It's Give-Away Time!

Seeing as the last one was so much fun, I'm doing another give-away!  Seeing as Christmas is coming you can choose:

1. A free signed print of your choice 
2. £15 off any original painting 

You have a number of ways to enter & you can do all of them if you'd like to increase your chances of winning.  You can:

• Like my Facebook page
• Follow me on Twitter
• RT one of my tweets about the give-away
• Post your own tweet to tell people about the give-away
• Post a comment on my blog 

It's open to people who already follow me on Twitter or who already like my Facebook page - simply click below to show you already do and confirm your entry!

Let me know if you have any questions! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Customer Photo - Natalie in Adelaide

It's customer photo time again!  This time a glimpse into the office of Natalie in Adelaide.  I love the cute little floral paintings on the other wall - so sweet!  Thanks Natalie for sharing! :) 

Customer Photo - Emma from Tyne & Wear

Another beautiful customer photo from Emma in Tyne & Wear!  I love the wallpaper - it's such a delicious colour and the paisley is so pretty!  The lovebirds painting was a commissioned piece to fit with the colours Emma had chosen for the room.

Customer Photo - Zoe from The Sewing Croft

Another lovely customer photo to share with you.  This time from Zoe of The Sewing Croft. I just love having a nose at other people's creative spaces and Zoe's is lovely.  I can imagine quite happily whiling away an afternoon sewing and making in her studio!  Which reminds me, I really should get around to fixing my little space up how I want it!

Thanks Zoe for sharing.  To check out some of the beautiful items Zoe makes, you can visit her Etsy shop.

50% off prints, 15% off paintings

I do love autumn, the colours, the smells, the changes of the scenery around us.  However, I don't know about you but talk about back down to earth with a bump!  The cooler weather is setting in, it's getting darker earlier, and the sporting excitement of the last couple of months is finally over.

So how about a little pick me up?

This week I'm offering 50% off all prints and 15% off all paintings in my Etsy shop.  That includes custom painting orders too!

To get your discount simply use the following coupon codes when you checkout
For prints: PRINTS50
For paintings: AUTUMN15

Coupons are valid until midnight Sunday 16th September. If you'd like to order a mixture of prints & paintings let me know and I'll help you with a listing to reflect the price after discount.

To start shopping go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/louisemead now!

Last Day of Reading Arts Week - Come Join Us!

Last day of Reading Arts Week 2012 – Come down and bring your art work with an easel and join us!

The Big Art Picnic

Friday 29 June, 2pm – 8pm
Caversham Court Gardens
FREE Entry!

Art stalls, outdoor art exhibition by Reading College, fashion show
and free boat trips (12-6pm)  to Caversham Lock to see the Arts Week Mural!

Performance Schedule

2pm - Street Dance by Geoffrey Field Junior School
2:30pm - Splendour of Misfortune Reading College band performs
3pm - Luke Paulo – Singer/Songwritter

3:30pm - Progress Theatre to perform a teaser from Henry IV Part One by William Shakespeare

4pm - Irish Dancing by Scoil Rince Celtus UK

4:25pm - The Mayor of Reading announces Reading Arts Week Winner 2012

4:30pm - Reading Arts Week Fashion Show by Lyndsey Clark & Adrienne Henry

4:55pm - The Mayor leaves by boat to Caversham Lock to unveil the Arts Week Mural by Helen Brady

4.55pm – 50 members of Caversham Rock Choir perform live

5:30pm - Headspace - Reading College band performs

6pm The Patient Wild performs live

7pm - 8pm – The emotive and complex Mercia returns for the second year!

Bring along a rug and a picnic and enjoy an
 afternoon and evening of local entertainment!

www.reading.gov.uk/artsweek

Reading Arts Week is nearly here!

I popped down to the Penta Hotel in Reading to drop of two of my paintings this evening for this weekend's Reading Arts Week exhibition.  It's free to get in and showcases a wide range of professional and up and coming artists from across Reading.

You can find out more on Facebook, the Reading Borough Council website, or you can follow on Twitter.

It looks like it's going to be a soggy weekend so why not pop along for something to do!

New Sale Section

I've now got a Sale Section in my Etsy shop.  This is where you can pick up paintings at a reduced price.  Take a look and you can see some of the paintings for sale!

Reading Arts Week 23-29 June 2012

I'm pleased to share with you that I'm going to be part of Reading Arts Week from 23rd to 29th of June 2012. Two of my pieces are going to be part of the exhibition at the Penta Hotel in Reading on 23rd & 24th June.  There's a flyer below to give you more information.  I will also have a pop-up shop on a couple of dates in that week - more details to follow soon.  

Special offer - buy one get one free on prints

How was your bank holiday weekend?  Mine was good, fairly relaxing albeit rather wet!  Back to the grindstone today mind you!

Seeing as this grey, wet, weather doesn't seem to want to leave us, I've decided to offer buy on get one free on all prints in my Etsy store this week.  In order to take advantage of the offer, simply add one print to your basket and when you checkout, tell me which print design you'd like as your free one.  Simple!

Get 10% off this weekend

Use coupon code "WEEKEND10" and receive a 10% discount this weekend on everything in my Etsy store - original paintings, custom paintings, prints, and cards.

Click Here to Visit My Etsy Shop!

New Abstract Flower Paintings

I've been ever so busy over the last week! I began work on a new collection of abstract flower paintings and I'm really pleased with the results so far. I created them using heavy-bodied acrylic paints, and Liquitex pouring medium & string gel.

Here is one of them for you to see. Lots more of these in different colours, sizes, and shapes to follow!

Click Here to Visit My Etsy Shop!

New Paintings in Stock in time for Christmas!

I haven't added many new paintings recently as I've been busy beavering away on a new collection for Maidenhead Art Market on Saturday 3 December 2011. I have decided it's only fair to share some of those works with my lovely existing online customers and have put them up for sale in my Etsy shop. If you'd like to buy one, be quick as I can't be sure which ones I will sell on Saturday. There are 6 new paintings as of today and another 4 to come tomorrow.

Not Long Now Until Maidenhead Art Market!

Well it's been a little while since I last posted as I've been so incredibly busy. I've been preparing for Maidenhead Art Market on 3 December 2011 which has kept me busy in addition to fulfilling numerous custom orders.

Feel free to pop down and see me - I will be exhibiting paintings on Maidenhead High Street from 10.00-16.00 on Saturday 3 December 2011.  You will be able to buy any of the works on display on the day or place a custom order for the exact size and colours your want.  Any custom orders placed on the day will be completed and shipped to you in time for Christmas.  So if you have been thinking of giving somebody an original artwork or would like something new and unique to display when you're having your Christmas lunch, pop down and buy a painting!

Whitchurch Craft Fair

It's very short notice I know but I'll be at Whitchurch Craft Fair this Sunday 18 September 2011 from 2pm until 5pm.  Feel free to pop along if you'd like to meet me or see/buy some of my work!  It's also a fundraising even for Action Medical Research UK and there'll be a chance to win one of my paintings in the raffle.

Details:

Date start:	18 Sep 2011
Date end:	18 Sep 2011
Venue:	St Johns Rooms
Address:	Whitchurch Hill
County:	Berkshire
Postcode:	RG8 7PA

Busy Bank Holiday!

Back to work today after the bank holiday weekend. I'm looking forward to sitting still at least even if my day job is busy!

On Saturday we (my husband Kieren and my stepson Henry who is 6 and I) went to the Tate Modern in London.  Henry made me laugh as he stood in front of the first item we looked at, pondered it for a moment before loudly exclaiming, 'that's not art!'  From the look on some people's faces I think he was voicing the view that several adults harboured but were too polite to say out loud.  He continued with his critique throughout sometimes asking, 'so why is this art?'.

What Henry did love was the 'Tate Movie' film project they were showing on the ground floor.  The project was set up to get more children aged 5-13 interested in art.  He was glued to his seat and didn't want to leave!  If you have time you can check it out at the Tate Movie Website.

I sold three paintings in all over the weekend including one commission which had to be posted to the US today so I had to work quickly to get that one done.  The other two were from my existing collection for people in the UK.  I have to say I was thinking of giving up on selling on Etsy because I hadn't had any sales but I have been getting sales on Folksy.  Then all of a sudden I get two sales in the same number of days from Etsy and another on Folksy.  Think I'll stick with it a bit longer then as the US is a big marketplace!

Old Pictures Found in the Loft

My husband was having a root through the loft for some of his old vinyl and he found my old art portfolio from when I was at school.  I need to find some time to dig through it properly but here are a few I just found.  I keep meaning to do some pencil drawing again and maybe these could be some inspiration to get me started!

Productive Weekend

It's been a pretty productive weekend all in all.  Pretty much finished three canvas paintings - more trees (photos to follow tomorrow when it's light enough to take some)!  And I sold two of my new tree collection so had to varnish and finish those ready for sending.  All that and I managed to find time for a roast in the local pub and empty and refill the hot tub after it got a puncture!  Yesterday I also managed to sit down with my husband and stepson and watch Harry Potter - the Order of the Phoenix over a big bowl of popcorn.  Bliss!

Time for bed soon I think!

More Stripes - Sherbet this Time!

Did I tell you I liked stripes?  Well, in case I didn't, I do love stripes!  Here is a striped painting I finished last night.  It's on a 12" x 12" (30cm x 30cm) square deep-edged canvas and painted in the colours of sherbet - orange, pink, red, yellow, white using vertical stripes.  The sides of the canvas are painted yellow and the top and bottom edges are a glossy red colour.  It's very sunny and will brighten up the room for the person who buys it.  It's for sale in my Etsy Shop if you'd like to buy.

Stripes!

I've just finished a striped painting.  I've done quite a few of these - I love stripes!  This one is red, black, and white and 12" x 12" on chunky canvas.