Vout-O-Reenees

Miserable faces on the Tube, negative tweets really getting to you? Well get yourself down to                  Vout-O-Reenees

 Theres's only fun to be had! And that's just what we did on Thursday eve to celebrate the openning of the most fabulous new club in London!

Above and below, founder members Molly and I following the yellow brick road

 Checking out the loo's and and getting things sorted before the rest of the guests arrive

Below with John and Molly in the garden room as we await the rest of the new members.

Molly cut the red ribbon and the evening was off to a bang (below with her daughter Sophie Parkin, club proprietor)

 Us girls fashionably in a cupboard, just take some banging bright fruit-bowl effects in a cloakroom and come out with a  personality.....what goes on in the copboard stays in the cupboard

So Hurrah for the new club and the super work Sophie and Jan have done with it, and now I'm very excited about my show with them at the end of September early October. We had an amazing night and lots more of them to look forward to!



Next I was off to Appletreewick for a weekend away with the fairies for my birthday camp, well I hate posing on my own so I grabbed my bearded clan....... say CHEESE!

Sunny Delight

 Spoil yourself, go on

Canary yellow is the shade of the summer that suits all skin tones, chirpy reds and shades that range from rainbow goddess to fabulouse mad old bat, but why not have some sun fun with fuss free frocks and over the top hats that make this spring,..........SPRING, thats what we did over the weekend by saying goodbye to Black and the Mill artist were all over it. Below, the ladies had yet another day out for Wendy Woo's 60th doo, who's real who's not and who will ever know?
            

Wendo in the chirpy red (middle) yes and it was a hat off!

So it's probably time for an update, for the rest of the month, so this is the countdown (as I've been a tad slack)  deep breath.....

Simon W Desmond came up North






CHEERS!









We went to visit John




            


Silverdale












I got Simon stuck in a cave






Tide wasn't really coiming in (check out his face)








 
Simon took my work down South for my new shows and then I went down the week after for Easter Hat at the C.A.C (far to many boring bonnets for my likeing!)

My Hat: Red Bunny
















Iv'e had a write up in O magazine
















And I'm now getting ready for my biggest painting to date and clearing the studio a little to build the two frames that will lock together,,,,,practicality is key, thank god Lesley from Artology came for a visit the other week, I was forgetting about the door size, but these babies will split and go back together...job done!

                                                                                              

Spring has Sprung?

Even though the weather is coming up roses this doesn't mean it's any warmer in the mill, us girls are really proud of these super warm looks, great on every skin colour, vintage wool hats, practicality is key as it still feels like winter here, so if you're coming for a visit, dig out yours pronto!

Below: a hat collaboration, the new buz words are, easy comfy and everyday warmth.

Take a message: Benny from Crossroads (who) just called and he wants his beanie back!

Studio tec Montee not taking any chances!

Also this week I've taken to displaying my work on Saatchi on line, please do have a look although I haven't got to the point of putting them up for sale yet (complications) but if you tick "not for sale" art you can view my page.

This is my new finished piece title: Man Size

and new drawings, hopefully I will like two of them enough to put in the spring show at the Cross Gaites next week

But don't just buy for spring, these puppies will keep on working your walls season after season, without losing any of their wow factor, so if you should find yourself thinking "I wish I'd got that drawing off Joe Joe's ages ago" you can just buy now....or shall we say next week when they go up, te he, Toodle Pip!

Fashion Galore!

My first stop when I went to London last Friday was Anji and Brian's house for Anji (Richards) to do my portrait, it was very exciting and the time flew by as I posed up on a wooden box as I was quite comfy with my lovely big pipe in my right hand.

Next, Anji and I had to get ourselves together and fly down to Somerset House to meet the girls for a major fashion extravaganza a fashion exhibition to celebrate the extraordinary life and wardrobe of the late British patron of fashion and art Isabella Blow.

A most amazing collection of fashion items including Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Hussein Chaleyan and Julien Macdonald and others all on display plus video's of Isabella talking about collections. We had Isabella's sister Lavinia Blow with us, the show must of seemed surreal to her, but she seemed to have a good time with the rest of us.

Some of her amazing outfits

We couldn't take it all in, there was so much to see, and it has definitely made an impression on us for the next Hatting at the club, in fact, we are going to have a "Issy Blow" Hat night in the Summer to celebrate the legendary figure within the Fashion and Art world,

Below sister Ella and I in front of the big opening

All the girls

Fun with pipes on the way to the club

Dinner was amazing and so was the C.A. Club (as usual) then we all went back to Gabby's for more drinks (not the best plan) as I was going to see my super new pal Molly in the morning before my train at 12!

Blondes have more fun!!!  Ella and oneself above

Molly Parkin above in her super bright house,we spoke about our painting, she showed me around her place and her bluebell wood, she's my new crush!

And all that in 24 hours!

Hitched

Our arts officer tied the knott just under a week ago, the venue looked beautiful as did the bride! I felt like I was in the middle of outside candle lit dinner party with a old fashioned war time feel, what a super doo!

below Kirsty and John on their magical night

congratulations and a special happy Valentines day to you both, oh and that's a child running past the picture, don't worry John hasn't lost control of his trousers!


Now how could I forget to blog my viewing of the Chapman brothers show?

"Come And See" at the Serpentine the other week was full of familiar horrors, gooey and funny things on diplay!
On the way in you were hit with ku klux klan pointy hatted smocked people with rainbow socks and hippy sandles then zombies, nazis, tiny Mcdonald crucified hundreds of times with attention to detail, table top brain experiments, mock torture, maggots and hellish (funny) things.

Those mischievous brothers are always sniggering at someone with their sculpture, paintings and works on paper assault on western capitalist society.
Oh yeah it's sick and I think very funny, my kind of humour though.

Below: Come and see

above my fave "cardboard worm skull"

Oof to see the Bruce Nauman show now so Happy Love day! Toodles

It's A Doozy

People stop dreaming, we think that we don't have the right to have a dream once we grow up, maybe it's facing the fact that our dreams have gone, so people say we are to old for that.....well I say start again!

As a child, most of us dream and in public but as time goes by things don't come true, things and life get in the way but dreams make us happy. My big dream for this new year was to have lots of shows in London, then Monday this week all my work came back from the C.A.C and although I try to always think positive there was a sadness in the air, you know, end of the show and all that, so I got stuck into the work and did some work on oneself, music up full pelt in the studio....I'll be a great painter....nothing will stop me (not even the lack of funds) and then with all my thinking big, I get the phone call from S.W Desmon and we have 3 more shows booked for this year....It's a doozy!

Tell yourself who you are..Think big...get yourself a plan...well it sounds good doesn't it!

below new drawings before the new painting started




















And making my wishes happen, one self up Pendle the other week      

....ooo the wind took hold of that one!

Hello 2014

Well my world started off with a bang!

My work went up at the C.A.C and we had a super openning and the house was full, our chairman did a lovely speech, he even had inside info so obviously done his homework...good man Rick.

People are twitching about me, they say there's a nod towards Bacon, I'm not keen on his work myself, but my god, on the night I became one! SPOOKEEEE
                                                  
below, a living Frances Bacon

So this being the start of my year, it has set me up to be very positive and focused, I've already seen a lot of my friends I see through the clutter in my life and I somehow don't seem stuck in a rut......song...I can see clearly now the rain has gone"

A lot of people can find themselves feeling emotinally vulnerable at the start of a new year, give up the booze, try to get out of the sugar trap, drop the pounds, not me, ooo I feel squeeky clean, all's good........

Wait on, what's that...new year, swinging pendulum, pocket watch ticking..arrh I need to do more, where's my life going...........so yes I'll carry on as I always do lift a pint to you, stuff my cheeks with cake and shut up

CHEERS 2014