I’m so excited to announce that my painting ‘Summer Breeze’ will be available at this years Square Foot Exhibition in Toronto Canada!
All paintings are 12 x 12” and I’m sure the show is going to be such a feast for the eyes!
If you are visiting I’d love for you to look out for my painting and send me a picture, I so wish I could go!
For more information about the event visit: http://www.awolgallery.com/square_foot/
xxx
This is what my studio looked like before I decided I needed a change!
and now it looks like….
Not too pretty atm lol!
I’ve started de-cluttering although you totally cannot tell by these photos but believe me I have sorted and given away lot’s of craft supplies I just don’t use anymore which was good.
I’ve boxed up all my paintings and other bits n bobs I’m keeping. Now it’s phase two of de-clutter…
I need to find two smaller tables at the charity shop to make over and Hubby is making me a little drawer unit from an old teak sideboard.
I’ve been happily pinning away, finding ideas for what I like and you can follow me here.
Still struggling on the colour, I can see it in my mind but do you think I can match it to any Dulux or Crown paint hmm no! It wouldn’t be so hard if the colour charts were the actual colour of the paint but they aren’t and when you look online they aren’t the same either. How are you supposed to choose!!!
Anyway, this room doesn’t need much work thankfully as it was the first room we did when we moved in 4 years ago (of course 
).
So this weekend we will be working on the ceiling and woodwork, then in a couple of weeks time I will be getting the paint for the walls. Hopefully by then I will have decided!
I’ll post update pics next week 
In the meantime I have finished my first cardigan woohoo! So excited..
Still working on two others, it’s been so much fun I can’t wait to wear the other two when they are done.
I’m also still working on some new characters to show you soon, so watch this space.
xxx
Can you believe Christmas is fast approaching us? Well I know you like to be organised and get your Christmas goodies ahead of time so I’m introducing to you my Christmas card packs for this year, featuring your favourite characters from my paintings.
Choose from 4 or 8 card packs featuring the cuties…
4 Different designs for you and yours to enjoy…
Get yours here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageNiki?section_id=10338862
xxx
When my customer contacted me about my paintings and said how wonderful my art looked in her kitchen I couldn’t wait to see the pictures.
Well, I just about jumped up and down when I saw them, how stunning is her kitchen and check out my paintings. They look so at home in her kitchen and it’s just wonderful to see them in a country style decor environment.
So good to see where my art in hanging up in people’s homes, what a joy!!
If you have pictures of my art in your home I’d love to see them, please drop me an email.
xxx
I was sitting sketching in the garden yesterday, look what I saw!! Not one but two Red Admiral butterflies enjoying sitting on my new top on the washing line. I worried at first they might be eating it lol but on closer inspection they were just enjoying sitting there together…how sweet!
How beautiful they are! They stayed there for ages, at least 30mins, I also had lot’s of Cabbage Whites fluttering around the garden and then would you believe it another Red Admiral came and sat on my other washing but as soon as I went to take a pic it flew off. Seemed quite a hyper butterfly to me by the way it was flying around lol.
In other news, my Etsy followers will be pleased to know I’ve decided to re-open my shop. It’ll be running alongside my website and other sites.
I’ve just listed my latest painting ‘Sun Rise’ over there, hope you enjoy.
Blessings
xxx
I love daily painting but I always seem to allow the negative voice in my head that tells me it’s too hard or I can’t do it… because I don’t have anything to paint on, I don’t know what to paint blah blah blah. I hate giving into that voice, it always leaves me feeling rubbish and that is not how I want to live my life.
‘The Journal Project’ has been such an amazing transformation for my drawing. As I said in a previous post that I’ve always wanted to be one of those people who fill up loads of sketch books with their drawings and have that special time each day doing the thing they love - drawing! Ever since I started this a few months ago now it has transformed my drawing time. I am really enjoying it and am drawing so much more than I was. I’m achieving my drawing dream!
Wouldn’t it be great if I could have the same success with painting! This morning in my quiet time I had a God moment, He gave me the idea to create a similar project for painting and in that moment ‘The Painters Project’ was birthed!
The thing that makes ‘The Journal Project’ so successful for me and I’m sure for the others who take part, is the fact you hardly need anything to get started and you can draw anywhere! That works so well for me. I don’t want any excuses holding me back.
So I thought ‘I need a portable painting box!’ I dug out one of my old art boxes I used for college many years ago and started to fill it with my essentials. Of course if you are a Plein Air painter you probably already have one of these and I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before. You know me, I love the outdoors and so now I have no excuse not to paint a lot more!! and outdoors when I like too!!!
So if you are like me and want to paint far more often and maybe you want to be a daily painter but just needed a kick in the pants to get going and committed then here for you I present ‘The Painters Project’ a community of people sharing the same goal and a way to make it easy to indulge in what you love – painting.
I can’t wait to get started and also to see your paintings, I hope this new group will really bless you and help you in your journey as a painter whether pro or hobbyist. 
Come and join us!
xxx
After many years learning mixed media techniques, learning how to use different products and developing my own painting style I created Mixed Media Basics. An online class containing everything I’ve learnt in a concise and easy to understand way.
I wanted to create a class that not only showed you how to paint, but explained all about the different materials and what they can do then go even deeper and discuss how creating art is affected by our emotions and self esteem and what to do about it!
I know a lot of you struggle with confidence and really want to paint but you are scared, scared to make mistakes, scared to try in case you fail.
This class is a safe place to learn, experiment and gain confidence in this fun medium. You can do so much with the knowledge you will learn and you can go on to create wonderful mixed media paintings with your own style.
Come and join me for a self guided class, where you can download the videos to your own computer and complete them at any time. I’m here to answer your questions and cheer you on!
Come on, come and join me today: http://www.thevintageartist.com/blog/blog/blog/blog/blog/mixedmediabasicsonlineclass.htm
xxx
Do you ever feel like hiding? Perhaps you keep your ideas to yourself for fear of being laughed at? Or perhaps you don’t let yourself go fully when you are around certain people because you fear you might be judged?
For many years I’ve hidden my true self, only allowing people to see the parts of me that I was ok about sharing. I’ve always been pretty shy and preferred to keep my thoughts and ideas to myself when around others. I even held back with my art for fear of not being ‘good enough’.
Well, on Tuesday I had an amazing experience with God that has released me from a lot of negative thoughts, bad self image and depression that had been looming over me for several years and just recently had become a lot worse. I allowed God to work in me and completely surrendered to Him knowing I could no longer ‘fix’ this myself.
Since then I feel ‘me’ again, I am free of those negative thoughts and feelings about myself, the past doesn’t hurt me anymore and I feel light and free to be me. I can’t tell you how good this feels. I painted ‘Stop Hiding’ last week before my miracle happened and now I believe it is the perfect message that when you step out in faith you will be rewarded.
Trust and be yourself, the world needs you to!
xxx
Thanks for your thoughts on routines, if you haven’t read my post from yesterday check it out and let me know your views, I’d love to hear them.
When I started out with these new online classes my intention has always been to share them in a way that will truly benefit your growth as an artist and help you to learn as much as I can possibly share to get you on your way.
Now that Mixed Media Basics is drawing to the end I am now ready to release my next class – Style & Inspiration.
In Mixed Media Basics we learnt literally all the basics with some teaching on painting too. I am so passionate about encouraging you to nurture your own abilities for drawing and painting and so Style & Inspiration is all about doing just that.
I want you to find out what makes you squeal in delight, what makes you want to run to your studio and sketch out that idea and start laying down paint. What makes you so excited you just have to do something about it.
When you are hurting and need comfort, what you respond to most in terms of creation.
And, finally teaching you how to see like an artist!
In this fun class we are going to take ourselves on a journey of discovery. We will be delving into the depths of our hearts and seeing the world (Well, ok Suffolk lol) we will be loving and kind to ourselves and really nurture what’s inside just waiting to come out into our own expressions.
Will you join me on this exciting adventure?
Class starts 16th August and pre-booking is now open. Mixed Media Basics students are eligible for $5 off the class price, just email me.
I really hope you join me, this is going to be life changing!
xxx
My dear friend Sherry recently sent me some old bingo cards. At first I didn’t know what I would make with them..but then..BINGO ;) I thought ‘let’s try painting on them’. So I sanded the front gently and then got to painting and look what came about!
‘Love Thy Neighbour’, isn’t it cute!! I am so pleased with this little treasure.
The bingo cards are really sturdy so you can display them just as they are on a mantel or shelf, or you can frame them.
This little one and others to come are now available on ebay.
xxx
The last couple of days it’s really felt like Spring! Beautiful clear blue sky’s and sunshine, it makes me so happy.
Hubby got back from work early today so we could go walking in the park and enjoy the sunshine. :D Ellie loves to pose for the camera lol.
All this sunshine is so inspiring, I’m sure there will be lot’s more ‘Blue Sky’ paintings to come. The one above is my latest called ‘Wild Flowers’ isn’t it pretty.
I adore flowers, remember me posting about these sweet peas I grew last year? Well I’m going to grow more this year, I just got a new packet of seeds yay :D I went for a different variety this year called ‘Big Tops’ funny name but they are meant to have a lot more colours in them so I’ll be soaking them tonight and sow tomorrow. I always find the growing process so exciting, seeing them come to life and bloom.
Do you grow anything for your garden? I’d love to hear all about it, leave me a comment.
‘Wild Flowers’ is now available on ebay.
xxx
Love is in the air! I am really enjoying this ‘Blue Sky’ series of paintings. This one looks way better in real life than I could capture in the photo. It’s so cheerful and pretty.
Hope you are having a wonderful day and if you need a little lift, I hope this painting brings you a smile :)
‘Love Song’ now available on ebay.
Blessings,
xxx
2009 has been an amazing year, so much has happened mostly really great things!
I wish you all much joy for 2010 and I can’t wait to share more new paintings and creative adventures with you all.
Here is my New Year’s Eve offering ‘Stars Cupcake’ now available on ebay.
Happy New Year!
xxx
