2015 All Wrapped Up.

Well that's it!
2015 is nearly over, all wrapped up and put away.
How was it for you?
Did 2015 deliver? Was the past year a success or a failure, or as for most of us a bit of both?
I thought I would share with you my 2015, both painting wise and personally.

Thank you Chris for fixing it.

The roof covering blew off the studio, AGAIN!!!  Easily fixed but a nuisance.




We celebrated my husbands big birthday in May with two parties. Yippee! And I won a prize at our local art society with what I have to say was a cracking painting. I can't quite seem to replicate that success nationally..yet!
Summer 2015 saw me not taking part in our local open studio event for the first time for ten years because I wanted to spend the time enjoying the weather, but I missed the company and excitement, so visited a lot of other people's open studios instead.

But just before Christmas I did hold my own event, only for one day, serving mulled wine and mince pies. A great success, and lots of  fellow artists visited because they had the time. That was lovely. It marked the start of Christmas for me.

TV has delivered the Sky Artist of the Year, and the friendly Great Pottery Throw Down, as well as Downton Abbey of course.
I visited the National Gallery in March to see the Impressionist exhibition. I shall never tire of the Impressionists, and while I was at it I visited the Mall Galleries and took a selfie of me and the lovely Lachlan Goudie of the Painting Challenge. Who says I'm not star struck!
My own painting has been carrying on apace. Online platforms have been particularly kind to me, especially Artfinder and Etsy, and my website is getting better known.
I have been powering on with paintings of the irrepressible Grace the Border Collie as well as a seemingly never ending family on the beach series. The two ideas intermingle a lot.

Mary Kemp.
"Didn't We have a Lovely Time."
Oil on canvas.
75 x 60 cm.

A bright point in the local art scene is the setting up of a local Urban Sketches group. We meet monthly and this year I promise not to chicken out if the weather is bad!

Bertie

One rather sad thing this year was the demise of our pretty white cat just before Christmas. Bertie was a ball of fun, and fiery temper. She's featured quite prominently in my art and in our lives and we miss her.



I've had a lovely break over Christmas with wonderful family and friends, ate too much, did too much shopping, so now it's all set for 2016. The studio needs a bit of a tidy up, and someone promised to put me up some shelves. "It won't take long", he said! That was two months ago.
I'm looking forward to 2016. I hope you are too!