It's been an exciting month as I have started my artist in residence at RHS Harlow Carr Gardens . I have always wanted to paint a garden over the period of a whole year so this is a fabulous and exciting opportunity. I'm going every month to paint the garden and select different areas to paint. I'm doing a video diary which I will post on Facebook . It is always a challenge painting outside, as you get interrupted a lot by interested on-lookers and small children wanting to have a go! But it's very good for me as we spend so much time looking at screens and life in 2D that it can effect your painting in quite a negative way. So I am up for the challenge, remind me in January when it's minus something degrees, and I can't feel my fingers, quite how keen I was in July. 

It is rather hard to say when I will actually be going there but I will try to post dates in advance, but as it is so weather dependent, and we all know how changeable that can be, I can't plan far a head. I am aiming to produce 12 paintings possibly more, each one will be called after each month I am there. They will be on show at the RHS Harlow Carr Show in June 2018. 

The days that I am hoping to be there in AUGUST are the 15th or 16th as it's holiday time of course. Here is one quote from a little boy in the garden this week, that made me smile while painting.

" Mummy that lady is painting isn't she?"....yes said his Mum

' Mum....long pause..... my friend said something not very nice about YOU!"

' Really, oh well sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me " said Mum. ( I hadn't heard that for a long time!).

'Do you want to know what he said??"

'Not really" said Mum

'He said you have a MASSIVE NOSE!'

'Let's go and have a drink in Betty's' said Mum

Always a good solution to most things I find. I'm looking forward to my minimum of 12 visits to Bettys... I may be slightly rounder by June 2018!