A Year in the Life of a British Contemporary Artist

Reflections of a British Contemporary Artist

Wow what an amazing year 2015 has been! My work as a British contemporary artist seems to have inspired and touched many of you from all corners of the UK and beyond, and I feel evermore blessed for the feedback you leave about my paintings, cushions and prints. Thank you for making this year so wonderful and memorable, each and every one of you.

Open Studios

2015 has so many highlights, but I think the ones which stand out for me the most are the occasions where I get to meet the public and mingle with other creative souls. The September Open Studios in Totnes never fails to inspire and delight, and this year was no different.

Devon Open Studios is a free annual arts event where Devon artists all across the county open their doors in more than 140 locations. Art lovers armed with trail maps weave their way through late-summer hedgerows, along roads hugging the coastline, past chocolate-box villages and all around the lush green patchwork which makes up the bucolic Devon countryside. They are in search of both traditional and contemporary British artists who have thrown open their studio doors to welcome the public.

It is not only professional artists who throw open their studio doors – quite the contrary! Barns, church halls, roadside gazeboes, garages and garden sheds are all converted into exhibition spaces to display a smorgasbord of creativity and artistry, and I absolutely adore being part of this unique event. The intriguing range of venues is part of what makes Open Studios so wonderfully inspiring, and so alluring for both art lovers and artists alike. I relish the chance to welcome visitors to my studio and show them the breath-taking countryside which inspires my Devon flowerscapes, and I whole-heartedly look forward to next September’s Open Studios event and hope to perhaps meet some of you then!

A Celebration of Art and Literature in Cornwall

Another huge highlight for me in 2015 was the renowned annual celebration of literature and the arts, The Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall. This amazing event sees imagination reign supreme where guests are invited to waltz among the wild wood to be transported to another realm…The Port Eliot festival is a simply magical stage upon which to share art and meet other like-minded individuals who dedicate the whole weekend to immersing themselves in this fountain of music, art and creation. I love this festival as I love how the showy vibrancy artfully combines with the soul-cleansing nature of returning to the elements by working and living in a field for the whole weekend. A beguiling festival which I urge you all to experience at least once in your lifetime.

Happy New Year to All

And so all that remains is to wish each and every one of you the most magical and peaceful New Year in the warm company of your loved ones. I can’t wait to find out what the next 12 months have in store… Happy New Year to each and every one of you!

With much love,

Yvonne xx