There were over 7000 people at Newday this year, camping at Norfolk Showground. Part of my role was giving visual art support to the team, this included updating signage and site decoration.

In the afternoons I invited delegates to interact with a 3 stage art installation on the main concourse. Pieces made from countless thumb prints of all ages entitled 'True Identity' sparked easy conversations about where we find our sense of identity.

The highlight of my week was getting to paint live outside the Big Top where the whole camp gathered each evening for the main meetings. Eight foot OSB plywood boards (one for each of the 6 nights) were secured around 2 trees.

Below are the six abstract paintings I created and some images of the details. The theme for the week was TRUTH, so each board was based on a different bible passage about truth. To read the explanations of the pictures and/or to buy a poster print – click on each image (which will link you to my Etsy shop).

ALL PROFITS from the sale of my posters will be DONATED to the Newday offering:
'Power the Fight' - a charity “Empowering Communities To End Youth Violence”
and to church planting in a variety of countries.
Posters are £20 (A3) & £30 (A2)

I've never painted on OSB plywood before so needed to learn as I worked. They provided a lovely texture that sometimes worked for me and sometimes against my techniques!
For each painting I had decided upon a base colour and I learnt to apply this by flicking the paint straight from the bottles or troweling it on using a squeegee. I then followed by spraying with water and moving the paint across the surface with a kitchen sponge.
After this I used a variety of techniques

1. Squirting the paint into my hands and wiping it/mixing it onto the surface directly
2. Spray paint or sponge painting using various stencils (stickers and paper plates)
3. Flicking, dribbling, thumb prints, water spray - adaptations of my normal techniques

Each evening I would begin with a sketchbook page with my base colour, the concepts/main inspiration written and general plan of techniques/patterns/colours that I felt would help communicate the theme of the piece. Apart from a vague idea of composition I didn't generally know what the final image would look like. I displayed a laminated title and strap-line.
As the week progressed I had an increasing following of delegates who learnt how and why I work as I do and quickly learnt to anticipate my next moves and ask informed questions, turning to the right page of my sketchbook they would ask about the meaning of today's base colour, how I would use fluorescents this time and how I would include my trademark circles.

Thanks to the fabulous photographers on the Creative Team I now have some great shots of me in action!

It was only on the final morning as we all packed down and headed home that all six of my pictures could be seen fully complete.

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to paint live at 'The Light' venue, London. This was part of the Relational Mission Courage conference with around 800 attending and a live-stream video to other nations via YouTube.

Although I am an abstract painter and my style is very loose and free I always think through in advance of an event like this, what the theme of each painting will be and how I will symbolise this with colours, shapes and marks. I decide on a title and print out a brief synopsis to attach to my easel for people to read. I often have some idea of composition (where the points of interest might sit within the whole) but am not clear on what the picture will look like when finished. I like to work expressively and freely, layering various techniques that include a good dose of spontaneity and 'happy accidents'. I like to respond to the emotion and heart of the moment as well, ready to add elements that I hadn't anticipated if it seems right at the time and if it expresses the life that is growing from within the painting.

When working in this spontaneous manner and on this scale I have found that once they are complete I discover many 'paintings within the painting', sections of the picture that have a personality of their own – the treasure within the details. Here are some that I have captured.

Another question I get asked a lot is what happens to the paintings once I've finished. Well first I take them home, add any finishing touches and take photographs to share on social media, my website and for making prints. I paint the edges of the canvas, sign the picture and varnish it. Unless I have it agreed in the contract for the event that the payment for my booking includes keeping the painting (for example at a Wedding, or a school residency) then the pictures are available for anyone to purchase (I offer a 10 month payment plan which makes it more affordable for many). The paintings not sold immediately will be included in my next exhibition and offered for sale in a gallery. As many people are not in a position to buy one of my original pieces I also offer poster prints of pictures created at such events, for a limited period.
In the case of these particular paintings, I have sold 2 (one will be sent to London, the other to Holland – both of these people were at the conference), I have someone coming to view the third picture in a week's time (who has only seen it as a photograph so far) and the fourth will be displayed in my Open Studio exhibition in July.
The prints are available on my Etsy shop - click on these images for a link

If you would like me to create live art at your event, do get in touch. My paintings are unique and personalized to the theme of your occasion. I am available for weddings, concerts, conferences, charity fundraisers, cocktail parties, festivals and indeed any event where you would like me to add a splash of colour!

I also offer a tailor made artist in residence package for schools, churches and community spaces - from single workshops to a 5 day event.

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I've realised that I love working both really big and really small, just like I enjoy working messy and expressive, AND working neat and detailed. I'm inspired by the extravagant dimensions and intimate detail of creation, what is seen through a telescope as well as what is seen through a microscope, so I guess this makes sense that these contrasts exist within my own art.

Part of my homework in my Created to Thrive mentoring group and study of the fab new book by Matt Tommey has been to consider what negativity and doubts I've got running through my head and holding me back. Things like worry of being seen as a fraud, of not making money from my art, of it being too late to reach my potential, a fear of what others think etc. This sketch book study was created to contradict and combat these lies.

So in this picture I'm showing myself for who I am without apology or fear. I'm enjoying what I enjoy, trusting this gives God pleasure and that it will make others happy too.

A few weeks ago I shared about my diptych being one of the 40 selected from 450+ by Chaiya Art Awards for their exhibition at the OXO gallery London. The show asked the question 'Where is God in our 21st Century World' and my entry was entitled 'In the detail'. Let me share the exhibition with you.

On 28th March I dressed uncharacteristically smart (heels and all!) and travelled to London for the Press Night.  Unfortunately I forgot to make sure I got any photos of me!

These were my favourites pieces by other artists, which gives you a bit of taste of the diversity and talent in the show.

A hard back book was created as part of the exhibition which contains those selected to exhibit as well as those long listed. Which is a lovely keep sake and makes for a thought provoking read - author Ann Clifford.
“for the curious and open-minded, for people of all faiths and none. Bursting with richness and diversity, vulnerability and exploration, colour and fragility, treasure and beauty. The 60+ featured artists care about our world and the life it sustains. Their persistent probing to find meaning and understanding through what they create is hugely important to us all. Does God exist? If He is real, where is He and what does He have to offer? Be inspired and challenged by a multitude of original and provocative responses that will draw you further into the mystery of just where is God in our 21st-century world.”

Last month I posted about the online workshop I'm currently taking part in - Nancy Hillis Studio Journey. Well the most recent exercises I've been doing have been based around colour mixing.

Choose 2 secondary colours and mix with white and black. I chose purple and orange which I have learnt make the fabulous colour RUSSET. I then create some studies in my sketch book by playing with the colours I'd mixed.

See my painting process build around each picture above and in the movie below.

Named after an artist called Zorn who painted with just red, yellow, black and white and all the combinations between them. I mixed yellow with red (2:1;1:1;1:2) red with black (same ratios) black with yellow (same ratios) then add white equally to all. Finish by adding in the 'missing' third colour (red in the black and yellow mix/ black in the red and yellow mix etc). Then I had some fun playing with the new colours I'd created. See timelapse below.

This time last week I was at Butlins Skegness working as the artist in residence at Spring Harvest #SH2018. It was an amazing, stretching, encouraging, very busy week and I loved it! I got to work in the Creative Arts Team alongside the talent of Kees Kraayenoord from Holland, 4front theatre, NGM dancers and the fantastic Luke Aylen (who heads up creativity across all 4 SH breaks), in front of an audience of 3500! I thought you'd like to hear what I got up to.

Next thing on my programme was my favourite part of the whole week, creating 6 foot paintings live in front of 3500 people in the big top each night! I love working big and working messy, I love combining worship and the prophetic with paint, I didn't feel nervous I experienced a tangible grace as I co-created with the Holy Spirit for my Daddy God and did what he made me to do! I was projected live onto the big screen on and off through the meeting for folks to see, and hopefully my visual/creative response to the biblical themes of the day helped people engage further in their worship of God. Once dry, the pictures were hung up around the venue.

I'm an abstract painter and 'sing with colours', I studied and prayed about the themes for each day in advance of the week so that I could help people engage with God and with the teaching, through my art. Each night I started with a title, a colour palette, a plan of which shapes and details I would bring in related to the theme and then worked whilst praising and praying, partnering with the Holy Spirit to discover where these ideas would take me and what picture would result. Clicking on each painting will take you to my Etsy shop where you'll find an explanation of the picture as well as being able to purchase a print if you wish.

Another significant part of my week were the Big Start sessions each morning at 9am – all age 30min meetings in the big top using drama, art, dance and music to engage with the focus of the day. We had a fantasy theme running through this so I dressed as a butterfly art pixie alongside a unicorn, some trolls and other fantasy dressed folk from the fab Creative Arts Team. I planned, prepared and led the art activities each day for ~100 children, each activity was stuck to a huge letter spelling out KING. My highlight was rolling paint onto the hands of tiny little children.

On the Tuesday afternoon I decided to do one of my BIG LIVE ART pieces on the floor of Skyline, the shopping arena in Butlins, to music. Although I painted live each night in the big top, this gave people of all ages the chance to come up really close to see me working and chat with me, and hopefully I inspired some 'wanna be' artists to give it a try. Here is a timelapse movie of the creation of this picture. Music is by the fabulous Kees Kraayenoord - one of my favourite songs from the week: 'Saviour's Song' (used with permission).

On the Wednesday afternoon I offered an abstract art workshop called 'Sing with colour' and 146 people turned up! It was like feeding the 5000 trying to find everyone a place to sit and to make the resources stretch to double the expected number. Everyone did a great job of embracing the 'thinking in colours' and 'drawing with eyes closed' exercises. I intentionally whetted appetites, leaving people wanting more, sending them away with a desire to continue experimenting. I was thrilled to see the results of their playing with paint.

On the Thursday evening as I was praying before I painted, I felt God nudge me to offer my picture as an interactive creative element on this occasion. After dialogue with the event hosts we agreed that during the ministry time at the end of the evening once I'd completed my piece we would invite people to respond to the challenge of surrendering their all to God by coming up and putting their thumb print on my picture, like a physical statement of individual commitment. As people queued to do this I prayed for a pouring down of heaven over them as they gave their all afresh. It was a really poignant and humbling moment. On returning home my 6 year old helped me count the thumb prints using kidney beans - we discovered that over 230 people had responded that night.

At the end of a wonderful week of flinging, throwing, splatting, dribbling and flicking paint to my heart's content, I left a few marks behind! I had so so many people come up asking me about my work, thanking me for the impact my art had had on their week, interested and inspired by a way of working that they had not seen before. I've not done anything on this scale before but genuinely found grace and courage to REALLY enjoy myself!

I recently got to spend time painting with around 60 kids in the children's work at City Church Cambridge. There were two church services, the first group painted about PEACE and the second painting about JOY.

I shared with the children that God made us with creative imaginations. We asked God to take us in our imaginations to somewhere full of his peace (group 1) or joy (group 2) so that we could know these things better. We imagined smells and tastes, colours and shapes, lines and marks.

I then led the children through several layers of mark making in groups, using different tools and techniques that replicate my own paintings. Pen lines, paint squirts, squeegees, hand prints, stamps and stencils.

I recently joined an online abstract art workshop group led by Nancy Hillis, an artist in California, called Studio Journey. One of my goals this year is to spend more time in my studio painting - experimenting, learning and developing and I hoped that this would bring some focus and input. I thought you'd like to see what I've been getting up to.

The first topic presented was the idea of working in a series. Choosing certain things as constraints for using in a number of pieces so that they would hang together as a group. I decided to limit myself to certain colours and patterns that I would layer on each one. We were encouraged to create around 8 mini studies or 'painting starts' to begin with. These were 5x5 inches each in size.

I was delighted with the response to these pictures on social media, and following enquiries from those interested in purchasing them, I created listings on my Etsy shop.

We were then told to choose a couple of pieces to work up into larger, more developed paintings - I took these two from 5x5" paper studies to becoming 16x16" canvas pictures.

I called this my 'SERIOUS FUN' series as I was committing to taking developing my painting skills seriously but was planning to have fun in the process!