DITCH PROZAC, BUY PHYLLIS.....!

“… if I had both the money and the wall space, I’d have one of Phyllis’s paintings in every room.  The sense of movement, the brush strokes and her distinctive use of colour create such an impact; and of course, the subject matter.  To see nature interpreted with such love and joy is just incredibly life affirming – I always feel as if I can smell the blossom, feel the wind.  In short, Phyllis’s work just makes me happy.  There you have it – ditch Prozac, buy Phyllis”

Virginia Edwyn-Jones  Shaftesbury  Dorset.

POPPIES POPPIES  1 x1m oil/canvas   .... not quite finished yet

POPPIES NOT PROZAC!    I x I m ...oil/canvas ( interim name!)

NEW POPPIES.....  6O X 60 cm    oil/canvas

Three new not-quite-finished paintings .....   after a very difficult day, the sun has come out, he has cut the grass, wonderful organisers of the LONDON SHOW  have over come a big glitch and .....  I am happy and exhausted.   You know what I mean!  

GREEN RIVER ( the Charente near Ruffec) and this weather ...

... has something to be said for it - there is no gardening to be done!  So a blissful day - much more relaxed than usual I have to say - and some painting.  What do you think of this - its only a start, but I like it!  On top of another painting, so I had to work quickly to cover things up and actually I don't think there is necessarily a huge amount to do ....

I will see tomorrow, when the paint is less wet!

GREEN RIVER ( the Charente near Ruffec)  1 x 1m oil/canvas

THIS HILL CALLED MELBURY......

 I am really pleased with the work I have managed to do this week ...   I am a fortunate  woman to live where  I do and to be able to paint.....  This hill called Melbury  which I have painted for years  since 1976 when I moved to Dorset after being a student at St Martin's and Goldsmiths.....

To me the relationship between the artist and the subject is very powerful and important.  It seems to me that this hill has helped me to paint.   This is certainly true of portraits and it feels true here.  

Maybe the process of  painting the hill has helped me access something in myself ....  But it feels like  the hill is my teacher...  tells me about my human-ness as I struggle to paint its hill-ness.....    and I LIKE the feeling of not-there-yet ....   lots more paintings for us to discover together ......

 Melbury delight I 90  x 130cm oil/canvas    

 Melbury delight II 80 x 120 cm oil/canvas

from Fontmell Down June 1989   pencil drawing 

MELBURY DELIGHT.... I and II,

I have finally managed to wrench myself away from chores and domesticity and boring but necessary office stuff too.  Just got a tweet from Lizzie Speller in Greece who talks about why she needs to go there to get the necessary solitude she needs to work....   hmm one certainly needs to be very disciplined.  

I am SO happy to be back in the place where I can really be myself - like in the Rumi poem - that I have quoted before and will do again,right here!

Neither of these are finished - the challenge is to keep them open and keep the touch light...more later, oh - and the poem now.

 Melbury Delight  II  80 x 120 cm

Melbury Delight  I   90 x 130 cm 

Time to go Home

Rumi

Late and starting to rain, it's time to go home

We've wandered long enough  in empty buildings.

I know it's tempting to stay and meet those new people.

I know it's even more sensible

to spend the night here with them,

but I want to go home.

We've seen enough beautiful places with signs on them

saying This is God's House

That's seeing the grain like the ants do,

without the work of harvesting.

Let's leave grazing to cows and go

where we know what everyone really intends,

where we can walk around without clothes on.