The biggest news for me recently apart from creating my new website is the fact that I now live in the Cotswolds with my Partner Fiona Peart. I never realised how beautiful the Cotswolds are and to find myself living in such an idyllic location is just fabulous.
I have arranged some outdoor workshops in and around Stanton, which is just 2 ½ miles from Broadway. It’s on the Cotswold Way, Stanton must be one of the best kept secrets with no shops or tea rooms but a fabulous pub at the top of the village with views over the roof tops, the best time to visit is at sunset, sit with a drink and watch the sun go down. If you visit the pub be sure to say hello to Colin the Landlord and don’t forget to mention my name, the new resident local artist. My local village of Broadway is bursting with Art Galleries and places to drink! What a combination! Life is full of coincidences, and by a quirky twist of fate I am presently in the process of writing a book on how to paint Rustic Buildings and Barns, and would you believe it – I now live in a barn! This book gives me the opportunity to recreate countless rustic barns in locations such as France, Spain, America and just about every corner of the UK. It is a fascinating project and I’m afraid I’m becoming a bit of a ‘barn bore’. Also included in the book will be a selection of quaint thatched cottages and other rustic buildings, this will be a fabulous reference book for artists and hopefully an inspiration. Did I mention my Ready to Paint Watercolour Landscapes? – this is a revolutionary concept of a step-by-step project book, but with the added bonus of tracing paper layouts for each project included in the book, so you can concentrate on the painting techniques without the worry of doing the drawing. This original idea was created by myself and my Partner Fiona Peart who has been using tracing paper layouts for many years. The idea has now been hijacked by Search Press and will feature other artists because it’s such a great idea! Did I mention my NEW BOOK now available? Terry’s Top Tips for Watercolour Artists, this surprisingly is packed full of my top tips! (140 of them). This book has been a long time in production and crammed full of information, it’s so good I’m going to get one myself! I hope you do too! Did I mention my next first book…? A Brush with Watercolour. I’m so proud of this book, which has become an all-time best seller with sales of over 100.000 copies so far. It’s been translated into various languages including Dutch! Mischien ben ik grote in Nederlands? Some would say its been published in Dutch! The likes of Charles Evans (my mate.) Some people have expressed their dissapointment that I no longer exhibit and demonstrate at some of the knitting and stitching shows across the country. This is due to excessive costs of exhibiting at these events. I haven’t given up on all of the shows and I will be exhibiting at Patchings on 5th – 8th June and Art Materials Live at the NEC on 13th – 16th November, both Shows are Sponsored by Artist and Leisure Painter Magazines. I will also be in Skipton on 9th and 10th May and Ilkley on 16th August. I am at present planning an art exhibition in the Cotswolds for later this year and will have more information for you when available. Some of you might have seen me on TV on the Create and Craft Channel with the unsuspecting Stephanie. I felt sorry for Stephanie because she bore the brunt of all jokes and demo patter and at one stage filming was suspended due to Stephanie having a fit of the giggles. Recently I have appeared on the Painting and Drawing Channel on Sky (167) with re-runs of my latest DVDs based on projects from my new book. (Did I mention my new book?) Someone unkindly suggested they saw me on TV recently…Crime Watch! One of the highlights of last year was a trip to the US, Boone in North Carolina where I hosted a series of workshops for a company called ‘Cheap Joes Art Stuff’ don’t you just love the name? I felt quite at home there. Great fun was had by, not just myself, but my students as well, some people have asked if the Americans got my sense of humour, doubtful, as they don’t even get it in this Country! I am planning a return trip 2009, 4th – 8th May. Many of my students came from all over the States, which was very flattering. I had a great time and shared a lot of laughs. Boone is situated in the High Country and the place is littered with barns, many of which will appear in my next book, did I mention my next book? Rustic Buildings and Barns. As you can see from my extensive list of workshops throughout the country we could have a chance to paint together in a town near you!
