It’s nearly over but what a summer! Admittedly, it was mostly in the earlier months but I can’t remember so many days of sunshine in years. 

 North Shields normally hosts a freezing, grey coastline but it has become almost…. ‘holidayesque’ !  I was suddenly seeing blue sky, and feeling a lovely warm breeze.   The normally infuriating seagulls are calling “come and buy chips……come and buy chips”!  Well, who am I to ignore avian instruction?….the birds have done very well for leftovers… and in a mood of sunshine induced joy, I have even rolled a cherry tomato towards a brazenly visible beach rat.

Of course I know you are not here to learn about my leisure time and possibly even want to know whether any paintings have been created? Well, I can reveal that there is now a small batch of canvasses which mark the beginnings of my next collection.  (September 2012) I was going for a theme of all that’s GREAT about BRITAIN….and had made a good start with a few pieces about British holidays, caravans in the rain etc… then the low point of summer happened.  Horrible hooligans breaking windows and running off with stolen tellys. TCH!!  I didn’t want to paint that – So I’ve removed the restricted brief and will simply continue to free-range as per normal, riding the flights of fancy to wherever they take me.

With long periods of no new releases, and no current exhibitions, it can sometimes appear as though an artist has stopped working….however, don’t be fooled, we are simply heads down, beavering away for the long term…..Ooo, ooooh, and I’m still writing my book….it’s slow going, but getting there….I plan to release this along with next year’s exhibition.

In the meantime, just so you don’t forget me….I’m going to release a little print in time for Christmas.  Keep your eyes peeled for details arriving at your inbox around Mid October time. 

Dear things, I hope you have also enjoyed some time off during this summer and I very much look forward to showing you some new pictures soon.  In the meantime, ‘here’s one that I made earlier’….

It is called ‘sunshine indoors’ and it features the team (including me) who have run a scheme sponsored by the King’s Fund and supported by many other charitable donations.  Our newly designed wards will be opened in late September by the actor Duncan Preston (a keen Alzheimer’s Society supporter) and will offer an enhanced healing environment, which we hope will be an inspiration to other hospitals and dementia care organisations. I must go now….I can hear the command of the seagulls.

 Love, SJ

Mine’s is doing quite nicely thank you.    The sun is out,  the garden is growing,  I’ve had Pimms in a deckchair (v. posh)  to celebrate the bank holidays and only one downside I can detect,  are  the freckles on my face  giving me that unfortunate, unwashed appearance.  I know we are not supposed to sunbathe anymore but you can’t tell that to a child of the 70’s.  When I was a lass, we’d be in the scalding sun for 26 hours a day, with only a nylon tanktop and some cooking oil for protection.  Nowadays, I will occasionally stick a bit of cream on the fragile bits but I’m very slow to get my head around this whole business of the sun being bad for you.  However, don’t do as I do, kids, and get your factor 9000 on.

Anyway, in my world, I’ve been busy with all kinds.  I recently visited the House of Lords for the first time, to attend an Alzheimer’s Society event hosted by Lord Julian Fellowes.   I could tell you the vital facts of the occasion, a few medical statistics, but I know you would prefer to hear that,  this most eminent of places with all its BIG history,  served us sausages on sticks, brilliant.

While we are talking Alzheimer’s, I’ve started visiting a hydrotherapy pool with my mother.  She loves it….and that is saying something for someone who rarely finds anything to smile about anymore.   Mother used to be a strong swimmer but it was startling to watch her, without warning, launch across the small pool.  This is a lady, who cannot remember me, or any of her family, how to dress herself or even how to sit on a chair without help.  It just shows how deep these basic instincts really are that she was able to propel herself (well, for a short distance anyway) through the water.  I, on the other hand, when in water, am more than happy to move around on a float – like a toad on a water lily, overseeing matters.

I’m still beavering away at my book  and the odd painting  (and I mean odd)  I can’t wait to share those with you one day.

Ludicrously, I’m still in a high court battle with London’s Halcyon Gallery…. how incredibly long winded the civil legal process is!  I could have completed a university degree, or had three children….just.

Hey ho,  it’s amazing what we learn to live with isn’t it?  It remains an unpleasant process but I care less and less with every day that passes.  This case has taught me to understand better who and what are the important things in life and no amount of awful ratbag behaviour (or litigation) can take that away.  My philosophy is now this:

“if the fat lad on the beach wants to kick sand in your face,   just keep moving and wait for him to stand on a jellyfish”

………..I reckon that’s Confucious out of a job.

May your May be filled with Maypoles and Mayonnaise and James May.

Back soon, and maybe I’ll even say, or do something arty for a change.

love, SJ

You can see her wax models here,  mid-progress.

The figures have now been lovingly cast and handpainted in the UK.  each one will come with a personal letter from Sarah-Jane.

These very special pieces are in a tiny edition of just 25 copies each and due for release in the New year. (Just in time for Valentines day!)   We will contact our mailing list with further details shortly – followed by images of the completed sculptures onto this website.

Anyone coping with dementia will know that quality of life disappears almost totally.  Victims and carers fast become the invisible society,  but we can all do something to help, even if it’s just increasing our own awareness. There will come a stage in everyone’s life that you know someone with this cruel disease.  It may even be you.   The fight goes on and I thank all of those who have donated to the Alzhiemer’s society by purchasing my gingerbread Christmas cards.  We appreciate it very much!!

On an arty front (that is why we are here after all) I’ve been busy working on the finishing touches of my new sculptures and over on the news page, you can see some snaps of the wax models mid-progress.  They are almost complete and new images of the completed biscuits will be uploaded shortly.

And I must mention that the highlight of my gallery visiting year, It was seeing the new exhibition of my very good friend Tony Marshall at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle.  I went along to the preview and since more gossiping than admiring goes on….I went back the next day, in peace and quiet to fully appreciate this splendid collection of townscapes and figurative work.  If you live in or around Newcastle, it would be a shame to miss….

Getting back to the big day, I’ve never hosted a christmas dinner before  (I’m planning an ‘alternative’ curry) and don’t quite know whether I will cope well with the task.  However,  I figure that if I can get my guests sloshed before the starter, they won’t notice any disasters or Marks and sparks packaging.  Or me running around with my hair on fire.

I don’t believe in Father Christmas anymore,  but I do believe in angels….and I hope one will bring me some handwarmers, and maybe a chocolate orange.

And I hope that the santa/angels (delete as appropriate) bring you everything you hope for too.

Love and peace to you and your treasured ones,

SJ xxx

Welcome to my little,  autumnal update.

It’s that time of year again, we must  battenburg down the hatches and steel our girdles against the coming season.   It’s dark, cold and it just doesn’t care.   In North Shields, the wool tights are already in service and the annual ceremony known as   ‘Installation of the electric blanket’  has taken place and  not a moment too soon either.

The big trees in the street where I live are busy shedding millions of tons of leaves on my front path.  The pussycats like to bring most of them indoors,  sometimes with a bonus attachment,  like  the juicy worm,  as found by Mr Szikora this very morning – when he stood on it in bare feet.  Needless to say, I was very sympathetic to all concerned.

Nothing earth shattering has occurred since  we last crossed paths.  I’ve been keeping out of trouble by rumbling along with various arty or Alzheimer’s  based projects.

Now released are the gingerbread Christmas cards and I am thrilled by how they are flying out and the Alzheimer’s Society benefit every time a pack is sold – so a big  thank you to everyone who has chosen them.

I’m also very excited about the forthcoming sculptures I’ve been working on.  ‘Smartypants’ and ‘Rude Food’ will be making their grand entrances just as soon as I’ve finished faffing around with final tweaks and colours etc.   It has been a lovely change  working with a different media.  I’m also getting some smashing days out travelling back and forth to the Scottish Borders where we are moulding and casting the pieces. Here are a couple of  rubbish photos of me at work on the kitchen table.  Next time, I will use a proper camera.

In a generally quiet news month (no reviews folks, sorry)  the only thing I think you may need to know about is that the marauding, plopping seagulls who normally plague my existence,  seem to have thinned right out over the last couple of weeks.  I don’t know where they’ve gone but it’s very nice to find the door handle on the car isn’t always bunged up with sticky bird poo.

Instead, my foxy friend, Claude,  has been visiting regularly, along with Milliagan (the hedgehog) and eating us out of house and home.  I have to purchase plenty of extra cat biscuits  but I’m 6 years old again every time I see them!   I’ll never understand how the little fox divides opinion so fiercely -  shy creatures who don’t deserve the awful fate dished out by some humans.   But that’s another row for another day.

So,  I do hope you enjoy spooky Halloween and Bonfire nights and  I will be back during the run up to Christmas with plenty of humbug and news of those gingerbread.

Til then, stay safe around the fireworks and  should  you happen to get a suspiciously tall and ‘adult’  looking trick or treater in the North Tyneside area,  just give her some sweeties  and she’ll leave you alone.

Love,

SJ

Sadly, the closest I have come so far, was a stab at sitting on the beach in my winter clothes – with a hot  flask. On the big day, the sky was only a little cloudy,  but in the time it took me to pin down the tartan blanket with shoes,  the heavens opened with torrential rain.  The shoes filled instantly with wet sand, our chips got  soaked and the coffee wasted.   Myself and my companion, who just happened to be on crutches (very hard work on sand)  had to make a run  for it along with all the other defeated fools off Tynemouth beach.   Bah.

Anyway, before I become too involved with this rant,  I must offer thanks to anyone who made the effort to visit me at Artique Galleries during July  (unfairly, it was really hot in the South East)  It’s always humbling to think I’m worth a couple of hours of your precious time and I appreciate it very much.

I’ve never been to Tunbridge Wells before  and thought it was extremely nice.  I stayed in a Wild West themed hotel in which my bedside lamp was a cowboy boot with a shade.  A total lack of air conditioning certainly gave the room an authentic Arizona Desert experience.  However, not wanting to seem un-grateful, I have to say that the complimentary string bag of boiled sweets on the pillow was a nice,  if very un- wild westish touch.

I am still working on various projects at the moment,  including the refurbishment of 3 dementia wards at Bradford Royal Infirmary.  It is a fascinating personal journey but also an insight into the patient/relative experience and how the NHS operates in this area.

As a carer for my own mother,  dementia is a huge part of my life and for the moment,  takes away most of my painting time, but I’ve got the rest of my days (hopefully) to scribble and daub, whereas life holds very little pleasure for my mother and other sufferers of this awful disease.  Though I do try and get in the studio as often as I can,  painting can wait for now.

Returning to the season, I hope that despite the wet and chilly,  everyone still manages a ’summer’ of some sort, and that the  kids don’t drive you crackers …. that the airlines stop striking and that you finally get to burn some stuff on a bbq.  I’ve bought my littlest pussy cat a paddling pool to float her ping pong balls in, so I’m keeping everything crossed for her.   Anyway,  September is always a good month….. Isn’t it?

reporting back soon.

SJ

ps. I have been ordered to tell you that there will be 10 copies of my recent painting ‘Helter Szkelter’  available through this website and if you are in our mailing list then you will be contacted shortly with details,  but I would be speedy if you want one.

http://www.sarah-janeszikora.com/products-page/latest-prints/new-helter-szkelter/

Also, there are  6 new greetings card designs including  ‘girl with a broken heart’,  so if you have never located a copy of this difficult to find limited edition print, here is a token alternative.

http://www.sarah-janeszikora.com/products-page/greetings-card/

It’s me again,  with a short report from the furnace of my studio.   Bless the sunshine ey? I’m typing away in the intense heat of this beautiful May day.  My computer is in the attic, so the hot air has risen and become trapped, roasting me and my lazy cats, who look just like mini African lions,  languid and  stretched out in sunbeams.

The kittens are growing up fast and this very week, have discovered wasps.  This is unfortunate at the best of times but especially now I’ve discovered a nest just outside the front door.  So my weekend  mission is to try and remove the wasps before it all ends in tears.  I suspect this task may end in tears anyway…but I will see if I can borrow a wet suit from the surfers down at Tynemouth, that should thwart the stinging ones.  I’ll keep you updated on that one.

As you know I like to do little reviews of local art exhibitions, but sadly, I haven’t had the opportunity to see much lately…. although I did attend the preview of an exhibition by LA artist Fabien Perez in Newcastle recently.    I would love to be able to tell you about the show, but I didn’t really look at it (sorry Mr Perez)   I was far too busy chatting to many fascinating people, including a lady who tattoos nipples onto patients who have undergone mastectomy.  What interesting jobs people have!  I am considering having my eyebrows done (not as nipples…as eyebrows) but not sure if I’m brave enough,  I’ll probably just stick with my clinique eye pencil.   My glass was filled up a little too often by the lovely staff…and this led to what can only be described as the blatant theft of the gallery tea towels (nice stripey things) luckily, a close friend of mine manages this gallery and she isn’t pressing charges – this time.

I have occasionally ventured into the studio to do a little painting, but this month I have been very  busy on other projects, including the beginning of work to design and refurbish  3 dementia wards in Bradford teaching hospitals.  It’s a huge task because the scheme is funded mainly by charity and a tiny amount from the NHS,  so what we lack in funds, we must try and make up for in creativity!

I never fully understood how cruel life could be until I came face to face with dementia.  As an artist, I may be unable to help my own mother or other sufferers in a medical way, but I can be a carer, a companion on this most painful of journeys.  Through art,  I can also use the experience and hopefully turn it into something positive for others.  We must always strive to see the brighter side of life amidst the darkness of living.  Laughter, after all, is the best medicine.

If, by the way there are any generous donors among you, who might like to help our project in any way, we would be absolutely delighted to hear from you! I can be contacted through this site.

In the meantime, I shall brave the temperature in my studio and attempt to produce some worthy artwork and resist the overwhelming tempation to copy the cats and stretch out in a sunbeam myself.

I will report back again very shortly (providing I have not been attacked and eaten by a ferocious swarm of wasps) and I will let you know about some gallery events taking place in July.

Until then, have a lovely end of May and Bank holiday.

love,  SJ.

Here we are in a new season and I hope you are all bright eyed and bushy tailed?

Spring got off to a lovely start when a biscuit fan sent me this photo of the fabulous cake from her recent wedding:

How marvellous is that?!

April is my favourite time of year,  so fresh and new.  It’s not just the lovely light nights, trips to the DIY places for garden knick-knackery and shivering outside with a glass of wine on an evening because we are too stubborn to admit it’s just slightly too early for this yet – more importantly – it still holds the promise of a golden summer.

So, with a spring in my step I headed to the garden centre, purchased some pansies and excitedly potted them, hoping for the rapid arrival of a vibrant floral display and an abundance of pretty colour in my front garden.

One week later,  I seem to have killed them all.   Sadly I’m not very green fingered but even by my standards, this seems unlucky.  Some of the pansies are currently in intensive care and I hope for a recovery of at least the green bits.  However, not to be put off by this minor setback,  I will continue blundering around in my wellies and I’ve even bought a spade to lean on.  It’s blissful to be outdoors again and I’ve mostly abandoned the easel and computer while I work on a few other projects.

I’ve been knee deep in fish poo while removing a large and scruffy old pond from the yard of my new home (the fish were sucessfully re-homed) the smell and mess is intolerable.  A skip must now be hired, which means I will be forced to stand guard, rottweiller style, for 36 hours and prevent rascals putting their mattresses and bricks in there.

The masterplan is to transform a shabby Victorian yard into a lush Mediterranean haven – a Roman atrium sort of thing (Mr Szikora’s idea) However,  I have my own ideas about a seaside theme involving an ice-cream parlour for the cats….

Which leads me to something even more exciting than the gardening – I’ve  been busy ‘kitten proofing’ the staircase since the arrival, a few days ago, of my beautiful new gingerbabies,  ‘Pamplemousse’ and ‘Pantoufle’.

The spindles have been clingfilmed and there is a bright pink hammock suspended between the floors in case of any falls.  My older cats,  Betty-kitten and Milky Joe are absolutely disgusted with this new arrangement and refuse to speak to us.  I suppose we must wait patiently until they are ready to forgive their evil humans.  The kittens are a naughty distraction for me,  I should be painting, but instead I happily stare for hours…..and they love their new mammy too,  I know this because of all the love bites they have generously given me.

While all this ridiculous stuff is going on,  I have also embarked on a programme to do something rather more useful.  I have been invited to join a team sponsored by the Kings Fund charity to help improve the environment on the dementia wards at a Northern hospital.   As the only non-medical person involved,  I am looking forward to sticking my creative oar in.  For some patients, these wards may be a final home and they very much deserve to have somewhere lovely to receive their care.  I will try hard to be extra sensitive – and even though I think it would be a fun idea, resist the temptation to suggest a willy wonka theme…. I will keep you updated on progress.

I shall also be attending the Bishop Auckland Food Festival this Saturday (April 17th, Auckland Castle)  I was kindly invited to show a few paintings in the Chapel at the private home of the Bishop of Durham.  Entry is free and everyone is welcome to visit -  if you are a foodie, or you just fancy a trip out, it is a lovely event with lots to see and no doubt lots of food samples to be had, so  get yourself along! You can find more information about this by following the link at the end of my rambling.

So,  get stuck into Spring and have a lovely time…don’t forget to vote,  even if you don’t want to…you can vote for me if you like, I can’t promise to fix the economy or lower taxes, but I would make sure there was a return to tea parties in the street, with bunting and cake.

OK folks, I’m signing off here because it’s really hard to type with kittens running up my back and besides, the urge to go and get some soil under my nails is getting stronger…it’s a dirty job but someone’s got to butcher the hedges.

back soon,  SJ

food festival info: http://www.bishopaucklandfoodfestival.co.uk/

How are you doing?  cold?  sick of the snow and rain?  Of course you are.  Chin up though, it’s a good excuse to stay indoors,  make another pot of  tea,  have some buttery and jammy toast.   Or wrap up really warm and get out there.  Breathe the fresh air,  let the weather do its worst and get some exercise -  stopping short of making local headlines and getting saved by the mountain rescue services.

Only last night I was extremely brave and faced the freezing, driving rain -  jaw clenched tight with the effort, finally making it, exhausted, to the pub.   This was a consolation prize as I was supposed to be in Paris for the weekend,  but striking  French air traffic controllers had other ideas.  GRRRRRR.

North Shields, with it’s biting wind off the North sea may not have the Eiffel tower, but it has other charms, including a rather good book shop, and I’m going to be in there later to research my latest project,  Ahem –   I now need to make a small announcement.  I’ve decided to press ‘pause’ on the love of my life, to become …….. a writer!

Now,  I don’t claim to be any good at this creative medium but something is calling me,  and if Jordan can do it, anyone can.

I am in my attic studio, the nerve centre of everything I do,  typing away furiously at my keyboard.   I need to wear fingerless gloves because of my terrible circulation, the pots are piling up into a mountain of shame……the old electric fire casts an orange glow across the room,  it’s really quite authentic except  I don’t have the inky quills, unrequited love,  or tuberculosis.

I have been longing to write my own account of this life,  through my own squinty, lopsided eyes.  A  warts and all account of my time so far, and in case no-one wants to read that bit,  I will also be wearing my investigative journalist hat (a fetching velvet trilby) to uncover the nastier aspects of the art business,  an industry you might think would be lovely, but can sometimes shock the pants off you.

Who knows when this masterpiece of daftness will be available.  The editor may have a heart attack at the amount of work needing to be done after my efforts,  but I’m working like the clappers in the attic and ideally would like it to be finished before I get to the menopause.

Incidentally – if you have any interesting, unusual or downright outrageous experiences of being an artist or an art collector, please feel free to let me know,  I will of course respect your privacy at all times.

I’ve not mothballed my brushes totally and this month I have agreed to create artwork for a charity very close to my heart – The Alzheimer’s Society – The art will be reproduced for 2010 charity Christmas cards – I will let you know later in the year, how you can buy these and donate to a very good cause.

One of my favourite things to remember at this time of year is that  “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” so fingers crossed that the roaring stops soon.  In the meantime,  wrap up warm, take very good care and see you again when the lambs are springing.

love,  SJ

I have now moved into my new home and studio.  So far it is complete chaos.  If you could see the state of the place, you might wonder what I was thinking of coming here.  There has  already had a flood and a gas leak, the wind is whistling past my face as I type.  I’ve also discovered that there is one tree in the town where all the seagulls congregate for some heavy, evening socialising -  and it’s the tree my car is parked under.  Just how big are seagulls? You would think from the copious, xxl  poo splatters that we have flying elephants here.

Since staying with them temporarily, I miss my old people every day.  I rely on them for some accidentally amusing or hair-raising incident to keep us entertained.  They didn’t disappoint at Christmas.  We had a very nice traditional roast, and a good few drinks,  when late in the evening, a bowl of traditional Hungarian fayre was offered up for our dining pleasure.

In the dish there was a scary looking scene, unidentifiable at first, but turning out to be… a pigs trotter, a knuckle and a tail, there were random bits of skin (probably ear) too – all encased in a brown jelly which was just clear enough to reveal the glory of the porcine bodyparts and this was all topped off  with  a slim layer of lard on the top.  I was assured that this ‘delicacy’ was well worthy of a Christmas day sampling.

Personally, I was still immobile from Christmas dinner, and so resisted this highly resistable offer.

My significant other was mad/drunk enough to give it a go.  It was extremely funny for us spectators, but even now, he still won’t talk about it  for fear of flashbacks and post traumatic stress.

Even our oldest Hungarian admitted it wasn’t quite as he remembered from 50 years ago…perhaps to appreciate this particular dish, you need to be living in a rural, communist and very, very hungry bit of eastern Europe?

Thank the Lord for Marks and Sparks I say.

Anyway, duty calls and I must now go and unpack my brushes and paint my way into this new year.

Best Wishes and lots of success to you all for 2010.

SJ