Dear Blog – sorry to have neglected you over the last couple of months but I am back now with my news so far:

I have just committed to taking studio space in Witney with a friend which feels like a big step forwards.  It will mean that I leave the house and go ‘to work’ and I am therefore less likely to get the interruptions that constantly occur when one is working from home.  These are not always of other people’s making you understand; I am as much to blame.  If I have something a little tricky to attempt – or even just a very blank sheet of paper that I have to spoil before I can start, then I am very likely to invent jobs such as ‘I will just clear up the kitchen first…’ is this a peculiarly female thing, I wonder?  I am hoping to attach a very exciting photo of me painting my new lovely white walls, but it may not happen because it is a little while since I have attended to my blog and there has been an update in the meantime which means I have to work out how to do it all again…technology, sigh!

HelenPakeman ‘Painting my studio space’

I have been working lately mostly in pastels, and have done a few small landscapes just to get a feel for the new medium.  Working small in pastel is quite hard as they are relatively clumsy sticks of chalk so I thought it might be an accelerated way to learn how to  control them.  I now feel ready to attempt some larger pieces.  We had a lovely week in Cornwall in September and I have been sketching and photographing seascapes with a view to making some big A1 size pieces of work.  If they are successful I will put them in to the Gallery for the world to see, if not…the other exciting news is that I have signed up for a Print course at Rabley near Marlborough – check it out: www.rableydrawingcentre.com so will post progress as it happens.  The person who runs it is Meryl Ainslie and she taught me life drawing when I was doing my degree.  I can honestly say I learnt more from her than from any other tutor; it wasnt always comfortable, but invaluable!

Think that is all for now.  It feels good to be back!