The grapevine works remarkably quickly, even over Christmas, and my family and I have been overwhelmed by the kindness shown in the cards, letters and emails we have received in the last two weeks.  I am particularly touched and grateful that people have taken time to offer their love and comfort when everyone is so busy with their own family celebrations and concerns. 

With hindsight I was fortunate to have just accepted a small commission as working on it gave me somewhere to lose myself.  A client had seen the ACEO of Fountains Abbey on this site and asked me paint a larger version.  I finished it and sent the proof to the client the day before shutting up the studio for the funeral (standing room only in the church - what a wonderful tribute and send-off!).

And now it is time to look forward to 2008 - a new year in more ways than one.

A lot of time this month was spent with preparations for the 'Take Three' exhibition which opened in Heslington, York on 30 November.  Rather more organisation than we had ever anticipated was needed when one of the original 'three' realised she was unable to exhibit less than two weeks before the opening!  It was impossible to recall all the publicity and advertising at that late stage but it's at times like this you find who your real friends are and Mark Azopardi and I were delighted when Tony Broadbent from Leeds, with whom I have exhibited many times, agreed to step in and fill the space.  The hard work paid off and despite truly awful weather we had a wonderful opening night.  More images from the show can be found here.

The newest work on display was 'Apples and Pears', shown left, which was completed just days before the opening.  Click on the image for more information.

Saturday workshops have resumed this month after the summer break and I have also published the programme for spring and summer of 2008.  Full details are here.  Following feedback from workshop participants there is now the option to extend the Portraits workshop into a second day.

It's been yet another busy month what with workshops, exhibition plans and commissions, but I have still found a little time for painting new work and the piece on the left is a small watercolour of the prehistoric landmark, Wayland's Smithy.  Click on the image for more information.

Much of this month has been taken up the Charles Reid Watercolour Workshops I have been running in Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.  They both went wonderfully well and we were very lucky indeed with the weather.  There was a great friendly atmosphere at both venues and the emails, cards and letters I have received from participants since I got back confirm how much people got out of the events.  Charles was, as always, an engaging and inspiring tutor and I think everyone learnt something and felt that their work progressed.  The next Charles Reid workshop in the UK will be in 2009 so if you would like to receive details as soon as they are published make sure you have given me your postal address and asked to be added to the mailing list.  There will be only one workshop this time and it will be sure to sell out quickly!

Meanwhile back home in Yorkshire, my workshop dates with Vista Arts have been confirmed.  Full details are here.  The first one is on Thursday 4 October and is entitled 'Experimental Watercolours'.

Plans are in hand for a joint exhibition with two good friends, Linda Wormald and Mark Azopardi, at the beginning of December, to be held at the Heslington Village Meeting Room where my own workshops take place.  Full details are on the Exhibitions and Fairs page.

Last but not least, in the last few days I have been invited to attend as Artist in Residence at Burton Agnes Hall in September 2008.  It seems like a long way away now but judging by how quickly this last year has gone I suspect it will be upon me in no time!

Early in the month I spent a very pleasant morning in the company of Rose and Robin Horspool of Vista Arts in North Dalton in the Yorkshire Wolds.  As we chatted over coffee we decided we can certainly get along and work together and so from October of this year I will be a guest tutor on their workshop programme, delivering two watercolour workshops each term.  Dates and more information will be published on the Vista Arts website soon.

The last day of the month brought the excellent news that I have been appointed a Professional Associate for the SAA (Society for All Artists) which means I now carry their endorsement as a tutor and demonstrator.

July was a curate's egg of a month - excellent in parts!  The new Saturday Watercolour Workshop programme got off to a great start.  Feedback from and images of some very happy artists can be found here.  Another 'Absolute Beginners' day has been scheduled for November following the success of the first one; there is clearly a demand for teaching in the most basic fundamentals to give the confidence to move on to more workshops or practice at home.

The dreadful weather across the country brought some disappointments with a less than vibrant open air 'Artists' Fair' at the beginning of the month and the short notice cancellation of the July Addingham Exhibition, but compared to what so many people have had to put up with these were minor irritations.

I was asked to paint a live portrait demonstration at the June Addingham exhibition.  The sitter was artist and show organiser, Tony Broadbent.  Painting a portrait from life in one session is always a challenge, even more so with an audience and when both artist and sitter keep having to stop to talk to customers or deal with show administration!  Tony, however, made an excellent sitter and this was the result.

I have been able to add more workshop dates to my schedule for the summer and autumn, including a 'Portraits in Watercolour' day in August.  More details are here.

I enjoyed painting this portrait of a good friend this month.  A full step-by-step demonstration is here. 
May also saw my first Addingham exhibition of the year.  I'll be there again in June and July.  Click here for more exhibition dates.

A large part of this month was spent in the beautiful Dordogne Valley.  The architecture and scenery of this wonderful part of France provided me with many sketches, photos and inspiration for future work.

Following many requests I am pleased to confirm that I will be holding one-day watercolour workshops in York starting in July.  These will be suitable for a range of abilities from complete beginners to those with more experience.  Group sizes will be kept very small to ensure individual attention and a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.  The day will include a light lunch.  More information is here.

I am delighted to be able to announce the launch of a superb on-line gallery developed by a good friend, Ros Callander.  Affordable British Art is, as the name suggests, designed to be a friendly and accessible source of commission free art purchased direct from the artist.  There is some fantastic work on display there from some very talented British artists, many of whom I am privileged to count among my friends.

The start of the New Year saw the launch of a sister site to this one - Stoneflower Studio.  The new site is small and compact and will deal almost exclusively with artwork for sale though with some examples of past work and portraits displayed too.  Meanwhile this site, www.janeduke.com, will continue to provide wider information including painting holidays, exhibitions, demonstrations etc.