Category: Art

News about my artwork

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Art

Good Things Are Coming

Hello!

I hope you are having a wonderful start to the year. As I’m writing this, the sunshine is flooding in through my window – a welcome change after the long days of rain we’ve been having!

I realise that I always seem to start my emails with a comment about the weather. How very British! But it really does influence my mood, and the promise of Spring has got me feeling positive and looking forward to lots of plein air painting sessions this year.

I’m trying out a new email thingy, so hopefully this has come through successfully and looks aesthetically pleasing!

Anyway, back to the reason for emailing – to share my latest studio news; scroll on to find out about a Sip ‘n’ Paint, new prints and more!

Sip ‘n’ Paint

Johns of Instow | 19th March | 6pm-8.15pm | £45

Join me at Johns of Instow to paint a beautiful bouquet of colourful flowers. With all materials provided, as well as fizz and canapes (plus non-alcoholic options), it is a lovely creative evening. Why not have a night out with friends, or treat Mum for Mother’s Day? Solo participants are also welcome – it’s always a lovely, sociable event!

Book Now

Paintings to prints


I have been finding time for painting for fun (rather than work!) recently, which has given me great joy. The result of which is a number of finished pieces which are now available as reproduction prints on my website (ironically, as I was painting for fun!). They feel authentically me, and I’m proud of them. I hope you love them too!

They come in two sizes, A4 and A5, so fit easily in off-the-shelf frames – perfect to give as a gift or treat yourself.

Westward Ho! Reflections
Westward Ho! Pebbles
Instow Beckons
The Pill, Northam Burrows
Shop Prints

The Femme Collective

Women in Business Event | Moreton House, Bideford | Friday 6th March | From £80

An event to connect, refresh, be seen.

The Femme Collective has organised an event to bring together female business owners for a day of connection, confidence and well-earned pampering. Things to look forward to include yummy breakfast and lunch, a goodie bag, short talks by experts, hair, make-up and mini photo shoots and time to chat.

Oh, and live portrait painting by me! I’m so excited to have been invited to paint at this lovely event. You can still book tickets, but they’re selling fast!

Book Here

Paint with me – FREE

I’m tentatively organising a plein air painting session on Wednesday 25th March. It will be somewhere local (Appledore/Instow/Westward Ho!/Bideford). It is tentative because it very much depends on the weather!

Bring your own materials, everyone is welcome. This will just be a free painting session, no tutoring. Please let me know if you’d be interested in coming along and I’ll keep you updated.

Drop me a message

Life in General

Wedding season is about to kick off big time, so I’ve been busy getting all my equipment ready and chatting to couples about their big day. If you’re new round here and wondering what I’m talking about, I paint guest portraits and ceremony paintings at weddings! You can see more of this on Instagram here: @a_sketch_journal

Photo credit: Alex Miller

Tomorrow is the first session of my new 4-week watercolour course, which never actually made it into any of my newsletters due to being fully booked almost as soon as it went live. I will hopefully be running another later on in the year, so don’t worry if you’ve missed out.

Family-wise, we enjoyed our very first family skiing holiday back in January. We all loved it, even me, despite being very dubious about going in the first place, having never skied before. Our children were soon whizzing down the slopes, and by the end I was just about keeping up!

Last month we also visited Harry Potter Studios – it was just as magical as you’d expect, and fascinating to discover that many of the special effects weren’t CGI! It was a long day with the drive back to Devon afterwards, but a fun and memorable experience.

In February half term, we made it down to Cornwall to visit my sister and her family in a holiday cottage with my Mum and Dad. The rain didn’t stop us from going to the beach and dipping in the hot tub! Here’s my Dad carrying my son out of the sea!

I’m looking forward to what spring will bring!

Thank you for reading, happy creating!

Categories
Art

Exhibition at The Plough

I’m very exciting to be exhibiting at The Plough Arts Centre in Great Torrington with the Rising Tide Collective as part of their Co-Create exhibition. We have entitled our collection of work Being Outside | Outside Being, to celebrate the joy that the great outdoors brings us as artists and humans.

The exhibition runs for a week, starting Saturday 29th March, 2025. (Details below!)

It would be fantastic to see you if you’d like to attend the private view on 29th March, 2pm-4pm.

I will be exhibiting a collection of oil paintings inspired by the local area and the sea.

At a glance

Where: The Plough Arts Centre, 9-11 Fore St, Great Torrington, Torrington EX38 8HQ

When: 10am-4pm Saturday 29th March, Wednesday 2nd April, Thursday 3rd April, Friday 4th April, Saturday 5th April

Private view (you’re invited!): 29th March, 2pm-4pm

What: Being Outside | Outside Being – joint exhibition by the Rising Tide Collective: Josephine Grant, Emma Johnson, Rachel Stanton, Amy Jobes and myself.

Thank you so much for your support.

Visit the Plough’s Website

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Art

Appledore Book Festival

Artist in Residence 2023

I am absolutely delighted to let you know that I will be this year’s Artist in Residence at Appledore Book Festival, following in the footsteps of fabulous artist, Debs Last, who was the festival’s first ever Artist in Residence last year.

The festival takes place from 15 – 24 September, and I will be live painting at many of the author talks. This is a really exciting opportunity for me and I can’t wait to be part of the event!

I am looking forward to setting up my easel and painting the authors and other speakers as they talk, producing original sketches which will be available to buy immediately after the talk. Part of the money raised from these sales will go towards the Appledore Book Festival charity which supports the local community and helps run their Schools Week Programme.

I will also be painting live portraits of members of the audience after some of the events, and during the Family Fun day on 16th September.

As part of the festival, I will be running a couple of painting workshops, details of which are below.

Friday 15th September: Appledore Sketch Walk | 4pm-5.30pm | £18

Saturday 16th September: Live portrait painting at the Family Fun Day | 10.30am – 3pm

Friday 22nd September: Sip ‘n’ Paint (Book Festival version!) | 6pm – 8.15pm | £25

Tickets for all of these events and more are now available to book via the Appledore Book Festival website – please visit the link below.

Appledore Book Festival
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Art

Sip ‘n’ Paint Workshop

Johns of Instow | 15th June 2023 | 6pm – 8.15pm | £40pp

I’m very excited to have teamed up with Johns of Instow to launch the very first Sip ‘n’ Paint evening workshop in their lovely cafe/deli! Fuelled by a tasty gin and tonic (non-alcoholic alternatives available) and a selection of mouthwatering nibbles, we will be painting the beautiful view over to Appledore in watercolour.

I will be guiding you through the process step by step as you sip on your tipple, being careful not to dunk your brush in it! It will be a lovely, creative evening, and you’ll go home with a painting to be proud of.

Don’t be shy! This workshop is for everyone, whether you’ve never picked up a paintbrush or you already love to paint. I will teach you everything you need to know to produce a painting similar to this one.

All materials will be provided, just turn up to be inspired!

Please book on the Johns website by clicking the button below.

Book now
Categories
Art

Burton Christmas Exhibition

Clare Willcocks at the Burton Art Gallery Annual Christmas Open Exhibition

I was delighted to find out that my painting ‘Sea Glass’ was accepted into The Burton Gallery and Museum‘s Christmas Open Exhibition.

Sea Glass

The annual exhibition received an unprecedented number of submissions, so I’m very happy that mine was chosen to feature alongside work from other professional and amateur artists.

The standard of work in the exhibition is exceptional, so I recommend going to have a look around if you’re in the Bideford area before Christmas.

The exhibition runs until 24th December, all artworks are for sale.

Address: The Burton Art Gallery and Museum, Kingsley Road, Bideford, Devon, EX39 2QQ

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Art

Devon Open Studios

10th – 25th September | Tadworthy Tower, Northam, EX39 1JN

Myself and my lovely friend and fellow artist, Josie Grant, will be taking part in Devon Open Studios for the first time this year.

We will be exhibiting our work in Tadworthy Tower*, a beautiful, historic cottage in Northam, just a stone’s throw from the Northam Burrows Country Park and beach.

Josie’s moving and inspiring lino prints will sit alongside my original paintings, including my Wave Collection of oil paintings which will be making its debut at the event. Our curated collection of local scenes, ocean-inspired art, and emotive lino prints ensures there’s something for everyone.

We will also have broad selection of art prints, cards and postcards featuring our work – perfect if you’re looking for a gift, or a treat for yourself!

We’ll have the kettle on and cake at the ready, so do pop by to say hello and have a browse! We can’t wait to meet you!

Emerging Artist Bursary

I’m delighted to have been selected to receive an Emerging Artist Bursary Award from Devon Artist Network. This exciting award is designed to help five selected artists take the next steps in their career, and I’m looking forward to the opportunities it brings.

Advance Viewing

My Wave Collection will be released to my newsletter subscribers 48 hours in advance of the start of Devon Open Studios. Please sign up to my newsletter if you’d like exclusive access.

*Please note, the venue has slightly changed from that indicated in the brochure – we will no longer be exhibiting in the conservatory of Tadworthy House, but instead in Tadworthy Tower, right next door.

Categories
Art

Bucks Mills Artist Residency

Recently, I was fortunate enough to be Artist in Residence for a weekend at the National Trust’s Bucks Mills Cabin. It was a wonderfully creative and relaxing weekend spent sketching, painting and gathering inspiration.

I’m ashamed to say that I knew little to none about artists Judith Ackland and Mary Stella Edwards, former owners of the cabin, before my residency, but finding out all about them has been fascinating. There’s an informative film about the pair, part of the ‘Out and about: Queering the Museum’ project, which takes a deep dive into their lives and works – it’s worth a watch if you’re interested in finding out more.

During my time at Bucks Mills, I compiled a sketchbook of snapshots, views and people I felt inspired to paint. I completed the sketchbook at home, and filled it with an account of my experience.

Below you can see the sketches and paintings I made during my residency at the cabin, and read the words I wrote in my sketchbook.

“Bucks Mills Cabin is a tiny little stone built dwelling, tucked away on the steep slope down to the pebble beach. Once owned by respected artists Mary Stella Edwards and Judith Ackland, the cabin is now under the care of the National Trust, and used primarily for artist residencies, which is how I came to spend a weekend in this idyllic location.” 

“Twist the key in the old-style lock, push open the door, step over the threshold and you enter a tiny room, caught in time. A little round table sits in the window, a tiny cooker to one side, and next to that a small wood burning stove. Crooked shelves hold cups, teapots and all manner of receptacles, and a small pantry is bursting with pots, pans and kitchenware.”

“Upstairs – a little bed and a bureau with boxes of paints, paintbrushes and odds and ends such as cutlery and a jelly mould. Another wood burner would have once heated the room, and the window, like downstairs, looks out over the turquoise sea. On the horizon is Lundy, and along the coast the white houses of Clovelly tumbling down the cliffs to the harbour.”

“My weekend here was blissful, sketching, painting, taking reference photos and relaxing into my surroundings. On Sunday, I spent a joyous sunny morning painting in gouache down on the beach before heading back up to continue in the cool sanctuary of the cabin. I had numerous visitors, intrigued to discover what was inside, having ‘walked past many times, but never been in’. It was a privilege to be able to share the space with them. It’s not hard to see why Mary Stella and Judith, who were life partners, were determined to buy the cabin when it came up for auction, and why they spent months at a time living and creating here.”

“One man told me that his father and grandfather both used to come down to the beach as children. Their time here may have overlapped with Mary Stella and Judith. It got me thinking about the many people who have enjoyed Bucks Mills throughout history. There were certainly lots of people about the weekend I was there, stopping off while walking the coast path; holidaying at the nearby caravan park; or staying in the village. Some were local, some looking to move here, some even visiting from abroad. I sold a few prints during my residency, and I was delighted to hear that one was heading over to ‘granny’ in New Zealand, and another reminded its new owner of the ocean around her native Zanzibar. People watching was almost as interesting as chatting to the lovely visitors who popped their heads into the cabin. Down on the beach, families were swimming and sunbathing, couples were deep in conversation. I watched, listened and soaked it all in. I wonder how different the scene may have been 100 years ago. Besides fashion, for once, perhaps, it may not have been so very different at all.” 

“Back up the hill from the cabin, I spent some time sketching in the olde-worlde village with its thatched rooves, foliage arches and the stream which fills the air with the constant soothing sound of trickling water. The dappled shade from the trees was welcome on my way back to the car.”

“I left Bucks Mills with a sketchbook full of sketches, a finished painting and a sense of calm that only a weekend of painting in a beautiful place (and time off from parenting two small children!) can instill.”

“Bucks Mills Cabin is a special place, and I’m thankful to Mary Stella and Judith for buying it, enjoying it, and donating it for other artists and creatives to experience its magic.”

I will be exhibiting the above painting during Devon Open Studios from 10th – 25th September 2022, when it will be available for purchase. There will also be the opportunity to look through my original sketchbooks.