Monday, 23 August 2010

Holidays ,Home and Hot Tubs!




Well I have been sitting, very happily I might add, in a hot tub in the middle of a forest for two weeks. Not 24/7 as naturally that would neither be pleasant or productive, but on enough occasions to make me sit and think a little and ponder what I might do next .We have been on holiday in Devon to a beautiful thatched cottage.

Holidays are funny  they seem like pauses in life or at least they do now that our kids are older. When they were younger a friend once said to me while mulling over why the relaxing idylls that holidays once were before they had children bore little if any resemblance to holidays after, with them. He said 'it's just more of the same but with different scenery!' Holidays are now easier as we are blessed with teenagers who for the most part are great company although trying to drag them away from their phones, ipods and play stations all in the name of having 'quality family time' sometimes seems like a battle one needs a degree in diplomacy in or connections with a burglar to come and pinch the whole lot!
Anyway back to the hot tub! Complete with LED lights and sound system any footballers wife would have been delighted, as in fact we were. I stayed in it so long ,after one partiularly rainy venture out to see some worthy monument ,that Polly informed me that the ends of my hair, that had been trailing in the water quite happily while I read my book had gone green. Actually she said "why is your hair REEEALLY GREEN?" Evidently over soaking in chlorinated water and highlighted hair don't mix. Thank heaven I hadn't decided to do my full Ursula Andress impression and had had the sense to put my hair up in a ponytail as there may have been tears at bedtime.
We had a great time anyway in true british summer time style, we body boarded in the rain, celebrated when we could actually see any blue sky at all, ate too much, slept too long, laughed at Marks jokes and learnt that Nut Hatchers walk vertically down bird feeders. Perfect.

Now it's back to work coupled with trips to find school uniform for Polly as nothing now fits but no skirt seems the right shape, length or material (if your 14). I am thinking of threatening to make her one then she may well leap at the first polyester pleated number we can find in Mark and Spencers. David is going into sixth form so that of course means no uniform but a whole other daily dilema of "what shall I wear?!" Bring back short trousers until they leave home I say. Sorry back to the hot tub.

So having that quiet interrupted time to think meant that my brain roamed around and deliberated what to paint next and why, to blog more, get fitter and make a list of what I would like to do before I'm 50. It seems strange even writing 50 as if it's a number that has nothing to do with me. The list will have little things on as well more significant ones I have decided. I guess I am writing this here so that I won't be able to get out of them. Not that a million of you are going to say "excuse me but you failed to do number 36 you are officially a lesser person." But this is what comes of being self employed for a long time combined with the advent of blogging and twitter. Ultimately we all want to tell someone something, it's human nature. Well I think I better upload some pictures some I can tick off 'updated blog". Before I go, Helen has picked up our two quilts today, that we have had made from the other two Happy Go Lucky Colour  I cannot wait to see them. Thank you Anne Jeater and Tania for all your hard work. I can now post some pics of the photo shoot we had just before we went away. We love how they have turned out, thank you Simon at Hilton Photography.


Thanks also to Carly who has just emailed me from Wisconsin she has made a fabulous quilt using Happy Go Lucky fabrics she sells patterns for it too. Her is the link
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54425824/painted-windows-quilt-pattern-cjw-013

I am just designing the next collection called Keep A Secret which will be revealed in the months to come. For now here are some pics from our holiday and or things large and small.

Wednesday, 12 May 2010

"Happy Go Lucky Fabrics" have landed




Well it is one of the busiest weeks of the year. Seven days before Chelsea, Surtex in New York before that then the Licensing show in LA. So thank you to Helen for getting the parcel off today to Julie Newman my new american agent. I'm sure she will have a great show. Julie we will be there with you in spirit!

 So every day I'm finishing off paintings  and delivering and picking up from the framer. It's so great to see things finished after months of gazing at them trying to work out what to do with them . Some paintings never get finished others get painted over in disgust! The Painting above is called Swan Lake and is a very large pastel and will be one of the centre pieces at Chelsea.

 But the exciting news is that the sample meters of my first fabric collection ' Happy Go Lucky have arrived ( small scream of delight!). I am so pleased with them can't wait to make them up into all sorts of things just need some time.

This is the Blue colourway.

Well it seems we have a Prime Minister today after much drama. Hopefully election fever will pass and my friend Elaine will get on with running the country from be hind the scenes!

Naturally I have to also pass comment on Dr Who as it is a family tradition watching it on a saturday . I'm still not sure about Matt Smith I have to hold my hand up. Which is not a popular opinion in our house, given that Mark my husband writes Dr Who books. But hey I have to be honest, as he is with my paintings sometimes, when asked to give his opinion. Naturally being sensitive and artistic, something of a potent combination, it's never good when you show someone your work and they point out exactly the thing that you hoped no one else would notice but that inside has been niggling you like that label with the irritating edge, in your new jumper.

We have also finally arrived at doing GCSE'S with my son. I hear all you parents out there with kids of a similar age groan and hang their heads. After trying too many times to express why 20 mins a night for revision is really not going to make a whole lot of difference. I have come to the conclusion that what will be will be and that there is little point wasting energy on breath that only makes everyone else including Mark and I, grumpy!

By writing this I am also spectacularly avoiding doing the plan for my stand at Chelsea , which involves sadly doing a scale model of the stand. Terribly organised I know but actually it has been the most helpful tip given to me  by my very good friend Rebecca de Mendonca, as it has saved us hours of work and holding very large pictures up and down and up again until everyone would probably just like to just go home. So think of me and my little dolls house ...which I really must do now...so have a good evening.

Oh one last thing. I will be sending a diary of where I will be for the rest of the year and FREE TICKETS to the Ripley , Grand Sale Show 10th -13th June,  next week. So let me know if you don't get your copy. Have a great evening!

Friday, 26 February 2010

Cold and Cups and Things!



Well could it be any wetter or colder, probably not, for it has rained all day, yes ALL day and struggled to be even half a day. As by 10 am it felt like four and at four the sky had given up and taken all and everything off to bed.
And so I paint bright colours to beat back the grey and try to remember long summer days with warm wide skies and seas of buttercups and daisies .

My hands are cold as I type and typing quicker doesn't help. So I cast my mind to more fruitful past times than wining about the weather, as weather is weather and there is little to be done than just accept it.

My new studio is great I paint for longer and ,I hope, better and rediscover that in painting for hours I reach further and find my mind digs deeper and asks questions that I haven't asked myself for a very long while. Whether you paint or sing or build things or your role is simply just to think up things, it all takes time and is not fathomed in a day but from hours of perusing.

I have just realised the heating is actually on! It feels like it's off! Time for vest number 14 me thinks. Anyway the opening of my new studio at Umbrella Creative was last night and it all went well with everyone participated who could, from sculptors to painters and light makers.
I love it. I'm painting for Chelsea and Tatton Park flower shows at present as I have just been selected for both which is great. So I have been painting for months the award winning gardens from the last two years. I am planning to unveil those paintings at Chelsea. This coincides with ,David ,my sons gcse exams , oh joy. So May is going to be a busy month! I am aiming not to be grey by July.

In the meantime Helen and I are very exciting as we love the new votives that Enesco launched at the Spring Fair and also Pimpernels placemats ,mugs and trays.

As there is little food in the cupboard and I can hear plaintiff calls of 'whhhhhaaaattttts for teaaaaaaaaa I'm starving?!"wafting up the stairs I will have to stop here and say it would be nice to hear from you all as to how you are weathering your winter. Here are some pictures to keep you warm.

Friday, 20 November 2009

Autumn Sneak Preview!

Lovely inspiration form Daisy Chain florist in Leeds thank you so much! Berry Berry original will be at Chantry House. Preview starts tomorrow 11am-5pm 21st Nov





Well there is lots of work, beautifully framed by Andy up at Chantry House for the show . I will enjoy my next three saturdays up there. Escaping Christmas shopping!!


I love the autumn , the light, the colours. So have been feeling very inspired. Coupled with the fact that I will be moving into a new studio on Dec 1st everything is rather exciting Yeah! I have a white box awaiting with absolutely nothing in it! Sometimes I feel I have so many many things in my head that I will not ever get them all painted.

I am awaiting the second strike offs of the Westminster Fibre collection of fabrics. I can't wait to see them ,they do such a lovely job. Helen and I have been working hard also designing a whole giftware range for Enesco. The mirror votives and candles are just going to be great. I'll hopefully put them into The Little Gift Shop so you can all get them from there rather than having to hunt for them.

I plan to do various shows next year and also to produce a really lovely catalogue of my work which I have never done before. So lots going on as ever . Not to mention Christmas of course. If anyone else says to me they just have to WRAP not BUY ...WRAP their last present I may just scream VERY VERY LOUDLY! Naturally I am envious and probably very disorganised as you would think I would learn as I have the same scenario every year! But no every year there is always too much OTHER STUFF to do to even contemplate buying baubles in January or a little something for great Aunt Floss on my holiday! When I am on my holiday I am just that ..on my holiday.. I don't send postcards to make those who are not fed up that I am on mine nor do I think about Christmas when I am floating in a pool. I guess I am just that kind of woman who does what ever needs doing when it arrives. Not before and sometimes now only after ..as I forget. I am how ever enjoying every day! See you soon.

Saturday, 3 October 2009

Fabulous Show! London 2010






Just got back from Brand Licensing Show in London. Rubbing shoulders with Batman,Dr Who and the Royal Ballet!!! Great two days. The new stand worked really well and we just loved all the product that all of our licensees sent. Thank you all so much! Here are a few picis. 

 We are also launching Nel's Little Gift Shop next week so you will be able to buy products directly from us at http://www.nelwhatmore.com . Thanks Black orange for doing a great job again with the website.

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Landscapes here we go!



Tomorrow I am going to start a series of landscape paintings. Last night the sky was stunning, so stunning in fact I had to pull into a lay'by on my way to Harrogate and get a complete stranger to email  me the pictures he was taking of the sunset. Fortunately he did, as my own camera had run out of battery. Why does that always happen always but always!
So thank you to Ben in the lay'by. Lets see if I produce anything of worth.

 Food is calling, and light is fading. So to tomorrow!

Tuesday, 14 July 2009

Hot hot hot!




Well the temperature has been rising steadily in the last few months and my studio is now officially boiling after 2pm! It's a bit like painting in a sauna but with your clothes on..well some clothes on at least!

 Why is it that January and February goes really sloooowwwly and then from March to July we set of wit a gallop and then as soon as you sit down for a rest it's Christmas? School holidays are nearly upon us so I find myself racing around like a headless chicken trying to get all and sundry sorted before schools out. The kids have so much on, the garden seems to think it's amusing to grow weeds like they were going out of fashion and I have grown more potatoes than I know what to do with . So famine or feast on all fronts!

Painting in these moments becomes an activity that offers me calm and solace . A time for myself, a pause for thought and a time to reflect. I have various lovely projects on the go from painting much larger than I have ever done to designing mugs and lots of new exciting products.