A Marvellous Moment! Saturday 5th October 2019

Very happy to see my oil painting 'New York Empire State' sold at The Marvellous Art Gallery.  Hoping it will give lots of pleasure to it's new owner Steve, pictured here with Marvellous Art Gallery owner, Marvin Daika (centre).

Progress in oils - Vicky Park in yellow!

About time I brought you up to date with my efforts in oils.
My first picture eventually suffered from over working; the sheer versatility of the medium seduced me so that I kept on changing things until, frankly, all the freshness and originality that had been in the painting at the beginning had been painted out. 
The efforts which followed went in the same direction, but more slowly. Bearing in mind that I'd never worked in oils before this and you'll understand that I had more than a little to learn!
All the same, lessons with artist and friend, Louise Ellerington, were beginning to get me somewhere, although until lately I didn't know exactly where!
My most recent painting has something interesting in it. I think. It isn't perfect but I'm not ashamed to share it with you! But see what you think for yourself.

Victoria Park in yellow & mauve, by Liz Hewitt, 2017

Staunton Harold & the Ferrers Centre for Arts & Crafts

What do you do when you need a change of scene but can't afford a holiday? Last week Mitch and I headed out to Staunton Harold near Ashby de la Zouch, to a stately pile not far from the Derbyshire border, long time home to the Shirley family who belatedly became the Earl Ferrers. Hence the name of the very interesting Ferrers Art Gallery located on the site.

The Gallery occupies the Hall's large old red brick stable yard, every corner of the four-sided, three- floored area now taken up with exhibition space and shops selling contemporary British artware, mostly original work and much reflecting the glorious natural world around the Gallery.

Mitch doesn't walk well so sadly she wasn't able to see half of what was on offer, including the upstairs gallery space. But downstairs we found everything from textile work to very high spec jewellery and metalwork, glassware, crockery, fun gifts and ornaments including animals and birds in a variety of mediums and forms. And several places to sit and try delicious cakes!

We were particularly fascinated by the Victorian Model Workshop making and selling mechanical puppets, worked by levers & pulleys and designed for private collectors and commercial customers world-wide. I particularly enjoyed the little faeries with their moving limbs and beating wings and it was no surprise that these were best selling items. Mitch admired the boxed mechanicals for home assembly - DIY animation. Genius! For a glimpse into this animatronic world, see www.modelworkshop.co.uk

The full title for this stimulating corner of creative enterprise is the Ferrers Centre for Arts and Crafts. It is owned and run by Rachel Chambers, who is also contemporary craft editor for craft&design magazine. With Rachel's enthusiasm, an exhibition runs continually at the centre, taking up all of the second and third floor space. 

There's little practical help for the disabled in such a building, well, not at present, so it was as well that Mitch was entranced with the craft pieces on display downstairs, some very reasonably priced, while I ventured upstairs to the Gallery proper to view excellent and varied works by the region's best known artists and sculptors. 

Interested in visiting Staunton Harold? The Hall is privately owned but there's a well-stocked garden centre plus cafes and plenty of parking. (Paid parking at weekends). And it's all located in the National Forest.

Nearby is Calke Abbey, a National Trust property well worth a visit, together with the rather special Staunton Harold Church and the Severn Trent-owned Staunton Harold reservoir (with boat club!) Go on a sunny day and see the lot, only wear sensible shoes as there's a lot of walking.

www.ferrersgallery.co.uk 
Tel 01332 863337  
LE65 1RU



Shown are a selection of the art and craft works to be found in Ferrers Gallery.

Having fun in oils!

Warning! New artwork experience! 

I've been doing some painting in a new medium. Oils! 

Strange as it may seem, I never, ever, worked in oils before, even during my fine arts degree course in Derby. I was probably always too keen on watercolour & acrylic... it was a long time ago & I can't remember for sure.

Anyway, with the help of some friends I decided to have a go and the image under is the result! It's based on Leicester's Victoria Park.

The painting has already been through a number of transitions so I doubt it'll look this way for long! Depending on how pleased I am with the end result, when it's completely finished I may post an up to date version of the work. 

Having lots of fun so far!!

Leicester's Vicky Park. By Lizzy Hewitt. Oils. Sept 2016.

Lift me up, Albert!

I'm going through a tricky patch. We all have them. I'm still not up to much though I promise to get back to the blog as soon as my spirits reach optimum! Art work is something else - I'm simply not able to concentrate on painting when I'm below par.

I don't want you all to think that I'm seriously ill, because I'm not, although the cold greyness of the season doesn't help. In that I'm no different to anyone else. Things are just a bit hard to deal with right now. But they're getting easier; thankfully the light at the end of the tunnel is no longer the headlights of an on-coming train!

To end this post in a more upbeat fashion, I saw the following quote recently. I do hope Albert really said it. Yo, Albert!

'Clueless' goes home

My painting, 'Clueless' commissioned by BBC broadcasters Tony Wadsworth and Julie Mayer has been on display at BBC Radio Leicester but the couple now have their painting hung at home. They were kind enough to send through this charming photo. Thanks guys!

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Tony Wadsworth & Julie Mayer at home with 'Clueless' by Lizzy Hewitt

An arty holiday on the Isles of Scilly

A kingdom in a lens: Lizzy gets creative.

Max and I are just back from a short holiday break on the Isles of Scilly, off Cornwall's south western-most tip.
The Islands weren't somewhere I particularly fancied going until I discovered they are hugely popular with artists: many live there and lots more visit as tourists to paint the sea views and the bird-life which proliferates.
So to my surprise, as well as soaking up the rays (getting my poor feet burned in the process!) I found lots to do and plenty of interesting things to see.

Great views everywhere!

Here's just a sample of the artwork and artists I found; it was inspiring to meet and see so many painting in such a small geographical area. If you'd like to know more about holidaying on the Scilly Isles visit simplyscilly.co.uk or scillyonline.co.uk

Prices vary but can be low

 

Fairies inspired by nature

Always plenty of sea views

In a range of painting styles

The coastal essence distilled

Meet the distiller!

Last of the new white hot motors

A great fit for A Right Royal Street Party inside the 'last of the new white hot motors'!

Having NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the fact that my paintings of increasing size no longer fit inside our old car, Max put his foot down with a firm hand and insisted we buy a new one!
I was worried we might end up with a van but Max knows a thing or two and our wonderful new car is white and shiny and has lots of interior space, as you can see, even if I do feel a little guilty about it. 

Max: There's even room for dismantled piano accordions in the back!

Next week I may be permitted to drive the new car when we take A Right Royal Street Party to try out for another major art exhibition. Hoping this one will be a better match to my painting style.  
More soon :)

'Clueless' commission collected!

From BBC Radio Leicester, Tony Wadsworth & Julie Mayer collect their commission, 'Clueless'

So here it is, the commission I've been working on for so long! Called 'Clueless' after their BBC Radio Leicester clue-based treasure hunt show which each Sunday takes listeners to various locations around Leicester and Leicestershire, the painting was commissioned by the programme's broadcaster / presenters, husband and wife team, Tony Wadsworth and Julie Mayer. 
Tony and Julie are pictured above with their commission at Leicester's West End Gallery, where they collected my painting this week.
Once framed, I'm told the work will be on public display at BBC Leicester following which it will be hung in pride of place at Tony and Julie's home.
A complete departure from my usual style, featuring as it does the better known sights of city and county, I think it fair to say the painting was a challenge! But with its bright primary colours and apparently mystical landscape I succeeded in making the artwork completely different from everything else I've ever created and that's been quite an achievement!

'Clueless' by Lizzy Hewitt, 2013, commissioned by Tony Wadsworth & Julie Mayer.

All that matters is that you get up ...

My painting, 'A Right Royal Street Party' has not been selected for the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London in April after all. 
After taking the painting down to the hand-in last weekend and being so excited at the possibility of exhibiting in London, I'm hugely disappointed. Still, as Ben Affleck pointed out as he collected his Best Picture Oscar this week; it doesn't matter how you get knocked down in life, that's going to happen. All that matters is that you get up.
I shall find another exhibition, one which has a better match to my own style, and enter that. In the meantime I have a commissioned artwork to finish. Up and at 'em :)

Happy New Year!

Welcome everyone and a very happy (if belated) New Year! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas :)
As I've just managed to complete the assembly stage of possibly my most challenging commission to date, my own New Year has definitely been one to celebrate. 

Commission assembly-stage sketch, Jan 2013

Can't tell you what it is that makes one commission straightforward and another problematic, only that sometimes I can't for the life of me figure out how to tackle something that should be no more complex than any other painting.
This most recent commission has been through more development than almost anything I've ever done; I simply couldn't make up my mind how best to approach it and sketched literally dozens of alternatives before I was satisfied. Thankfully the clients were angels and trusted me to sort it out!
Perhaps if I cared less, if I didn't put heart and soul into every commission I undertake, then maybe they'd take less time and cause less heartache. Thankfully, like this one, they generally come right in the end!
So here's a sample of the commission to date (those of you who know the area may recognise featured Leicester landmarks) and as soon as the entire painting is completed and I have the client's approval, I'll be pleased to tell you lots more about it and about the clients who commissioned it. 
Onwards and upwards into 2013.
Happy New Year one and all!

Chaos averted once again!

My new commission is coming along nicely. As usual I overworked the early stages and had to be persuaded to cut back on the number of ideas originally included: there's a subtle difference between an artwork looking busy and being busy. Max says I always want to over-complicate my paintings and he's not wrong :)

Thanks from Buckingham Palace!

Leicester watercolourist, Peter Welton, who knows his way around the artistic world like no-one else I know, suggested during my recent exhibition of paintings that I should send a limited edition print of 'A Right Royal Street Party' to the subject of the portrait in her Diamond Jubilee year, Her Majesty the Queen.

To my surprise and delight a few weeks on and I've received the sweetest of notes from Buckingham Palace, calling my artwork 'splendid' - not, unexpectedly, from HRH herself, but from the Palace nevertheless. Here it is, and here am I, and well chuffed about it I am too :)

Liz Hewitt and her letter of thanks from Buckingham Palace

'A Right Royal Street Party' - framed & displayed!

'A Right Royal Street Party' - framed & displayed

Here's a quick peek at the interior of Leicester's West End Gallery; spacious, light, airy and very smart. I'm incredibly lucky to be holding my exhibition here.

As you can see, my painting of the Royal Family's own Jubilee bash, 'A Right Royal Street Party' is at last framed and displayed. Recent family & business portraits arrive next week.
The quality prints taken from the painting are excellent; the paper & colour reproduction are great and I'm delighted with them. The same can't yet be said of the posters but we'll keep going until they too are true copies of the original.
It looks like my exhibition will begin mid-July as it's going to take that long to get the products ready to buy online. I'd like a bigger variety of products, maybe table mats or decorative tins, but they'll have to wait until sales justify consideration, my agent says!
I suppose it's true, setting up the exhibition is already costing quite a bit.

Teaser 2: Dogs just wanna have fun

Dogs just wanna have fun!

Except for a few changes the new painting is finished!

My agent says if I want to be a new Giles (had to look up that reference!) the characters must be recognisable, and, well, a few of them aren't, quite, yet.

Giles was a master and I want to get the thing right, so here's another little teaser for you meantime :)

Do you know what it is yet?

New painting teaser!

New painting teaser; who is kissing who & what's the occasion?

The secret's out! My new picture is almost finished and here's a teaser; see if you can identify the characters and work out the likely subject!

If all continues to go well I'll be revealing the entire painting in just a few days.

Cash, P: filing sporting photos

Sporting heroes: Pat Cash & Ilie Nastase. Photo by LH for Lumbers.

I should be working on my SECRET painting but with the Olympics, Wimbledon and other sporting events around the corner, it was about time I got around to filing my sporting photos of the past few years.

This corporate pic of tennis players Pat Cash, Ilie Nastase and others was taken a couple of years ago for Lumbers, for whom I later painted their Leicester shop.

Hockney - the man's a genius!

David Hockney's 'A Bigger Picture' RA exhibition

Visited the Royal Academy in London for the wonderful David Hockney exhibition, 'A Bigger Picture'. 

To be around so many wonderful artworks was inspiring, the scale of the pieces and the vivid colours took my breath away. And something I hadn't noticed before; Hockney's brush marks are not unlike those of Van Gogh.

Got home and got painting!