September 2023

"Blind drawings and more exhibitions..."

Quite a lot has happened in the last four months, including a prolonged period of convalescence following a eye operation, during which time I managed only a handful of ‘blind drawings’!

Finally, I am back in the real world at last and painting towards more exhibitions (see below for details).

Winding back a little and with the ever exciting SGFA Open exhibition at The Mall Galleries under my belt back in May, always an exciting week. This year I took my daughter, Claire, to the Private View at the Mall Galleries - something she has grown up on, and we took our time together to look around in detail - it was a really beautiful show - before I settled down in the West Gallery to begin my demo.

With some great publicity through the SGFA and Mall Galleries, it proved really popular, and before long a crowd had formed, and the buzz became infectious and it turned into a two hour tutorial.

I am happy to say that the recent Missenden Abbey Summer School was as exciting as ever, and with that now under my belt and with exciting feedback from my students I have already drawn up plans for future courses at this iconic venue. Dates will be released shortly.

My previous long weekend workshop at Missenden Abbey gave birth to more ideas going forward.

I have been fascinated with the luscious and infinite possibilities of forming bowls in all shapes and sizes, on paper of course, and I still feel it hasn’t run its course yet. There’s something very beautiful about the way the brush seemingly magically glides along to form a given shape, but although I am aiming for a believable shape, a smooth finish in the first instance, I have an irresistible urge to create ‘accidents’, cauliflowers, runs, blots, overpainting and lifting off creating patterns and textures.

This urge to tear, patch, sew and paste takes over completely, creating unique pieces which is of course the ultimate aim. I am surrounded now with ideas on paper yet to be resolved, different effects on different papers being the ultimate goal, as each one provokes another approach. Why do I punish myself, I have to ask.......well it’s ultimately what drives me of course. Life could be so much easier, but less edgy and for me, less interesting as a result!

In June I was exhibiting with the Institute of East Anglia in the delightful Gallery Holt in the centre of Holt, Norfolk. A beautiful show of work in this year’s Annual Open, which I was really happy to take part in again. It coincided with another creative long weekend of experimental ink and watercolour at Missenden Abbey ultimately resulting in yet another late edition of my Blog!

It was a real joy again working with a group of like-minded people who just wanted to discover the joys of this mixed media approach. Of course there is never enough time but the sheer luxury of creating havoc on paper, walking away to be fed and watered, for a whole weekend plus, just has to be my idea of inky heaven. Join me sometime........

Having just put together some more new work I am off to the Babylon Gallery in Ely for another show with the SEAW - The Society of East Anglian Watercolours. This is a beautiful little gallery on the waterfront in the iconic town of Ely, always a joy.

I can at last see the tabletop in the studio again, but that won’t last long - more ideas to roll out.....courses to plan and exhibition deadlines to meet....

More details - look at www.missendenschoolofcreativearts.co.uk.
Enjoy your onward journey


Jackie Devereux
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Future Courses


For more details.....
www.missendenschoolofcreativearts.co.uk