Hello, this is Gary once again: Thanks so much for the support you all showed last week, with the reveal of my own work!
As you might imagine, getting to that point had been the focus of my past year, so it was gratifying to receive so much support for my efforts… Going forward, I think these Newsletters will become a natural blend of both our work; they’ll just show who’s done what over that month; sometimes me, sometimes Ann.
Plus if there’s one thing to emerge from this change, it’ll be that I only have one lot of admin to do a month!
But I’m back today with THREE new pieces from Ann, that I think you’re going to love! We’ve been holding them back awhile to let all the hullabaloo settle down, so I think it’s about time we got into the first of them, don’t you?
As ever, our thanks for being here,
Gary & Ann
What if the very thing we’ve sought throughout our lives…
The motivation that prompts our every action…
What if its been right under our nose the entire time and we just haven’t – or can’t – see it?
Which begs the question: ‘Why can’t we see it?’ Well, maybe it’s simply because we just don’t know what we’re looking for!
We keep overlooking the answer to our problem, because whatever it is DOESN’T LOOK LIKE AN ANSWER!
Our River Otter has struggled with this inability to see the truth his entire life…
The Otter is constantly patrolling the lake’s depths…
He thinks he knows it ‘like the back of his paw’… When asked about its dark waters, he confidently assures listeners that it ‘holds no secrets’!
He wears a beautiful, tooled harness encrusted with precious stones; perhaps stones he’s found whilst swimming the lake, or ‘inherited’ from the previous holder of this Very Important Post…
One of the many stunning details in this mesmeric work, is the way that Ann has managed to capture the spray thrown out as the Otter’s tail cuts through the water.
Also, the green tones in those streamers….
And just what is it that the Otter’s looking for?
Along with the rest of his clan, he thinks he should be hunting these Golden Carp.
After all, they hide in the gloomy weeds, content to graze away safe in the knowledge that the Otter won’t see them, despite their shimmering colours…
But on stormy days? Now that’s a different kettle of fish!
While the tempest rages, the fish delight in swimming and bobbing amidst the whitecaps & spray, believing themselves safe; that nothing’s out hunting on nights like these. Mesmerised by the moon, they delight in leaping up and out of the water…
Yet the Otter is cunning and persistent. He knows where to look for them and right now, all bets are on him being successful.
And yet…
Have you noticed what’s glimmering down in the weeds? It’s a long-lost treasure-trove! What’s more, can you see what rests atop the pile? Yes, it’s a truly Golden fish! This might be the prize the Otter and his kin have been searching for their entire lives: but all our hero sees, are the bright & shiny Carp..!
Sometimes, then, the real treasure really IS in front of us! All we have to do, is stop and look… Those Carp aren’t going anywhere, are they? Another storm will be along in a few days, but the treasure??
Seize the moment, or regret it forever!
A last word to this beautiful Stickleback… We’ve seen him before: Remember ‘A Bigger Fish’ from a year ago?
There’s a reminder below, but I wonder if we’re seeing him before the Kingfisher found him??
As everyone knows, you need the finest nectar to make the finest honey. Trouble is… The very best stuff tends to get snaffled by other visitors during those long Summer days. Butterflies… Hummingbirds…
Oh! But what’s a honeybee to do?
Turns out, the answer is to carry a magic lantern around with you and visit the flowers at night!
Not only does it help you see where you’re going, but its magical light causes the flowers to open-up, believing it to be daylight!
Have you ever had one of those magical experiences at-night, and seen what you thought were fireflies? Well, are you sure they weren’t ingenious bees working the nightshift??
Ann was particularly pleased with the way she captured the look of the Bee’s ‘fur’; those soft, downy bristles that can be seen over its little abdomen.
The reflections in that huge, oval eye… I wonder what they might be? Have we seen that before? You tell me!
Lastly, while we’re here, I wanted to give a special mention to the delicate head-piece complete with its jade pearl; everything in this ‘Otherwurlde’ is connected in some way…
Can you see the dust of pollen gathered on the Bee’s knee?
We should also look closer at these clear orbs, dangling from the Bee’s harness.
In this close-up, I hope you can see that they’re actually filled with nectar, siphoned direct from the flowers!
Back at the hive, this sugar-laden secretion is turned into honey; a sweet-treat for us, as well as the Bees! This vital food-source gives them strength & fortifies them through winter-long hibernations. Or…
Long spells working the night-shift!
See the streamers? Ann painted these directly after finishing those seen in ‘All That Glitters…’ I think she was so taken with this particular colour-combination of grassy-greens & teals, that she felt inspired to use them again while the paint blends were fresh in her mind!
Also, it might not be immediately obvious, but can you see a little hazy shimmering at the edges of the wings? A little motion blur for you!!
Oh – and I really SHOULD explain those random, scattered gold markings? Yep: 24ct Gold Leaf, used as a delicate appliqué…!
For our final piece today, I present ‘Neon Hare’…
Ann couldn’t be happier with the way Neon Hare turned-out; it really felt as if she’d captured something of the Hare’s vitality in the dynamic pose.
There’s something majestic about a Hare ‘in-flight’. How their bounding stride carries them across a field, never ceases to dazzle us, so perhaps it was something of that explosive movement that Ann was searching for, when planning this piece.
Looking at the finished artwork now, I honestly can’t think how this might be improved; there’s a real sense of power here, that lifts the subject off the board.
This stunning artwork was made possible by Ann’s discovery of an amazing (and new to us!) mini-range of water-based oils by the Japanese brand Holbein, that we found in-stock at one of our favourite places: Jacksons, based in Gloucester.
Each of the course in this small mini-range, are called ‘Luminous’ and with good reason; these colours pop from the surface with a vibrant intensity, that would be impossible to replicate with ‘traditional’ tones. At one point, Ann remarked that it was like ‘painting with highlighter pens!’ and, having seen the results, I see what she meant…
Take a moment to savour the intensity in these swirling waves…
There is something about this finished piece that grabbed us both.
A spirit or energy that might tempt Ann’s return to wildlife at some point in the future; not to replace The Carnival of Wonders, but provide the occasional amuse-bouche…
We’ll be back at the Corn Hall, Cirencester EVERY weekend from now until the end of December 2023… We’re unsure how much space we’re going to get, so every weekend promises to be a journey of discovery: do pop-over and see us if you can: you never know what we might have!
HOLD TIGHT…
SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO ANYTHING YOU HAVE SEEN FROM US BEFORE…
Thanks for sticking this one out to the Bitter End; I know it was a long one! We’ve got something truly amazing – and VERY DIFFERENT – coming along, so we’ll see you very soon!
Take care,
