As I observe this watercolour I painted in Vienna….I am taken back to a special moment in time.
It was a bitterly cold late November afternoon and I was waiting for my friend Helga.
The sun shone over the roof tops producing an almost fire like effect. I was – completely mesmerised – not wanting to miss one second of this display of atmospheric light.
a group of little children came through the square – bundled up against the cold… full of energy and excitement.
My return to the UK/Europe brought me great joy on many levels. As noted in previous posts…I exhibited in the UK, France and other parts of Europe.
I worked on these projects with my cousin Lyn (who is an interior designer). Along with teaching these projects brought me income – which in turn allowed me to paint what I wanted to paint. I also continued to work with Bonnie Paul my art consultant who was based in the States.
The following two paintings were part of my first large project after returning to the UK. I had to research tea clippers that came into Swansea and Cardiff at the turn of the century……There were several large oils and many watercolours. Each project meant learning about all manner of subject matter.
Through the middle of my career this was a great way to earn income and at the same time keep my tools honed.
It’s also important to note that when I returned to Europe in 1993 – we (brits) were part of the European Union…. I hope and pray that one day we can become a member state again – most likely too late for me but so important for young people. It was wonderful to be part of Europe (our neighbours). It was so much better/easier to work and travel in other countries. It continues to be a great sadness to me that we left the Union!!
Another painting from the newly renovated Cardiff Bay.
Along with large corporate projects I began working on illustrations for my Christeve the Cat book series….
I took this project into many schools encouraging children to paint their own versions of Christeve the Cat……Through the paintings we talked about the need to focus on our environment – something I continue to feel very strongly about.
In this instance, Christeve the Cat is talking with Theodore the Tiger about their respective homes.
It was also the time when I began to introduce hummingbirds – The hummingbirds symbolise to me the Unseen magic/energy in our world.
Note the hummingbird hovering over Theodore and Christeve’s heads…….
Don’t forget to check out my Facebook page where I post most days.
In 1993 I returned to the UK/Europe after having spent 28 years working and living in the USA!
My first exhibition after my return was at St. David’s Hall, Cardiff, – my second in Brittany France.…This is the poster for that exhibition.
You will note that at this time I was not using my maiden name WEIGHT…..that was to come after a conversation with my relative the artist Carel Weight shortly before his death in 1997.
I moved to Crickhowell Wales, to be with my cousin and family – along with my Aunt and Uncle who lived just outside of Crickhowell. My cousin Lyn and I worked on several projects togther….
Throughout my career I had always worked with children. I seemed to attract them. This young. boy had come to one of my workshops in CRIckhowell with his grandmother.
I love this photograph of Thomas, Kara and Tasha – plus the two dogs Bumble and Ben playing before the existence of mobile phones! …….Together we painted the little mural behind them. Today they are all grown up with children of their own.
It was during this period that Christeve the Cat came into my life. She arrived on Christmas Eve (hence the name) at the cottage on Mill Street…………
I wrote a little book about Christeve which I took into schools all over the place..reading her story and painting pictures of her for children everywhere who then went onto paint their own portraits of Christeve.
Christeve the Cat overlooking the magical town of Crickadoon.
Over the years I went into many schools – which I thoroughly enjoyed.
This group was from a school in Somerset. Each school would give something back to their community…in this case they exhibited their paintings which in turn raised funds for a sensory garden… – one of many projects.
Some children – in this case a little girl in Portugal painted portraits of me…..which I still have…
On one of my travels through the South Western States of the USA – in this case New Mexico I met a beautiful man with startling blue eyes living and working on the San Ildefonso Pueblo not too far from Santa Fe. A Pueblo famous for its beautiful black on black pottery.
At the time I was not able to sketch or photograph him but his image has stayed with me ever since.
This past weekend, I painted this very fast sketch from memory of what I recall from that meeting.
The following photograph was taken during that trip somewhere in Texas on the way to Santa Fe…..the year was 1988…
The people I find to be the most interesting and fascinating just about anywhere but certainly in the United States are the Indigenous peoples.
I painted this portrait in the early seventies. It was part of a series of portraits of Indigenous Peoples of the Americas.
This painting now belongs to my friend the French actress Claudia Nottale.
I have many memories of being around Native Americans but one in particular stays with me.
I was visiting San Ildefonso Pueblo – famous for its black on black pottery – not too far from Santa Fe New Mexico – when I met a young man who was making one of the blacks pots… He had a magnificent profile with startling blue eyes…
WE talked for a while, but I didn’t get to paint him….something I regret, however, his image is clearly in my mind’s eye.
I will make a watercolour of him from memory………
One of the many images from my ‘INTERCONNECTIONS’ series which I began in 1980 on the island of Isle-au=Haut, in the Penobscot Bay, Maine…. I continue to work on this series to this day….watercolour/gouache
As with so much else that was once spontaneous within each one of us…our culture has numbed us by imposing narrow definitions of what it is and what it is not to be creative.
This is a terrible denial of the reality of who we really are….each one a unique expression of sacred energy, which if we allow it, unfolds itself in never ending abundance.
Floating…..mixed media.
Trusting in that natural creativity which is in each one of us allows us to begin to trust again in our deepest feelings.
I was asked recently how my career as an artist began…… I have been writing this blog for years and so those who have followed will know something of my journey.
Of course the art world has changed beyond recognition since I was an art student at Rochester Art College during the early sixties…. when the college was still housed at East Gate on Rochester High Street. I was just sixteen years old when I first arrived there – excited and full of trepidation. There were only eleven of us in my class…..nine boys and two girls.
In January of 1966 I set sale on the United States Liner for a two year visit to the States…..Once again my favourite expression holds true. “None of us is ever creative enough to know how things will actually work out…….’ Two years morphed into twenty eight years! After exhibiting widely in the States….I returned to the UK/Europe in the spring of 1993 where I continued to exhibit widely. .
Meanwhile back in the early seventies I was spotted by Teddy Newman of Newman Galleries in Philadelphia who represented my wildlife paintings for several years. They sold well, (I needed the money) but I felt pigeon holed…..I love animals, but didn’t want to be an animal painter for the rest of my career…… and that’s when I began to explore other elements to my work….I began to explore the intangible elements.
During the early eighties after a visit to Isle-au-Haut Main, I began my INTERCONNECTIONS series. – one I continue to work on.
This series encompasses both elements of my work…..the technical and intangible.
For anyone interested, I do post on Facebook every day…two or three images with some text……
Jessie – from Brussels..
I seem to have break throughs….or major shifts when I least expect them….often after a period of negative vibes.
This was the case when I met Jessie. From seemingly out of the blue a good friend asked if. might be interested in house/studio/animal sitting for friends who lived close to Brussels. It was 2008 – I jumped at it.
Spuggie and Iccle the stone deaf cat – two of my companions during what became an incredibly productive and restorative time.
I spent two glorious summers at Chemin du Gros…….a truly idylic time. .
I filled numerous sketch books and produced many watercolours and quite a few large canvases……but most importantly I found myself again which enabled me to move forward towards whatever the next adventure might be.
I also fell in love with chickens….feeding them every day and filling numerous sketch books as they chatted to one another.
I loved observing the diffused light in the chicken coop….
Given that the house and property where I was staying was on the land where the Battle of Waterloo was fought….without trying I felt that this painting spoke to that.
Thank you Jane Goodall for all that you have given us…….
This watercolour was inspired by a visit to Conca Dei Marini on the Amalfi Coast, Italy….
A place filled with beauty and a sense of peace….
I try to put such images in my heart. They give me the necessary strength to navigate our mad world.
My Life as an Artist (2) 