Laura Hol

I just read that a successful artist I follow has been rejected from the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 14 times, so I feel a bit more vindicated now that it isn't just me. 

After the previous blog post, the photoshoot was a success, my camera just about survived and I have a new one arriving on Friday ready to take pictures of my two latest artworks. I posted another reel that was successful, and one which very much wasn't so I am still learning on that front. I have also updated a few link errors both on here and my website as I deleted my DeviantArt and Society6 profiles but forgot to remove them from anywhere. So busy, busy. 

Other than that, not much to report, another painting trial to complete for an art company I freelance for and a large limited edition print sold but that is it for the moment. I need to order some Cuba prints and some Golden Temple ones as they keep selling out. I also have some card packs to put on Etsy, it seems easy to drown in the to-do list! 

But whilst I tread water, here is one of my latest paintings. This time inspiration came in the form of a thunderstorm, partly because I spent two evenings watching thunderstorms in Croatia a couple of weeks ago, and then returned to the UK to another one. So it seemed like they were on my mind, that and I tend to paint dramatic weather when I am unsettled, grumpy, frustrated or fed up (or all three). So here is my emotion purge that I still need to name....

 I realise I made a mistake earlier as I wrote my to do list in red pen, and for some reason I can't seem to read it properly. I am better writing in another colour and crossing it off in red. Perhaps a school throwback. But anyway, that isn't what I am here to talk about. Although perhaps I need to take a moment and rewrite it...

There, rewritten so I feel a bit better, although now I wish it wasn't on lined paper; it is obviously an OCD day. 

So I missed an important blog post about putting my work up in The Beehive in Maidenhead earlier this month, a well known and posh pub in the White Waltham area of town. I was lucky as the slot was meant to be for three weeks, but I got given six instead. I am currently surprised I haven't sold a few of the pieces, but perhaps bad timing, perhaps that will happen later, and equally there is still some time left to go, so I will hold firm to my belief that something will be finding a new home. It was strange to get ready for the show, a bit intense, a lot of work, last minute prepping and last minute painting. I didn't realise that taking the paintings from my house would feel like removing my forcefield. I felt vulnerable and bare, even after putting up other work on my empty walls. The last few years have been strange, wars, climate disaster, covid, and I hadn't noticed that I had painted myself some protection. Colour is my shield, and without it I felt lost, momentarily at least, then I was quite happy to have 17 paintings elsewhere and some more room in my flat. 

I did pop into The Beehive with some friends for a drink the other weekend though and it was good to see my painted friends, happily adorning the pub walls and feeling like home, so perhaps I will also be happy to have them back.  

 After the first painting of the year inevitably comes the second. I am well on the way to sorting out my paintings for 'The Beehive' display on Monday. It seems like there is a lot to do and not much to do. I suppose it doesn't help that I want to paint another picture to go up if I can, so that will be tomorrow and Saturdays job I suspect. 

In the meantime, painting number two is up on the website, my prices have been amended (on a piece of paper at least), frames have been ordered and sticky dots made ready for the name tags for all my work. I just need to write an artist blurb now which I am not looking forward to, well that and stick the stickers on the paintings backs, write the authentication certificates and sign all the ones going up on display. All while having a horrible cold. 

Hooray.

Not.

But this is a good warm up, I had a big birthday last week and all my friends and family clubbed together to buy me a two week exhibition space and opening night at my local gallery - Norden Farm, so I can't wait to get that in the diary! Hopefully I can have some more paintings of Cuba to show at it, which is the subject of my latest piece of work, and I have to say, even I am impressed with how this one turned out!