Switch of blog!

SerenArts and such has moved! Thank you to everyone who has taken time out to read, comment or both on this blog! Your input has been gratefully received and we have happily learned a lot along the way. We have switched over to

serenapugh.wordpress.com

although there is the link on the SerenArts website as well. Hope to see you soon :)))

Tithe Barn, Bradford on Avon

I had a birthday recently. A horrible one. I don't mean horrible nasty I hasten to add... just one of those forty-plus-not-worthy-of-a-special-number-badge ones, that make you realise you're no spring chicken anymore no matter how juvenile you act. I also had to fill an online form in that asked for my year of birth. Do you know.... it took a whole 12 seconds for the list to scroll down to get to my birth year. Honestly, I aged another year waiting for it to come in to view.

What's this got to do with art, I hear you cry?

Well, my wonderful husband bought me a complete set of new permanent coloured pencils, to celebrate my youth disappearing. There were as many in the huge box as one for every day I have been alive, it seems! As some people may know I use watercolour pencils in the main as you can get precise, applied media, with the added bonus of being to add water and squooshing it all about 'artistically'. These new pencils are permanent and hard wax based. Radically different in as much as when you make a line/mark etc.... it stays there (only turpentine will thin it out and give that painterly feel.) Where they do come into their own , is the depth of colour you can get from them. They literally shine. The wax gives a lustre the watercolours cannot match, and you can use them on wood, photographs etc which should make for some interesting experimentation soon. As it turns out the only thing that has let them down is me! Presented with every shade of vibrant beauty, what did I draw- but a mainly dark interior of monochromes!

It must be my age.....

(pictured is the interior of The Tithe Barn- roof detail)

The Three Gables....

Hot of the press and very topical at the moment, the latest offering as regards to the series of local watercolours I have been doing. This place has been the nub of many conversations over the years in town, as having prime location but no luck with planning permission etc. As with most buildings in our historic town the beauty of age and character comes at a heavy price- grade two listed being the first and foremost. That on top of being at the bottom of a valley during rainy periods and a woeful economic climate has never really let investors see past the obstacles. All has changed! New people are in and there is now a new place on the trail. I recently showed a painting of the building next to this on the blog ( The Georgian Wine Lodge) so this row in the town is certainly doing it's best to bring in tourists and locals alike. No mean feat, I say.

(To be fair, I may be very favourable to the 3 Gables as they have a new 'chef de plongeur!' we have a vested interest in..... I wonder if his new found skills translate at home?!)

Abbey Mill watercolour

Another watercolour of a building in Bradford on Avon. I think I am in danger of cultivating a style. That will never do. That is tantamount to being almost respectable in art terms!

Also shown are a brace of commissioned lamps. A lady came in with her wallpaper and asked if I could do something similar to match her decor... well I could and I did! So there is another service on offer at Serenarts ( and if I can get enough wallpaper swatches I can redecorate!)

The Georgian Wine Lodge...

This one didn't last very long.... it was only up on the gallery wall for a week. It is now winging it's way across the pond to it's new home in America. That's another continent I can cross off!

Pictured is a watercolour and pencil painting of the Georgian Wine Lodge here in the town. It didn't occur to me to paint this because people stay there and would want a keepsake of their holiday... I painted it purely for it's aesthetics. It is a magnificent building nestled between older ones, shouting 'look at me' as you come over the crest of the bridge.... a big gold tooth among smaller crooked ones.....

Bridge jigsaw.....

Feeling slow and sluggish? Brain not working properly? Fed up with not thinking straight? Irritated at how easily stuff is escaping you? Look no further... help is at hand! Look as clever as Isambard Kingdom Brunel in seconds! Build a bridge in three easy steps and amaze your friends! There arn't even any fiddly interlocking pieces to confuse you. Hurry while stocks last.....

Had a bit of fun with this. I have been experimenting with more unusual ways of showing photographs recently, and here is one of the results. It is a triptych of Bradford on Avon bridge which got a good going over in photoshop, and then the image transferred onto lazertran and applied to canvasses. I like the quirkiness of the different sizes.... even if it is a little emulative of the 'three flying ducks.'

Enjoy..

Be careful what you wish for....

A while back I was out gallivanting with my camera and stopped at a high, prime spot over the town. I found an unusual view of a higgled-piggled, windy street, but for love or money could not get an angle from where I was stood that didn't include a very stark, white van parked there. I wished it away to no avail, then thought 'well maybe I could erase it in photoshop.'

Once home I had a brief look at it and decided it would take too much faffing about to clone, heal and smooth it away so I left it in in all it's glory, printed it off as a photo and reached for the oil paints instead. I used the photo as reference and made the painting into a diptych... sans van.

To cut a long story short... guess who came into the gallery and bought both the photo and oil painting? ......

Yes, Mr and Mrs White Van!!

When the Saints go marching in........

to the Championship League! Congratulations to all connected with Southampton Football Club from fans to players, and everything in between.... have a picture of a red and white flower to celebrate with! It's the least I can do.....

Right, onto equally important matters such as new ideas for the gallery, and keeping things fresh and exciting. I enjoy a lot of experimentation as do many other creative, arty farty types and find happy accidents lead to some fantastical results. A prime example being the lamps I do. I recently saw a television program where slivers of semi precious stones were scanned and the results printed on silk. The colours were so vibrant and reminded me of the glass paints I use. So a fun morning was had, scanning the more abstract of the lamps and taking out interesting sections to blow up and print onto canvas. The colours were fantastic on the canvasses- the light from the scanner really picks up the luminosity of the special paints. The upshot means people can now buy a combination of a complementary, contemporary abstract canvas to go with the lamp they like.... all for under the price of a football shirt, a ticket and petrol money to get to St Mary's!

( That's £80 to anyone with math as bad as mine!)

Cascade.....

Every now and again the sun shines and the wind abates long enough to feel it. Every now and again you revisit places and remember why you return.

It has been at least two months since the camera has come out in anger. My husband and I played hookie from the Gallery, and took a day to walk round Bowood Gardens. We have been to various parts of the grounds several times over the years, from doing shows to just getting some energy off the children as they were growing.... but we have never been just for ourselves to take a leisurely stroll in the warm.

It is beautiful. Soft, undulating, emerald green lawns sweep down to a lake teeming with wildlife. The House itself sits at the top of the small hill watching over proceedings, but the joy is the layout of the trees, plants and rocky, hidden walkways through it all. No matter which time of year you go there will be something to look at and admire. We took the long way round and came across a a quirky walled maze of boulders and miniature caves under a canopy of cooling tree tops, following a small stream. And look what we found........

( this photo taken with a long high aperture setting and a four second delay- soft, bright and delicious!)

Glass Art Lamps.....

Just a quick post to show a mini selection of lamps I have been working on. I normally paint abstract, floral or geometric panels, but every now and again a 'scene' flows from the end of the pipette. Looking at these I think the post should be called 'from dusk 'til dawn'.....

Big stage whisper Sshhhh!...........

I am trying not to speak in anything above a whisper and am on tippy toes stealing through my own blog.... hoping that no one will notice that there has been a rather large absence of blogging from this quarter, while i set about rectifying the tardiness. Anyone who knows me will realise the quietness will not last... in fact I can feel a song and dance routine coming on already, with full orchestra backing and at least four score of tap-dancing elephants... well, it is so nice to be back blogging!

Posted are two pictures i have finished working on. I have had a small resurgence on local scenes recently, living as i do in a very picturesque town. I also figured tourist season is nearly here as well, so my subject choice wasn't entirely for aesthetics! The town bridge pictured is in acrylics, a medium I do no use enough. The colours are so bright and handle completely differently to my usual oils so it was a happy change for me. The other picture is a pet portrait commission of a lovely little fellow called Scamp. I was really pleased how this turned out, as were his owners. Luckily I didn't have to do his tail.... it was always a blur of wagging!

Splashes of Colour......

It must be the sniff of a nice sunny day thats done this.... I thought I would post some colour studies I have worked on recently. These are all photographs I have tinkered with ( quite liberally in some cases! ) and which are now included in the website. Thats the same website my poor, hard done by husband has been spending his days and nights revamping for me..... yes, I had another whim. It's like spring cleaning the house after taking down all the Christmas decorations... you feel the New Year needs a new look, so a big tidy up was needed I thought for my internet presence. I'm not convinced my husband felt the same but he has laboured away manfully and it should be reloaded in a couple of days. Hoorah! I know how to keep him sweet though so he has had all weekend off to watch sport. I shall crack the whip again on Monday ( as if!)

Isn't it odd where we find inspiration for photography? Deep mid winter I found myself ankle deep in freezing cold water taking photos of damage to a hot tub. Amongst the blistered paint bubbles I found an oddly shaped one which really caught my imagination. After a little colour boost and crop I had what I think is a lovely abstract photo of a blue hand.... can you tell which one it is?

Oh, and very quickly....... Hello Sally!! (See, I said I would mention you!) Thank you for reading my blog! x

''Amber Wilderness''- glass painted landscape

Hot off the desk ( and a highly messy, paint strewn one at that) is the latest offering. I had a little experiment with the size of frame here, opting for a long, thin one instead of my more traditional sized portrait-style picture. I also chose to use glass paints this time ... for no other reason than to shake myself up a bit. I am getting quite good in my middle age of just settling into a routine ( except where exercise is concerned!) and staying in my self-imposed rut. So a different approach was taken this time to blow away the cobwebs. I have noticed over the years that this slim orientation sells quite well as it fits neatly over fireplaces etc..... that's the theory anyway. Let us see if it gets put into practice!

(Painting 35'' x 10'')

Happy New Year....

Oops! I believe I have left it a little late to wish everyone a happy 2010, but better late than never. The prodigal painter returneth finally, after an eight week absence. My sincere apologies to my regular readers for the quiet fingers of late..... my digits were superglued together by a gum that lasts for two months, and then magically disappears. Not really. I just needed the break! I will endeavor to pick up my slack ways and get a-posting regularly as to be honest, I miss the comments! I hope everyone is in the finest of fettle and getting back into the swing of the New Year.

It has been a quiet January so far, which means all the small things and bits that have been put aside can now be sorted out properly. I have been very lucky though to have picked up several commissions already, and diverse ones at that which is always a bonus for me. Most of the commissions have been glass panels which I find do not photograph well ( much like me when I have just woken up) so I thought I would post this little chappie instead. He is Dylan and a birthday present for someone, so I hope for a change that there is at least one person who doesn't read this blog as I will have ruined their surprise! Hope you like him....

Portrait of a dog as a young pup.........

Thanks for that Mr Joyce- I was having problems with duplicating a previous post title then. This blurb is going to be as short and sweet as this dog is. Meet Pushka. I do not know what sex it is, or indeed what make it is ... but I do know it was a very cute and animated little fur ball, with a friendly nature. Hope 'Mum and Dad' like the painting- there were so many colours in the coat it was actually a bit of a challenge. This has sparked a flurry now of pets as people are trying to get presents done in time for Christmas. 'Oh what a shame' she said, as she thinks of all those many hours sat in the warm doing a job she adores! Wonderful stuff.

Illuminating the world......

It's not because I have been too lazy to write that this blog has fallen silent. Quite the opposite. I haven't even been able to work in the gallery workshop, having instead to turn our kitchen into a drying rack for christmas stocks of lamps. And more lamps. And a few more on top. There is well over fifty now waiting for discerning people to fall in love with and all sorts of styles and designs to choose from- because you must know what I am like by now. We reclaimed the kitchen at the weekend, so now down at SerenArts if all the new lights are switched on it is theoretically possible to see us from space. We glow! A very attractive sight on a cold November day.

Isn't it funny how some things go in cycles? Sometimes I have a commission for say, a dog portrait, and this then triggers of a small spate of other dog portraits. Or someone may buy a handful of the glass cards I do... and then suddenly the whole world and it's Mum are buying them up. This week already I have been asked to do a commission of one of my paintings that has already been sold ( pictured above because I clean forgot to take a photo of the national lamp mountain, in my relief at finally finishing!) The client in question, and quite rightly in my humble opinion, didn't want a mere print so asked for me to paint another similar one. I have no problem with that! Strangely though I now have another request- this time to 'copy' for wont of a better word, a Modigliano that is out of copyright, and has been manipulated in photoshop to change the colours. Not my cup of tea and it will be odd painting in someone else's style... but I may actually learn new techniques from a proper master... and the pennies come in useful of course. Watch this space!

Last illustrations of Charlotte Khan...... 'til the next book!

Can't think, brain's dumb.

Inspiration won't come.

Some days the words just flow onto the page- and other days like this I really struggle to say anything coherent or interesting. Doesn't stop me though as you may have noticed. Here are the last of the illustrations for Julie's (Mulholland) new children's book. All that is left is to go back through the pictures and grey in areas of interest and then process them for the publisher. 'Easy peasy' the computer bit because I hand that over to my long-suffering husband. 'Look Ma, no hands!' I cry, and I never seem to mind if he's busy or not.... I'm good that way. Barring a localized disaster all should be of to the printers in time for Christmas. How wonderfully exciting! Watch this space as they say.....

More good news to pass on. I mentioned in an earlier post of putting a picture into the Bath Prize competition, not expecting to win but more in hope of selling. Well I didn't win but have just had a lovely email saying my work had sold. Hurrah for that I say! I wonder if it went to one of the houses I drew in the Bath scene? I'd love to know.........................

Talking of Bath - seamless link alert - here's a little free advertising for a forthcoming event ( aren't I lovely?!)

An exhibition of water crystal photographs by Dr Masaru Emoto, is accompanied by Dr Emoto himself, who will be speaking at the Roman Baths, on 17th November 2009, on The Secret Power of Water. The world renowned researcher, who photographs water crystals, illustrates how human vibrations effect the external environment.

Tickets are available from the Bath Festival office on 01225 463362. Doors open at 7pm for the exhibition, the talk starts at 8pm.

More commissions.......

If I were able I would be springing back flips everywhere today. Instead I will just have to settle for leaping around like a loony in my head. You know how it is. I'd hate to knock over someone's mochachocadoodah coffee with a wayward arab spring into a full piked twisting somersault, so I will just sit here quietly smiling instead. Health and safety and all that.

Why so happy? Three commissions in a week all done and dusted and I still had time to watch Strictly Come Dancing ( although I still painted in between the dance routines.... sorry Brucey!) Pictured are two of them. The third I will save for next week to plump up the blog when content may be thin on the ground. Canny heh? Today I am being about as rebellious as I get these days and will NOT be painting a single dot, stroke or splodge of anything. These hedonistic heights may even stretch to a takeaway on the proceeds of all this hard work.... and the sun is shining whilst I'm manning the gallery workshop here. If anyone is having a bad day just come and rub shoulders with me and maybe the happiness will rub off- after all, life is good................................

More illustrations.................................

I hope you can see these alright as I photographed them quickly rather than scanned them properly. As some of you already know I have been passing away time drawing up some illustrations for Julie Mulholland's new children's book 'The Adventures of Charlotte Khan- Charlotte goes to Hong Kong.' I thought I had finished but a couple of weeks ago Julie asked me to do another 13 of these drawings for her book as she can get more in. What a result! This time they are her ideas for what she would also like to be in there, so it takes the pressure off me to try and second guess what is wanted. I was going to methodically work down the list she gave me but couldn't find the fun in that, so instead I shout out at my husband to pick out a number left and I get on with the corresponding one he calls out. What teamwork, hey?

Finished Ferrari commission.....................

Firstly many apologies for the tardy blogging of late.... unfortunately when things get hectic at work this is the first place that gets pushed to the bottom of the pile. Quite unceremoniously at times! Life has been very good here of late and I find myself swamped with all sorts of commissions- hurrah! Gainful employment until Christmas... not bad heh? It was quite a gamble taking on the extra responsibility of a workshop/gallery space, but it has paid dividends and taking off in terms I only previously dreamed of. The downside though is time slips by alarmingly and you find you haven't written blog entries religiously as you once promised yourself. Ho hum, as my husband says for a multitude of things. I'm feeling all prodigal....

This is the finished ferrari commission I was asked to do by a lovely lady wanting something personal for her husband's birthday. She liked my 'Three Men in a Boat' painting at the gallery, or rather the detail in the picture I can get with oils, and wanted this exact car immortalized as 'hubby' is something to do with the tyres/wheels etc., ( things that go over my head!) I find I am very obliging when money is involved so jumped at this with relish. Apart from having to get the model and wheels right the lady also wanted it against a Tuscan house backdrop... so 'Ta-Daaaah!' Voila. It does exactly what it says on the tin, from Serena.

By the by, did any one read a piece about Damien Hirst recently.... he is apparently given up his pickling dead farm animals, sticking bits and pieces to skulls and getting other people to throw paint onto spinning canvasses for him. Hoorah, I thought, because I never really 'got' all that sort of art. If you are one of the clever people out there that can speak at length on the merits of this type of work/art, please don't write into me as I promise, in a month of sundays, your breath will be utterly wasted on me. I just don't and never will 'get' it. He is in fact taking ' a step backwards' ( his words) and has learnt to paint with a brush on canvas again. Well its about time Mr Hirst, and I truly hope you get the immense satisfaction most of us get from putting our hearts and souls down onto canvas, in true back to basics style work ethics. You never know, you may just enjoy it as it's not always about the money you see.... says she who has just painted for a tidy sum! But you get my drift don't you? More power to his elbow then. I can't wait to see what he comes up with and what he feels about it- how exciting, a new kid on the block.