| Julie Foley Fine Art |
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 .......LITERALLY. Work in progress - Lee's hand for his BIG C Book for the Book Project .... loving working with
watercolour again .....its wear my heart lives ..... but my soul has needed oils to express itself recently ....x
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 Went to Clitheroe Castle today to see Chris Mcloughlin's inspiring exhibition - A GRAND PERSPECTIVE. He is an en plein air artist hero of mine.....and this body of work has been inspired by the Forest of Bowland and surrounding areas. The views from the Castle were awesome ....it was a blustery, stormy day and on top of the battlements it was literally breathtaking. The 'views' inside the Steward's Gallery were equally breathtaking.... Chris's work is rich and luscious and he can capture the expansive beauty of a place in a few bold and beautiful brushstrokes. If you can get to see his work you will not be disappointed! His exhibition is until 11th July ....11am and 4pm daily ..... and the views from the castle and the surrounding walks and gardens are beautiful too.
 .......Finally got myself out of the door to do some plein air work.......couldnt for the life of me get my easel and acrylics out though ....... not yet an oak ;)
 THANKFULLY!! ..... I REALLY hate decorating .... I know its not a very buddhist thing to do - to hate anything .... but I'd stake my inner peace (which hopefully will return now Im putting the paint trays away) that Buddha would be seriously challenged by a wallpaper steamer and crumbling plaster.
The 'wall hanging' is an old, split fence panel I found on one of my walks ..... it reminded me of a sunset.... so here it hangs  Ive been decorating the Living Room....stripped off the old wallpaper that Ive been painting over for the past 20 years...down to the plaster, which turned out to have lots of holes in it! Filled, sanded and painted....and painted again...and again and...then again. Finally I have a huge, clean 'canvas', like a gallery wall. I wonder what will hang there??
The shelf is the old bench that I used to sit on when I was a little girl. It sat in the shop of my Mum and Dad's Bakery. I used to pick up the old bits of dough and pastry and make 'cakes'.....everyday a man came in and bought a loaf of bread and one of my 'cakes'....I would sit on this bench and wait for him ............. I like it still being in my life x Such beautiful mornings, so Ive sat outside with my morning tea. Ive noticed a gathering of doves in the large tree behind my house. Ive never seen or known this before and Ive lived here for 20 years. The morning of these photographs they all rose together and circled over my house for 20 minutes without stopping.....spectacular! 
 Each phase of today found me listening.....this is what I heard.....
A small sliver slipped beneath Scalpel and Kiss Seamstress and Surgeon Sewing threads and flesh Bringing mountain from oceanbed  It is a beautiful, hot sunny day .....just been sat in the sun listening to bird chatter......is it because I sit out and listen because its warm and sunny that I hear them more.....or is it because its warm and sunny they chatter more?? I love the warm weather, I really should not be living in Manchester, though I do love my City. Its not just the warmth of the Sun I love its the warmth it brings out in people. Being this close to nature makes me think of John O'Donohue, the Irish Poet and scholar, full of soul and spirit. He wrote an astounding book called Anam Cara .....Anam is the gaelic word for soul and cara is the word for friend. I am blessed with Soul Friends ......friends with whom I am able to share the hidden intimacies of my life. John O'D speaks of this friendship as being an act of recognition and belonging that cuts across all convention and category. On days like this I am able to be in touch with a grateful heart.
Most of my days are a whirlwind of activity....constantly trying to eek out another minute from within the day to elbow out 'painting time'. On days like this I realise how ridiculous I am thinking that can work......it just concentrates the 'disconnection'. So, bugger the washing, the decorating, the shopping, the answering of e-mails and phones......Im going to sit and listen and think of B and Ellen and Sherlock and John O'D ......my beautiful Anam Cara's.  .....the Dining Room is decorated ...... the Living Room is almost emptied and ready for stripping, the ironing pile is down to manageable proportions, the Book Project with Bury Collective is well underway, sold some paintings at the Exhibition, Spuds are weeded and ready to paint ....... the Red Shoes are calling me......
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