Hall of Mirrors

Today my Mum rang me to tell me that she thought she saw some of my fairground painting on a Littlewoods TV advert. I looked at their site on the internet just to see ...and there it was...'The Hall of Mirrors'. I haven't seen it for quite a few years, but it looks as though it is wearing well..

I initially painted it for Andrew Harris, who at the time travelled with Carters Steam Fair . He asked me to paint it with an Art Nouveau theme.... which I did , painting four ladies representing the four seasons. Hidden on the front is a Trompe l'oeil Robin and a ' Painted lady' butterfly. At the time my workshop was the upstairs of an old barn near Stanway, Glos. The front came apart to get it up the stairs ,so I didn't see it all together until Andrew came to collect it.I remember being very relieved to see that all the pictures did actually fit together !

To see the advert please click on the following link.

.http://www.littlewoods.com/web/en/shopthead.page

Midsummer Madness !

Hello, I'm back blogging ...now the bug on my computer has been cleared!

Earlier in the year Jane and myself were chatting about 'interiors' and the trend for pale washed out shabby chic...often very pleasant but we love colour! Sometimes it seems that people are afraid of using colour in their homes, children's bedrooms sing out with mad walls and bedding but it soon disappears into 'magnolia'. Bathrooms may have a little bit of seaside inspiration holding memories of happy holidays in beautiful aqua glass jars, a kitchen might have a touch of yellow and green vintage kitchen utensils and garden sheds might flutter with some Cath Kidson bunting ....but that's where it ends.

Both Jane and myself love colour....and lots of it. ..so Jane mounted an Exhibition called 'Midsummer Madness' at her Winds of Change Gallery in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire.. The Exhibition finishes on the 13th August but Jane and myself will continue selling and offering Interior Design advice via future Exhibitions and on the Internet. We do have pale shabby chic pieces but everything has an added touch, such as some painted lines and hand painted decorations.

Jane has a natural instinct for Interiors, being able to use colour in the home but still keep it looking beautiful. I on the other hand, create my own colourful lampshades and furniture but can go overboard on colour, mixing lots of colours and patterns together! So we make a happy team.

Jane has searched out some of our best colourful artists and craftspeople. I can't mention them all in this blog but I will sing the praises of my personal favourite...Mary Rose Young' Her pottery ,like herself, is a rainbow of smiles and vitality. Even if you only own one of her mugs it will instantly make you smile every time you sit down with a cuppa. The colours give you summer abundance all year round. Featured in Jane's Gallery is a fantastic chandelier...a true one off that will never go out of fashion....The centre is a large teapot with large baubled arms holding teacups....fully wired up it lights up a room both 'on' and 'off ;

The private view was a lovely 'do', everyone wearing bright colours,drinks decorated with fruit and umbrellas and the most colourful and tasty cakes that you have ever seen. Hayley brought over buckets of her Hotch Potch Organic flowers, which was the' icing on the cake'.

Although the Exhibition finishes soon Jane and myself can be contacted at any time if you would like us to brighten up your home, office ,garden summer house, Shepherds hut or party!

New Book

Hello, It's been a while but I've been restoring an old fairground Waltzer.

..well still restoring....and woodgraining an old diesel cab.

The start of woodgraining...as you can see THomas was in the engine shed with me !

 

 The waggon that I am restoring has been rubbed down, filled and undercoated and is now having it's top coats done. Unfortunately my little camera went missing last weekend so no photos until I buy a new one....but I can tell you about a new book.

Its called 'Gypsy wagon painters' and is by John Mc Kale.
As well as history and old painters it has chapters about painters now, including myself. I had sent John a few photos but wasn't sure if any would be used at all. It is a limited edition and costs £40 /from Waterstones. and has lots of inspiring photographs of different styles of waggon painting and over twenty waggon painters.

 

The lovely Peter Ingram is noticeable by his absence but I mentioned him in my chapter. He doesn't paint waggons anymore but his painting has a great flow about it...not fussy but beautiful flowing scrolls and ribbon work.

John Pockett has a good chapter with lots of photographs, he does beautiful waggon ceilings. Although all the waggon work has a basic tradition it is usually easy to recognise who painted what and new ideas get used and swapped. Well I haven't managed to read the book myself yet, just looked at photos, but when I get the chance I'll add more information about this lovely new book.

Painting a Gypsy Wagon- Part one

There is a traditional way of painting a waggon with scrolls, lining, fruit, horses, horse shoes and lots of gold leaf...but in the past not all waggons were decorated by artists...they often painted their own. A bit like today when we choose what colour front door we want or what type of curtains or bedspreads....its all a matter of personal choice....and of course what materials and money is to hand.
I remember a lovely friend of mine telling me that her Mothers waggon had large daisies painted on the front....years before the hippy 1960's.
Different painters had different styles, painters such as Jimmy Berry...regarded as The master was painterly, you could see the flow of the brush. He was even known to have used grass dipped in paint to line with. He lived in a waggon and often painted on the side of the road. There are many wonderful waggon painters I could mention but I'll write about them in their own individual blog.
Looking through Google images I came across a couple of great pictures, really displaying the hand painted originality of past waggons. The Museum of English Life.
The first picture is from 1920, it has very simple scrolls in one colour but fitting each panel.

The second is a close up of the canvas on two waggons from a photograph in their collection. It is great to see the canvas decorated too, something that I haven't seen done on any modern waggons.....

I rather like it and I think I will do something similar on my waggon.
Here are a few blogs by artists who stray from the traditional decoration and add their own flair and imagination to the decoration....I have to admit that my own style is very traditional but that doesn't stop me enjoying other artists work.
DebHunt Very bright and patterned horses..and she is out there living in her waggon.
Brad and Dave Builders of waggons in America...also have a clip of our English painter John Pockett painting.
Gypsy trailors usa
Ps...I'm not sure if wagon is written with one or two g's...I prefer one but spell check says two...Do you know ?

Hello

Hi and welcome to my new blog, wipe your feet, pop your slippers on , make a cuppa and enjoy a read. I'm going to be writing and showing photos of individual homes...homes that don't just follow fashion but follow the people that live in them....
My own home is full....really full of pictures, bits and bobs, lots of colour. At the moment some of my rooms are in fashion...but not deliberately. For example it just happens that I like unfitted kitchens and have a vintage kitchenette....£20 from Evesham market a few years ago!
In my dreams this blog will have lots to interest and that wonderful word...INSPIRE.
So I'll leave you with a link to my UTube video / slide show of my own Boho home..The music is by Moishes Bagel....when I asked them if I could use their music it turned out that the writer had lived in a showmans wagon for ten years...and I am soon to start the full restoration of a wagon , from preparation through to curtains...so please come along and watch me 'paint my wagon'.
 My blog is also linked with www.mybohohome.co.uk.
See you soon, Katie