Christmas Markets…but not for profit

My wife brought home this flyer (see below)…she has helped at this Christmas Market since the winter of 2014 and I have not so I contacted John and Adele with the suggestion of me donating a piece of work for raffle or auction. John felt a raffle would be the best way forward and I selected a limited edition Giclee print titled “Just Before The Sun Goes Down” a local scene just up the road from where the Smithills Fellowship Christmas Markets take place. For those who are interested, it is the track from Pendlebury’s Farm looking towards Smithills Dean Road. The tree line running left to right is the hedgerow/treeline on the edge of Smithills Dean Road. This was a remarkable day. The early evening or late afternoon sun was descending quickly and the light was low providing very subtle changes in tone and hue. I struggled with this painting and ended up using tubes of colour that I almost never use combined with a series of thin glazes to achieve the colours in the shadows. The original acrylic on canvas is currently at a gallery in Worcester.

A massive thanks must go out to John and Adele for coordinating the Christmas Markets and thanks must also go to all those who have put in so much effort to ensure the success of such an event. I would also like to thank all those who came along today in damp conditions but fairly moderate temperatures (most places seem to have moderate temperatures for those of us who have studios at FaMAS…one can see one’s breath in the studios at the moment!). It was good to see so many familiar faces and also plenty of ones not known to me despite our geographical proximity. Do I really walk around with my eyes shut?! Here’s a photo, taken late into the event, of my “pop-up” gallery..thanks to Paul and Marie for the use of their drive. The winning ticket (see below) has been drawn and the piece of work has been delivered to its new home…

The sale of raffle tickets and cards generated a grand total of £110 for Urban Outreach Bolton so thank you to everyone who so generously contributed. I’m sure John and Adele will announce what the total donation is once all funds are in…as soon as I know I’ll post an update. It was lovely to take part in this community enterprise and whilst my contribution was small I am pleased to have been able to support Urban Outreach in some way. Check them out at http://www.urbanoutreach.co.uk/

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