Things are now ready to start the PAN project, people,art,nature. Connecting people with nature through art.
The studio has just been refurbished by the National Trust ready to start using it and invite artists and photographers to exhibit , work and talk to the 250000 visitors a year.
It’s always a risk when you care for a child with special needs to plan anything but I did manage to have a one day exhibition with fellow artist and friend Rob Braybrooke at Stithians show in Cornwall and the weather was great.
But also manged to get a few paintings to the national wildlife exhibition and selected for the British wildlife in art awards with my dartboard painting of Fallow deer at Yarner woods
http://www.artbygriff.com/acryli_bird_paintings.html
This site first field guide I have ever painted and came about by being approach by Robert Gallardo a guide and bird expert living in Honduras in central America. He need help to finish off his self funded guide as things had started to slow down. Although I have travelled in central American Honduras was a country I wanted to visit but time never allowed so research was imperative. My first task was Flycatchers 4 pages of them.
The deadlines are very tight and sods law my son Thomas was taken in to hospital and 2 weeks later rushed in to theatre for emergency bowel surgery. Things we’re critical and still in recovery. I set up a portable studio and used my hospital bed room to paint, not for the first time. This must be a first that a field guide has been created on a hospital.
One more to go then on to Woodcreepers
It’s been a good couple of weeks after the Scillies trip. Thomas has been relatively pain free so the catheter seems to have work, the bladder must be causing much of his discomfort. Only one stay in hospital for a bleed but nothing too serious. Even managed a trip out in his new buggy.
So a few days in the studio and finally finished some paintings that have been on hold plus new ones and jobs done.
5 sales this week even better.
Even had a dragonfly visit but it got tangled in cobwebs but managed to clean it up with my best sable brushes and off it went down church strèet
A little bit late but I have been working to get ready for an exhibition and taking time to keep an eye on Thomas.
Fathers day on the Scillies.
The highlight of the day was snorkelling with seals of the Eastern isles with Alice, lots of wet suite protection for the colder deeper waters. Great encounter and plenty of material for some future underwater painting. Alice was a star not at all frightened by the seals or her first time in open water and we spent a couple of hours with the animals.
Snorkelling off st Martins was a not as good as the outgoing tide had made visibility poor but wonderful beaches and landscape. A pint in the newly opened pub and walk along the beach to pick up the boat then on the st Agnes for a meal in the Turks head. Great day and one neither of us will forget
Monday morning and a trip to the western isles to see Puffins in particular and we did see them close up on the water and on the rocks, more inspiration for future work.
Its been a memorable weekend and crammed lots in but worth every minute. If we get a chance to go in the future I would probably base myself on another island and chill more, or not
Paddling to shore in the hot sunshine from the morning boat from St Marys at Rushy bay with its unique flora. Alice and I hired a couple of Kayaks and set off to Samson and Puffin island but it was the low spring tide so a bit shallow to snorkel and its one of the few days you can walk between Tresco, Bryher and st Martins so for much of the time I walked until we got to Tresco
.
I have been teaching Alice to snorkel but this is the first time with flippers it was great and even though bit shallow we did discover crabs and other marine life shes now more confident and I look forward to getting in the water when back home. Its our responsibility to show our children what the natural world has to offer and help them experience it first hand with out doing this they wont have that important hands on link, with it they will enjoy the world more. I dont have a problem with tablets, phones and other man made devices they all have a role to play but I do believe that getting out in the world is the best. We are lucky and Alice is able to play out in the street and down in the woods as well as the beach and sea but she does enjoy facetime and instagram and socialising in many different ways with her friends and family.
But memories are stronger when you experience things together its just a shame that my wife Lizzie and Thomas cannot be here.
I have started to get some inspiration to paint marine wildlife but I feel I will have to snorkel more when I get home so the image is fresh in my mind.
Griff
St Michael’s mount
On board the Scillonian 3 for the journey over to Scillies and St Marys for a fee days camping on the Scillies the weather is perfect sun shining and a light breeze. Hope to see a few birds along the way but not guaranteed.
This is my first time arriving by boat and I have only been to Tresco a few years ago in November but even then the weather was wonderful. Arrived late and put the bags in the tent and then taxi to test st Marys riding stables. Great hack and even got to go on the sea at porth helick
St marys
porth helick
Just dropped of Mum and Thomas for a weekend at the hospice so Alice and I can have a holoday without it that wouldn’t happen. The grounds are looking great as the trees starting to take hold. I have spent a year rising money to build a wildlofe hideaway and garden for the childen which has now been approved.A Robin song. Work will start soon.
This has been achieved by 120 wildlife artists from. Across the globe who donated work for auction. Plus help from handyman and other business. Cornwall wildlife trust and others will be helping all the way.
But now thoughts are towards getting home to pack for the Scilies.
I have to start somewhere and here we are at Bristol childrens hospital with Lizzie and Thomas. A single catheter had complication with a blood clot forming in the bladder. Having been in trelisck for 3 weeks waiting we have been here for 1 week it’s Tuesday and I an taking my daughter Alice to the isles of Sciily for our first real holiday on Friday morning, they are off to the hospice on Thursday evening. A bit tight.
I have tried a couple of blog before but thy have been a bit wooden. Although not a diarist I hope I can add interesting and genuine content to the blog through my paintings and thoughts looking after my son Thomas and family and the frustrations of not painting, adapting to change and the delights of spending more time with a child who needs so much care, support and love.
griffartist's Blog 