As Cambridge Open Studios was cancelled due to the pandemic, several artists got together and are taking part in #OpenWindows2020

Each July weekend I have had a gazebo in my front garden to show my work and I have loved talking to people about my work, my classes, the roadworks and life in general. We have hand sanitiser and social distancing and are guarded by a beautiful patchwork cow who causes quite a lot of consternation when some dogs start barking at it!

This Sunday is the event's final showing. We will be open from 12 - 4pm

#COSart2020

I have been invited to exhibit at the Summer Show with Byard Art. This is one of my paintings I have taken along and it's called 'Sleepy Panda'. I made the paintings for this show during the lockdown. It gave me a focus and because of all that time on my hands I made three very detailed paintings.

This painting started as a Tree of Life theme but suddenly the 'Ascent of Man' appeared in it and I added all kinds of animals. It was a wonderful painting to research as the sun shone so hot outside. I love the detail and I hope people never tire of looking at it and finding more and more.

When life gets a little more normal I shall make some limited edition prints.

Here is a link to my artist page on the Byard Art website:

https://byardart.co.uk/artists/maureen-mace/

My Friday class asked if they could carry on with their lessons when lockdown started. Seemed like a great idea so we chose to do the sessions via Zoom. We meet virtually at 10am and have a chat after sharing what we will draw beforehand on WhatsApp. It is really good to see them and to keep up the social contact. After about 20 minutes we leave Zoom and get on with our drawings. I find this a very intense time working on my own with a deadline looming for 12pm, although of course it doesn't matter if the drawings are finished then as they can be worked on after our second Zoom meeting of the day which starts at 12pm.

Before 12pm we show our work on Whatsapp even if we have not finished and then have our final meeting of the day. At that meeting we discuss the theme for the following week.

i post my students' work on https://www.facebook.com/cambridgeartclass/ and I post my work on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/maureenmaceart/ and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/maureen.mace.5

Themes for the drawings shown are; 'something red' and 'something beginning with S'.