I am really excited to have been invited to paint live at the gorgeous Byard Art Gallery, opposite King's College in Cambridge!

The event is part of the Cambridge Art Trail with 5 galleries taking part within a small area in the heart of the city. All 5 galleries will be open with most serving wine and nibbles and some have put on a special event.

I shall be working on 2 of my small paintings in the 'Books in Trees' series. I am also taking along some mini canvases already painting with a dark blue sky and an outline of a tree in red ready for any visitors to add some copper leaf to make their own painting.

It will be a fun evening and I am sure the gallery will be busy as it looks gorgeous with paintings, prints and all sorts of ceramics, jewellery and small gifts.

I am really looking forward to talking about my work and demonstrating my techniques. I work in oil and use some VERY small brushes! The gallery staff are going to be queuing up to try their hand at gilding too!

Byard Art, 14 King’s Parade, CB2 1SJ 01223 464646

info@byardart.co.uk

I am really delighted to have been asked to do a demonstration at Byard Art as part of their Winter Exhibition. Really looking forward to this event where I shall be painting live and anyone who wants to can 'have a go' at using gold leaf on a small canvas to take home!

I shall be in the gallery from 5 to 7.30pm on Thursday 7th December.

Hope to see you there. Advert above in the free mag, VENUE, page 10.

Contact information +44 (0) 1223 464646 info@byardart.co.uk

Byard Art, 14 King’s Parade, Cambridge, CB2 1SJ

It is a long time since I have taken part in an Arts & Craft Fair but I am really looking forward to joining other artists and crafters at the beautiful Pitt Building (Cambridge University Press) opposite Fitzbillies on Trumpington Street.

Showing here are some of the greeting cards including those especially for Christmas. I shall also have lots of prints, both mounted and framed plus a few small paintings. I love meeting art lovers and I have no doubt there will be (quiet) Christmas music and a brilliant atmosphere

I look forward to seeing you there.

In the summer, artist Naomi Tomkys sketched me sketching in the Fitzwilliam Museum.

Naomi had been invited to exhibit at the Granary in Stapleford and had just started her series of painting people looking at paintings in one of the galleries. I was delighted to have been asked. Naomi is a fantastic painter who loves painting people and to be honest, I was really chuffed to be asked.

I hadn't seen the painting until I visited the exhibition and I was absolutely delighted to see it, Naomi really captured me sketching this beautiful painting perched on my camping stool, she had even brought along one of her colourful bags as an 'extra'. If you get a chance to see her work, please get in touch with her. The exhibition at the Granary has now finished but I am sure there will be other chances to see her work soon.

I was voted to be a member of Cambridge Drawing Society around 8 years ago. The society is believed to be one of the oldest of its kind, being founded in 1882 and is going from strength to strength. They have two shows a year, one during the Spring half term at the beautiful Pitt Building and one at the Leys School in the Autumn half term.

In October 2023, artists could enter up to three works plus cards and unframed prints or artworks.

Of the three I entered 2 were sold on the first day and I am really delighted. Will my painting, 'Birch Wood' first image above, based on the silver birches at Anglesey Abbey, be sold too?

#CambridgeDrawingSociety

#CambridgeArtist

#CambridgeArt

#AngleseyAbbey

Many people know I take part in drawing challenges during the year, a 'January Challenge' and some years I do the 'Inktober' Challenge.

I do find the Inktober Challenge, which happens every October, difficult! The prompts are more aimed at a sci fi audience than someone like me who wants to draw what I see around me. it means I have to stretch my imagination, see drawings illustrated.

But I do like to challenge my drawing skills and I do add colour. Follow the Hashtags #Inktober and #Intober2023 to see the huge variety of responses or follow me on:

https://www.facebook.com/maureenmaceart

https://www.instagram.com/maureenmaceart

Ever wanted to have a go at gilding but not sure how to start?

I shall be taking some mini canvases painted blue with an outline of a tree to Birmingham for Open Studios on 23 & 24 September at 13 Greenfield Crescent, Edgbaston B15 3AU. You can add the copper or silver leaf.

Here is a selection of canvases ready to add the leaf and one already finished complete with additions in oil paint.

And you get to take your gilded canvas home afterwards!

You can also see my paintings and how I use copper leaf in my oil paintings

Birmingham Open Studios

Lux Gallery & Photography Studio

Delighted to be returning to Birmingham as part of Birmingham Open Studios. This time is always very special for me as I join my son at the lovely Lux Gallery in Greenfield Crescent in Edgbaston. Greenfield Crescent is one of those streets in Birmingham where the beautiful houses have been lovingly preserved and let to small independent businesses. Do come and explore.

Owen de Visser, my son. is a photographer and has won many awards; he also gives classes on how to make the most of your camera. He started Birmingham Open Studios as his contribution to the art scene in Birmingham.

I shall be the the gallery on 23 & 24 September with Owen and jeweller Glenn Campbell. Owen and Glenn will also be there on September 30 and October 1. Please come and support local artists and pick up a guide showing every one of the 169 artists taking part this year.

#BirminghamOpenStudios

Open September 23/24 and September 30/October 1

#Birmingham #art #MeettheArtist #ArtforSale

Did you know I teach at home? I have classes on a Wednesday and Thursday mornings for up to 4 people to learn and experiment together, more about that in another blog.

I also do one off classes that are for up to 3 people to make a painting and they are often used as a birthday present or a fun session. The classes are for 2 hours; during the first session we experiment with all sorts of different techniques such as using cling film, painting with a palette knife and splattering, then the second half is making a painting using those techniques from pictures that I provide.

I am always impressed by the enthusiasm of the students and the diversity of the work made.

The pictures show a young lady and her mother-in-law who were given the class as a treat. I just love the way they tackled their paintings and they were delighted at the way they had turned out. Every painting is completely individual and unique.

I have people who have never painted since school and those who just want to try something different. I do love seeing the results.

I am so delighted that the lovely Byard Art Gallery on King's Parade in Cambridge, sold 3 of my paintings in their Summer Show which finishes on 3 September. One sold BEFORE the exhibition started with two of them going to America.

I love this gallery and regularly pop in to see their ever changing displays and must admit to getting pretty excited when one is displayed in the window of one of the most famous streets in England.

During Cambridge Open Studios this year I showed my work at St Andrew's Hall in Chesterton weekends 1 & 2 and for the last weekend I was back at home surrounded by the roadworks.

Thank you so much to everyone who visited and for all the lovely chats and for buying some of my artwork.

The highlight was making your own mini painting with copper or silver leaf during the last weekend at home. I actually lost count how many people made one but it must have been over 25. Well done everyone, they looked amazing.

Having a bit of a rest for a couple of days before I get ready to join my son at Birmingham Open Studios at the end of September. After that I shall be taking part in the Cambridge Drawing Society Exhibition in October, exhibiting at the Christmas Fair at the Pitt Building 25/26 November before the Byard Art Winter Exhibition in November.

....and on Wednesdays and Thursdays I shall be teaching art to small groups at home.

After two weekends at St Andrew's Church in Chesterton, for the final weekend I am back in my own home studio. Much as I like sharing with other people, I cannot show how I work in a church hall although the final pieces look good there.

What I love best about Open Studios is the 'Meet the Artist' aspect where anyone can ask about what I do and how I do it and I can show them my tools and workplace. It is the essence of an Open Studio.

So this year I have a painting I can get on with when there are no visitors - yes it does happen! And I also have a table set up for anyone that visits to have a go with silver and copper leaf. Everyone seems to love doing that and people begin to understand how my paintings evolve.

If you are unable to visit my Open Studio, please contact me and we can arrange a visit at another time.

I always look forward to Cambridge Open Studios, it is a time when I show my work and also visit the studios of other artists. There is some fantastic and diverse art in Cambridge made by professionals and enthusiasts including painting, printmaking and even hat design! If you have a weekend free do pop along either to visit and encourage your local artists or choose one or ten across the whole of Cambridgeshire.

When I first started showing my work in 2007, there were people that visited ALL 141 of the venues. I don't know if anyone will do that this year now there are now 244 venues all over the county.

This July I am in two venues, St Andrew's Church in Chesterton on W/E 1 & 2, and at my home studio at 309 Milton Road on the 22 & 23 July, Cambridge CB4 1XQ. There are roadworks outside my house but you can park a bike on my drive or leave a car on Kendal Way opposite my house.

If you are able to visit me at home, I shall show how I make my paintings and everyone can make a mini painting with copper or silver leaf.

Byard Art, Cambridge are celebrating 25 years with a really big Summer Show and they asked me to put in six paintings. I am absolutely delighted.

Two of the paintings are shown above. The first is a lovely detailed painting of a tree in summer titled 'Birdwatch'. Look carefully and you will see twelve different birds in or around the tree. I really enjoyed painting this and wondering where it was going to take me when I started as I had no idea there would be British birds in it but I LOVED doing all the patterns.

My second painting also just evolved! I had already designed and painted the three trees entwined but it was only after Byard asked me for six works

that it evolved. At the time I was exhibiting in a group show at the Leper Chapel. I adore that building, the oldest in Cambridge, so it had to go in and I had been dreaming of unicorns after visiting the National Gallery so....

The most difficult part was the title. From the long list which included 'Going to Stourbridge Fair', 'Medieval Stourbridge', 'Candlelight Unicorn', 'An Unexpected Visitor' I settled on 'The Hound, the Hare and the Unicorn' in respect of my love of Medieval Manuscripts.

The exhibition is at Byard Art, opposite King's College from 1 July to 3 September 2023.

I am delighted to be taking part in Cambridge Open Studios again this year.

On July 2 & 3 and 8 & 9 I shall be at St Andrew's Hall, St Andres's Road, Cambridge CB4 1DH sharing with Melanie Max.

On July 22 & 23 I shall be back in my studio at 309 Milton Road, CB4 1XQ, opposite Kendal Way. There may be roadworks outside my house but I am open and will be delighted to see visitors.

Plus: there is a table set up so you can learn how to apply gold leaf and silver leaf and take your own mini artwork home with you.

Cambridge Open Studios is the highlight of the year for art lovers. This year there are 244 studios open all over Cambridgeshire with the majority being in the city of Cambridge. Many of the studios have 2 or more artists, and some areas make their own trail guides. I shall be sharing a trail with other artists in North Cambridge. My studio number is 96.

It is a bit of an odd year as I live on Milton Road in North Cambridge and it is undergoing major roadworks for around 3 years. As I have to apply to be in the guide by December, I have no idea if the roadworks will block my house come July.

So this year I will be in 2 places! Week 1 & 2 I shall be at St Andrew's Hall, St Andrew's Road, Chesterton CB4 1DH with Melanie Max and the final weekend 22/23 July I shall be in my home studio at 309 Milton Road CB4 1XQ.

In my studio you can try your hand at making a gilded canvas to take home and I shall be painting a new artwork in oil so you will be able to see the process.

I look forward to meeting art lovers from all over and to talk about my work, our lovely garden and the congestion charge!

Every July I take part in Cambridge Open Studios. Over the years I have met hundreds of people, many returning time and time again. We talk about my paintings and I sell some and I often get regular orders for greeting cards and sometimes a commission. I also talk about my art classes; a course of 10 sessions in my studio led by the interests of the group and occasionally I get asked to do something very special.

Theresa has regularly visited and bought cards and wanted to make a set of planets for her nephew and booked 2 sessions with me. She had ordered polystyrene balls in appropriate sizes and the first session was covering these in mod roc (plaster on a gauze which when wet is very pliable and can be moulded into any shape) with her mum. Here the white planets are sitting in my studio drying and afterwards packed up in a box for the next session when the planets will be painted. Such a lovely project - each even has its own hanger to decorate a room!

I am so excited to have a painting of the Leper Chapel - actually at the Leper Chapel. Opening night 12 May 5.30 -9.30. 13 & 14 May 10am - 5pm.

My painting is based on some of the medieval drawings found in manuscripts around the same time the chapel was built in c1135. I have always loved the old drawings made in these times especially in the Bestiaries. These were boos that have been described as 'a moralized Natural History illustrated with curious pictures'. There are indeed curious pictures and must have meant so much to god fearing people who learned the tales of of ancient, mystical creatures who tried to keep to the straight and narrow!

I have sketchbooks full of these magical creatures where griffins clutch pigs and lions bite monkeys, certainly scary stuff for those with a vivid imagination. I have chosen some of the 'nicer' depictions including a unicorn and a rabbit carrying a parrot, riding a dog.

My photographer son, Owen de Visser, has made a new photo of me!

It was such fun being in his studio and he really made me feel comfortable.

He lives in Birmingham and you can find him at Lux Gallery, https://luxgallery.co.uk/

I was really delighted when I received an invitation to take part in the 'Lost in Reverie' exhibition at the amazing Leper Chapel in Cambridge.

The Leper Chapel is run by 'Cambridge Past, Present & Future' and is rarely open but it is a magical place built c1125 and one of the oldest buildings in Cambridge. It is tiny with no electricity, heating or toilets (toilets will be hired for this event!). It comprises two buildings made into one.

Inside it is painted white over cobbled walls with a simple wooden alter and a few wooden chairs. It is a simple, magical place. I have been there several times to draw as I am attracted to the space. I have also seen 'Macbeth' played there by two actors, a box, a doll and a carpet which has stuck in my mind ever since. Another time I listened to ghost stories there read by candlelight whilst the audience were wrapped up in coats.

If you have never been to the chapel or want to visit again, please come along to the opening evening on Friday 12 May from 5.30 - 9pm or Saturday 13 or Sunday 14 May between 10am and 5pm.

There are 14 artists showing but as the venue is so small I will not be there the whole time. Please get in touch if you would like to meet me there.

Tomorrow, 12 April, I shall be giving a talk to the Cambridge Drawing Society at St John's Church on Hills Road. I was due to do this in 2019 but covid intervened. I did do a very different talk online about how I sketched every day during part 2 and 3 of the pandemic and made the drawings into 2 books. During the initial covid outbreak I did classes on zoom, managed the garden, went for walks and painted, which I very much enjoyed as I was not ill!

The event in the church tomorrow is supposed to be a demo, but I paint very slowly with so much detail I thought it would be far too boring. Instead, I am giving a talk about why I paint like I do, where my influences lie and a quick demo for everyone to join in on adding gold leaf.

It is a bit daunting! I don't know how many people will be there but I know they are all practising artists. There will be slides to accompany my talk. Writing this the day before the event, I realise I really don't know what I am going to say for 2 blocks of 45 minutes. Please wish me luck!

I always love going Urban Sketching and doing it with a group is much more fun. On the Saturday during the Easter weekend I joined the group at 11am at Quayside, Cambridge before exploring the area to find something to draw.

The Baron of Beef has such a lovely frontage and it is opposite a wall where I could sit. Bridge Street was really bustling with Easter weekend visitors, bikes, buses that stopped blocking my view and 4 ambulances attending some kind of incident. But nothing stops the attention of an ardent Urban Sketcher.

Just as I finished my drawing, the staff came out and set up tables on the street and the focus was entirely different. I am now contemplating returning and drawing the same pub with people drinking at tables outside.

After the throwdown, when a photo is taken of the people and sketches, a large number of us walked to the local pub, The Castle, to swap stories and talk sketching. A very enjoyable few hours.

Springtime means a great art show at the Pitt Building by the members of Cambridge Drawing Society. This year there are 112 members plus 44 new candidates seeking to join them.

I am chuffed to have all 4 of my entries selected again. They are part of a series of small trees on canvas with coloured silver leaf. The photos show them framed. The actual paintings are 15 x 15cm and when framed measure 27cms.

The majority of the members help out with the exhibition by offering to unwrap the paintings, hang them, invigilate during the exhibition etc. This year I will help with portering, invigilating during the private view and counting up the left over greeting cards. I love helping out as it means I get to know the other artists.

If you are in Cambridge, do pop in and see the amazing work of selected artists living in a 20 mile radius of Cambridge - the standard is very high!

Note: When sending the photos for selection this year, we had to include a teaspoon to give an idea of size. I have used these photos so you have an idea of size.

Have you ever wanted to 'have a go' at painting and drawing and don't know how to start? I run classes to introduce you to all kinds of media and lots of different techniques to help you on your way.

The 10-week course includes a selection of the following: drawing in various media, painting with acrylics and watercolour, collage, and relief printing alongside some art appreciation. The classes are suitable for beginners wanting to try something new as well as those with more experience. These are relaxed classes led by me, a qualified art teacher.

The classes are small and fun with a maximum of four people which means lots of personal attention. They follow the group's own particular interest so each group is individual. They take place in my home studio at 309 Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 1XQ. You are very welcome to visit and I can tell you more about the classes.

There are two classes:

Wednesdays 10am to 12.30pm - starting 19 April for 10 weeks

Thursdays 10am to 12.30pm - starting 20 April for 10 weeks

All materials are provided so everyone is using the same brand and colours and we can chop and change focus according to what the students are interested in.

Cost of the 10 sessions is £250, including all the materials.

To see more of the work my students do please see;

www.cambridgeartclasses.co.uk

www.facebook.com/cambridgeartclass

Lots of exhibitions coming up and I am very busy with several half finished paintings including this one.

Just about to work some magic into the books giving them some more details and I will probably have a few falling out of the shelves as they really are not very tidy!

After that I will cover the ground in flowers, add a moon and stars... and it should be complete. Maybe finished in a week or two.

My studio has 4 new, but nowhere near finished, oil paintings waiting to dry.

Because I paint in oil and because I paint in layers, sometimes painting is a waiting game. On the go at the moment is a wonderful commission which I am really enjoying, two matching paintings which are tall and thin and could end up as a pair and another tree.... that is waiting to be filled with with something. Will it be books or another Cambridge painting? Not sure yet but I am open to ideas.

One of my problems is that I am full of ideas - but I don't write them down. I know... I also change track a lot so a painting may start with a definite focus and end up as something else.

I think this is because I never make a detailed drawing before I start unless it is a commission.

Cambridge Drawing Society exhibition coming up soon and then Cambridge Open Studios so plenty to work towards.

Creative champions, '64 Million Artists' have set a daily challenge alongside varying communities to help people to become a little bit more creative and to show their work in a safe setting. Groups working with the deaf, blind, elderly, those from different cultures and those who need help after illness or rehabilitation are all involved in setting the daily tasks.

I often do a daily set of challenges during January, it helps me get back into creative thinking but I think this one is the most thought provoking and challenging I have ever done. Many of the challenges are aimed for those who are deaf or blind or who are unable to sketch. It has made me really think 'out of the box' and I have loved doing them.

I have included 2 of my drawings here but you can see all of them on my Instagram page http://www.instagram.com/maureenmaceart

I am taking part in a January Challenge to make a sketch a day. Today I have joined a new group called 64 Million Artists (though I don't think they actually have that many taking part).

The instructions are very different from previous challenges so I am intrigued. This is the first challenge that came in my email today:-

"The January Challenge 2023 is here! This year, all of the challenges have been designed by different individuals and community groups across the UK. There is a really varied mix of challenges coming up - and we can't wait to see where this month takes us. To get us started, today's challenge is from David Tovey, a member of the Associates Leadership Programme at Arts & Homelessness International. The Associates Programme is the first cultural leadership programme in history for creatives who are or have been homeless."

Theme today is 'A little bit of me' which evolves around an object, in my case this candle. Many of my art students have drawn this when they visit for classes.

#TheJanuaryChallenge #64Millionatists