2020 looks set to be an exciting year for me. I am currently having a van converted into a Day/Camper van so that I can get around the county and paint new views. I'm looking forward to sharing pictures of it with you before I take to the road. Initially I will be going all around Cumbria's towns and villages and painting castles and churches and other beautiful buildings as well as new landscapes. Derwent have re-branded their Graphik Line Painters as Painter Pens, much more user friendly and I will be using these to do my colourful contemporary cards and prints. I will also be taking along my watercolours from Florence Paintmakers and doing some one off original sketches whilst I am out and about.
The cover photo is a new painting of Carlisle Castle. I have been busy over the Christmas period with new views of Carlisle Cathedral and Carlisle Castle. These will be for sale in Castle Framing in Carlisle by the end of January.
I've also established a relationship with The Maker's Mill in Keswick. It is well worth a visit, though it is closed now until February. Beautifully restored along the River Greta, it houses a collection of artist studios with a central hub for high quality art shopping and workshops. I have created some new 'Herdy does Art' prints for Luke to put into his gorgeous frames for this year.
I've had a lot of joy with my favourite Herdwick, Wrynose, and his artistic endeavours.
Interpreting famous artist works has been both a challenge and fun. I'm aiming for those already well-known works so that people recognise them and smile but I'm also hoping to introduce these artists to people too.
It is fun to see people come to my stall and guess the artists and I love it when the children know more of the artists than the adults, because they have studied them at school. Primary school children identify Kandinsky, Matisse, Van Gogh and Munch quite regularly.
Later in the year I will start going further afield, painting views in Dumfries, Northumberland and Yorkshire. I have already started putting together a NE collection of prints for an exhibition in 2021.
There are so many wonderful vistas to paint in the north of England and I can't wait to get started.
The castles of Northumberland, scenes along Hadrian's Wall, waterfalls and rocky outcrops, viaducts, bridges and sculptures like 'The Angel of the North', are all places I am planning to visit and paint.
Do get in touch via my home page if you would like to suggest a favourite place for me to paint and follow me on Instagram @natburnsy