Vidya Wolton

Hello, from the roof tops of Cowes for some festive cheer. This winter wonderland looked quite magical from the Co-op car park. It just goes to show what a transformation takes place at this time of year.

News from the studio is that I seem to be having a bit of a breakthrough on the painting front. After the constraints of making my many small art boxes over the past year painting on a grander scale has taken second place. It was something of a revelation to be painting on canvas again and extending my palette back to conventional acrylic to supplement pots of household paint, with which I had become rather too cosy. Colour has become more of a challenge, as has the subject matter, which is ever changing, so let me not bore you with something that seems impossible to pin down at the present time. I hope there is a freshness to my painting which will become evident in my next Solo show at Quay Arts at the end of April. More about that closer to the time. However, for now, let me leave you with Cowes at Christmas on a chilly evening in December and offer my festive best wishes. For any out there wanting to offer a festive toast, my tipple of preference for the Season is Baileys on the rocks. Plenty of ice please!

And finally. . . . . . are we heading for a white Christmas? The bookies are looking to have a big pay out. Keep warm out there in cyberspace. More ramblings in 2010.

Well here I am in Cowes with my new but perhaps transient friend. Very pleased to get out into the snow for a second day. Admittedly there was a big thaw on by late morning but worth a trip out all the same. We saw kids with redundant sledges as the ice melted although earlier in the day there had been some heavy falls of snow and the opportunity to see children making the most of what for many would be a new experience. On the way back along to Cowes this Cormorant was taking a characteristic stance with outstretched wings. I took the opportunity to do a quick sketch, which I was later able to work up in the studio as part of yet another box art collection. Trying now to go for my own brand of realism with the birds using brief sketches as a memory jogger.

Thanks to Keith for pics.

You may think we have come to the end of Cowes week, however, today, saturday, the racing continues albeit in the rain. The rain confers certain advantages as the crowds were dampened down and there was actually room to ‘walk’ along the High Street. Alas, no photos to show here but I have a visual impression to convey of boats in the misty rain this morning in very subdued tones and looking very inspirational for the marine artist in me which is just not emerging. I did a bit of sketching from East Cowes seafront earlier in the week but went so far into abstraction that I abandoned the view and headed back to the studio. There are hints of a paddle steamer in the work but not convincing enough to show. In the drizzly rain returning to the Floating Bridge it was good to hear the screech of Sandwich Terns. They are fairly distinctive size-wise and larger than Commic Terns which are also around. Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed the fireworks last night. East Cowes comes alive at night all of once a year for this momentous event. Great entertainment from the local band whipping up true community exuberance and a bit of dancing along by the seawall. Never quite heard that version of Van Morrison’s ‘The Brown-eyed Girl’! The more distinguishable bits were good to sing along to though. Thanks to all involved for making it happen. (Photos courtesy of Richie Mair)