It may be cold, grey and miserable outside, but my studio is toastie warm; a bijoux 8ft x 10ft with foil-backed lining and boarded out. A halogen heater glows smugly in the corner.

Cosy, hmm? Yes, and very necessary. I have an oil painting ready for a client which WILL NOT DRY!

It has lived a gentle existence in our airing cupboard for nearly one month, with no apparent effects so it is time for a more direct approach. If I had a sunbed, baby, that little bit of paper would have been soaking up some rays, as we speak.

I'm just hoping the pictures recipient will be understanding.

With an excuse akin to 'the dog ate my homework,' I'm not convinced.

I'm off to finish a triptych so I can clear away my oils and face up to another metre-square canvas.

love to all.

Back from Edinburgh exhibtion. I have deemed it a success, and thank everyone who came along to support us.

Back to commissioned work, a list of paintings I hope to finish before Christmas, and now have nothing, bar a little light dancing, to distract me till then. There is the village play, mind you; but the performance is a mere 3 days away, and I will be able stop fretting about knowing the words to 'Throw out the lifeline...'

Please come along, if you are able; performance begins 6pm at Belford Middle School and will keep you an hour, plus raffle time. There are songs, puns and dance, all for a minimal fee, besides, I have spent a week on my 'mad professor's laboratory', and I'd hate it if it went unappreciated.

I've made a bit of an error, put 'Mon 24th Nov' on an awful lot of invites, for this show, causing a deal of confusion.
Solution: 2 special openings, Monday & Tuesday!
Linda laughed, when I told her.
'Just as well,' I thought; since we'll be sharing the exhibition space for a whole week...

Exhibition in Edinburgh is imminent; visitors most welcome to the preview- please drop me a line and let me know.

I've not made many new paintings, have a lot from earlier in the year that haven't been viewed. I gather my collegue, Linda, is painting like a demon.

I'm having some of my canvases framed by a framer/paper conservationist in Wooler, Vincent Lomenech. He and his Wife, painter and print-maker, Olivia Lomenech-Gill are embarking on a print-making studio and framing workshop on the industrial estate. I think this is so exciting! A step towards a real cultural hub in North Northumberland. I wish them both well, hard-working people that they are.

Meanwhile, I am making my way slowly, but surely, through commissions. I want them all complete before Christmas so I can play, a little, in the new year. I haven't written anything much for ages, or taken forward painting projects. I find myself involved with alot of dancing; workshops, classes, demos and have not resisted the temptation to join in the annual village Christmas performance.

Meanwhile, the sun, it shines on the golden firs, or the mercury trunks glow through the mists and I try not to grind my teeth, greedy to capture the scene before it retreats for another year. I just want to do everything.

And manage a fair proportion of loafing while I'm on...

BTW intended to write about the Spanish Painters exhib in Edinburgh, then the National Gallery exhib, featuring the religious painting that inspired so much fevour and blissful contemplation in Medieval Europe...

...did anyone see them?

Busy
Then hols
Back in November xxx

I hit the wall, this week, realising I cannt be in two places at once (see earlier post) and succumbed to a 'wobble' this afternoon.
I am, only hours later, a woman transformed- I am sharing the Hexham exhibition so can flit to the art fair and do my share of standing, at the stand:
The Moot Hall exhibtion from 1pm on 28th Sept-October 4th is now a joint exhibition, featuring

Jewellery by Lucy Clayton

Textiles and paintings by Margaret Kenny

Paintings and Ltd Ed Prints by Sarah Riseborough

Normally we'll close at 5.30pm, but for Friday, when we'll open till 7pm and Sunday, we'll close at 4pm.
Lucy's website is in my links list, Margaret's work is on the 'Crossing Borders' website; flick through my online catalogue on Flickr, again in the links page.
Thank you, L & M
And, a 'Thank you' to Linda, who illuminated me in the terminology of the internet. My www.sarahriseborough.com now should point to this blog, rather than a 'broken link' message, as the website floats, inert, in cyberspace, for the moment.
Friends, matey, that's what counts. Cash is useful, friends are invaluable.
Soon,
Sarah

I've just got work into an exhibition at The Eastgate Theatre, Peebles. It begins on 20th Sept and ends 5th October. I'm submitting 3 abstract works. The Moot Hall exhibtion, in Hexham, begins on the 28th October. (running almost parallel with NewcastleGateshead Art Fair). Life is quite exciting, at the moment!

Oh, and, doing some preliminary sketches for commission work, as well as finishing work on the easel...