The Edition charity auction

The Edition is one of my favourite blogs, I love reading interviews about artists and there are always so many nice things to discover. The Edition did an interview with me earlier in the year and recently I decided to collaborate with Sarah and do a painting with the aim of raising some money for a charity.  (Link.)  I painted specifically for this charity draw. The painting below is titled ‘Christmas Posy’. It measures 15 x 13cm and is acrylic on board and would usually retail at £250.00. The winning bidder will receive the painting and the money will go to Shelter.

A letter from Mary Fedden

In May of 2005, my husband the photographer Andrew Sanderson and myself were invited to visit Mary Fedden in her studio. We arrived two months later and she kindly showed us around her place, provided us with tea and allowed us to photograph anywhere we liked. Later, Andrew made a book of the pictures which he gave to me as a present.

  
I discovered the letter from Mary yesterday whilst spring cleaning and though it might be of interest.

The letter reads;

Dear Andrew, I really love your photographs. I love the way you make beautiful + significant the most trivial – seeming things – your observation is perfect.
Thank you so much for your book. I’m touched that your wife thought my surroundings would interest you. When you come to London, I would be happy for you to come + take some photographs.
I certainly have plenty of insignificant objects for you to transform!
Do give me a ring when you plan to come, + we will fix a date.
With best wishes to you both
Mary Fedden
Your children are beautiful!

Before she died I managed to visit her on three occasions and she was always very welcoming and friendly.

If you are interested in seeing the photography that Mary was referring to, please visit; http://www.andrewsanderson.com

This was one of Andrew’s still life pictures that Mary asked for, we gave her a mounted 10×8 print.

 

Bircham gallery solo exhibition March 2015

It has been a long time since I posted on my blog. I have been super busy painting over thirty new paintings for my solo exhibition at Bircham Gallery in Holt, Norfolk

http://www.birchamgallery.co.uk/catalogue/artist/Debbie:George/?category=paintings

A number of the paintings in the exhibition include book covers. I started painting them because I was inspired by the beautiful patterns of vintage books, especially King Penguins and children’s Picture Puffins. It began when I discovered some music books with amazing covers in a local charity shop,

I researched the designer (Stephen Russ) and found out later that he had taught my mum at College in the sixties. I have recently been looking at the covers of the New naturalist series which were designed by Rosemary and Clifford Ellis.

Here are a few paintings that are in the exhibition;

Alphabet paintings.

For a number of years now I have been collecting cups, bowls, jugs and plates that depict childhood scenes, and more recently I have been drawn to alphabet pieces. My collection, though large, isn’t big enough (is anyone’s collection ever complete?) Pieces are not that easy to locate, so I have had to find examples for reference elsewhere. The internet is obviously a great source of images and I have done hundreds of screen grabs which I put on my iPad, so that I can refer to them when I am in my studio (which is out of range of the wi fi).
I have found examples of most of the alphabet now and will be working my way through them over the next few months. I am hoping to cover the whole alphabet in the next few months.
Here are a few pieces from the start of my project;

New paintings.

Apologies that it has been so long since my last post, I have been busy painting for three solo shows.

I have been looking at detailed pieces of Sunderland lustreware, the illustrations seem to tell a story and I find them a rich source of inspiration. The images often depict simple scenes populated by less than perfect illustrations of people and animals, and this is partly why I am inspired by them, there is a naive quality which I love.
Here are a few of the most recent paintings.

Summer paintings.

The  ceramics that I put in my paintings, cups, jugs and bowls etc, are mostly taken from examples that I own or from reference photographs. Occasionally though I combine elements, sometimes sourced from books, textiles or other ceramics, to create a unique object which exists only in my paintings. Some of the paintings on this post are examples of where I have employed this method.

Spring paintings

As you may be aware, my paintings are inspired by the flowers around me. Currently the flowers in the garden are mainly primroses and forget- me-nots. I never tire of painting them.

A couple of new paintings

I am loving all the spring flowers in my garden, the crocus are over now but the cowslips and primroses are blooming beautifully.

Childhood ceramics

I am currently inspired by childhood ceramics, especially pieces from the early 1900’s which were given to children for being good. Good at school, good at reading and even knitting. They were given out as rewards for all aspects of education and were also given to instruct children on morals and behaviour.
Here are a few recent paintings on this theme.

Crocus.

In my paintings over the years, a particular motif might hold my attention over a number of paintings. It may have been wooden animals, feathers, book covers, sailboats or certain ceramics. Recently, I have found that birds have appeared quite a bit and the flower which I’m most drawn to right now is the Crocus.
I find the colours so joyful, and at a time where everything else is so grey and we are all wishing for spring to arrive, I think they bring a little brightness.