I am lucky to have four gorgeous grandchildren, the youngest of which is Poppy.
Poppy will be two in July and loves animals so I have painted a mural of a woodland scene on her bedroom in acrylics. Every night as she goes to bed she kisses each animal.
These are recent paintings and are full of colour. The heart shaped one is called “Distressed Heart” and is a reflection on my failed attempts to find a partner in life.
The second picture grew from a flower shape and the colours erupted over the whole canvas and I have called it “Miasma”
Recently I have paintied my daughters two pug dogs in oils on heart shaped wood.
They are Frankie and Shadow and are very lovable little dogs who are very affectionate
This spring I undertook an online printmaking course with The Royal Drawing School via zoom.
I wanted to refresh my printing knowledge which I have mislaid since Uni. I really enjoyed it, it was 5 full days spread over 5 weeks and below are some of the ” better prints” produced.
Wolf Moon Monoprint
Feather Print Monotype
Abstract 1 Monotype
Abstract 2 Monotype
Bee Linocut 3 colours
This cold January I have been busy oil painting to beat the winter blues. It has been so cold, and with the energy crisis, I found that my studio is the warmest place.
Here are two pictures. ” Star Jumper” which is inspired by a male ballet dancer and “In or Out” which shows broken bars in a beautiful blueish room.. It poses the dilemma is something breaking in or breaking out?
Star Jumper
This January I took part in a PhotoRenga workshop in the Turner Gallery, Penarth run by David Sinden and Kate
Below is David Sinden describing the day
Kate and I were joined by a fantastic group of South Wales based photographers and artists, including Chris Glynn, Jill Powell, Natasha Hirst, Paddy Faulkner and Zara Mader It was hosted by Turner House in Penarth, the former home of Ffotogallery and a gallery purpose-built in the late 1870s to house a collection of Turner paintings, of course! It’s now run by Penarth Council and is a beautiful space. So nice to be back and we will be holding more this year… Enjoy!
http://www.xox.org.uk/photorenga/TH/
Here is a link
This last weekend I took part in Newports Art Festival. I had a table in St Marks Church in Gold Tops.
I had a lovely time and sold two pieces of work. I had been trying out small abstract canvases with affordable prices to see how they went. I also exhibited my pet portraits and had prints for sale. I was very pleased. It was lovely to meet the other Exhibitors and it was a lovely setting. I also made it into The Argus, our local newspaper.
Late summer I was fortunately asked to do two pencil portraits of dogs. Ivy is a spaniel belonging to my dear friend Shiny and Spike’s request came via a poster in a Vets. Sadly Spike is no longer with us and this drawing was a present for his owner.
Ivy
Spike
Through visual art, performance, and a soundscape Solidarity of Hope – I see you is a multi-disciplinary live art, sound, and digital performance that places professional disabled artists centre stage to express the challenges and hopes of the moment. Underpinning the performance will be the notion that disabled and vulnerable individuals “do not wish to be erased” and are now connecting, as an empowering force, to share their stories of physical and psychological survival. Through the many challenges they encounter, the performance will ultimately celebrate the abundant strengths that members of the collective draw upon to survive and retain their sense of hope. Solidarity of Hope Collective formed in 2022 to unite Dutch, Welsh, and UK creatives. Performance Artists: Rachel Gadsden Helen Roeten Violin: Emily Earl Composer, Videography, Lighting Design: Freddie Meyers Solidarity of Hope Artists: Samantha Dinsdale-Brown Rachel Gadsden Emily-Jane Hillman Grietje Margreet Killian Miek Knook Jill Powell Tina R Helen Roeten Jordan Sallis Linda & Bethany Sutton Margo van Strijp Rach Wellbeing Elly Wright With thanks to our funders: Arts Council of Wales Disability Arts Cymru The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United Kingdom The Living Museum, Alkmaar
Pictures from the opening event
On Sunday 15th of May Kintsugi opened its doors to the general public. It is my first solo show and had been tricky to hang. John Briggs the curator helped me sort the exhibition out into different sections. There was a good crowd and my thanks go out to friends and family for making this day a lovely one to remember.
Jill Powell 