...and not a Pina Colada in sight!

As you may know I am doing two big sponsored events this year as part of my 40th Birthday Year of Challenges! Although I have done some of my personal challenges already the Playtex Moonwalk is the first of two big sponsored events!

It is a walk of 26.2 miles through the heart of London starting in Hyde Park at midnight on Saturday 16th May - hence the name (nothing to do with walking backwards!).

My training is ongoing and last Thursday afternoon I had arranged to do a training walk with my friend, Val. I do mid-week walks which are only 3-4 miles and a once-a-week long-distance walk which increases in duration as the mileage increases...

We are averaging a walking speed of 4mph so the 14 mile walk we had planned for this particular afternoon was due to take us 3.5hours ... trouble was that we hadn't planned for it to rain!

The walk was good to start with, although pace was a little slower than anticipated we got into a rhythm and set off.

About half-way through the walk it started to spot with rain but this was soon replaced by a definite shower and then a much heavier rain which certainly qualified as a downpour!

We had no choice but to soldier on ... cars passed us and looked at us as though we were totally mad!

We strode on with our clothing soaked right through, our joggers were so wet they were plastered to our legs and it made the walk hard going! The rain was stinging our faces and the wind was howling round our soaking wet clothes - good job we were active otherwise it would have been seriously cold!

As we followed our chosen route the rain eventually slowed and stopped. For three miles we had walked in the rain, about 50 minutes! But now the sun was trying to shine and our joggers, although still moulded to the shape of our legs, even started to dry a little!

We walked the final stretch of the walk, alongside the main road, turning away from the big trucks who thundered past with a strong side-draught and showered us in muddy water from the roadside!

Eventually we arrived back at mine where my thoughtful boy found us each a big bath sheet and handed us each a steaming hot drink!

We removed our squelching wet trainers and sat down wrapped in our towels and felt the heat from our drinks as it ran down inside us...

Energy was distinctly lacking and so I was very thankful that I'd had the forethought to buy a pack of pink iced doughnuts that morning - they absolutely hit the spot and gave us the boost we needed!

Training is fabulous on hot sunny days but we needed a day like this one to remind us that it is possible that it may rain for the big event and it was good that we have had the experience - but it also made us add 'spare set of clothes' to our list of stuff to take ... just in case :-)

I have now set up my Justgiving page for donations and so if you would like to sponsor me for this event then please visit www.justgiving.com/dianewass

Alternatively just pop into the gallery where a sponsor form is on hand - you can sponsor me per mile or just an overall amount - all donations are gratefully received!

I have set a modest target of £262.00 (which is £10 per mile) but would be delighted to smash through it :-)

Thanking you (cheekily!) in advance!
Diane :-)

Diamond Opportunity...

The Diamond Dust Collection by Simon Claridge is a stunning new release from the Spring Fair and with its bang up to date colouring and contemporary styling each piece is a stunner in its own right!



Imagine then what it would be like to have the full set of three superb images... well one local couple have done just that - the complete set of three and all matching numbers too!



Can you imagine what an impresive room that will make? Simply stunning!

What A Day!!

It all began with Alex advising us that his train would be arriving in York at 11.25 and could we pick him up!! Yes we said and then panic set in, still lots to do and I had to leave Diane and Emily to put the final touches to the gallery as I dashed into York to the train station. After being told to move three times by the police and assorted traffic wardens I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw Alex emerge from the train station looking calm and relaxed.

I managed to get through the busy traffic and get Alex to the gallery by 12.10pm where some collectors were already eagerly waiting to chat with him.

Alex entertained questions about his ideas and inspirations and was kept busy all day chatting and dedicating prints and purchases!

We were delighted to welcome a gentleman who travelled all the way from Glasgow to purchase Whee - a very rare piece - which Alex was happy to dedicate for a special ladys birthday!

We have had superb interest in the new original oils and everyone could identify with the small red trike! Childhood stories were recounted and it is obvious that this painting brings out the smile in all of us!

By 3.30pm Alex had to leave as he had further comittments and so I dropped him back in York. Alex thanked me for a lovely day and said that he would love to be invited back someday!

Thankyou to everyone who came along - and for those of you who would like to be told of future gallery events then please let us have your details and we'll make sure you are kept 'in the picture'!

Saturday 4th April 2009 what a day!!

On Your Marks...

I really can't believe it's been so long since the last entry! (You're probably all thinking the same!).

Well we're getting ready for Alexander Millar who is due to appear at the gallery today - in fact he should be on his way now as John has gone to collect him from York Station.

The sun is out, the glasses are polished and the champagne is sparkling... the gallery has been dusted to within an inch of its life and there is an outstanding display of Alex's work on the wall!

There are all of his latest pieces along with some classics, including the highly sought after 'Whee' and nestled among them are three superb Original Oil paintings! 'Rhythm and Blues', 'Convoy' and 'Dance with the Devil' all have their own unique charm and each shows off Alex's style to its best!

So, now I need to sign off and make sure everything is in place, yes - just one more check :-)

If you are coming over then we'll see you later! If not then that's a shame but check back here later tonight for an update on the day...

Tails of the Unexpected...

Here at The Acorn Gallery we are getting used to surprise visitors but it is still always a pleasure to meet and greet a new guest... and so to our latest visitor...

Paul James is over from Ireland and unexpectedly rang to ask if he could pop over and say hello - well naturally we said yes!!

Paul is famous for his almost photographic portrayal of the natural world, including stunning landscapes and true to life animal portraits, usually with a humourous twist!



Streetwise Charlie is one of his top-selling contemporary pieces and more work will follow in that same vein. We have been fortunate enough to reserve two stunning cow canvases named 'Little Madge' and 'Gorgeous George' which will hopefully be in the gallery soon.

Little Madge

Gorgeous George

If you are interested in Pauls work then let us know and we can let you know when the new pieces arrive!

Just to prove that Paul dd pop in see the image below :-)

Excitement!!!

Wow! March is here already and we are busy getting ready for Alexander Millars visit to the gallery on the 4th April 2009.

We have ordered in a selection of work which is now ready for framing. The window banner design is finished and ready for printing and we have also finalised the layout for the invitations. Watch out for yours landing on the doormat soon...

We are hoping in the next week to be offered some original pencil sketches and maybe even an original oil to compliment our selection of Limited Edition Prints.

On Friday I was up in Scotland delivering another original oil by Alexander Millar called 'Over The Moon'. Alex really seems to be flying at the moment!



It will compliment the 'Thats Our Boy' original that I took up in October 2008. When I saw it hanging there on the wall it made me smile.

So mark Saturday 4th April in your diary and we hope that you will be able to come along and chat to Alex about his work! Champagne and nibbles will be served and it should be a cracking day!!

I can now reveal who were the top sellers in February. They were:-

1. Sarah Jane Szikora/Peter Smith
2. John Wilson/Caroline Shotton/Jeff Rowland

Well done Peter and Sarah - joint top!!

As I said, excitement is building so don't miss out on a great day!
We'll see you on 4th April!!

Changeover Day!

We like to keep things looking fresh in The Acorn Gallery and today was Changeover Day! No - this doesn't mean that we got to the end of our holiday and went home - it means that we take down some pieces and put up some new work and generally have a change around!

We had a chat yesterday and wrote a plan - very organised for us - so that we knew which pieces were coming down and which were going up. It made things so much easier!

...and so it began... the original ribbons were lined up on the desk ready to adorn their next masterpiece, the ladders were brought downstairs ready to hang the higher pieces, and eventually the kettle went on too :-)

It didn't take long, about 3 hours in all, it went really smoothly - and according to plan too! (Good job we made that plan!).

The NEW Paul Kentons are the first to greet you as you walk in and they look simply stunning - especially 'City of Romance' with its gold highlights!

Caroline Shottons new piece 'It Must be Love' has been hung too along with her other latest releases, making for a very eyecatching panel!

We also have some beautiful original oils by Toni Hargreaves and these make a gorgeous display by the window wall!



The Acorn Gallery is on FaceBook now too!! You can become a fan and keep abreast of things with our regular updates! Click on the title of this entry and check us out today :-)

An Unexpected Visitor!!

I was sitting in the gallery on Friday, busy updating the website when I received an unexpected visitor!! Bob Barker was in the area and couldn't resist popping in to say hello!

We spent the next two hours chatting about his new releases and his techniques. I asked Bob whether he would be happy to come along to the gallery and paint live for us - he said he would be delighted! I will approach Washington Green on Monday about getting him booked in - watch this space for more details - hopefully another champagne event for your diary...

The rest of Saturday was spent finalising the updating of the website with all the images from the ICC event - we are sooo excited about them and can't wait to take delivery!

The pieces that stand out the most (although it is VERY hard to choose!) are the new releases by Peter Smith, Alexander Millar, Caroline Shotton and Jeff Rowland - there are so many great pieces but I know you like me to name names :-)

ON the website homepage any artist whose name has NEW beside it means that they have NEW images released and you should check out their gallery - I would urge you to contact us as soon as possible if there is anything that takes your fancy as the images are strong and we are expecting some images to sell out quickly!

Whilst I write this I can now reveal the top seller for January. Our congratulations go to Alexander Millar. Well done Alex!! Yey!

1. Alexander Millar
2. Govinder Nazran/Peter Smith
3. A J Callan/Paul Kenton

One of the final pieces Govinder worked on before his death was a sculpture called 'Lean on Me'. This is a beautiful two-piece design and has been produced in stunning stainless steel! It is AMAZING!

It is sooo beautiful that they are having trouble photographing it as the curves and the steel reflect everything around - simply stunning and a VERY LOW EDITION so it is imperative if you want this piece to get in early - simply leave us a deposit to secure your sculpture!

As always the new releases will start to arrive in the gallery over the next few weeks so do pop in when you're passing to see what's new - don't be afraid to ask us - we are always happy to answer questions - or simply chat about the new work! We're equally happy to leave you in peace if you prefer :-)

We look forward to seeing you soon!

A Strange Few Days!!

Over the weekend I decided to give another coat of oil to the gallery floor and with the help of my brother in law this was achieved! And if I say so myself I think we did a good job!!

Monday came and the gallery was closed as we were due to go to Birmingham to the ICC to view the new releases by this seasons top artists, including Peter Smith, Alexander Millar, Caroline Shotton, Paul Horton and Bob Barker to name but a few.

Unfortunately we awoke Monday morning to 4 inches of snow and warnings not to travel if your journey wasn't essential! Although the trip was important we weighed up the odds and having looked at all available forecasts Diane decided that our trip to the ICC could wait until Tuesday in the hope of better weather.

Instead I decided to open the gallery and turned up to find myself sticking to the floor which hadn't dried as well as expected due to the very low temperatures!

As the schools were also closed I spent Monday with Diane and the kids! (When I was at school we were there in all weathers and all temperatures - in fact the teachers would make every effort to get there just to make us work!!)

Anyway, Tuesday arrived and surprisingly we awoke to find that the snow had pretty much gone and so off we went to Birmingham, before the weather changed its mind!

We arrived in good time to find the ICC beautifully laid out with all the new work - wow it looked stunning! Usually the place is packed out with artists and fellow gallery owners, however many had not been able to make it or had left early due to the weather! This meant that we almost had the place to ourselves!!

The new work is fantastic (but then we would say that wouldn't we?) but we are sure that when you see it for yourselves you will be impressed! Images have not yet been released for the website to be updated but I am itching to get going with it and you will know as soon as I have done it!

If you are not sure if we have your email address for updates then do please send a quick message asking us to include you - we'd rather have you twice than not at all!

Anyway, today we opened up and found the floor had dried beautifully - it looks as good as new! The smell of oil still lingers a little but it's too cold to have the door open for long to clear it so I am feeling a little light headed!!

As I say it has been a stange few days!!

Oh What A Month!!

What a month! January blues have not surfaced this year and it has been a cracking month for sales. Many of you are finding the on-line ordering very useful so my thanks go to Jim for all his work on getting it up and running.

And so to February - with new Valentines releases due out soon there will be plenty to see and plenty of reasons for you to feel inspired to purchase a fabulous and unique gift for your loved one, whether it be your wife/husband, girlfriend/boyfriend or even for yourself!!

More and more people are coming to the conclusion that money looks much better on your wall in the form of a piece of art, rather than just as numbers on your bank statement!

This is borne out by the fact that we have sold work by 15 different artists this month - so far! The lead is currently held by Alexander Millar with Govinder Nazran coming a close second. The sad death of Govinder last month has left several of you looking for a souvenir of his work.

With the new season comes the Spring Fair which is the trade show where the we get to go and see the new images due to be released over the coming months. It is a great day out and a chance for us to chat with the artists and get first hand information as to their inspiration for painting a particular piece.

The gallery will therefore be closed on Monday 2nd Feburary but we are open as usual from 9.30am on Tuesday 3rd.

I promise to update you all with the new pieces and as soon as I have the images then the website will be updated too!

Watch this space!!