New cards for sale at Art in the Heart Gallery and shop

Greeting Card: Oriental Bird

Greeting Card: Paradise Bird

 These cards are available at Art in the Heart Gallery and Shop, Bridge Street , Peterborough.

Christmas Card: Nativity

Christmas Card: Stable

These cards will be available from November 12 at the exclusive evening shopping event and thereafter.
More new Sari fragments are on show and some very new 'mini fragments' will be available from Monday evening's shopping event onwards. More photos later!

'Roma' Sari Panel to be Auctioned for Esther Homes charity

Roma Sari Panel
 approx 40 x 50 cm
Float mounted and framed in a white wood frame.
Bids start at £50

I've donated this Sari Panel to the Esther Homes Project, to be auctioned in aid of the work the charity does to re home, educate and care for women and children in India who are trapped within the sex trade. 

For the past year, I have donated a percentage of the sales of all my Sari inspired paintings to the Esther project, and for example, £120 of donations has bought 1 month's education for 6 girls. So I am hoping a lot more can be raised through the sale of this painting, as all proceeds will go to Esther homes.

The painting is on show at Kingsgate Community Church, Staplee Way, Peterborough. Bidding slips are available at the Kingsgate Resource centre, or by contacting me via Facebook and I will put you in touch with Ralph Turner who runs the charity.

Peterborough Open Exhibition: Lata's Sari

Lata's Sari

Just a quick update on this large panel piece, it is at present hanging in the Peterborough Museum Art Gallery as part of Peterborough's first Open Exhibition. The Exhibition runs until 23 November and has some wonderful work from artists, photographers and sculptors from the Peterborough area. Free entry.

Summer Sketch book: Week3 Venice

A sleeping Gondolier.....

 Again spent 2 days walking and sightseeing continuously so time for one drawing!I have a hundred photos of Venice and as many drawings that I still need to do!

Rome: view across the Ponte St Angelo

I've snuck this drawing in as it was done in Italy, but on an earlier trip this year in February to Rome, but it belongs in the 'Europe Sketch book' so here it stays.

Summer Sketch Book: Florence

Florence was amazing! Endless photographs and endless wanderings through the Ufizzi so little time for sketching. Especially wonderful in the evening. We ate at a restaurant called the Fox and the Cat

The imposing front entrance of Palazzo Vecchio

The twins in a cafe in the square, Dad queuing outside the Uffizi while we drink the most expensive coffee yet on this holiday! Our turn to queue next....

Summer Sketch book Week 2: Tuscany & Florence

Vineyards and Olive Groves, the Strada Blanca showing white and chalky

The Castle had extensive vineyards and Olive groves, producing wine and oil which was sold only in the locality. Fab stuff! Brought some home and understand why the Italians don't want to export their best! The 'White Roads' indicate this is a bona fide wine making region.

A tiny farm house perched on a near vertical hillside

There were about 6 farm houses in the valley across from the Castle/Farm we stayed in, some vary large and some tiny, just a few rooms, but most in warm shades of terracotta and apricot.

Two farms in the Valley

Farm in the valley

Another on the left side of the valley

Summer Sketch Book: days 5 & 6 Milan/Tuscany

A sword hilt in the Museum in the Castello Sforzesco

A whistle stop tour of the Ducal castle in Milan and then onto Tuscany! As we turned off onto more minor roads, and as they climbed upwards the views became spectacular, a welcome relief from the flat landscapes surrounding the motorway from Milan. That was the only downside of Italy - endlessly boring motorways!

Another hill top Fortress farm, across the Valley

This was the view from the terrace on our first evening in the Torre at Castiglionchio. More to come...

Summer Sketch Book: Days 4&5 Switzerland

My only drawing!

Switzerland was a real highlight for me, but as we spent every day walking for hours I was so shattered I hardly drew a thing. Shame. I actualy did two portraits in the youth hostel before I did this quick view, my excuse is I was too tired after that to do more than this scribble. A lovely lady was celebrating her 50th birthday with her mum who was 90 (!!) by spending a month walking in Switzerland, mum's birthplace. As a joint birthday present they asked for a portrait of the two of them which I did and forgot to photograph for the journal...I'm hoping I see it one day as part of one of the lady's own travel log.

Summer sketch book: Day 3 Avallon,France

Avallon, south of Paris, en route to the Swiss/French border. We stopped longer than intended in this fortified medieval town, everywhere I looked there was a house to draw...many photographs later I settled on this one. I'll do a few more in time from the photos I took. Amazing views over the wooded valleys from the outer wall area of the town. Eating the best pizza in Europe (according to my son!)

My favourite sketch of the whole trip! a Washed-yellow house just by the Church

1st stage of drawing

The lane behind the yellow house and the church. My husband in the blue t-shirt

Europe Road Trip: Day 2

One of the spectacular lily ponds. Lilies just opening to the sun

Day 2: Giverney, Monet's wonderful home and Garden just north of Paris. Thankfully the sun was out. Pilot pen and aquarelle pencils, incredibly quick when you have fellow tourists breathing down your neck!

The iconic green bridge. How I prefer drawing to photography! I can pretend it wasn't swarming with tourists!

Delightful white wrought iron chair and table at cafe.  

Summer Europe Road Trip: sketchbook ay 1 &2

Street in Boulogne-Sur-Mer

Summer 2012 holiday to Florence through France, Switzerland and Italy. I made an attempt to do a drawing every day on our 5 day trip plus while in Florence and Venice.

Day 1: Boulogne-sur-Mer. First stop en route from Calais to Florence.  Went into the old walled area of the town, gorgeous shops and houses. Not enough time to do more than a swift bit of window shopping! Next stop Giverney.

A pilot pen and some aquarelle pencils. I actually like this first stage of the drawing best