New Blossom Bowls

Blossom bowl still-life paintings are well underway.....

Teacup with blue fish and blossom

Teacup on black table

Xmas @ Johnny Rocket Gallery, Greenwich

If it's luxury jewellery you're looking for this Christmas, get along to Johnny Rocket's Gallery in Greenwich for the best in British Designer Jewellery, all in one cool space. Each designer hand-picked by Johnny and showcased in his French style salon.

selected jewellery by Claire Hart Design stocked at Johnny Rocket's

Flux Open Studios @ Vanguard Court

Call in to see the marvellous talent at Vanguard Court in Camberwell next weekend Friday 29th November - Sunday 1st December. You're in for a treat!

Still life: Chinese Bowls

I've enjoyed immersing myself in colour again, this time developing my still-life series of  Yunnan tea cups, bowls and blossom. All painted with Oil bars, some of them handmade from Sweden: Bivaxoljekwritor:) 

A way of slowing down and observing what I see in front of me. It becomes a meditation on the object itself, making associations with time spent in China and what I've seen out there. 

By using oil bars and a pallet knives, I can't work in great detail. It's an impression of what is there, capturing something about the object without reproducing it as I would in my drawings. 

I'm looking forward to developing this series over the next few months and making some of them available for sale online. 

Puer Teacup and Orange Blossom 2

Urban Retreat

Just what is needed in the centre of the city. A place that's peaceful and quiet, floating on the water, where all you can hear are ducks quacking and with a view of Canary Wharf towering in the distance......

Friends have purchased an amazing boat in the Caribbean, and now have it docked on the Thames. We spent Friday night just chilling in the cabin, drinking red wine and having a laugh. With an open invitation to return, I am so happy to have found an oasis in the centre of London. I'll certainly be back:)

View of Canary Wharf 

Desire Fair, Winchester

Call in to the fabulous Desire Fair this weekend and see the best jewellers and silversmiths in the UK. The set up for tonights private view is well underway.

It's my second year showing here and this time I'm delighted to be exhibiting with the amazingly talented silversmiths from House of Jewellers.  

Philip Rhys Matthews solo exhibition at GX Gallery

Locomotive

It was fantastic to be at the Private View of Photographer Philip Rhys Matthews, at GX Gallery in Camberwell last night. I was impressed to hear about the amount of painstaking work and research that goes in to each photoshoot, from the detailed embroidery he did himself for the Chinese costume, to the printing of images on to silk for the backdrops. I liked the size of the prints and the fact that each photograph is printed on rag pearl giving a warmth of tone.

Fiscal Cure

Fiscal Cure, Fiscal Cancer is an incredible first solo exhibition for this recently graduated young photographer, with his well researched reference to fine art while exploring current issues about East/West relations, in the context of stunning fashion photography. I wish him every success in his career and will be fascinated to see how his work progresses in the future.

Seeing the elaborate costume and accessories in the show reminded me of traditional Chinese Empress costumes. In December I will hear Jung Chang speaking at the V&A about her new book,  'Empress Dowager Cixi: The concubine who launched Modern China'. Having heard Jung Chang speak before, I'm really looking forward to this one.

Japanese Calligraphy

'Happiness' in my beginner style, with my name in Japanese on the left

We had a such a great time yesterday being given an introduction to Japanese calligraphy, taught by expert, Shoho: an excellent teacher, very patient and was very encouraging of our attempts! She gave us such interesting information about kanji and the Japanese culture.

It was wonderful to see an expert actually doing calligraphy, seeing how the writer moves, keeping the elbow up and held in a curve, staying in balance. How the calligraphy looks on paper is seen as a reflection of the calligrapher's mind..... we're not sure what our attempts said about us!

But we had fun, especially attempting to write our names in Kanji. And we loved the home made sushi too.

Love London

This weekend is the last chance to see Tutti Frutti, Rare Beauty, our October show on Columbia Road. We'd love to see you.  I'll be there with Vicky Forrester tomorrow on our very last day.

 What a great show it's been at the Number Ninety-Four Gallery. Thanks to Simon for hosting us so brilliantly. What a social hub it is! 

 Want to check out a few things on Columbia Road if there's time tomorrow; Beyond Fabrics  for haberdashery supplies and to call in next door to Number 94, where the legendary Angela Flanders, perfumer with cult following, has her original and exclusive perfumes. 

Next week, in between silversmithing and painting, I'll be taking a beginner's calligraphy workshop taught by Japanese Calligrapher, Shoho. And if I have time I'll be along to the V&A to see the Pearl Exhibition and Chinese Painting  - the once in a lifetime chance to see rare collections from around the world. 

So much to do!

Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition

I'm flying back for the Private View tomorrow evening at the Ulster Museum and can't wait to see the wide range of art, especially all the paintings, and to meet the artists. Some names are familiar to me from exhibitions years ago and from the BP Portrait Awards in London, and now I'll see these incredible artists all in one venue, back in Belfast. Fantastic!

.....and of course I'm really looking forward to seeing my very own Blossom Bowl on show at the RUA Exhibition!

The exhibition opens to the public on the 18th October.

Blossom Bowl 

Columbia Road sunflowers

 Thanks to lots of friends and family who called in to our show today at Number 94 Gallery on Columbia Road - and especially to Bridget and Chris for bringing us sunflowers which really brightened up a rainy day!

Art as therapy

Enjoying reading an extract 'On beauty' in http://www.elledecoration.co.uk/. It is taken from a favourite author Alain de Botton's new book 'Art as Therapy' which I'm sure to be ordering soon

. 

' we ... need beauty as an essential prop to our moods and sense of wellbeing......What we need most from beauty is hope: hope that, despite the evidence, life can be made serene, hopeful, kind and meaningful.'