Summer 2011

Dearest little BBQ sausages,

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