Looking Back at 2012

What a year it has been! At the start of the year I listed a few things I wanted to do. How did I get on? Well, much better than expected! Although I didn't get nearly as much out of the 28 drawings challenge this time around - although it was lovely to see Joe's drawings really take off. My Etsy shop was something else that didn't continue to develop - largely due to shipping troubles. Maybe I will revive it, maybe not. The New York Residency really made a difference, although there were bits I hated - the continual storms, the lack of internet access, the bad food - but I came back feeling I could paint anything - and have, indeed, started to. Roses, skulls, buildings, trees . . . Possibly the big things I learnt was the use of medium, how important the planning/thinking bits of painting is for me and the benefits of getting out there, talking to people and seeing art. The unexpected event was one of my residency paintings (a three-quarter's length figure) winning the Glasgow Art Club Fellowship at the RGI. This, of course, led to the prize winner's show, where I learnt how much work there is in such a show. It also led to me meeting some new people (such as Fran Hanley and Robert Kelsey).

As there was such a deadline (told about the show late Oct, show going up early December) it forced me to really push myself, get the paintings done, and not worry about how people will like them. This has been a good thing - what feedback I have had has been good. Some of the things I wanted to develop were composition skills and landscape painting - and the above is the result. This may well be a theme (as I am fascinated by windows and reflections, as well as cities) I am going to pursue much more over the next year - but that's the next blog post . . .

P.S. this is my 100th post!

Oil Paintings In Progress

Been busy painting rather than typing as there are a few events coming up - The Glasgow Art Club's joint prizewinner show in December as well as the RGI Kelly and Art Exposure Galleries Christmas Shows.

So here are a few that have been begun - there are a few more finished works lurking about, as well, that will be photographed the next time there is a sunny day.

Glasgow Art Club Award RGI 2012

It has been an emotional week.

Last Wednesday I found out through facebook that the postman had delivered the letters from the Royal Glasgow Institute Annual Show. I couldn't go home straight away, so had several hours of agonising until I ripped the letter open. Inside were three letters - the first, rejection of two paintings. I had expected that. In fact I had expected worse - which is why I hadn't told many people that I had entered this year. Next letter was an acceptance for two paintings - jubilation!

But the last letter was the best - so much so, I didn't actually read it properly . . . what it said was that I had won the Glasgow Art Club Award for The Little Mermaid. A prize! Me!

It is a particularly suitable prize for me, as a couple of my friends are already members and I had been talking about joining for a while. The Glasgow Art Club has been around for a while, with many great painters as members both past and present, so being given the award is a real honour.

Unfortunately the bit of the letter I didn't read was a warning to keep the information confidential. Oooops.

I did read about the photo-shoot and with a lot of trepidation agreed to go. This involved seeing the exhibition (lovely), meeting other prize winners (also great) - including Helen Flockhart , Jayne Stokes , James McNaught and Sheila MacMillan, who has been showing at the RGI for several decades. But I also had to get my photo taken. The photographer was friendly and professional, but had me standing on a chair as I am so short and my painting hung so high. (Which is why I don't have a better photo of it than the one above- sorry folks!)

Next, the award was given to me at the varnishing dinner. This is held in the Art Club, so I got to have a wee noisy around - the gallery spaces are (as you would expect) very well-lit. At my table was the club president and ex-president, both lovely, friendly men, with many stories of previous members. Greeting us at the door for the dinner was Karin Currie and Hazel Nagl of the RGI , both of whom looked amazingly glamourous - it is rare for me to feel under-dressed, but I did then.

Anyway, I better stop as this is becoming a long post - more later. The exhibition preview is tomorrow, with it opening to the public on Sunday at noon. It runs until the 6th of October.