Merry Christmas Everyone and a happy new year!

How lovely it is to have a few days just doing nice things like eating good food, having lazy mornings in bed and giving and opening pressies:D

My gorgeous man, Matthew, has bought a new laptop for me and I'll be moving house again soon to somewhere less expensive, so i'll be able to afford to be online at home and keep up with my blog and stuff much more easily!

I think I've mentioned before how I usually really struggle in the winter, I hate the cold and the unrelenting greyness, but so far this winter I'm feeling very positive and excited about the upcoming new year, maybe I'm finally suceeding in changing my habitual thinking patterns, wouldn't that be great :D

Christmas day at Matthews sisters house. Me cuddling their new dog, a gorgeous cocker spaniel called Bruno.

Some new work, Falling Cherry Blossom at a shrine in Kyoto.

 Details from Falling Cherry Blossom at Heian Jingu, one of my fave shrines in Kyoto.

The full painting, it makes me feel happy but nostalgic for my year in Japan as cherry blossom season in Kyoto is one of the beautiful things I've ever seen. It rendered me into an excited little girl who finds herself suddenly transported into her favourite fairy tale. I intend to do a whole series of falling cherry blossom paintings just for the fun and beauty of it all.

xxx

What a lot of beautiful pictures!

 My Spring Flowers in the entrance to the gallery. This piece had a lot of admirers:D

 The hallway that Michael Howard and I shared.

Still-Life with Cyclamen and Azalea. One of my paintings that I'm most happy with!

The room I shared with Michael. I think our work really complements each other, we both love to paint within the still-life genre but we have very different styles.

 The wonderful Ghislaine Howard in the kitchen part of the gallery.

 A new friend taking part in the art trail for children, more on that another time.

 Michael Howard in the big room, no doubt creating a wonderful piece of writing.

Mombreesia. This is another piece of work by me that drew many postive comments, everyone loves that blast of colour against the blue.

 Paintings by the very talented Ian Mood.

 In the kitchen.

The big room.

I've had such a fabulous time being involved in the exhibition that has just ran at the Ghislaine Howard Studio Gallery. I feel very priviliged to have taken part in this and I loved every minute, I'm just sad that's it's finished now. 
I shall hopefully be exhibiting there again in the Derbyshire Open Studio Weekend in May though:D

I'll post again soon.

xxx