2011

I was really excited to have my design accepted for the Big Egg Hunt 2012.

The event involving 200 uniquely designed eggs is sponsored by Faberge and is in aid of two charities, Action for Children and Elephant family. As well as famous artists, designers and fashion houses there are also artists like myself who have been asked to put their own design on a 2 1/2 foot fibre glass egg which is then placed in a prominent location in central London and will then become part of the biggest egg hunt to be launched on Shrove Tuesday, 21st February. See www.thebigegghunt.co.uk for more details.

Once I know the location of my egg I will post this on my blog and of course release further photos of my egg in situe.

My design was taken from the garden planting of the Times Kew Chelsea Flower show garden by Marcus Barnett who kindly gave me permission to do so. Having loved the planting style and colour combinations when I saw it at Chelsea 2011 this seemed like the perfect design to showcase my style of painting on my egg. So after speaking to Marcus to explain the project and gain his permission this was the design I submitted.

This was a really enjoyable and different project, to paint on a 3D shape rather than a flat canvas made quite a change. My 4 year old daughter thought it was great having a giant egg around. You can see the egg in its initial stage to the finished piece in the garden environment.

This was the 5th year of the Macmillan De' Longhi art auction held at Bonham's auction house on Bond Street in Mayfair on 27th September. All funds raised from donated art work went to Macmillan cancer support. This worthy cause became a lot closer to my heart when my mother was diagnosed with myeloma this year so I didn't have to think twice about being involved with the auction.

On the night I was unable to attend so my husband and brother stepped in for me (the free bar didn't have anything to do with it apparently). I was really pleased to hear that my work sold at the auction and amused to hear about the paparazzi inadvertently photographing my husband and brother in the background behind some current young actress from Made in Chelsea. I do not admit to knowing anything at all about this programme.

This addition to my blog is well overdue thanks to a roller coaster of a year which has included both parents being diagnosed with serious illnesses within the space of a few weeks apart, then having a three month deadline to move out of our temporary rented house. This meant selling our house in the north east and buying a house in the midlands in order to settle in the village where our daughter has started school. Amazingly we achieved this within the deadline, (no mean feat!) although this has involved moving into a house which required complete renovation. This is still ongoing around our work but despite all the upheaval we are really happy to have a home in a lovely village and are grateful for all the small things. My parents good health is something we are all hoping for and means more than anything.

So forgive the belated thank you but I would like to say a heartfelt, if very late thank you to everyone who made my second year at the Chelsea Flower Show a really memorable one.

With my love of beautiful gardens, trees and plants Chelsea is a really exciting environment to be in surrounded by the creativity of designers and plantsmen and women all at the top of their game. You couldn't be in a better place to see such a large collection in such a relatively small space.

If anyone who was there spotted it, my favourite tree this year had to be the carob tree on the Monaco garden which also featured the 'totally tangerine' geum flower which I was more than happy to bring a plant of back home after the show.

I was really pleased to have a short conversation with the Duke of Edinburgh this year including a "Gosh!" at my paintings and a recognition of the pointillist style. I will aim for a slightly longer conversation next year if I get the chance!

The heavens literally opened this year when enough rain fell to stop the proceedings for what seemed like a good hour. We got to meet a lovely bunch of people who were sheltering in our stand during the storm (as you can see from the picture!) while Simon got to work with his mop and bucket to prevent our stand completely flooding as well as removing cards and paintings from the front of the stand to stop them getting drenched. All in a day in the life of the Chelsea flower show!

I was chuffed to get a commendation for my stand with positive comments about the planting and colours so will try and up my game again for next year.

Applications are already in for next years Chelsea so I will look forward to meeting many of you there again - fingers crossed.

The Monaco Garden

Carob tree

Spot Alan!

Sheltering from the monsoon

Miss Mop!

Is this pose ok?

My latest garden visit took me to Virginia Waters in the Windsor Great Park to find the flowering azaleas in the area called the Punch Bowl. This visit was for a commission I will be undertaking of a wide but narrow painting which takes in all the azaleas which sit in a bowl shape as the name describes.

After phone calls to the park office and a keen eye on the weather this really was perfect timing for the azaleas as well as being a beautiful, bright, sunny day to take photographs. Like many flowers the azaleas were flowering early due to the extra warm weather.

If you do get the chance this spectacle is well worth a visit. These photos were taken on 27 April so the flowers may be over for this year.

The next day I made a long awaited visit to see the 22,000 tulips at Pashley Manor gardens near Ticehurst in Kent. This was the first day of the tulip festival which runs until the 8 May so if you are in the area this is a stunning display of tulips en masse in every colourway you can imagine.

I will write more about this garden soon as now I'm right in the middle of preparing for the Chelsea Flower show in 2 weeks time. Eeek!