The Three Sisters

The First Sister ...

Sunflowers and skies with clouds smudged with greys, lavenders, sometimes the softest lemon depending on the light, are very much my inspiration at the moment for painting and for flowers. Mist and soft rain are a connecting feature too. Mostly the Autumn story will be about a small sunflower and big skies, but as thoughts of work develop, sketches made, notes kept, other influences come into play, and may form a large piece of work.

As I prepare for a new exhibition for half term in October, I am mostly working on small studies. However, this delicious Sunflower in all its rich suggestive colours, may be the beginning of a large panel, painted in oils. The tones in this sunflower are similar, but much darker to the the small toffee and cinnamon sunflower that featured so much in Yorkshire. She is one of three Sunflowers gifted to me by a dear friend. A seasoned gardener who always provides the loveliest of surprises. She surpassed herself this time, by presenting me with a row of her prize ladies, offering me to cut them. I tentatively cut three, leaving the rest to continue standing majestically.

The slugs had eaten a lot of my sunflowers in early Spring and my friend knew how disappointed I was, and so kindly offered me some of hers - special moment. So as the Sunflowers will fade, I hope to capture them in paint, giving them a longer life.

If anyone has a special sunflower you are exceptionally pleased with, I would be delighted to have a photograph. My hope is to have the gallery filled with sunflowers with stories. And do remember, the smallest sunflower could be the jewel in the crown. It doesn’t have to be big to be beautiful. 🌻 It could be a tiny bud that is the beginning of a deeper story.

The Second Sister ...

The second of the three large Sunflowers…The Three Sisters ( I call them ) will be painted on three large panels, hung as a triptych… each telling a story of Yorkshire to here; the west coast of Scotland by the sea. They will be part of our Autumn exhibition of Sunflowers and other stories.

Thank you to all who wrote to me sending photographs of your sunflowers or who promised to send. This will be an exhibition woven with personal stories.

In keeping with the number 3, we are excitedly collating all information for our three gatherings in October… a day of escapism into the world of flowers and paint; a day to explore flowers and time to carefully study and paint. You can choose to paint your small bowl of flowers, or a single flower that captures your imagination, whatever inspires you.

George will demonstrate the painting of flowers to get you started and will be there to gently encourage and help you along. I will help you, if needed to arrange flowers in a bowl or as a flat lay for you to paint. We will take time to gather round the table for a light lunch, all sourced and cooked from local produce. Tea and cake throughout the day to give a little boost of energy, and because you can’t have a day out without cake - home-baked, of course!

This day is suited to someone beginning with flowers and paint, or more seasoned and looking to develop further. The day will be tailored to your needs. You will go home with a beautiful Scottish pottery bowl of flowers, a small paint box and sketch pad to encourage you on a journey of paint, capturing moments special to you… a flower, a berry, a wave on the sea; whatever the moment inspires in you .

You will also have an opportunity to enjoy our exhibition and ask questions regarding the work - about approach, technique, inspiration, or anything that comes to mind. We find guests get a lot out of that and are happy to share all we know.

The Third Sister ...

… the darkest and richest of all three. Her colour changes according to the light. Right now in the morning light , there is a hint of deep scarlet. Here, taken in the evening light, a rich chocolate and as dark as the richest black velvet icing …

This leads me to think of painting this panel. To achieve the depth of colour and tone, different shades are mixed. Something we will learn together on our gatherings. We are now a little further forward with our dates for October. We are putting all the details on our website and are also happy to email you information. Please message if interested.

Our gatherings are something we are deeply excited and passionate about. The coming together in small gatherings of likeminded people with a desire to create, exploring and learning together. It is most definitely good for the soul. One of the things George and I have enjoyed the most from previous gatherings is the encouragement each shared with the other. Sometimes you see people grow in confidence and enthusiasm before your very eyes … it is an absolute delight. We hope we can welcome you to our table with a feast of flowers, paint, good food and shared times of joy. 🌻