Your Star Will Shine

(36" x 30" acrylic on box canvas)

Everyone hopes to have their moment of glory some day, either through a single achievement, at an event or by reaching a goal they have set themselves over a period of time.

Whether its through natural talent or just through determination and hard work, when the day comes, you feel on top of the world with a strong sense of pride from not only yourself but also from friends and family.

If you feel that goal is yet to be reached, know in yourself that one day your star will shine and shine for all the world to see…..

...unless nobody is watching, which would just be typical!!

Xmas Exhibition at Artifex Contemporary Arts

A new exhibition of original paintings is now showing at Artifex Contemporary Art Gallery in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.

Originals on show include new versions of 'The Friendly Stranger' and 'One Love'

Artifex is a stunning gallery selling the very best in contemporary British art & craft. The 3000 square foot gallery specialises in designer/craftsman made furniture, glass, ceramics, sculpture & original paintings with a strong emphasis on originality and quality.

More about the exhibition and the gallery can be found out by visiting their website at www.artifex.co.uk

Please do not hesitate to contact either me or the gallery with any enquiries on the exhibition.

Edinburgh Exhibition Preview - Thursday 22nd October

New original work will be exhibiting at Scotlandart Galleries in Edinburgh from 22nd October through to the end of November.

I will be attending the preview night myself on the 22nd, so it will be nice to chat to anyone who is able to make it.

If you are able to get to Edinburgh at any stage over the next few weeks, please pop in to view the new work on show, some of which I have posted on here in recent weeks.

Scotlandart is based in the Stockbridge area of the City and is well worth a visit.

If you cant get to the gallery, then the work will be viewable and available through the gallery website at www.scotlandart.com

Me Plus One

(30" x 24" acrylic on box canvas) Available at Artifex Contemporary Arts
SOLD

A kid will always enjoy having his or her favourite companion by their side. Having a teddy to cuddle up to, whether out on a day trip or just tucked up in bed gives that extra sense of comfort and security.

A favourite bear, dog, rabbit or even a fuzzy tiger would be an essential partner to have by your side and you just wouldn't want to leave home without it!

This painting is also paying tribute to one of my favourite comic strips, Calvin and Hobbes by American cartoonist Bill Watterson.

Calvin is a 6 year old boy, who to be fair, is a naughty little so and so! But the adventures he gets up to with his phylosophical tiger Hobbes sometimes go beyond any ordinary imagination and propels Calvin to a higher breed of daydreamer!

Hobbes, to everyone else is just a stuffed 'fuzzy' tiger, but to Calvin he is Hobbes, his reserved but enthusiastic pal, who really is an ACTUAL tiger!

Who am I to argue.

Time

(30" x 24" acrylic on box canvas) Available at Leonardo Galleries, Toronto
www.leonardogalleries.com

Growing up and being a kid seems to be timeless. Everything is pretty much done for you and there is no care in the world. All you really need to think about is what game can be played next, or which cartoon to watch!

….And yet before you know it, 10 years have passed, then 20, then 30 and time has melted away before it feels like you even had the chance to get going.

The important thing though is that we can still look back on when we were kids and remember just what is was like and how carefree those days were.

Time continues on its path no matter what, so make the most of every minute, regardless of what age you’re at.

Win a signed 2010 Calendar!

What with the desktop wallpaper recently posted on here, there is a chance to WIN another freebie, and if you're like me, you'll like nothing better than a freebie :) Although a little bit of research is probably needed for this!

For a chance to win a signed 2010 Calendar, just name the titles of the 3 paintings where you will find the following characters:

1. A Superhero
2. An Imaginary Friend
3. A Paperboy

Send your answers via the contact page on the main site here

The winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries.

The closing date is October 30th, so you have plenty of time to search through the blog and website for answers :)

Good luck.

Desktop Wallpaper - free download

The World is Yours

(1280 x 800)

I was asked recently by a customer if I could create a desktop wallpaper for their laptop, so thought I would also make it available here.

Just click on the image to enlarge, then right click to save to your documents and it should work! :)

Handbags and Gladrags

(76cm x 60cm acrylic on box canvas) SOLD

Every little girl at one stage or another would of raided her mum’s wardrobe and put on a few of her favourite dresses and a pair of oversized shoes!

Clip-clopping down the hall, giant handbag in tow, she'd get her sister or friend to join in or even rope her brother into dressing up too…..Dads hat would probably be the only thing that fitted but at least it meant he could wear his favourite cowboy costume instead!!

All dressed up and ready to go, it was time for a bit of ‘Mums and Dads’. This basically involved pretending to go to the shops or taking a trip to the petrol station to fill up the car with ‘£5 of 4 star’. Only ending when mum’s favourite hat became buckled and bent, or ‘Cowboy Joe’ deciding to shoot everyone with his cap gun!