As Seen on TV

Today I had an enquiry for my two Japanese paintings of 'The Seamstress' and 'The Reader' (Paintings 14 and 15.) I have removed contact detail for data protection.

My name is Christina Lee and I work in the Set Decoration Department on the TV Show "Hawaii Five O"! Our Set Decorator would love to purchase your artwork. However, before I can purchase via Paypal, wanted to speak with you about shipping (fee) and date of arrival of shipment. We would need it here in Honolulu, Hawaii on or before
Please give me a call at. sooner the better! We would love to purchase!
We would also need you to sign off on our release form.

Not Only Microsoft Repair Windows!

You may recall I painted this stained glass window (painting #12)

Well it might look nice but, being 110 years old, it's showing its age. The outside had gone rotten. This last week I decided it was time to fix it

I removed the window and chopped out the rotten window sill

I then made and fitted a new sill. Its in 3 parts but fits together to make a complete sill. Meanwhile, in the workshop, I had to remove the bottom of the window without damaging the fragile leaded glass ...easier said than done.

Then make a bottom part from new timber, which took the longest time, having to be jointed and grooved etc

Then I refitted it, and should be OK for the next 110 years.

But it hasn't just been the house maintenance that's kept me busy. 

Having got myself fit again, I took on the garden, and after weeks I've got it back from the wilderness ... there wasn't much time for blogging!

The Wanderer Returns

After 6 weeks absence  I'm back. Life has been chaotically busy, as ever in this house! 

I've just got back from Portland, in the county of Dorset, which is on the South Coast of England. Here I met with a group of my friends who all have writing in common. We all met at university and have kept in contact. We meet about twice a year, at a different venue each time. They, like my granddaughter are putting pressure on me to finish my novel (adventure/thriller), consequently I will be out of contact with the world for the first 3 weeks of September whilst I finish/edit it!

I have had an unexpected request to exhibit 20 of my Pen & Ink drawings in a museum during the whole of March 2014. Which boosted my ego, as you can imagine.

During my enforced absence I have still managed to paint. For those that don't know me: I began to paint for the very first time in March 2013, encouraged by my great blogging buddies hereabouts! As you will see, I am not going for highbrow art at this stage. All I'm trying to do is get paint on canvas until such time as I feel totally at home with using brushes and paint. At this stage I have stuck with acrylic and stretched canvas and with subjects largely dictated by the females of the family (3 generations of 'em).

Here is what I have been up to.

# 23

Cherry Pie - The Heliotrope Fairy
8 inches x 6 inches
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

# 24

Gipsy - The Rose Hip Fairy
8 inches x 6 inches
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

# 25

The Gorse Fairies
8 inches x 6 inches
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

# 26 (A second Version - the first one sold - this one has slightly different colours.

    Geisha (1800)    John Simlett
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
32 inches x 12 inches
(81 cms x 30 cms)

# 27 From a stained glass window

    Knight Tepmlar     John Simlett
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
32 inches x 12 inches
(81 cms x 30 cms)

#28 Scary Dragon for my daughter

                    "Green Dragon"          John Simlett
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
14 inches x 10 inches

#29 Manga for Granddaughter (I lowered the hemline and raised the neckline!! - prude!)

                    "Manga"          John Simlett
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
14 inches x 10 inches

#30 WIP (reworking)

#31

                    "The Rose Fairy"          John Simlett
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
6 inches x 6 inches

#32 A different version of The Heliotrope Fairy

#33 My 5 year old granddaughter shares her birthday with me and as a birthday surprise I have painted her favourites, "Dora The Explorer  and Boots" I have also painted her in with them. It is the first time I have tried painting a likeness of an actual person, and everyone says it's a good likeness - even if she is slightly 'cartoonish'

                    "Dora, Cadey and Boots"          John Simlett
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
14 inches x 10 inches

I will try to catch up with your blogs as soon as I can!

Variety is the Spice of Life

Here are paintings #20, 21 and 22. 

The first is for my granddaughter's, Lauren, 27th birthday (she wanted seabass for her kitchen)

                               "Seabass"          John Simlett
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
14 inches x 10 inches

This is for my granddaughter Cadey (5) who wanted me to paint the famous "Hello Kitty" for her, I claim no originality or copyright here.

"Hello Kitty and Cadey"    John Simlett (from the  Comic Characrer)
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
8 inches x 6 inches

This is for my 'grandson (ish)' Jordan who wanted a PS3 controller ... I was half way through it when I was told that I was doing an Xbox controller! This is a big No! No! it seems, the fan groups are in opposition!!

I had to start again.

"Jor-Tron"
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
8 inches x 6 inches

My next project is Knights in Stained Glass Windows! 

I still haven't caught up with all your blogs, sorry, but life is really getting in the way at the moment!

Back in the Land of the Living.

I haven't been very well, followed by granddaughter, Giselle, being rushed into hospital ... but all are well now. Give me a little time to catch up with you all.

My second granddaughter, Lauren, has her birthday in July and as a present she wants a picture of sea-bass for her kitchen, and it's on the easel ready to roll. When I was a young 'seafarer', bass were simply, bass! Research shows me that seabass is a term introduced by the restaurant industry to enhance the  dish.

When Lauren was 5 (23 years ago) she sat drawing with me and she explained to me that when she drew a bee, people would say, "That's nice dear, what is it?" This annoyed her and so she designed a bee made up of circles: a head, a body - striped, and circles for wings. People now said, "What a lovely bee." This story stuck with us and when we write to each other we sign ourselves with the bee she designed, with a dotted line showing the path it has flown with a loop-the-loop in it. I thought I would paint her a sketch of a bee and copied the "Red Clover Fairy" by Cicely Mary Baker.

PICTURE # 17 "Laurebee"

"Laurebee"     John Simlett (After  CM Baker)
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
8 inch x 6 inch
 (20cms x 15cms)

My eldest granddaughter, Jade -Lauren's sister, is to present us with a great-granddaughter in October. It is her birthday a few days after Lauren, and so I thought I would paint her a sketch of CMB's, "The Acorn Fairy," as I know she is using acorns as the theme for the new 'nursery'.

PICTURE #18 "The Acorn Fairy"

"The Acorn Fairy"     John Simlett (After  CM Baker)
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
8 inch x 6 inch
 (20cms x 15cms)

Painting #16

Here I am, 9 weeks and 16 paintings into learning how to paint. I finished this about 2 hours ago.

This one is going to a new home in Oxfordshire to join #14 & #15 

               Geisha (1800)    John Simlett
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
32 inches x 12 inches
(81 cms x 30 cms)

SOLD

Up! Up! and Away

We have just returned from a reunion with my old Squadron. They have just been reformed with a brand new aircraft....

The Voyager KC30 aircraft. of 10 Squadron RAF

We were shown around one that had been delivered 24 hours earlier and it smelt exactly like a new car! It was interesting to note that one of the Deputy Commanders is female as is the Chief Engineer. No reason why this should not be the case, but it is pleasing to see equality operating.

We were wined and dined for two days and had a great time.

Unrelated to our reunion: I'm amazed to report that in my 8th week of learning to paint I have just sold the 3 Japanese paintings I have just completed. Also a print of one of them and a canvas of the high heel shoes!

Here is Painting #15 ...sold in 12 hours of finishing!

                                                              "The Reader"                                      John Simlett
14 inches x 10 inches
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

Painting #16 is still at the printers ... but is sold! 

I'm not trying to boast but sharing the totally unexpected consequence to learning to paint with your support and encouragement ... many thanks  guys!