Tuesday 27 September 2011

Moving on

I've moved my blog onto my new website.

So you can now find it at www.jackieadshead.co.uk/blog

Hope to see you there!

Wednesday 21 September 2011

The unique gift of paper, in a very sexy but elegant manner

She came to collect her drawing yesterday, as we'd agreed, and to see it for the first time. Up to then she'd only seen it as an email attachment on her blackberry but was very pleased with it she told me over the phone.

I welcomed her in to the house, out of the steadily pouring rain, and ushered her through to my studio and went through my work process as I showed her the photos I'd used as my source material, two of them she had sent to me set in her bedroom, and the other two were ones I'd taken whilst she was with me in my bedroom  a couple of weeks ago (since that was the best setting in my house to use as the basis for drawing her in real life), and then I showed her the drawing I had done from them.  It looks like a simple drawing, but it was actually difficult to pull all the information together to make it look simple! But I suppose that's the secret to good art, when something looks appealingly simple, regardless of whether it was to create it or not.

I unveiled it for her, and watched her face as she viewed herself and the picture I had created for her.  And watched her as she looked and looked at it, drinking in the image of herself that I had created for her to give to the man she loves. She bit her lower lip as she looked at it, and said "Do you think he'll like it?" and I smiled at her, and said "Why wouldn't he...?" and then went on to say in more depth "It's a lovely image, regardless of who is in the picture. Most men would find this a very appealing picture, because of the way you're standing in it, the nape of the neck is very sexy when its revealed like that by lifting the hair up, its a lovely drawing, and the two versions of you are pulled together through the use of the mirror, its set in your bedroom, infront of your mirror, with you, doing something you do naturally, and which your husband loves to see you doing, and you're lovely, so why would he not love it...?"

She nodded at me, still not fully convinced I could see, but I know a lot of women have doubts about their body size, and appealing desireability, but those doubts are mainly in their heads.  I have asked her to let me know her husbands reaction when he sees it, and she has agreed happily that she will.....

She's happy for me to show the  image on my blog, but wants her name to remain off it, which is a fair request, since its a private picture. But a very sexy and charming one, I think.......

And an absolutely perfect idea for a first wedding anniversary gift from a wife to a husband..... the gift of.....

Paper............

Monday 19 September 2011

Saved by a kiss

It's been a week. Of illness and sore throats and feeling like shit. I've no idea of where the spiteful virus came from, knocking me for six with its casual ease. To start with I thought it was just the first cold of the winter, but two days later when I felt I was swallowing razorblades, I felt the easiest option was to give in, rest totally, and recover slowly. Thursday was the low point. No energy, no appetite, no interest in anything, and no voice! Just a bare strained strangulated whisper of communication and the medicines mounting up in the bathroom, lined up as fervent hopes of soldierly battle against the lurgy attacking me. They rallied forth as valiantly as they could, and by Friday I felt amazingly a bit better, although still very weak. By Saturday, I was bad again, with a racking cough, and a lot less energy than normal - working at 70% of my normal busy and active self.

Which was a bit of a shame, as I'd got visitors.

One of them my fella's son on a rare visit from Australia and his delightful girlfriend who I'd not met so far who resides in Brighton. Their love affair is a difficult one due to the nature of financial rewards in one country, and not the other, for one of them, but not together, at the same time, on the same continent. It's a shame as they're such lovely young people, and very much in love. I apologised to her for my incapacity, and she brushed it off with her charm and good manners and was an excellent house guest for their brief overnight visit. When her man and my man went out to collect the Thai take-away that was deemed choice of favourite food for dinner, she asked to see my studio, which I gladly showed her, in my reduced state. She loved the "Tree of life" painting that I have hanging on my studio wall, as the reminder of that greatly complicated painting I did a few years ago for a client. And, surprisingly to me she didn't see that there was couple hidden in the landscape, and was astonished when I pointed it out to her. But, it was a few minutes later when her eyes fell on to a print of another painting I sold recently, that her mouth smiled, and she made the comment "I LOVE this ONE!!!" she said as she nodded towards it, and I grinned at her, and said that everyone always does. It causes a lot of smiling faces from both men and women. She nodded and said wasn't surprised "It's really cool!" she said in that way that I knew she meant it. And she added that she would happily buy a canvas print of it, when I can sort out the pricing for it. I said I'd let her know when I am able to fully price it and find a suitable printer to manufacture them for me . And the picture? The one that always makes people smile? It's my painting of "Kiss"  - the original I sold to a Lord in Sussex earlier this year, who was reported to be a fan of my work by his secretary after he had received it and had it hanging on his wall. I mentioned this to my young visitor, and she urged me to mention on my website how many people from around the world have sent me strongly positive messages regarding loving my artwork, or the way I portray things in my paintings, or just how much they admire my talent. I am touched by their affirmation of their love of my work, and after my visitors had left on Sunday, I spent three hours or so sourcing the best of the many comments, so that I can add them to the other Testimonials on my new website.
 
Its nearly ready to go live. And has had many hours of hard work from me, and my webmaster, to get it to that state.......