October 2010

Hello everyone,
You may have noticed my website has been down recently, this was due to some technical issues which have now been sorted out! Yay! You can have a browse through my gallery at www.riaharding.com and don't forget Christmas is coming, an original painting would make a unique and special Christmas present! I also do private commissions so contact me with any colour schemes or inspiration ideas you may have.
You may have noticed I haven't updated my blog for a while, I have been a busy bee starting a new part time job as a teaching assistant and also getting engaged! I will post some new images very soon so keep your eyes open for updates and you never know there maybe one or two special offers before Christmas!
I had a sucessful West Lancashire Open Show in Ormskirk and two of my paintings are currently on show at the Garstang Craft Centre with the Lodge Artists Society so check it out if you're in the area.
Thats all for now!

August 2010

'Fork in the Road' 31.5 x 23.5 cm

'Raindrops' 19.5 x 15.5 cm

Well hello!
As promised here are a couple of new paintings I've been working on for the collection. I have been experimenting with new tools made from straw and 'Raindrops' is the first painting I have done that hasn't included any black. I wanted to take myself out of my comfort zone and I have been doing a lot of experiments with paints and techniques. I hope to bring you some results in the form of finished paintings in the not to distant future!

Artists and Illustrators Shop

Hello!
Just a quick note to say my work is now available to purchase online through Artists and Illustrators Portfolio! Just follow this link http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/RiaHarding.
There are just a few uploaded at the moment, more coming soon, but if you have any quieries on commissions or a piece previewed on my blog or website please feel free to contact me for details or a price. This is also a permenant link to my shop under 'Links' on the right hand side of my blog! Happy shopping!

West Lancashire Open August -Sept 2010

Hello!
Here a few photos from the current West Lancashire Open Exhibition 2010 at the Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk. We went to the preview evening which was very busy and bumped into a few familiar faces such as Artist Gerry Halpin. I just have a few photos from the exhibition as photography is limited so that naughty people can't use photographs of artists work but the exhibition as a whole looks fantastic and there are a wide range of mediums and styles to view, it's well worth a visit! Check out http://www.chapelgallery.org.uk/ for directions and details!
Keep your eyes peeled for the next update as I'll be uploading images of brand new paintings!

Lifestyle Magazine 2010

Hello!
Just a quick note to let you know that I have a full page feature in Lifestyle Monthly Magazine! It's distributed in and around Liverpool so if you're in the area pick one up or follow this link for the online version http://www.lifestylemonthly.co.uk/newsite/issues.php?issue=201008 You can win the following painting 'About a Place' just follow the instructions in the issue!

July 2010 - West Lancashire Open Exhibition

Hello!
Just a quick note with some good news, my painting has been accepted into the West Lancashire Open Exhibition 2010! This is based at the Chapel Gallery in Ormskirk and runs from 31st July 2010 to 22nd September 2010. For more information on the gallery, all it's events and directions on how to get there go to http://www.chapelgallery.org.uk/. Also well done to Rob Coyle who got TWO pieces into the show! I'm really looking forward to seeing them up and will be attending the preview evening in a couple weeks so hope to bring you some photo's from there!

July 2010 - New and Old Drawings

Hello!
It's been a little while again! This month I thought I would post some of my drawings as they are the main inspiration for shapes, colours and textures in my paintings. I generally draw in monochrome using inks, pastels, pens, charcoal etc but have started to experiment with some colour recently. Every few months I stop painting and go out and take photographs, make drawings and collect found objects, I normally do this when I feel like I've exhausted all my previous research material (and plus it's good fun and great to get back to nature!). So please have a look and keep your eyes open in the next few weeks for news on up and coming gallery shows and new paintings I am yet to photograph!

This is one of my experiments with colour using different inks.


This is the same scenery as the drawing above but it has a different feel to it as I used different materials, oil pastels on watercolour paper. I am a great believer in doing something more than once as it makes you look with fresh eyes and I may capture something second time round that I missed first time.

I used this drawing for a painting called 'Tissington Trail' (previously posted) The path leading to the circle of light at the end was interesting but for the painting I inverted the light and dark areas.
And finally here are some snowdrops I saw on a walk, however I decided to do them orange so they stood out on the white paper, I often like to draw on coloured paper to make the subjuct pop out more.

Brownedge Festival, Bamber Bridge May/June 2010

Me and my certificate!

Glenridding Stream (Commended)

Tissington Trail

About a Place, Stripe I (Sold) and Softscape I

Hello!
As promised here are some photographs from the Brownedge Festival, it was opened by the Mayor of South Ribble on Saturday and finishes on Saturday 5th June. There are workshops and demonstrations on all week so have a look at the website for more information. Overall I think the show looks good, it's in the church so the lighting could be a little better and my work looks better on a white ground but I'm pleased with the show! The paintings are on display around the alter so there is a grand feel about walking around. There is alo a photography exhibition on too.

May 2010 - Brownedge Festival

Hello all!

It's been a little while again I know but I have still stuck to my rule of once a month! I dropped off five paintings at an open exhibition last week and........I received a letter saying 'Genridding Stream' (above) had been commended by the judges! The exhibition is the Brownedge Festival in Bamber Bridge, on Brownedge Lane. It opens on Saturday 29th May and is on for a week. There will be lots to see and do over the week like workshops, poetry and opera as well as the painting and photography exhibition, so check out the site for more information on times and days http://www.brownedgefestival.org.uk/ I will be going to the opening on the 29th May and will hopefully be able to get some pictures of the exhibition to update you. I'm also hoping to get some new paintings on the go shortly, the lovely weather is so inspiring! If not a bit hot to be working in!

April 2010 No2

'Orange Star' (60cm x 80cm)

Hello,
This one is very new, I was a bit worried about it to start with as I couldn't get hold of the regulat white I normally use, different whites behave in different ways. It seems to have turned out ok though but i think it will take a little getting used to, it always takes a while to settle in to a new material when I'd been using something different for so long.

April 2010

Tissington Trail (61cm x 61cm)

Glenridding Stream (61cm x 61cm)

Hello!
It's been a little longer than normal since my last post I've been organising all of my paintings and images as they were in a right old mess and I couldn't find anything! The two images above are new paintings which I'm really happy with. They are both based on walks I've been on recently. When out walking I like to take photographs of interesting shapes, textures and colours and use these to inform my work. These two are a slightly different process as I haven't used any water or varnish which leaves a smoother finish. Let me know what you think!

And here are the other two paintings in the 'Stripe' series (below). You can still see 'Stripe I' at Sunnyhurst Visitor Centre with the Lodge Artists Society this weekend. It's lovely weather and would be a really nice walk too!

'Stripe I, II, and III' (60.5cm x 20.cm)

March 2010

Hello!
The Lodge Artist Society exhibition is up and running at Sunnyhurst Wood Visitor Centre. It's on from Saturday March 6th to April 18th and the centre is open Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun 1-4.30pm as well as bank holiday Monday. The exhibition looks really good however my I forgot to charge my camera battery before I went and only managed to get the two pictures above! Hopefully I will get some more of the general space which is lovely and features some fantastic paintings and I'll update when I have more. The visitor centre is in a beautiful setting and there are plenty of woodland walks as well as being right near Darwen Tower.
I'm currently working on some new paintings which are going well and I'm trying to get back to working bigger as I feel I can do more with a larger canvas. Space is an issue though and I currently have paintings dotted through the house drying as they need to dry flat! It feels like I have a conveyor belt going! Hopefully I'll be able to bring you some images of my new paintings soon so keep your eyes open for new updates!
Thanks!

February 2010

About a Place - 50cm x 40cm

Stripe I - 60.5cm x 20cm

Yellow Flame I - 40.5cm x 30.5cm

Hello everyone!
In keeping with my new years resolution to update more often here is my post for February! I have a show coming up in March with the Lodge Artists Society and the three paintings above will feature in it. From the top they are 'About a Place - 50cm x 40cm', 'Stripe I - 60.5cm x 20cm' and 'Yellow Flame I - 40.5cm x 30.5cm'. The show will be at Sunnyhurst Wood in Darwen and will run from Saturday 6th March to April 18th 2010. 'About a Place' and 'Stripe I' are new paintings this year so it will be interesting to see what people think of them. 'Stripe I' is part of a series of three paintings, whenever I seem to paint at the moment I like to do a small series so where you see a number after any of my work there is normally another one or two paintings that go with it. If anybody would like to see the addtional ones to a series then please let me know and I will be happy to list them!

December 2009

Hello,

In December I was part of the The Lodge Artist Society annual exhibition at Astley park Coach House Gallery. The Lodge is a great group of artist of all abilities and welcomes new members, I have enjoyed my time there so far very much! The exhibition took place over three weeks from the start of December and there was a private view including prize giving. North West artist Gerry Halpin was the judge and the event was attended by the Mayoress of Chorley. Opening night was a busy event and I was awarded the 'Ray Landless Best in Show' trophy for my painting 'Stoneface I' which was a complete shock! There were many visitors to the show over the three weeks and this generated many sales within the works on show including a couple of mine. I am looking forward to new events this year and my work will be in the Garstang annual open exhibition this month (details to follow).

November 2009

Hello,

The end to 2009 was quite a busy time for me. My work on show at the County Inn in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, which mean a long way to travel but they look fantastic! Looking forward to getting some feedback, if you're in the area pop in it's on the village green and is a lovely pub!