Portobello Makers Market on 15th December

I'm going to my last makers market of 2012 on Saturday, I was lucky enough to get one of the last remaining spaces! Portobello Makers Market is held in the Town Hall, Portobello High Street, Edinburgh on Saturday 15th, 11am to 4pm. This stag will be one of the new illustrations for sale. I'm hoping that the weather has improved by then and the snow has stopped falling as it's an early start and a longish drive. It will be interesting to compare my local craft markets with one in the" big city". I'll share my findings with you in my next post. At this time of year I spend some time taking stock, remembering what I've achieved (or not!) and thinking about goals for next year, so more of that soon too.  

Afternoon walks

This was taken around two hours ago 3.30 pm - yes the sun does go down that early here in the north! It's been cold, a bit of snow in the morning, but sometimes that crisp wintery feeling is good. We found a tree full of siskins, busy little birds, and a gnawed salmon on the river bank. I think the otter had been having a feast.
 I've had a productive day adding more work to imogensattic, some jewellery pieces will be added tomorrow and I'm waiting to hear if I've gotten a last minute place at another art and craft fair, this time in Portobello, Edinburgh, so fingers crossed.

Craft fair goodies.....

SOLD

I'm ready for the Christmas craft fair tomorrow, everything is packed and ready to go; and it's not even 10 o'clock! Usually I'd still be running around at midnight....... The horse pictured above is around the same scale as the photo,about two inches long. I like the subtle changes in the original glaze of the pottery that follow the contours of the horse's body.

 The fair is over three days so it's going to be a busy weekend. You can find out more about it here. Hope you have a good weekend too!

SOLD

Exclusively Highlands Christmas Fair



painted sea pottery goodies from Imogen Greene 



I'm taking part in Exclusively Highlands Christmas Fair, it's my biggest art and craft fair yet and I'm pretty excited about it! Over 90 artisans ( that includes me!) will be at

Eden Court Theatre in Inverness

on Fri 30th November 1pm to 8pm,

Sat 1st  and Sun 2nd December 10am till 5pm.

 Makers from all over the Highlands will be selling their arts,crafts and yummy food. There will be a vast array of goods to choose from so if you want to give a unique, locally produced gift this Christmas , or just want to treat yourself, this is the place to come.

I've still got a little time to make some more new things, more necklaces are in the pipeline and new illustrations too. I will be closing my etsy shop over the time of the Fair, so if you have had your eye on something there may be a chance it won't be available after midday on the 29th.........but I will be updating the shop around the 6th of December so there will be some new work available in imogensattic before Christmas.

Hare Again

SOLD

I am painting hares again. This is the first one for a while, he looks kind of laid back and solid, which I like. This painting went well but the next one was a disaster, sometimes things just don't turn out the way you would like. I'll try again tomorrow. I might put the hare in my etsy shop or I might save him for the next makers fair in two weeks time..... I'm going to be flat out making more paintings for the next little while anyway so I will try to post more images as I go. I  need to practice taking photos with my new lights, these images were taken with no natural light at all, which my camera has never coped with before, so my little £10 spotlights from ikea have been a good investment and should make life easier in these dark winter days. I'm looking forward to a busy weekend visiting family, checking out a craft fair on Sunday and painting inbetween times. It's easier and better to be busy than bored!  

P.S. this is my 100th post! Thanks for keeping up with my rather erratic ramblings !!

Wintry walk

This was taken yesterday high up in the Cairngorms, there is a big cloud of snow coming in on the left, the change in the light as it moved across the mountains was amazing, it was so dark in places and so many different shades of blue. It made me want to start painting lanscapes again. We heard ptarmigan on the coll and there were groups of red deer stags on the valley floor. A raven came and checked us out , just gliding by with a beady eye on us. First proper winter walk of this year and it was a beauty.

Some of my sea pottery brooches ready for tomorrow, the bird one is around an inch across. These pottery shards were all picked by me from a Scottish beach . The feather and bird ones show the original patterns of the pottery, I wonder how old they are?

Craft Fair preparation

I've been preparing for my next craft fair and did a practice set up this afternoon, my table is smaller than the one I'll have a the fair but I've made two folding corner boards which means they will fit on to various sized tables and are light and easy to carry. I also made removeable poles which I can string and hang more illustrations on. I still have a few labels to make and other things that I have probably forgotten about......

It's getting dark before 5pm now, chilly and snow coming at the weekend. There were a flock of fieldfares in the garden this morning and I saw redpolls yesterday, one perk of winter that I enjoy is the variety of migrant birds that we see. I'm hoping the waxwings visit again this year.



Little winter birds



Winter is coming....

I seem to have been working rather a lot lately ,with not much to show for it... (I'm hoping that is about to change.) I managed to sneak out this morning for a quick walk in the sunshine, I saw crested tits and three red squirrels. I smelt the pines, dazzled my eyes on the water and tasted snow in the air.

Later, back home I looked out the window to see the first snow of the winter just starting to settle. Winter is coming........



today, first snow of Winter 2012/13



A bit of fresh air

A short break from the studio on Sunday. Cycled to where the road runs out further up the glen  from Laggan to listen to the stags roaring. We found a lonely newt trying to gain some warmth from the road and carefully removed him to a rock to save him from being squished by a car. This is a beautiful and wild part of the world about to be blighted by huge electricity pylons,  the type of progress I'd rather do without.

Highland Affordable Art Fair: the verdict.....



Well, it was a success! I did put a lot of hard work into preparation which meant a few late nights working before hand but it really made a difference to setting up my space and making it look interesting. I think if anything I had a bit too much on display because a lot of people looked at the work on the table and never glanced near the artwork on the wall or the free standing board! I sold more than enough to make it worth while even  though the turnout was pretty poor really, so it is actually very encouraging that I sold as much as I did. The quiet spells gave me a chance to chat to other stall holders and check out different methods of display on their tables and sneak away for odd cups of tea.... Every one was super friendly, especially Kate Tweddle, her jewelery is fabulous so I just had to buy one of her necklaces as a little treat for myself once I'd made a few sales of my own. Interestingly,the items that attracted the most attention on my stall were my painted beach pottery and sea glass pieces. It was really good to hear the feedback from potential customers and I  now know that they will sell even better as brooches and necklaces, which means a bit of research and time experimenting with jewellery fixings and a power drill. It's going to be fun!





My necklace made by Kate Tweddle



Feather pottery painting-sold









 

Highland Art Fair

It's been a week of rainbows, which I hope is a good omen for my first art fair which is happening on Friday and Saturday. I've been packaging paintings and  beach pottery, making display boards, printing labels and lists, designing the layout of the stall..... there is so much to do!! There is a growing pile of boxes in the corner of the front room and I'm not sure it's all going to fit in the car. I'll let you know how it goes....

HIGHLAND ART FAIR

NAIRN COMMUNITY & ARTS CENTRE

king street, nairn, IV12 4BQ

friday 5th october 17.00 - 21.00

saturday 6th october 09.00 - 18.00

ALL WELCOME!

I've had an extra nice weekend, the weather was good, we cycled, walked, visited a sculpture park, shared meals with family and friends and I fitted in painting in the afternoons. The owl from one of my previous posts sold within a day when I listed it on etsy so that made me happy too!

New work...and a new Art Fair.

I have been photographing and uploading images today. I put a big order into MOO for greetings cards this morning ( there's a healthy discount on at the moment) so I am looking forward to having them delivered in time for my first art fair.

Highland Art Fair

 Friday 5th October 17.00-21.00

 Saturday 6th  09.00-18.00

 at Nairn Community and Arts Centre,

 King Street, Nairn IV12 4BQ.

There's going to be be a wide range of art and crafts for sale from contemporary to traditional, including a cup cake stall so I won't be going hungry. He he! There will be refreshments and some entertainment on Friday evening so please come along and join in the fun if you live locally.

Working holiday

As it appears to be raining almost all the time here, I have been getting on with some work.... These fellas will be in my shop next week. I like working on watercolour blocks , it saves the tedium of stretching paper and I often work on two paintings at a time on the same sheet. It wasn't deliberate but the owl has his eye on the shrews- they look nice and plump, just right for  a tasty owl snack!

It's raining on Skye....

I'm spending a few days on the Isle of Skye with a fellow artist friend, the weather has turned wild and we have been holed up in the studio making art and laughter. Perhaps we will venture out tomorrow and then again , perhaps not.......

 thanks J&J for the loan of the house x

Bug collection

Do you like my bug collection? I'm enjoying having time to paint again and it's good to be able to update the shop more regularly too. Sales have taken an upward turn which is encouraging! I recently signed up for my first art fair- the Highland Affordable Art Fair which takes place in Nairn on the 5th and 6t of October so I will be hard at work  in the studio over the next few weeks.  I need to make some display boards, plan the layout of the table, pricing ,labeling, packaging, more business cards, order more greetings cards.... oh and make more work to sell of course, lots more work!

Busy days

I had a big list of "things to do today" and for once I have managed to tick off the lot!
1- post office run
2- be nice to grumpy postmaster
3- design greetings cards
4- order greetings cards
5- check I have enough cash to cover order (got that the wrong way round, but it was ok!)
6- order art supplies
7- order packaging supplies
8 -photograph some new pieces
9 -catch upon e-mails
10- update some details on etsy
11- new post on blog

and as an added bonus I have gained a new follower today, Yah!

Feathers, feathers everywhere!

A family of feathers, I just posted these in my shop.

 I hope they will be flying off to a new home sometime soon!

Packaging

I've been a bit under the weather since the weekend but I'm still spending time in the studio. I've been painting more pottery shards and have been working on my packaging and started relisting on etsy this afternoon. I made  these little pouches for a few of the shards using scrap cotton material, cotton string and a rubber stamp. They can be worn as a necklace or look good as a handbag charm too. I'm about to order more small recycled card boxes for them and I want to carve my own rubber stamps, so I need to do a bit of researching materials for that. A good way to spend whats left of this dark and damp afternoon I think...... and another cup of peppermint tea will go down a treat.

Feathers

I have been quietly working away on a variety of projects and have just managed to do some new things for my etsy shop which will be posted later today. Of all the work that I made for my latest exhibition, the feathers painting seemed to catch people's eye the most. I've always loved painting feathers and pick them up whenever I'm out walking, so I was a bit surprised when I realised that I'd never put any in my shop. Doh! I've also been thinking about doing some custom work on etsy so when I drew labels for the feathers ( I hadn't thought it through, they just happened because I've started to label my feather collection with the date and place found) I knew that they would make ideal custom items. The pairs of feathers somehow look like a "couple" and some well chosen words/dates on the labels could make them deeply personal, I'm thinking engagement, marriage, life changing moments and achievements. It will be interesting to see what kind of response they get.............

Nethy Bridge Highland Games

I'm busy making new business cards and display boards for showing some work at the Nethy Bridge Highland Games. I'll have cards, mounted illustrations and framed work at the Explore Abernethy stall. Another first as I've never done this type of event before. Fingers crossed it goes well ! I'll post some photos on Sunday. Ooops, almost forgot, it's on this Saturday 11th, Nethy Bridge playing fields in the centre of the village. Please come along if you are in the area!

Camping on Skye

My solo camping trip was exactly how I had imagined. A quiet campsite, good weather, glorious scenery and I enjoyed every minute. Utterly relaxing. I walked and swam and explored and didn't really want to leave when it was time to come home.

I'm back from holiday briefly for the opening of my exhibition. It was a pretty low key affair but everyone who came was very complimentary. I had cards for sale for the first time which sold well, and an invite to a local gallery to see about exhibiting work and cards there too so that was exciting! I'm featured in the local newspaper today  too so it's been a bit of a whirlwind couple of days. I'm heading off this afternoon for a solo camping trip, just me and my sketchbook. It will be the first time I've had a few days holidaying by myself, ever! I'm so looking forward to unwinding and just spending time by the sea.  

Ready, I think....

Well, I think I am ready for the exhibition next week on Wednesday the 1st. Ten new framed illustrations, half a dozen unframed pieces, and my first ever greetings card. Labels are printed, paintings are packed and I'm looking forward to the opening day.

 Everyone is welcome anytime between 2pm and 6pm

at Explore Abernethy, Nethy Bridge Community Centre 

Work, work, work.....

© Imogen Greene 2012

 some of the new work © Imogen Greene 2012

The new collection is just about ready for it's showing on the 1st August and I am really, really ready for my holiday to start.

Mammals for Explore Abernethy

© Imogen Greene 2012

I worked on this illustration over the weekend for the exhibition at Explore Abernethy. They are all  mammals that can be seen locally; badger, fox, red squirrel, otter and pine marten. I'm about to start on a bird one in a similar style. Feels like I'm on a roll now!

 Below is the final butterfly version too, I made a few very small adjustments that are probably barely noticeable, sometimes I could make changes forever but I think it's time to stop.....maybe just one more....... Nooooo! Time to put that paintbrush down and step away from the palette.

© Imogen Greene 2012  

Butterfly Collection complete

Butterfly Collection  © Imogen Greene 2012

I thought I was done but now I've photographed it I can see a couple of adjustments that I should make.

So back to the studio once again, 

I may be some time...... 

Painting update...

Just a short progress report on the butterfly paintings.

 Top image is last night and the next one is earlier this afternoon. 

It's not going exactly as planned,  but slow progress is being made.

I was hoping to get them finished today, mmmm,

 but will probably be tomorrow as my concentration level is lacking somewhat.

Funny how sometimes work flows and other times it's a struggle.

Ah well, back to the studio now. 

In the studio today

This is what I started work on today..... a collection of butterflies. I'm going to try and remember to photograph it at various stages along the way but if I get in the groove I'm likely to get carried away with it and forget. I've chosen nine butterflies that we see locally; scotch argus, green veined white, ringlet, red admiral, common blue, peacock, fritillary, orange tip and small tortoiseshell.

 I also managed to confirm the exhibition date today, August 1st at the Explore Abernethy Trust Centre in Nethy Bridge which is not far from where I live.The Trust does a marvellous job of promoting and looking after the natural heritage of the local area with trails to explore, a ranger service and lots of events like bat counts and stargazing. I have just under two weeks to have everything ready as I'm on holiday after that up until the day before the exhibition, eeeek! Best get back to it then!  

Three Feathers Painting

Three Feathers © Imogen Greene2011

Quite some time ago I posted a photo of three feathers and promised a peek at the painting when it was done, TA DAH! This painting is destined for a small exhibition which is coming up soon. I'm hoping to finalise the date tomorrow. I have six paintings ready and six more to go. I'd like to get some cards printed for it too but I'm having trouble with getting the white balance right on my photos, they all seem to come out very dull and I've tried experimenting with the settings for ever and nothing seems to work. Something else I need to work on as soon as I have time, perhaps a new camera would help too!

Owl and talismans

Short eared owl

On Sunday we went hill walking which was uneventful and very wet but we saw this beautiful short eared owl on the way home. We watched it for quarter of an hour gliding above the fields quite close by. The markings are so striking, even more so in flight.


Work in the studio has taken a back seat lately, but things are starting to move along again. I've spent the morning making prototype drawstring pouches for my animal talisman pottery shards. They're not quite perfected yet but a few more tweaks and we're there I think.