant-le-lendemain"><img style="WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 86px" alt="" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2924713-3-le-jour-avant-le-lendemain.jpg" border="0" /></a></strong><br /><br />I'm not neccessarily an enormous fan of photography - but as with everything, there are exceptions to the rule. Anne's work struck me from the first time I saw it as something other than run of the mill photoshopped photos, and she has the honour right now of being the only artist on RedBubble who has moved me to buy some of their work ( granted, a lot of that has to do with the financial restraints I'm under, I'd <em>like</em> to buy a lot of stuff - but there it is.)<br /><br /><br /><strong><a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1015/works/396421-20-spoons"><img style="WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 90px" alt="" src="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/396421-20-spoons.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1015/works/1865375-5-simplicity"><img style="WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 90px" alt="" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1865200-5-purity.jpg" border="0" /></a></strong><br /><br />So what makes her work stand out so much for me, amongst the 90,000 + photographers on RedBubble? I think all art is most interesting when the artist concerned has the ability to present another world to us - one which we can't always see, but one we'd like to see, and be part of. As a friend of mine once put it, art should show us the magic present in the world.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1009/works/2472868-3-s-o-u-v-e-n-i-r-d-e-p-a-r-i-s"><img style="WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 101px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2472868-3-s-o-u-v-e-n-i-r-d-e-p-a-r-i-s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/998/works/1807818-6-innocence"><img style="WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 100px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1807818-6-innocence.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></p><br />I could go on about colour, and composition, and when to post process and when to stop, and all these things are great strengths of Ann's. But at the heart of it, it is this that is important. that her art is <em>revelatory</em> - of a world painted in sombre yet elegaic tones, a time past but cherished, a place where objects are seperated from the mundane and the multitude and allowed to exist in elegant purity.<br /><br /><a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1014/works/1716905-10-emptiness"><img style="WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 86px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1716905-10-emptiness.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1014/works/1256245-9-the-holiday"><img style="WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 85px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1256245-9-the-holiday.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />But - that's my take on her work . Anne's answers are as folllows..<br /><br /><strong>1. Your book talks about your ‘creative journey for the last two years’. Does that mark the beginning of a new way of working? Or of your interest in photography? Some background, please!</strong><br /><br />When I first selected images for the book “My Creative Journey”, it was for me a way of summarizing the last two years. My ideas, my perspective, indeed my journey. I always had in interest in Photography but in the last two years I dedicated a lot of my time to it, photography and creating images using my own photography had turned into a passion. I have learned a lot, it has been very enriching creatively and also in many other ways. After “publishing” this book, I realized that it was also marking the end of a specific creative journey for me and the beginning of something else….<br /><br /><br /><p></p><a href="http://www.blurb.com/books/630418"><img style="WIDTH: 263px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px" alt="" src="http://assets0.blurb.com/images/uploads/catalog/59/482559/630418-a27de533baa08ea7e42796137ea27ec3.jpg?1238888669" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p><strong>2. I dislike the term ‘digital art’, and I don’t think it appropriate to your work, so I won’t use that – but I see your work as being in an interesting place somewhere between painting and photography. How would you describe it?</strong> </p>I don’t mind the term “digital art” but I don’t feel it applies to my work as to start with. I think I must use about 20% of what my software does offer. Apart from adding textures, contrast and alter colours or tones, I don’t do anything digitally as such to my images which I feel would be considered as Digital Art. I currently describe my work as Photography and Decorative Art. My main interest and passion is photography, I can’t paint or draw, therefore I compose a visual with photographic equipment, sometimes it will be altered, and sometimes it won’t be.<br /><br /><a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1011/works/2780053-3-floral-abstract"><img style="WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 87px" alt="" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2780053-3-floral-abstract.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1011/works/2306942-4-grey"><img style="WIDTH: 120px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 87px" alt="" src="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2306942-4-grey.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>3. When you take photos, is the eventual image you wish to create in your head? Or is it something that comes out when experimenting in post production?</strong><br /><br />Most of the time it’s in my head, I go out and “see” images (which is rather annoying when I have no camera with me), my eyes pick up on composition, strong lines, contrast and textures mainly, whatever the subject/s. I always know at the time of shooting if I’ll convert an image in black & white. I also usually know if it will be untouched. Other post-processed images are more ideas but I usually know very quickly what I will enhance and/or add to it. I don’t spend a lot of time altering an image (I’ll rather be out shooting), if my idea does not work for my eyes, I will discard it quite rapidly. I never try “to save” an image either. If there is no inspiration to start with or I’m unhappy with the composition or light, I will not use the image or post-work on it at all.<br /><br /><a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/11974/works/1960411-7-sunshine"><img style="WIDTH: 116px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" alt="" src="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1960411-7-sunshine.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1003/works/453491-19-sand"><img style="WIDTH: 185px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/453491-19-sand.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>4. Tranquility, Nostalgia, Delicate, Composed and Subtle are the words I would use to describe your work – is that what you are aiming for? How would you describe it?</strong><br /><br />Different......or some of my work hopefully is. I think these words are a very good description of the journey I have mentioned above, which I presented in various ways (black & white, minimalism, textured images, abstract …). I think my future work will still convey the above but possibly in a less eclectic way. But I can’t see myself ever producing one single “type/style” of images as such. I think variety is the key to ongoing creativity. It’s not unusual to get comments on my work saying that that they saw an image and they immediately knew that it was one of mine. Considering how varied my portfolio is and has been in the past, this is very encouraging as for me not to be concerned about being creative in different ways. Some of my images convey various emotions, sometimes stories to the viewer. Sometimes, it’s reflecting my views at the time, sometimes it’s more open and let them “see” their own and sometimes both.<br /><br /><a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1015/works/2944576-3-new-beginnings"><img style="WIDTH: 120px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 84px" alt="" src="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2944576-3-new-beginnings.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1000/works/2183572-5-reflection"><img style="WIDTH: 113px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 86px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2183572-5-reflection.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1015/works/2703068-3-a-la-recherche-du-temps-perdu.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 63px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 86px" alt="" src="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2703068-3-a-la-recherche-du-temps-perdu.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />5<strong>. Where do you see yourself going with your work – what are your goals, artistically and commercially?</strong><br /><br />I have inspirations and ideas which will make me focus more on a certain way of “emphasizing” what I “see” ……. Watch out for “The Ongoing Journey” book… My main aim is to carry on learning and using photography as my main tool to present what I see and how I see it to others, to communicate at times and share ideas with others. I have started selling my work directly and have several events planned this year (all can be seen at <a href="http://www.anne-staub.com/">http://www.anne-staub.com/</a>). I love to meet Artists, Photographers and anyone interested in creativity and Arts in general, I hope to meet more in the future and possibly work with them. I am also looking to exhibit some of my work.<br /><br /><a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/998/works/2563974-4-spring"><img style="WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 101px" alt="" src="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2563974-4-spring.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/11977/works/2532326-4-orange-winter"><img style="WIDTH: 142px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 101px" alt="" src="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2532326-4-orange-winter.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>6. Finally, name three artists who have inspired you on red bubble – pay it forward!</strong><br /><br />So many have inspired me in one way or another since I have joined Red Bubble and because of this I regularly feature others’ work or link to other members’ portfolio. I use my journal on RB for this and it’s quite popular with my “watchers”. I can not name just three and would have to provide probably a list of 30 instead as the use of negative space, textures, composition, tones, shapes, and much more has inspired me through viewing others’ creations on various media, I feel very fortunate to discover, enjoy and learn from so many talented photographers and artists exhibiting their work on Red Bubble from Abstract Art to black and white photography, paintings and drawings, macro and minimalism just to name a few.<br /><br /><strong>Anne's work can be seen at </strong><a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/"><strong>RedBubble</strong></a><strong>, </strong><a href="http://annestaub.com/"><strong>AnneStaub.com</strong></a><strong>, and </strong><a href="http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/anne-staub.html"><strong>Fine Art America</strong></a><strong><br /></strong><br /><a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1014/works/2793966-4-la-fleur-jaune"><img style="WIDTH: 136px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 101px" alt="" src="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2793966-4-la-fleur-jaune.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/sets/1017/works/1825158-6-autumn-dream"><img style="WIDTH: 145px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 101px" alt="" src="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1825158-6-autumn-dream.jpg" border="0" /></a>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-22444637383653924872009-04-26T23:38:00.000-07:002009-04-26T23:40:44.533-07:00FEATURE & INTERVIEW POSTPONEDDue to my father being very seriously ill, I'm having to ignore the blog for a few days and postpone the interview and feature I wished to post on Anne Stuab. It will be up later in the week - in the meantime, take a look at her work <a href="http://annepic.redbubble.com/">here</a>.Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-5961269728233652222009-04-23T22:39:00.000-07:002009-04-23T22:48:49.505-07:00Valle d'Or continued<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-kpCiN4zNq2FopNOhJXRJglKPx665TeBjWrfbAPBKFqwN7282AVWlxNYNDemfImjfjD18IK2nWbLJtwJ1ote5hJ8f4mvx_oQzyk3w9gZlMqzKPQnutx4bZPKCMpaN2wY5ZlPdETsyfE/s1600-h/valle+d%27Or+V+blog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328128779267425106" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-kpCiN4zNq2FopNOhJXRJglKPx665TeBjWrfbAPBKFqwN7282AVWlxNYNDemfImjfjD18IK2nWbLJtwJ1ote5hJ8f4mvx_oQzyk3w9gZlMqzKPQnutx4bZPKCMpaN2wY5ZlPdETsyfE/s400/valle+d%27Or+V+blog.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And the latest in the series.<br /><br />Have to admit, I am thoroughly enjoying making these paintings. The process is somewhat akin to design, imagining what will unfold in the next panel along - half closing my eyes until I can see the landscape before me. I really feel this is a development in the right direction, and I'll push it until the inspiration is all squeezed out.<br /><br />take a look at the <a href="http://feedickson.redbubble.com/sets/62268/works">gallery here</a> to see all 5 together.Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-54102356923670999552009-04-22T23:50:00.000-07:002009-04-23T00:19:53.661-07:00WORKS IN PROGRESS : VALLE D'ORA quick update on how the Valle D'or series is going. Two more, both needing a little tweaking - but I'm just not getting the time to paint as my mother <em>as well</em> as my father ended up in hospital yesterday - I am beginning to feel like a victorian spinster aunt, daubing away in between visits to ailing relatives..<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBUghDljW8-lspPSyjNpy1zDEIg0VWInTVDbd7Bj0ns5INMVcqZWgeB4Xy-LPWUMM9sADBwstqJwB0lPEzifJTULqS_95PiWGiqder_IZSnpZs-YyCQM08qhtrq7MiSfG66mhAruFtn8/s1600-h/valle+D%27or+III+S.jpg"></a><br /><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qdEkEIO4uA0F1pgVzDwhJrZlBMExiUh7voeIq47yTuYaZeSFG88htYGbhyQgnlc0iANpu5TlFt2NSJSYjJzmb0qyhuC-P81btQMWUHD7f5JSmVFfNpm7-5IQvmBoh0AxNuIOVT74_aY/s1600-h/valle+D%27or+IV+S.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327777965101500754" style="WIDTH: 307px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qdEkEIO4uA0F1pgVzDwhJrZlBMExiUh7voeIq47yTuYaZeSFG88htYGbhyQgnlc0iANpu5TlFt2NSJSYjJzmb0qyhuC-P81btQMWUHD7f5JSmVFfNpm7-5IQvmBoh0AxNuIOVT74_aY/s400/valle+D%27or+IV+S.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ocow2UCEEW3UvtcMztil7sKVThSTVr6oOpxCsuleVPEfaNtL18JExzesnmg6wLmjdAK6XiKCU88oSXXGVzLssidhQ_oKNbPp2QiGS1Db2CXxNXxu2FvAv9OdyF4RFrx8zIw96t0pVaU/s1600-h/valle+D%27or+III+S.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327777962780183474" style="WIDTH: 311px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ocow2UCEEW3UvtcMztil7sKVThSTVr6oOpxCsuleVPEfaNtL18JExzesnmg6wLmjdAK6XiKCU88oSXXGVzLssidhQ_oKNbPp2QiGS1Db2CXxNXxu2FvAv9OdyF4RFrx8zIw96t0pVaU/s400/valle+D%27or+III+S.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>And here's how the series looks so far.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQQWDDZwpJW81USqJ8PDEwh7zTHVBeo8dewPl1Zq4TyKm78Y_vuZYdINGSyclw-wrtDVS6JgY8a6NOXJBym2XTlLVS6S6YFHv-SC5MdCOFXZi3qIpJX_O6GlSdm2C6TXj6vG4JCLOZpQ/s1600-h/valle+D%27or+IV+S.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327780840359349346" style="WIDTH: 80px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 114px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQQWDDZwpJW81USqJ8PDEwh7zTHVBeo8dewPl1Zq4TyKm78Y_vuZYdINGSyclw-wrtDVS6JgY8a6NOXJBym2XTlLVS6S6YFHv-SC5MdCOFXZi3qIpJX_O6GlSdm2C6TXj6vG4JCLOZpQ/s200/valle+D%27or+IV+S.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVTzd4T7_xxjUoHXJiURU5xiP7BJ7V0JkhljIvNBtg_HZhERbgEO0nzmsjbcdiBD_Ow3Vez3R-3C_hM8hyphenhyphen3nrJbx4o-pMdpn1rDHXpRIwj_oWNnWrFkchgZUKUsX1iqD7uRWzjU-0rMw/s1600-h/valle+D%27or+III+S.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327780842441016370" style="WIDTH: 84px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 114px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVTzd4T7_xxjUoHXJiURU5xiP7BJ7V0JkhljIvNBtg_HZhERbgEO0nzmsjbcdiBD_Ow3Vez3R-3C_hM8hyphenhyphen3nrJbx4o-pMdpn1rDHXpRIwj_oWNnWrFkchgZUKUsX1iqD7uRWzjU-0rMw/s200/valle+D%27or+III+S.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRDZJfN7k7EK78KVvf4pvKk-e7s85vjXAyVUznvhE2HOGgSimovC8VUhaVibSSxdUAlDNmFCp4nQ8s6cwS6R6mWynTCPrT6QQveXxusSjpovGn6b2HkdimgmHhdKUR-wN0qukysZvgiM/s1600-h/valle+D%27or+II+s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327780846365741522" style="WIDTH: 89px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 113px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRDZJfN7k7EK78KVvf4pvKk-e7s85vjXAyVUznvhE2HOGgSimovC8VUhaVibSSxdUAlDNmFCp4nQ8s6cwS6R6mWynTCPrT6QQveXxusSjpovGn6b2HkdimgmHhdKUR-wN0qukysZvgiM/s200/valle+D%27or+II+s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB3yR08frv6z9VzMkY1jA2QLhjxDNXydvGrOU8Zka0gibIOGQ6A3QWBM_AUQsKgyORs4bYwWddIHcAbG7TIZqxQO8gK9pA23Ln0TWIZs3DV9S1ImrBUf9ICCUKCim5dirK2EnP5ZXYrQ/s1600-h/Valle+D%27or+I+s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327780849750407122" style="WIDTH: 90px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 113px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB3yR08frv6z9VzMkY1jA2QLhjxDNXydvGrOU8Zka0gibIOGQ6A3QWBM_AUQsKgyORs4bYwWddIHcAbG7TIZqxQO8gK9pA23Ln0TWIZs3DV9S1ImrBUf9ICCUKCim5dirK2EnP5ZXYrQ/s200/Valle+D%27or+I+s.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVTzd4T7_xxjUoHXJiURU5xiP7BJ7V0JkhljIvNBtg_HZhERbgEO0nzmsjbcdiBD_Ow3Vez3R-3C_hM8hyphenhyphen3nrJbx4o-pMdpn1rDHXpRIwj_oWNnWrFkchgZUKUsX1iqD7uRWzjU-0rMw/s1600-h/valle+D%27or+III+S.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVTzd4T7_xxjUoHXJiURU5xiP7BJ7V0JkhljIvNBtg_HZhERbgEO0nzmsjbcdiBD_Ow3Vez3R-3C_hM8hyphenhyphen3nrJbx4o-pMdpn1rDHXpRIwj_oWNnWrFkchgZUKUsX1iqD7uRWzjU-0rMw/s1600-h/valle+D%27or+III+S.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVTzd4T7_xxjUoHXJiURU5xiP7BJ7V0JkhljIvNBtg_HZhERbgEO0nzmsjbcdiBD_Ow3Vez3R-3C_hM8hyphenhyphen3nrJbx4o-pMdpn1rDHXpRIwj_oWNnWrFkchgZUKUsX1iqD7uRWzjU-0rMw/s1600-h/valle+D%27or+III+S.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div>On Monday, I shall have an interview and feature with very talented phtographer <a href="http://www.anne-staub.com/">Anne Staub </a>up. Have a good weekend! </div></div></div></div></div></div>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-48512694778742470022009-04-20T00:09:00.000-07:002009-04-20T00:39:44.275-07:00Location Location Location<div><div><div>It's monday again, and the beginning of my third week in France.<br /><div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISEbZJa1IbZckDzgDlx5i0AH-RC69dYUAd1hje6RJYFuHq8oWeu63Mbdsa1V-OFljdjug5JaZugoVYQEtqhy6rb8uW79J1YNxb1VsiTxDZYZd4Fgn67lEgScrMrGV5IHflw-5URojDsg/s1600-h/DSC00204b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326669188272688226" style="WIDTH: 144px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 161px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISEbZJa1IbZckDzgDlx5i0AH-RC69dYUAd1hje6RJYFuHq8oWeu63Mbdsa1V-OFljdjug5JaZugoVYQEtqhy6rb8uW79J1YNxb1VsiTxDZYZd4Fgn67lEgScrMrGV5IHflw-5URojDsg/s200/DSC00204b.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>It feels strange being back here for so long, and in a little sense feels like I have come full circle. The last time I tried to develop art as a career was out here in France, where I ran in to several problems - not least of which was not speaking the language.</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyXw_D76pQohyxEPL8nAViPPlygTH2QJVylXHv3GE9nn0dZUgnedLlAL8552f_HF9cTAPz6TTTt6n5TSsigIsx3zIydlCHfUxtxnbCITwkVJjMGnSTBrL_ZRFakxrhZPq2gsIrrU1_DM/s1600-h/DSC00138b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326669193637574994" style="WIDTH: 152px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyXw_D76pQohyxEPL8nAViPPlygTH2QJVylXHv3GE9nn0dZUgnedLlAL8552f_HF9cTAPz6TTTt6n5TSsigIsx3zIydlCHfUxtxnbCITwkVJjMGnSTBrL_ZRFakxrhZPq2gsIrrU1_DM/s200/DSC00138b.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>But the biggest problem was then, and is now, that I don't find the landscape here particularly drives me to paint. It is beautiful here - there is no doubting that - but it's a kind of self contained beauty, a tranquility, that seems to have no need for translation by the artist. </div><div> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmi5Glp3BvuMVblxka7F154dLprUz1-xgRClNCoDkrvIpEUmVzkRsfZ0JGWrMWZnUy9xy0VuwYRKj7Nj6DjzU51pVIa5EeWS3GD4k8nsz0zZA-38ucVKtHAWh-hUSvfvRMjn9_4415iu8/s1600-h/DSC00325.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326673448429554402" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmi5Glp3BvuMVblxka7F154dLprUz1-xgRClNCoDkrvIpEUmVzkRsfZ0JGWrMWZnUy9xy0VuwYRKj7Nj6DjzU51pVIa5EeWS3GD4k8nsz0zZA-38ucVKtHAWh-hUSvfvRMjn9_4415iu8/s200/DSC00325.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div>The colours are soft, the hills are low, the river meandering and placid. There is no drama - no hook. Of course, I'm doing my best with such materiels as I have, and perhaps for another painter, this would be a paradise of inspiration.</div><br /><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPqbrhAccC9zkMlMSgqyiX5tvOzxSiAWogl35gjbLBH97Za-55AvdB3YWGYv3q3TBjeNOy6y0sdpUwB0I1j5tS1fpttgh0k6JPFxtlZLPIbeKn6cpaZSM2jh_Y0yIfoCP2fQCt-ag0pg/s1600-h/DSC00200.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326671764059216450" style="WIDTH: 182px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPqbrhAccC9zkMlMSgqyiX5tvOzxSiAWogl35gjbLBH97Za-55AvdB3YWGYv3q3TBjeNOy6y0sdpUwB0I1j5tS1fpttgh0k6JPFxtlZLPIbeKn6cpaZSM2jh_Y0yIfoCP2fQCt-ag0pg/s200/DSC00200.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYsFakrTwcLBuMGUFnyMcNLKE9lQK841UH4U_zb7slzBOkvTz-C-eBjZtdJL1rXM6lLv_RgOY8zLLv28g_jpWHk-ETPdYG8fogaikVtFoxBxY_f27x3op7v5f5OGjY4Pjh4OnQkjbpQQ/s1600-h/DANDELIONS.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326671768187542610" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYsFakrTwcLBuMGUFnyMcNLKE9lQK841UH4U_zb7slzBOkvTz-C-eBjZtdJL1rXM6lLv_RgOY8zLLv28g_jpWHk-ETPdYG8fogaikVtFoxBxY_f27x3op7v5f5OGjY4Pjh4OnQkjbpQQ/s200/DANDELIONS.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Just not for me. But that's ok - I'm working on my Ville D'or series, and if I can't find what I need directly in front of me, it just needs to go through that extra translation process in my head.</div><div> </div><div>Hopefully tomorrow I'll have more actual finished paintings to show. That's the plan, anyway.</div><div> </div><div>A demain.</div></div></div></div></div>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-8754157080795680362009-04-16T22:41:00.001-07:002009-04-16T23:25:07.993-07:00STYLE VERSUS EXPERIMENTATIONI have about 5 blog posts stored up in my head, but getting to the computer to write them has been a bit problematic. But it's 7 30 am, the house is quiet but for the birds singing, so here I am..<br /><br />One of the biggest challenges an artist faces is developing a cohesive style whilst constantly challenging one self. (hmm. that was a tad generic - perhaps I should rather say it's one of the biggest challenges <em>I </em>face).<br /><br />Style is important. It makes your work recognisable. It reassures galleries, who see a constant dipping in and out of different methods as the sign of an immature artist. But it also can seem highly restrictive - how can one develop if one is repeating the same thing in different variations over and over again? and where is the line drawn between <em>progression</em> of that style, and doing something totally new and different every week?<br /><br />In my last entry, I mentioned that I was experimenting with different media - acrylic on very thin paper with chalks. I did struggle on with this for a while, and produced around 7 or 8 sketches using this method, but ultimately I didn't feel I was getting anywhere with these.<br /><br /><a href="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2890048-3-lines-i.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 93px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 116px" alt="" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2890048-3-lines-i.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2890029-3-lines-ii.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 95px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 117px" alt="" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2890029-3-lines-ii.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2890006-4-lines-iii.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 98px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 117px" alt="" src="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2890006-4-lines-iii.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2895429-4-lines-iv.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 92px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 110px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2895429-4-lines-iv.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2895608-4-lines-v.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 93px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 111px" alt="" src="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2895608-4-lines-v.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2911246-2-lines-vi.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 92px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 113px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2911246-2-lines-vi.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2911224-4-lines-vii.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 95px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 114px" alt="" src="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2911224-4-lines-vii.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><br /><div>There comes a point, ultimately when you have to concede to yourself - this method just isn't working. That building up a body of work that hangs together is only important if the body of work is essentially something that you can succeed with. </div><br /><div>The solution was to buy bigger, heavier paper, gummed watercolour paper that I can load with paint and it won't buckle, won't protest. We had a little trip into Bordeaux where I did just that, and I gleefully set about punishing the new paper with lots of water, lots of paint, lots of colour. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2911103-3-mon-frere.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 102px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" alt="" src="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2911103-3-mon-frere.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div>This is a sketch of my brother done whilst in Bordeaux and coloured up after - potraiture is really not my thing ( it looks nothing like my poor brother), but it felt so good to play with colour again, and get away from the muted effect in the paintings above. But where's the style, my head was screaming - how does this fit in to my body of work? It doesn't. </div><br /><div>So I stopped and had a bit of a think. I'm away from home, I don't have all my usual tools around me. It's ok to experiment. It's ok to take this time out of linear progression and try and do altogether new things. It's ok if they don't work, or if they don't fit. With this pep talk in mind, I let myself go completely freestyle, concentrating only on the colours I wanted to achieve, and letting my mind wander a little. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>And I started to paint a little french valley out of my minds eye, following it with another as my mind travelled along the horizon ( from right to left, strangely), and another... and now I'm just having fun seeing how much of this place I can 'see' before the vision runs out.</div><br /><br /><div></div><a href="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2917259-2-valle-dor-ii.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 104px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" alt="" src="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2917259-2-valle-dor-ii.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2917224-2-valle-dor-i.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2917224-2-valle-dor-i.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Developing a cohesive style <em>is</em> important. It will demonstrate to myself as much as anyone else that my art is backed by rigour, and thought, rather than just the dabblings of an amateur. But it can wait a little longer.<br /></div><div></div></div></div>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-8441934757037397722009-04-13T23:05:00.000-07:002009-04-13T23:59:30.571-07:00REJECTION<div align="center"><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/products/configure/9870331"></a></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324424587773916770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 186px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7tyZUlrQVG4cRiKKxp1j7Y8HFNmY2enHHto_HdZynXCoeyv7R2rBMSA1ZhaxFockT-YObiR_WLsb3J2_OpoangQrqaTnEfuL6p2rSRl1Fa6tyGU8vJtoD0pahV2AWBY0MwTscAdbfcE/s200/lines+4+b.jpg" border="0" /><em><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/products/configure/9870331">Lines IV</a></span> </em></div><div align="center"><em><br /></em></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">It's been a bad week all round, for personal reasons as well as artistic ones - but I'll save you the details and talk about the artistic reasons here. As mentioned previously here, there were a few things I was trying out for - The Saatchi 'best of British' Tv talent show for art, The Royal Scottish Academy spring open exhibition, and last but definitely not least, the part time job in an art shop.<br /><br />I didn't get any of them. None too surprising really, as I was aiming high, certainly with the first two, but rejection is still always disappointing.<br /><br />I've noticed, however, that rejection in my mid thirties is much easier to take than rejection in my teens, or twenties, or even early thirties was. When I was seventeen, I applied for all 4 Scottish art schools, and didn't get in any. I was heartbroken, angry, hurt - and swore off art for a very long time (at least a couple of years-heh). But part of me was also relieved, because I knew at heart I wasn't quite strong enough to deal with my art being ripped to shreds in the name of constructive criticism, big baby that I was.<br /><br />But now, I find myself much more sanguine about these things. Perhaps a few years on crafts markets toughened me up - watching tourists look long and hard, then stroll past and spend their five Euros on plastic light sabres instead of my pretty prints. Or, perhaps it's just something that comes with age - an acceptance that wanting does not equate getting, yet that one should not use failure as an excuse to stop trying<br /><br />Whatever the reason, my confidence and equinamity is happily undented by rejections these days, and I'm just focusing on getting busy looking for the next opportunity. And hapily, I have the Tuesday Art School to look forward to, details of which came through this week - masterclasses run by Artist Kate Downie for a small group of 6 students. I think this is actually the best opportunity that has come my way, and I'm really rather glad it's the one that came through.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324425135781682530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 205px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCPLT0i7z-gUi2TuStwvBhWP7biQ17MU_GRU_7HVl9kVsYoJEv0vahisvHNrRCgm_nn_EiFZzBTJS-5E0qGNI0UqUvJzh-FC6XWRbaNDWYhKqBQJtU145tZQO_u4Nzh7H54nlog0r10s/s200/lines+5+b.jpg" border="0" /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/products/configure/9870233"><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Lines V</span></em></a></p></div>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-73590928543441025502009-04-12T00:09:00.000-07:002009-04-12T03:55:53.047-07:00EXPERIMENTING - WORKS ON PAPER<div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/products/configure/9850967"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323702196758312498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 174px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOztsPztucMMpPGIHKrjq_hQKDAIEXRh4xJ3Ij9IP8Oy7rBmmZaAL4NtbV0Hh1y4SwccFDKU0twHtxmsh1h_6jYHN7FPfUieHp5czkZmxsczZJtQZDFHXKJnj9VDV3a68zCmfBlUAPwCQ/s200/lines+3+b.jpg" border="0" /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">LINES I</span></em></a></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></em><div align="left">In between dog walking and gruelling hospital visits ( 5 hour drive) yesterday, I did at least manage to do some sketching, which I am much relieved about. It doesn't do to go to long without painting lest one lose the habit.</div><br /><div align="left">These peices are acrylics and chalks on paper, and are a bit experimental for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I'm not using reference photos for them, but rather painting 'out of my head'. I think I've mentioned previously that's not something that comes easy to me, but with these subjects the basic ideas behind them have been rolling about in my head for years, so it's not been too hard.</div><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323704095107329890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 176px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDepG5DC-H4zkqwrQ3n-tn2u8FpEmaz2JYakEWPYbC0CqiLDUV8vujBD1yr_-8_H1NTvzn80-W16gxlVEbb7KNTJYTcn0kbHFH8erty3Jq8RHO-1ci3dENn0gV1YJrrDoWCHDIuKeCF4/s200/lines+1+b.jpg" border="0" /><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/products/configure/9850922"><em><span style="font-size:78%;">LINES II</span></em></a><br /><br /><div align="left">I've always been fascinated with the linear aspect of the french countryside, whether it be stands of poplar trees, rows of vines, the way the countryside is criscrossed with irrigation ditches, or even just the plough lines in the field. This juxtaposition of the geometric and the organic has been subject matter for me - in my head, if not always on paper - since I arrived here in 2002, when the highly detailed watercolour below was done.</div><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 223px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:ularge/view:main/2670100-3-poplar-trees.jpg" border="0" /><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/feedickson/art/2670100-3-poplar-trees"><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>POPLAR TREES</em></span></a></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">Secondly, the medium is new. I could only bring very thin cartridge paper with me, which has its own challenges - it buckles over the slightest application of water, so paint has to be built up in thin, sponged on layers. It's always fun to try and get around a technical limitation like that, but also one musn't expect brilliant results on the first go - or even the second or third. So I'm calling these experiments, and hoping that I can improve upon them in the next few days using the same methods.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/products/configure/9850922"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323703815344135874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTYbmrUE80si13CKJxCEhOTJyqpPsD8sgS0ubpqqiEbPFwsrbMe6qvoeO_aeqZ9_i8xdqlC7EqtHsK2n76WSTTinFKZKqBfetSWHzAXoVP8UNqNSRs-P4ABmGIQJfjWEm3DTG4lyviYI/s200/lines+2+b.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><p align="center"><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/products/configure/9850922"><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>LINES III</em></span></a></p>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-58502721933514914372009-04-08T00:24:00.000-07:002009-04-08T02:57:49.129-07:00DEB MILLIGAN<p align="center"><img style="WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1069442-3-coalescence.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center"><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/neonarmadillo/art/1069442-3-coalescence"><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Coalescence</span></em> </a><br /></p><p align="center">As mentioned the other week, one of the nicest things about RedBubble is finding other artists whose work inspires you. One such is <a href="http://neonarmadillo.redbubble.com/">Deb Milligan</a>, whose abstracts seem to glow with light. The more I look at them, the more I want to go back and look at them more - my only regret is that as an Australian artist, it's not very likely I'll get to see the originals of her work any time soon.<br /></p><p align="center"><a href="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2708165-2-worlds-3.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" alt="" src="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2708165-2-worlds-3.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/neonarmadillo/art/2708165-2-worlds-3"><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Worlds 3</span></em><br /></a><br />Deb describes her work on her gallery thus :</p><em>My work is largely, though not only, abstract – usually painted in oils or acrylics.<br />My abstract paintings speak of particular moments in time, glimpses of dynamic stillness when the Universe is at play within us. Through my art I try to give expression to the subtle shifts contained within these openings</em>.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1141172-3-a-moments-recognition.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 177px" alt="" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1141172-3-a-moments-recognition.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://neonarmadillo.redbubble.com/sets/13147/works/1141172-3-a-moments-recognition"><em><span style="font-size:78%;">A moment's recognition</span></em></a></p>As time goes by, I find myself more and more drawn to abstract art - I'm also envious of those who can create it, as I don't have a natural facility for it. When abstract art works best for me, it's something that evokes a mood, a thought, or an emotion that can't be put into words. This ability to transcend written language is what I love most about Deb's works.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1141413-3-night-lyric-detail.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 119px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 123px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1141413-3-night-lyric-detail.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1207564-1-solitudes-shadow.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 112px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 123px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1207564-1-solitudes-shadow.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1065111-4-connection.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 114px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 122px" alt="" src="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1065111-4-connection.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://neonarmadillo.redbubble.com/sets/13145/works/1141413-3-night-lyric-detail"><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Night Lyric (water)</em></span></a><em> <a href="http://neonarmadillo.redbubble.com/sets/13152/works/1207564-1-solitudes-shadow"><span style="font-size:78%;">Solitude's Shadow</span></a> <a href="http://neonarmadillo.redbubble.com/sets/13142/works/1065111-4-connection"><span style="font-size:78%;">Connection</span></a></em><br /><br />She is also a superb colourist - deep rich muted colours blended beautifully as in her Water or Spirit series, or violent fiery strong colours leaping out from a dark background in the Fire series. I'd urge you all to take a look at her galleries, grouped into elemental series - as I can only show the works very small here and they really don't do them justice.<br /><br />Deb has kindly agreeed to answer a few questions on her work :<br /><br /><strong>Have you been painting long? give us a bit of background…</strong><br /><br />I remember when I was 9 deciding that when I grew up I was going to be a famous artist. I rapidly dropped the ‘famous’ but that initial thought has guided me ever since. I have been painting for 30 years and focused first on watercolours as they were easy to travel with while I was backpacking in my early 20’s. In my 30’s I moved away from representational art, and nearly a decade ago developed a love of abstraction, which holds me in its thrall still<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1246340-1-slight.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 127px" alt="" src="http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1246340-1-slight.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://neonarmadillo.redbubble.com/sets/13147/works/1246340-1-slight"><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Slight</span></em></a><br /></p><strong>Your paintings are very cerebral – they reflect a pace in the mind rather than a physical place. What comes first, the thought or the painting? or do they evolve together?</strong><br /><br /><br />This is a difficult question to answer and any response is more an exploration than a definitive answer. Often the thought, or the general theme, comes first. Usually this thought is elusive and difficult to pin down. so I will write copiously trying to capture it. Sometimes, when all the elements are out in the open, I will then try to identify the essence of what I want to capture by writing it in haiku form. This strips away all the fluff and leaves me with a very clear direction to follow. However, I don’t always use that tool. At other times I start with the elusive thoughts still wandering freeform.<br /><br /><br />When I paint I am often guided by the sensations within my body. When I feel it in my heart, in my stomach, in my hands - even in my mouth - then I know that the painting is working for me. It is a deeply visceral, even primitive feeling. It is only later that I step back and analyse it, refine it, work ‘by the rules’. Initially though, I gather the awareness of what I wish to convey within my body, observe my physical, emotional and intellectual reaction, and then endeavour to give it expression through paint.<br /><br />Regardless of the way in which I start, the painting itself often tells me more about my initial intentions as it evolves. Sometimes it is only when I have finished that I fully understand what my intentions were. I enjoy allowing the painting to guide me.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1333360-1-the-cross.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1333360-1-the-cross.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/neonarmadillo/art/1333360-1-the-cross"><em><span style="font-size:78%;">The Cross</span></em></a></div><br /><br /><strong>Tell us a bit about your methods : sponge,rags,brushed,fingers, type of paints – how do you do it?</strong><br /><br />My methods vary depending on the subject. I usually start in acrylic and work up a base painting. Sometimes I continue in acrylic, for example with Solitude’s Shadow where I used brushes, sponges and rags with glazes to create the dappled effect. With Connection and Transition, I continued over the base painting using oils, with palette knife, brushes and my hands. With these two paintings I was trying to capture a range of different expressions of ‘energy’, both through colour and technique, hence they include gentle glazes as well as more dynamic brushwork. At times I may take off more paint than I put on, using paper towel and other materials, especially when I wish to create a layered veil-like effect. Then in other works I create a highly textured surface by building up layers of acrylic paint using a palette knife.<br /><div align="center"><br /><a href="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1166238-2-transition.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" alt="" src="http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/1166238-2-transition.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://neonarmadillo.redbubble.com/sets/13142/works/1166238-2-transition"><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Transition</span></em></a></div><div align="center"><br /></div><strong>What inspires you, motivates you to keep painting, and gives you joy doing it?</strong><br /><br /><br />I just love painting. I love getting lost in the process. I love the difficulties inherent in presenting or exploring complex issues through abstraction. I love the complex simplicity that is necessary in abstraction. I am inspired by the exploration of ideas, trying to understand the world and my place in it better through this exploration.<br /><br /><strong>As an artist, do you have a goal you are working towards? is there a direction you would like to take, or does your art work evolve by itself?</strong><br /><br />At the moment I suspect my work is in transition and I am not quite sure where it will go. However the overall goal is to continue to improve my work, keep improving my CV and so increase the opportunities to show my work to a wider audience.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Finally..name three artists who inspire you on Rb – pay it forward!</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/victor">Victor</a> is one of the most talented artists I have seen on redbubble – he has a superb eye and masterly technique. I love the work of <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/midorichan">Midori McCabe </a>for her purity of technique – she gets straight to the essence. And <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/jfishinla">John Fish</a> is a great inspiration for his transformative visions, both in paint and word,<br /><br />Amongst the photographers I also pay respect to <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/jordanpaint">Jordanpaint</a> for her clear and beautiful abstracted vision which always inspires me, and <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/skiphunt">Skip Hunt</a> for his superbly crafted images of life as a citizen of the world.<br /><br /><strong>Thanks to Deb for great answers. Please take a moment to look at her gallery <a href="http://neonarmadillo.redbubble.com/works">here </a>- and I hope you enjoyed what will be the first in a series of artist interviews.</strong>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-31297646978765024892009-04-07T00:26:00.000-07:002009-04-07T00:35:21.560-07:00FRANCE<div><div>In France, after a long day's travel yesterday. I'm here to help out my folks a bit, as my father is ill, so any painting/blogging will have to be fitted in numerous drives to Bordeaux hopsitals and back. But really, I have no excuse for not blogging at the same time every morning, as my parents are not exactly early risers. I'll do my best. today I'll be finishing the interview peice I talked about doing with <a href="http://http//www.redbubble.com/people/neonarmadillo">Deb Milligan </a>- this has taken way longer than I thought, and in future I shall not be advertising things before I am sure they are going to happen soon! Full thing will appear tomorrow though.</div><br /><div>I 'll also be revisiting these two peices, and adding a third..</div><br /><div></div><a href="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2753705-2-st-emilion.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" alt="" src="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2753705-2-st-emilion.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2753749-2-st-emilion-ii.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 134px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 137px" alt="" src="http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2753749-2-st-emilion-ii.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2753705-2-st-emilion.jpg"></a><a href="http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:small/view:main/2753705-2-st-emilion.jpg"></a> </p><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-69150509832990322812009-04-05T13:50:00.000-07:002009-04-05T14:55:04.230-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcQppCQC37tMzo5mWpkk7c4iq9TzFj5cZWQSrX6v9calRdDusfJaM7NlO96rcn2PQe9oVOx3dAx6RDfLVDhgMFOwDeE8ebl-eG6vLBRP92zvjTC18_yAsk2ZboIZhKh2J5Acve3w_KyM/s1600-h/sand+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcQppCQC37tMzo5mWpkk7c4iq9TzFj5cZWQSrX6v9calRdDusfJaM7NlO96rcn2PQe9oVOx3dAx6RDfLVDhgMFOwDeE8ebl-eG6vLBRP92zvjTC18_yAsk2ZboIZhKh2J5Acve3w_KyM/s200/sand+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321317414748901810" border="0" /></a><br />I am (hopefully) off to France tomorrow, for a week or two, so the blog may become a bit sporadic whilst I am out there. Apologies in advance ( not that I expect my..erm..hordes of readers will be jumping up and down with rage, but I like to be consistent).<br /><br /><br />I've been thinking a little bit about art and ego and how intertwined they are. Sometimes, it seems like such a fantastically arrogant thing to be, or want to be, an artist. It's a sort of childish consistent wish for praise, and attention, and 'look at me! look at me!', and I think you need to be a pretty resilient personality to reconcile this with a way of life.<br /><br />I was out with a lot of architects from my old job last night, and it got me thinking when I was talking about how different this way of life is. No, I don't have site agents yelling down the phone at me, and constant demands for information, and endless problems which never seem to be resolvable. But I also don't have an 'off' switch any more. Everything seems to relate back to painting - every emotion, every bit of information, every single thing I see. And that has its own form of stresses and tiredness. And the doubt! the endless self questioning, not least of which is if I have any right to do this at all - or if I would be a lot better sitting out the recession with a job down at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Tesco</span>, and then waiting for a job in architecture to come back up.<br /><br />But, I think I'd always kick myself if I didn't paint. I don't really like life when there's no creativity in it - or, I do, but it seems a bit more pointless somehow. It was nice to go out there last night, with all my old colleagues - some of which still have jobs, some who don't, and be able to be a bit proud of what I am doing now, and hear that many of them liked the paintings they'd seen online. It kicked me out of the strop, and the abyss of self doubt I'd been wallowing in since Friday. I think the lesson is it's not a bad thing <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">necessarily</span> to want a bit of praise and encouragement to keep going - the bad thing would be letting myself be cut of from friends and people in general just because I don't work in a big noisy office any more. The hermetic life of the artist in isolation is not for me - or only up to a point. So, anyway,. here's to my friends - thanks for cheering me up last night. Even though I am suffering for it today with a most dreadful hangover..Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033342272391449340.post-29871984022601363822009-04-03T01:06:00.000-07:002009-04-03T01:29:19.255-07:00WORKING TO COMMISSION...Is not something I generally seek out. Not that I don't like it precisely, but more that it always seems to take me ages to do it.<br /><br />Mind, that's mostly because the commissions I have done in the last couple of years have been for charity - which I am all in favour of, if I can make £400 for charity just by giving a few hours of my time, well, that's awesome. And I'm glad to do it. The problem has been getting round to it, particularly when I had a very demanding full time job as well as studying for my professional exams in architecture. And when I'm not painting much, so there's the whole bit of getting back in to practice before I even start.<br /><br />So it was with a large sense of relief when I went to drop off this painting last night - I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">really</span> had taken too long over this, and though the recipients were lovely people and very understanding, it was good to have the decks cleared.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iGTAXJUZBAakt2gs_jVyZMneR9S2gxSjrUsjFM1puozc7QQjcQWInI6iJhSUUA1NYNMdahN8zFe79DGWXxUJrCwfoMllP0FRMvYyZd14t6DtDRRoo96V578DsyDONr0uYgZrSkCFeEU/s1600-h/wilson+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iGTAXJUZBAakt2gs_jVyZMneR9S2gxSjrUsjFM1puozc7QQjcQWInI6iJhSUUA1NYNMdahN8zFe79DGWXxUJrCwfoMllP0FRMvYyZd14t6DtDRRoo96V578DsyDONr0uYgZrSkCFeEU/s200/wilson+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320378527045614802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Just to say sorry over the delay, I gave them a wee sketch of their gorgeous black lab, Carrie. I think they were almost happier with this than the house painting.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCbJyxlJaXnrgzK9QB2ccy3M6SNLroypIljpmp4qWE0Y3LuwP3CmVkca6A2bWnBKNhLkKFrWQpkyE4UJj6GnuAeJre2EaqY2GyzR9MJQk6O0sYxaJYlJoL4DMlLQVOpZksbRscViAxbY/s1600-h/carrie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCbJyxlJaXnrgzK9QB2ccy3M6SNLroypIljpmp4qWE0Y3LuwP3CmVkca6A2bWnBKNhLkKFrWQpkyE4UJj6GnuAeJre2EaqY2GyzR9MJQk6O0sYxaJYlJoL4DMlLQVOpZksbRscViAxbY/s200/carrie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320379116652119666" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Happy customers is a Good Thing. So I think I'll maybe build a little side website for house paintings - it may not be high art, but if it's art that makes people happy, and makes me a bit of a living then it's not a bad thing.Fee Dicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03445431672560118814noreply@blogger.com0