The special painting within

My hairdresser talked of an idea for a painting that she would like done, of someone close to her, and asked me if I could do it.

Yes, I can.

I believe everyone has a "special painting" within them. And I love to ask people who I meet what it is. For some, its a racetrack at Silverstone, for others its magical unicorns in a mystical wood, or the scene by a favourite beach,  or their dogs, or their children, or their house. Its different for us all, and is the precious image we hold dear.

And me?

I'd love to paint it for you.

I told my hairdresser that whatever she wanted, it was possible. Even from bad photos, it's possible to create a painting of a beloved one.

So, she's looking through some favourite photos, and will get back to me.

But, in the meantime, I am  busy with other things, again.

The new website updating is limping on, and I'll be far happier when its done.  I feel like I'm juggling again. Trying to set up the new website, whilst painting, and looking for outlets for my art.  Some may work, some may not. But I tend to find, that when I try something, it opens other doors for me.

And I've met some very interesting people, that way.........

The smell of the greasepaint

My friend the local historian, Stuart, rang me this morning. We chat regularly, every couple of weeks or so about things in general, flowers in particular, and any snippets of news either of us have. He's featured in the local paper next week and wanted to tell me about it, and also wanted to inquire whether I'd be interested in accompanying him at a talk he's been sort of asked to do (but it needs confirmation, it's only a verbal request at the moment) to a local ladies group "sometime next year". It's only for half an hour, and he will talk for half of it, and I could do the other half - like we did a couple of years ago when he did the talk about posing for me, and I accompanied him to tell the group a little more about myself. It's our double act! I said I'd more happy to do it again, whenever the "sometime next year" actually is.

He asked me what I'd been up to, and I told him about updating my new website, which is being created as I speak, although its all behind the scenes stuff at the moment, and not live. I'm enjoying doing it with my webmaster, tweaking and creating, designing and fine tuning.

And the rest of the day has been finishing off a watercolour painting that I'm hoping to exhibit soonish, at the end of August. I finished it off, and started another one, as I was in the momentum of it, and had the fresh idea for the next one forming away as I completed the first. I like it when that happens, it means I'm in the mental flow of it. I won't show the finished one to you yet, but I'll wait until the other one is completed and show them together. They're both the same subject matter, just different aspects of it, done in different styles.  And I'll be interested to know which you like the best.......

Right, now I need to go and wash my hands, which have blue acrylic down two of the nails, and somehow, I've got it in my hair as well, and I didn't even know until my man pointed it out to me when he saw me at the end of the day. That show's its been a good painting day! When I've got so excited and passionate about it, I didn't even know how or when I managed to smear it on me as well as the canvas!!!

Circus skills

I'm doing a lot of pedaling at the moment, and have a lot of balls of different shapes sizes and colours in the air, so much so that I feel like a circus performer (and you can never find one of those when you want one! ha ha). 

I'm in the process of updating my website, and the pre-questions always seem to take longer than the actual doing of it. Where do you want the webhosting, what do you want to pay for it, how much space will it give you, what language do you want it in, do you want the blog to be part of it, do you want it all singing and dancing, and do you want it with lots of shiny bells on it so you make loads of money from it (YEP!).

And I've just updated my SAA page - as a Gold member I get lots of benefits of being with this art society and have always found them to be helpful and supportive to me. They've recently updated their website which has meant extra work for me to do to update my details.

As well as that I'm trying to learn how to sell things on eBay, which is an interesting learning curve, and eventually I want to sell more of my original art and prints that way. I had a look at the erotic art for sale on eBay over the weekend and thought a lot of it was dire. So, I hope to rectify that soon and get some of my art out there which will raise my profile as well.

I also put my hand (and head!) to teaching art over the weekend and had a willing pupil to practice on as a first time lesson. During the session I found out how much knowledge I have (lots!) and how much knowledge he had (none!) and realised how much information I had to impart to get a reasonable result for him. The painting isn't finished yet, and I hope we can persevere with it as that will show me that if I can teach him, then I can teach anyone. That wasn't supposed to sound patronising, as although he would like to paint, he has never done so, so we were really starting from the very basics. Normally people who want to paint have had some basic lessons or ability.

And as well as all of this, I have put some advertising notices around my village promoting my art in the hope that I will get some work from it, not helped by the fact that five days after I did it, one of my adverts had been covered up by someone elses advert looking for a domestic cleaner for their house. Cheeky sod, find your own place on the board that doesn't cover up someone elses advert!!!!

And as well as all of this, I have been looking at possible venues for me to find for exhibiting. the right sort of venues, for my art. And that might sound simple, but believe me, its not......

So, its been a busy last few days.

Now, where did I put that unicyle.....

The end of the Royal and the beginning of a new one

Now I've finished the oil painting of the Royal Crescent at Bath I can get on with something that is long over due.... something as important as painting, and exhibiting, and promoting myself as an artist...

And that's updating my website. Its been long over due whilst I sort out my life and get sorted in my new home. I've been in discussions with my webmaster and he and I are in agreement of the best way forward for it. But it probably means finding a new template for my new website. He showed me one last night that seems to be ideal, although until its all set up and running I can't fully tell. But, it is only the basis of the website, and I can personalise it as much as I want or need. But I also know from past experience that it also takes a lot of time and effort to get it up and running. That's ok, I don't mind that, as its my advert for the world and to the world. And if it makes the art more accessible, and attractive, and sells more of it, then that's got to be a good thing, surely. I've not put my prices up in three years, but they will be going up in the very near future...... so, before that happens, and before I update my website, please take a good look at it, and if there is anything that catches your eye that you want to purchase, let me know as soon as possible!  www.jackieadshead.co.uk



Earlier this week I had an unexpected surprise in that the people I bought the house from called in to see me. I knew he was calling in to pick up something from me that he needed urgently, which had been delivered to this his old address as modern technology doesn't allow for some address changes to happen quickly for some daft administrative reason known only to them, but I hadn't expected both of them to come, and was delighted to see them, and delighted that they wanted to both come and see me. I welcomed them in with a hug, and a kiss, and over cups of tea and coffee, showed them my artwork hanging on the walls, and the new painting I've finished recently, and finally got to be hanging vertically on the wall whilst it dries. They admired my taste in art, and we talked of many things. It was good to show my new house (their old one!) to them, and to show what I've done so far. Still a lot more to do, but it'll get done in time.

...


I watched the Royal Wedding this morning and loved the pomp and ceremony of it, the sense of history that England is so good at. It made me smile, and feel proud to be English, and to celebrate the start of the marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton. I was very taken by her poise, her elegant looks, her relaxed demeanour, but her sense of duty for her acceptance into the Royal family, and being married to a future King. But, most of all, as I sat and watched her, I wanted to draw her, and put all of it into a painting of her. She is truly beautiful.