The emails you missed!

Art by Shani

Mad March in my studio

Disastrous spills, blinking big bills… and finally, the thrills!

A big hello to my arty friends! 
Thanks for clicking through. To me, connection is everything. 
This month in my studio has been manic and is about to get even crazier. It definitely earns its title of ‘Mad March’. 

It started off with a spill! Well, maybe ‘spill’ is downplaying the action a tad - it was more of a ‘chuck a full tin of gesso over the banister and completely coat the walls, stairs and carpet fiasco’ really! I wish I’d had the forethought to catch it on camera though, because it was quite spectacular. It put me in mind of those videos on Instagram where the gorgeous young artist in dungaree shorts and chunky boots, hair tied up nonchalantly in a scruffy bun, throws paint with creative abandon at the canvas and gets a thousand likes. Yeah, OK. I know what you’re saying to yourself right now. “Don’t even think about it Shani!” 
I promise, I won’t - anyway, I’ve mislaid my dungaree shorts.

But seriously, I’ve been working on three different series simultaneously, for 3 different exhibitions. The first one kicks off next Monday, in the gallery in Stamford (mentioned last newsletter). I really thought I’d nailed the three pieces I wanted to show. I’ve cold-waxed them, had frames made, and signed them (one upside down, but that’s another story), and the closer I get to the delivery date, the less sure I am about at least one of the paintings, if not two. 

So… I set to and started another set of paintings in a slightly different colour balance (actually from the same palette - but less turq and more pinks and neutrals). I’m using the process that seems to be working for me on my abstracts - creating intuitively painted (ie. messy) playgrounds using the same hot colours to completely cover the substrate - and then careful editing with a cooler shade or a neutral, allowing glimpses of what was underneath to show through in scratches and scrapes. I’m beginning to fall in love with these new ones now - and of course, it’s getting to ‘make your mind up’ time. Only one thing for it - put it to a VOTE! 
I asked my art buddies in the facebook group to pick their two favourites from the three old and the two new paintings. (They’ll sit alongside the ‘big one’ - the first image). 
Of course, it’s Sod’s law there were no clear winners - everyone liked a different set. Maybe you can chip in and tell me your favourites? Better still, if you can, come along to the exhibition and see what made it! https://www.gallerystamford.co.uk

BLINKING BIG BILLS! 
Or more to the point, the price of following my joy and painting big! I know everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment, and I COULD just paint small, but oh I absolutely love the feeling of the huge sweeping motions I get to make, and the freedom it brings when I have a huge panel to work on. However, bigger panels equals waaay more paint and new, bigger tools to paint with (no I’m definitely not doing the ‘mop’ thing!) And that’s even with the benefit of a handyman husband who can turn his hand to cradled panel making and frames. Incidentally, I looked up the price to buy in large custom-made cradled panels and whoah!!! It made my eyes water.

FIRST DIBS - YOUR EXCLUSIVE 
I have lots and lots of lovely little colour studies that I’ve been saving in a pile and wondering what to do with them. They’ve all been given a generously sized mount (mat) and Celophane wrapped - easy to post. 
If you’re interested in seeing these little gems, do let me know and I’ll send you a file of images - and you can have first dibs before I put them on Instagram and Facebook.

And finally, on a non-art front, but possibly the biggest THRILL for me this month, my oak framework for the kitchen extension is finally up! They can start on the roof. I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I am to get this one off the ground.

However, this next week they’re threatening snow - so I do hope the workmen are a hardy bunch. I’ll have big pans of home-made soup on the go every day to warm their cockles, so to speak 😂

And on that note, I will say my “adieus”. 
Keep warm and cosy everyone - see you next month.

Shani x