A Southern Low Country experience USA style

Just finishing a great trip to USA with workshops in Pittsburgh and York PA, then a superb visit to the Palm Key resort at Ridgeland, near Beaufort South Carolina.  This is an award winning retreat set in wonderful wooded and marshland landscape, with a superb purpose built studio that any artist would crave for.  The 5 day workshop there covered pastels and any medium and the hosts, Judy and Emir Rigg organise everything from food to fabulous accommodation in pretty cottages surrounding the lake.  Delighted to say that this will again be the location for an annual visit for our first USA PAINTAWAY and we look forward to returning in April 2013 for another superb trip which will include visits to Beaufort, Savannah & Charleston, as well as private visits to plantations for superb painting locations.  Keep in touch for future details...this will be on the lines of 'Outdoor Sketching & Indoor Painting in the Low Country SC'

0Oo-la-la...the French Paintaway's a go-go

Deeee-lighted to say that we have our minimum numbers for our delicious French Paintaway week in June near Carcassone and the Canal du Midi.  I filmed here a couple of years ago for my latest dvd, and the landscapes are sublime....lavender, sunflower fields, canals, old farmhouses, windmills and much food & wine to satisfy the hungry pangs of artists....can't wait to go back.  Please come and join me!!   Details from info@shinafoot.co.uk

Spring Rush!

It's been one of those weeks when my back was against the wall, and I HAD TO get a good selection of work finished and ready for various Spring Exhibitions in galleries around Glasgow, Edinburgh, Easy Coast, West!

With more to follow. the gap in the middle for me is the month of March, as we prepare to travel to USA starting in Pittsburgh, PA, then York PA, then Palm Key S Carolina for workshops, and it will be the end of March before we are home.  ( by then I will have to get another good strong 12 paintings done for some May Exhibitions)  Life is certainly never dull - frustrating maybe but NEVER dull!  These 4 are all of the East Neuk of Fife, on the East Coast of Scotland...very rugged, picturesque & paintable fishing villages, like Crail, Anstruther & Pittenweem

Highland Flings!

Trying to get a few Highland paintings 'flung together' before I go to US....there's a few galleries needing a changeover of work, so it's great to keep on my toes and produce new work!  Better too, to be refreshing work wherever it goes as one painting can sometimes sit for ages in one gallery, then get snapped up in the next - I live in hope!!!! Plus it's always exciting to get a new piece out and hope the public approve with their feet...and chequebooks!!

Amalfi IS a go-go!

Just heard this week that our Amalfi Paintaway in September is definitely on....a good group forming and it means I am returning to one of my favourite places...such drama, beauty & inspiration all in one tiny area!

Scotch Mists

Working on some new Scottish paintings for some of the galleries, and feel like doing a few dramatic Scottish scenes to capture the mists we love in this country.  So much more atmospheric than a bright sunny day, though we DO appreciate blue skies here as they are so few and far between!

The Big Sleep - Winter ends - Spring awaits

BIG apologies for not blogging for a while but I lost patience with the bullying tactics of having to load Google Chrome before I could open my blog again - what a cheek!  Be it known to all - I understand the basic computer skills I need to get by, but change the rules and you confuse me - easily!  January slipped by in a flurry of organising and rescheduling workshops for this year, and now some of the uS workshops will be scheduled later in the year ie August.  however the march US trip is ON and I will be teaching in Pittsburgh, York PA then Palm Key SC   Try and catch up with me if you can!!!  Spring is here, winter is slowly leaving us, and we are coming out of 'The Big Sleep'   Which coincidentally is the title of my painting!

MARCH 2012

 

Pittsburgh Pastel Group PA   - Gail Sorace - gsds@consolidated.net     March 12-14th 

 

York Art Association PA    -   Kay Koehler - klkstudio@yahoo.com       March  16-18th

 

Palm Key   SC                 - Michael Hargraves - michael-hargraves@nc.rr.com         March 21 - 25th

 

AUGUST 2012

 

Debarry Studio NJ    -       Christina Debarry PSA - debarrystudio@gmail.com    Aug 11-13th

 

Green Darke Gallery Millheim PA   -  Karl Leitzel  -greendrakeart@gmail.com    Aug 15 - 17th

 

Hudson River Valley Workshops NY -  Kim La Polla -  klapolla@artworkshops.com   Aug 18 - 21st

 

Terry Ludwig Workshops CO  -  

customerservice@terryludwig.com   Aug 23 - 26th

 

Pastel Society of America   -  PSA Office

psaoffice@pastelsocietyofamerica.org   Aug 28-29th