I had a fantastic time at Arbury Primary School last week and wanted to share with you what I've been up to.

Each year the school spend a whole week studying an artist and one of their paintings. This year they took it a step further - they invited the artist into the school to paint the picture in front of them. That artist was me!

My picture was called 'Take my hand' and was inspired by one of their favourite songs 'Right to be Loved' by Song Academy. I started painting the picture on stage in their assembly, projected onto the screen with all 450 of them singing along! I worked on the picture all morning as classes took turns to take a closer look and I invited each child to draw a circle round the edge. Here is the video (using a different song for copyright reasons).

Once finished, my painting was hung along with other examples of my work in an exhibition in the school entrance. I created a montage of some of the layers used in the picture to aid follow up written and art work.

Next I visited each year group to introduce myself properly. I showed them my tools and materials, they asked me lots of very good questions, and I planned with them the pictures we would create later in our workshops.
I gave them the titles of Happy, Love, Peace, Kindness, Excited, Thankful & Hope, and they decided which colours, shapes, lines and marks would suit their theme. 

Each year group (60 children) collaborated on a giant painting which they created in 6 groups of 10 that worked on 6 layers over the course of an hour, using the same techniques, tools and materials I use.
1. pencil lines & squirting paint 2. squeegees & handprints 3. sticker stencils with sponges
4. shape prints 5. sticker stencils with sponges 6. pencil lines & squirting paint

I videoed them at work from above and created mini timelapse movies for them, set to music like mine.
Links to these are on the school website side menu bar here

We ended up with 7 big beautiful paintings each measuring 1.5m square.

I provided suggestions of cross curricular lessons that teachers could do during the week in response to my visit and was thrilled to hear of the extra work I inspired - a couple of boys choreographed a dance, children discussed what colours different emotions would look like, one class bought a canvas to paint together, another responded using batik. Parents were talking about art activities developing at home throughout the week, and even some of the teachers were prompted to start painting in their spare time!

I was definatley in need of a rest by the end of the week, but it was such an encouraging & rewarding experience

Every year the school participates in 'Take One Picture', a National Gallery project aimed at encouraging school pupils to interact with and be inspired by art. In the last few years they have studied Renoir, Hokusai, Klee and Seurat. This morning the teacher reminisced with the children about these pictures concluding with "and THIS is the picture we will be focussing on this year" - showing a blank canvas! "I'm showing you a blank picture because it's a picture that hasn't even been painted yet! In fact it's a picture that is going to be painted right in front of you all here in school!.. Not everyone will have heard of this artist yet but one person in this school knows her very well" Esme (my 6 year old) puts her hand up "It's my mum" she says and stands up in front of the whole school, fit to burst with joy!

So I will start my week (after half term) by painting on top of a giant canvas on the school stage in front of 450 people, with an aerial view projected onto a large screen. Every pupil in the school will take it in turns to come onto the stage, look closely and make their own mark on my painting.
Once completed the painting will be displayed in an exhibition of my work in the school entrance hall and I will edit a video of it's creation for the classes to use. The week will include a 'meet the artist' session where I will take my materials to each class, discuss my approach and answer their questions, and an 'artist workshop' where each child will contribute to one of 7 large collaborative pieces created with me using my techniques and concepts.
I have created a sheet of ideas for teachers to develop the themes of my work in a variety of curriculum subjects throughout the week (from poetry, to dance, history to maths and science). The week will conclude with a school exhibition of the work the children produce in response to meeting me and my artwork.

I don't know about you but my summer was so busy I'm only just now catching up with things, just in time for half term! Although David's Tent happened on the last weekend of August, it's now in October that I've got round to sharing about it with you. Better late than never as they say. I had a fantastic time in this, my 3rd year, and thought you'd like to hear about it.

This Saturday I did a LIVE ART demonstration at the Town & Country Show (Parkers Piece, Cambridge), as part of the Cambridge Open Studios publicity stand. A select few of the 350 artists taking part in COS this year were there with me handing out guides and balloons, while I got to play with paint in public! Actually it wasn't until I arrived that it dawned on me that I'd not only be watched by passers by but would also be observed by the other artists (who seemed fascinated with my techniques and process)!
Next to where I worked I had one of my completed pictures on display and also the video of the BIG LIVE ART I did in town the previous Saturday playing on my ipad.

I really enjoyed interacting with people as I painted. Dialogue ranged from sharing my simple techniques with children and encouraging them to have a try at home, to giving business advice on an interesting idea someone had, to discussions about potential for my art in community projects, to apparently solving someone's bathroom decorating dilemmas! As well as cool conversations I hope my efforts also result in increasing the number of visitors I get at my Cambridge Open Studios event - on Sat 1st & Sun 2nd July.

I painted 2 pictures over the 3 1/2 hours (adding finishing touches at home), these paintings are part of my Serendipity series (#3&4) and will be on sale in my exhibition in July. I took a timelapse video of my experience so I could share it with you. It's pretty fast moving so if you have any questions about my art process, just ask : )

Here are the finished pictures (acrylic on canvas 16x16")

I will be painting LIVE again in 2 weeks time on Saturday 24th June in Cambridge city centre: from ~1.30pm around Sidney Street creating BIG LIVE ART (a huge floor piece to music) and then from ~3.30pm in the Cambridge Open Studios publicity gazebo in Market Square, working on an easel. Come and say hello!

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On Saturday (03/06/17) I did my first street performance art piece, my 'BIG LIVE ART' in Cambridge city centre (Sidney Street). I won't lie, I was a little scared, but I've had such a good response to the videos of these big pieces, and I love doing them so much that I thought I'd share them in a public setting.
I see painting as singing with colours, and wanted to paint a 'freedom song'. A visceral, rhythmic piece full of vibrancy and fun. A heart response to the music and engaging with what I am created to do!

Once we'd arrived and found a good spot my nerves went. There was a lovely anticipation from passers by as I set up and once ready I just got on with my 'thing', what I love to do, and could feel people crowding round, leaning in, intrigued and bemused! Some settled down to watch me for quite a while, others beckoned there friends/family to come and see, others walked on by with a smile. Of course all the kiddies were drawn in (and held back!), fascinated at the mess this lady was making on a giant sheet on the pavement. It left me a little concerned that I would be inspiring inpromptu floor art in people's homes from the little ones later that afternoon, and wondering if there was potential in the idea of BIG LIVE ART kids birthday parties in the future!!
A kind friend came along to support me, which I discovered was a real necessity. Not just about having some company and someone to video me, I found that creating a performance piece doesn't lend itself to dialoguing with people, and folks wanted to know what I was doing and why - leaflets for them to pick up and a video of a previous piece playing on my ipad were OK, but having someone to ask is always better.
I was able to chat with folks while setting up and packing down, and I took a couple of short breaks in the middle so I was available for some of the time. Once nearing the end of the piece I work less 'with' the music and the pace relaxes, I found I could create and converse then too.
People seemed to really enjoy watching me, really interested in seeing how I worked, many took leaflets so they could follow up on the piece on YouTube/social media and come to my Open Studio in July.

I actually really enjoyed myself and definatley plan to do it again soon!

On Saturday I'm launching my new BIG LIVE ART. Taking a huge piece of canvas roll (2x1.6m), my trolley of art supplies, recording and sound equip and a big 'dollup of CRAZY', I'm planning to find a busy busking spot in Cambridge city centre and paint to music with everyone watching!

So on Monday I did a trial run through, aiming to iron out any technical issues, creating a video blog so I could share with you my set up and preparations. I call these large pictures my 'part of the art' pieces as I create them from within the picture. In the past I've worked on these over a number of days and this was the first time painting one in just a single sitting.
Here's my vlog.

Here is the finished painting called 'I AM ME'

On Monday I created LIVE ART 'on the streets' of Cambridge for the first time. It was stretching, scary, rather tiring, took me RIGHT out of my comfortzone and I LOVED IT! I made a video blog of my experience as I knew you'd be interested to join me on my little adventure and to see how it went!

I went with the amazing Chris Duffett (do check out his website, he's been doing this sort of thing a lot more than me and has lots of inspiring and helpful stuff to share) and we painted what we called 'Prayer paintings' for the people of Cambridge. Telling people visually and verbally about God's love for them and interest in their lives.
We had numerous wonderful conversations with people about all sorts of things, everyone was lovely and fascinated by what we were up to. And of course, being opposite King's College Chapel, Cambridge we got to speak with folks from all over the world.

This is a 10 minute video blog. If you want something without the talky bits, here's a link to my 1 minute version!
Here is Chris's blog post about the day.

If you are interesting in learning more about this sort of thing, Chris and I are running a couple of training days in June and July: Painting Good News - using prophetic art in evangelism.

On Sunday (2/4/17) I painted live at City Church Cambridge (UK) as part of the worship team, and thought I'd make a timelapse video sharing the progress of my picture from start to finish. Showing how the piece developed in public through our two morning services, and then what happened beyond, in the private space of my garden studio.

Firstly let me introduce you to my painting:

We long for heaven here
To show heaven here
To tell of heaven here

We bring heaven here
We see heaven here
And sing with heaven here
Your kingdom come
Your will be done

Here on earth as it is in heaven
AS ABOVE, SO BELOW

I've been contemplating the connection between heaven and earth, and our role in increasing this connection which led to the poem/song I've written above. My painting represents this with the blue of the heavens and the green of the earth reaching out to each other. The white glow and the red flecks symbolise Jesus, the biggest connection between heaven and earth.

The 5 hours at church on Sunday morning and the 3 hours in my studio on Monday afternoon are condensed through timelapse into 2 minutes. This includes ~1.5 hr of actual painting time broken into 4 sections across the 2 church services, interspersed with a little dancing and me singing the song above to the congregation.

I created this little movie for those in my church family. As few are there for both services to see my painting develop, and none have seen my painting process beyond. I always share the completed picture on social media with an explanation, but not everyone sees this, and there is usually quite a jump from how it looks at the end of a Sunday morning and how it looks once finished.

I have also created this movie for those who have never seen someone painting live and are interested in how it works in our context. Please feel free to share this with others that would find it helpful.

The music I have used in this video is 'Atmospheres' by Lucy Grimble and is used with permission. She is my favourite worship leader and song writer at David's Tent, which is where I first painted on canvas live in worship in 2015. I'll finish this post with some of her lyrics:

“Let's fill the city with the songs of heaven...
Let's join the angels as we come to worship...
Our worship changes atmospheres...
So I won't hold back, no I won't hold back from You.
Cause you never hold back, no You don't hold back from me”

Please refer to Part 1 for WHY I paint 'live' and Part 2 for HOW I paint live. Here in part 3 I will give an example of WHAT I paint live.

My starting point for this piece was the passage 'Every word God speaks is sure, every promise pure'
Ps 12:6 from the Passion Translation Bible, which I came across in my daily bible reading and which seemed to leap out of the page at me. I researched passages that mention the word of God in the bible, and a fresh revelation and appreciation grew of the precious words that have been passed down and preserved through the generations. The truth that our faith is built upon.
'The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever'. Isaiah 40:8
'For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope'. Rom 15:4
'My word will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.' Isaiah 55:11
'Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path' Ps 119:105
'The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow.' Heb 4
'The Word became flesh and blood and moved into our neighbourhood.' John 1:14

 I decided I needed to use colours that represented writing – ink blue and graphite grey. Black with white and orange with blue representing boldness and clarity, flesh colour representing Jesus. I wanted to include marks made with a biro and pencil, and to use lined paper and tracing paper. I wanted marks that looked like handwriting rather than actual words and use Morse code somehow. I wanted layering to represent the years and to use uncovering techniques for tell of the research and study, the delving into scripture. I wanted the piece to have a vertical lined feel as God's words comes down to us from above. I choose the title 'True to your word'.

As I explained in part 2, our church has two morning services, I paint through both but only when the band are playing, which means a bit of stopping and starting takes place. Here is how my painting progressed through the morning. Click on each image to enlarge or hover to read about the techniques I used.

Whilst painting this at church one person commented that it looked like concrete (which linked in nicely with the idea of foundations), another said it looked like a waterfall and made them think of God pouring himself into their lives.

This painting is a celebration of God's Word. What has been told and written down, copied and translated through the centuries, then became human, living on earth as the person of Jesus, and now lives in our hearts as the Spirit of Jesus, reminding us of his words and guiding us into all truth.
Layering represents the generations, straight lines for plumbline truth, tracing and lined paper, pencil & biro remember the dedication of scholars. The splashes of flesh colour and white represent the alive and active nature of God's word especially in the person of Jesus 'the way the TRUTH and the life'.
We believe God's Word as true, our faith is built on this foundation – I have shown this by printing with children's building blocks. What has been communicated through the ages speaks to us today sometimes clear as day in black and white, shouting clarity, other times needing research and study to unearth new riches and depths (hence the golden morse coded Ps 119 passage)

I generally 'paint live' twice a month (once at our church's extended prayer & praise evenings and once during the Sunday morning services). I upload these paintings to my Facebook album Visual Worship 2016 - if you 'like' my artist page @FlourishandFly you can keep abreast of each painting as it is added (or follow me on Twitter or Instagram).
This November I exhibited the paintings that I have done 'live' since the start of the year, in my church gallery space, so people could see them finished. I hope to exhibit this work in other settings in the future. These pictures also go on the Paintings page of my website and are available for sale.

I hope you have found this three part blog post about 'painting live' helpful and interesting. If you have any questions, do get in touch.

I've answered the question of WHY I paint 'live' in part 1, so now to HOW I paint live (followed by an example in part 3 to finish)

It starts, for me, in the week leading up to painting, when I ask God if there's anything he wants me to put in the piece. Sometimes the general shapes, colours and composition come to mind first and I ask him what it means. For example, for one, I saw in my minds eye, broken rainbows which became a horizon line with sad coloured stripes below and happy coloured stripes above. This piece ended up being called New Horizon (see below), it was about the disappointment of broken promises and the fact that God always keeps his promises.
Other times it's the other way round, the meaning comes first and the colours/ideas follow. For example for another piece I was taken up with the multi-faceted nature of God's love, which I then saw as multi-layered hearts using multi-media, 'Love has called my name' (see below).
It's a sort of dialogue I have with God whilst doing the normal stuff of life, hanging out the washing or in the shower or walking the dog etc. Sometimes it starts with a bible passage or a line from a song that gives me a fresh excitement about an aspect of God.

Next I will seek to dig a little deeper, researching bible passages on the theme, collecting ideas in my sketchbook and deciding on a title. When I first started painting at the front of church I would plan the picture in detail, trying out techniques, deciding the order I would do things etc. This was a good way for me to start, there was some security in having a plan. More recently, however, I have felt led to be a lot looser and let things evolve as I paint. I always have some sort of starting point but I don't neccesarily know what colours I will use or in fact where the painting is going. This has lately led to feeling I almost don't recognise my own work once it's finished! Colours and marks are chosen in response to what I feel God is 'nudging' me to do at the time – it feels very much an experience of 'co-creating' with him.

Obviously every setting will be different and what I do has evolved over the year. This is how things look for me at present when I paint on a Sunday.

I arrive at 8am to set up with the band. I use a small sheet to protect the floor, an easel and a little table for my art supplies. I use a large canvas (24x30”) so it can be seen across the hall. I'm a mixed media artist so don't travel light! I use acrylic paint and various other things. I'm rather messy so I have wet wipes and kitchen towel at the ready, I wear my painting gear, an apron and disposable gloves. Gloves are particularly useful for freeing my hands of paint in seconds when I need to hold the microphone to speak to the church or when my 5 year old runs over for cuddles.

While the band rehearse I pray through the song list, marking down ideas of colours that come to mind related to themes. I write my title on masking tape and stick it on my easel and remind myself of what I've prepared in my sketch book. I sing, and I also use this time to dance. This too is something new that has been growing with me through the year! I'm not a dancer at all but at the moment it feels like the most appropriate way of engaging and responding to God before I do anything else. It involves all of me and can be thoroughly embarrassing – it's about surrender and centring on him. As I move I find shapes and actions come to mind that I can only describe as physical prayers. It feels a vulnerable but appropriate place for me to come to my painting from. This may just be for a season, I don't know, I'm trying to follow God's lead.

We have 2 Sunday morning services 9.30 – 11am and 11.30 – 1pm. Each service starts with 2 songs before the kids go to their groups, then the talk, followed by communion and a time of worship at the end. I only paint when the band plays, which ends up being only about 1.5 hours of painting time across the 5.5 hour morning! I paint for 10mins, have a 50min break, paint for 30mins, have a 30min coffee break (where I paint a bit, answer peoples questions and get fresh water), then I do that all again.

I've needed to think practically about how to use each different section of time and what to try to achieve by the end of the morning. It's rather funny having people (including myself) staring at a painting that I've barely had chance to start, during the talk in service 1, before I really get going with it later on. And of course those who come to service 1 see a lot less of the finished picture than those in the second service. An hour and a half is never enough time for me to finish my picture, which I work on in the following week and then post on our church Facebook page once complete. As I said in Part 1, I believe that this sort of painting (at least for me) is as much about the process and journey, as about the destination and finished picture, so the fact that it isn't finished on the morning, and some never see it finished, isn't a problem.

Who should pay for materials? - this is something that needs working out with one's church leaders. My church pays for the canvases I use, from the worship budget, and I pay for the rest.
Is it OK to sell the work I create? - Yes I believe it is. There are a number of people within the church who are paid for the gifting/work they provide: preachers, administrators, children's workers, prophets. When a recording of the worship music is made into an album people expect to pay for it. By asking for payment for my artwork I am valuing what God is calling me to do, and I'm enabling myself to continue doing it. It is allowing people to invest in my art work (a reminder of God to them where ever they choose to display it), but also to invest in me and what God is doing in me. I don't claim the expense of the canvas from the church if I sell the painting.
On occasion God might lead me to give a painting as a gift to someone, in some ways this gift is worth more if it would normally have cost them money!
Many people have told me how much my paintings on a Sunday have spoken to them or encouraged them in some way. I have recently started offering limited edition giclee prints of my work in order to make them more affordable and available for those who would love to own a picture.


Please get in touch if you have any questions that I've not managed to answer in this post, or in fact if you have any questions about what I've said.
Please refer to Part 3 for an example of one of my paintings created on a Sunday at our church.