http://www.janharbon.com/index.php Copyright 2013, Jan Jan en-US SPHPBLOG 0.4.7.1 http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry130415-141900 A very busy few days.















Although quite happy to be sitting down at the SBA Exhibition, it was nevertheless not quite the relaxing day out it might appear. The thing with demonstrating watercolour using my "happy accident", serendipity approach is that, well, accidents can happen! A bit of holding of breath went on - mostly mine.... Everyone concentrated so hard on what I was doing, and in between holding breaths, Idon't think I stopped talking. But,how much better it was to have so many interested interrogators (in the pleasantest way of course), than complete silence. The day passed very quickly, and I think the painting may actually come to something in due course, which is an unexpected bit of serendipity, and not atall the rule!
The exhibition itself is quite awe inspiring - not just because it is a very large exhibition of one genre, but it is of such consistent high quality. It was a priviledge to be asked to sit in on the day.

And here is Martin the most meticulous printer imaginable. He can spot "dots" that other human eyes cannot. He's also the most tolerant of people, with my sound bites of "while you set up this next run Martin, I want you to THINK PINK!!!" and he did too. A bit of a magician with the ink mix.
So we are looking forward to receiving the cards ready for sending out the advance orders by the end of this week.

In the meantime, I am still painting away in preparation for Chelsea. I do hope the parrot tulips come out in time to do some of those. Come on sun - we saw a bit of you on Sunday, but more is needed! And I'm not building a garden at Chelsea - that must be SO stressful....]]> http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry130415-141900 Jan Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:19:00 GMT http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry130408-143552 You might be thinking I've been hibernating - or even emigrating come to that. But no, I've been working away at various ideas and projects (and in truth of course, a few other things like Christmas and a short break in wonderful Barcelona...warm and sunny in January - why aren't we living there, remind me?).

There are new cards and new limited edition prints that will be ready for Chelsea, including the card shown on the left - you may recognise one of my favourite 'motifs' - a wren, and the iris "Unravel", shown on right.

The iris will be on show at the SBA's "Language of Flowers" Exhibition, Westminster Hall, London 12th - 21st April. I will be demonstrating there on Sunday 14th. Also exhibited are the Anemones shown below.



Really looking forward to seeing all those other artists, friends and visitors I only get to see rarely in person!

We have held several workshops in the Studio already this Spring, over a three week period, and that was a lovely time too. Such enthusiastic and talented people - it's a pleasure to have these special days here.

]]> http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry130408-143552 Jan Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:35:52 GMT http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry130404-172741















]]> http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry130404-172741 Jan Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:27:41 GMT http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry120611-120335 First up, a mention for the brilliant exhibition being held in Chichester at the moment. Tucked away in the Oxmarket, it's worth a visit from all those lovers of flower painting. The SFP is a diverse society - the techniques vary from the concise botanical illustration to the abstract. I had the pleasure of demonstrating there on Saturday, and it was lovely to see the public's reaction to the exhibits. I was also pleased to see I'd won an award, which was a great bonus, and made my day (month actually!).







Also, do have a look at the Society's new website www.thesfp.org which has a blogspot, links and info.

















An interesting visit to London last Friday with a trip organised by the brilliant Sue Briggs of Petersfield Art Society. I hope she doesn't mind carrying on doing them, because they are always to things I'd like to go to, but probably would end up missing if left to myself. So thankyou so much Sue!
Firstly we visited Kensington Palace, the most recent of the Royal Palaces to have a make-over. Very "new" ways of presenting exhibits and explaining the history of a venue. Contemporary craftsmen and artists were employed to visulise and illustrate events - some parts of the Palace were more successful than others I think - but perhaps that is a fairly subjective point of view, and I know others on the trip didn't like the same things as me. Interesting, and unusual, that a "stately home" can be controversial isn't it?
The photo is of a newly built loggia at the entrance to the palace - commemorating the Diamond Jubilee. I liked it very much (Janet, my companion, would like one just like it. mmmm...so would I!).

In the afternoon we visited Tate Britain for the Picasso exhibition - the purpose of which is to demonstrate the influence Picasso exercised on British Artists in the post-war period. This was acknowledged by the artists themselves of course, and for myself it was enlightening. I'm not particularly enamoured with Picasso's work, but it just goes to show what a man with ideas can do for a whole generation. I realise now that people whose work I really do admire (for example, Ben Nicholson), looked at an idea and ran with it, interpreted it in their own way, and were, artistically influenced by Picasso. Such is the nature of movements, trends, art and design. Fascinating to see an exhibition curated in this way.
Before we went in, we diverted to a run-around trip to the Turner Wing. I think I enjoyed that as much. There is an artist who influences us still I think - and I unreservedly love his paintings too! (And gosh, what a lot there are!)
Such is the length of time between my blogging efforts, I didn't ever say that Sue also organised a trip to David Hockney at the RA. Hockney was an artist included in the Picasso exhibition, he acknowledged very early in his career a debt to Picasso's influence.
Hockney's current techniques using both i-pad, and camera for multiple imagery in film are as ground-breaking as anything Picasso may have done. I really, really loved it. It's only at times like these that I would like to be starting over, learning new technology - but what am I saying? Hockney is at least 10 years older than me, and shows no signs of doing anything other than embrace every new facility and tool that comes his way. What an inspiration!




]]> http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry120611-120335 Jan Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:03:35 GMT http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry120611-100804


This year's stand, and the view looking down Eastern Avenue. By an extraordinary stroke of fate, the weather, previously a cold wintry Spring, bucked up and Chelsea week was glorious. All the flowers that weren't quite out in the gardens, burst into bloom, just as if it were planned - and it's been really quite gloomy since. With the exception of the following Saturday when were quite lucky to be holding our annual family 'barbie'. I think we must have used up all this year's Harbon weather luck in the space of a few weeks.



Look! Sunshine and shadows - and no raincoats!










Tuesday 5th June (my birthday, apart from the Queen's Jubilee) Geoff and I went to see a matinee performance of "The Mousetrap" in London - so we missed all the flag waving in the Mall, but also the rain! We thought appropriate as the play is also celebrating its Diamond Jubilee, and we'd never been to see it. On the way we had lunch at the new Skylon restaurant in the Festival Hall (picture below), which was really quite a lovely experience. Great views over the river too.








]]> http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry120611-100804 Jan Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:08:04 GMT http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry120529-115157


]]> http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry120529-115157 Jan Tue, 29 May 2012 11:51:57 GMT http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry120311-103445 Have I been hibernating? You may be forgiven for thinking that - no blog from me over Winter. It wasn't particularly deliberate, we were just so busy with printers, publishers, admin. work and getting orders for retailers to be ready for the new season. Not very interesting to write about, but I do actually enjoy the feeling of being (nearly) in control. I hesitate to say we are now poised for the spring/summer, but hopefully I'm able to increase the painting time - just in time for the best of spring flowers.
We have had the first workshop of the year here in the studio, and it was a lovely dry day, and everyone made it, including one determined student who had flown in from South Africa that morning! And a brilliant painting she did too! The hellebores were still flowering (I'm painting them still - more next week), so there were those, and tulips, daffodils and anemones to choose from.
We decided this year to cut down on the exhibitions - for a start I've had a solo exhibition at least once a year for the last five years, and I could do with a space I think. (for thinking, apart from anything else!). So I shan't be at the SBA ex. this year, or a few others - and no solo show. It'll give us all a break! Including the long suffering framer (husband Geoff).
We'll see how the summer progresses after Chelsea. We won't be joining Hampshire Open Studios, but I expect we may do something before Christmas anyway. A bit of a social do, and I like an excuse to decorate the studio festively!
This picture of bouganvillea is the result of a lovely holiday in Crete. The humming bird was not - but I've always loved them. I don't know if London Zoo still have the arrangement, but when I was a child you could walk through a sort of greenhouse full of them. A bit like Wisley now does with exotic butterflies in the new glasshouse. I don't remember it when the children were young. When little grandchild Harry is old enough we'll have an excuse to find out!
Went to two exhibitions recently. First the Grayson Perry "Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman". Illuminating in many aspects, and I'm pleased to have gone, but maybe not entirely my cup of tea. The man is just a bit too self obsessed, but that may just be that my expectations were otherwise. More on the second exhibition later - a LOT more to say! So,back now to the drawing board - just like the bees the ideas are beginning to buzz....
]]> http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry120311-103445 Jan Sun, 11 Mar 2012 10:34:45 GMT http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry111124-182902 It hasn't been entirely without lifting a paint brush during October, but maybe not quite so fraught as usual. Finished the last workshop of the year at Gilbert White's House, and it has felt a bit 'holidayish' in the last few weeks. We are trying to work out the new card designs for 2012, so a lot of thought has been going on if not much else! (That's my story and I'm sticking to it - thinking is hard work!). And of course, daughter Kate had lovely baby Harry in October, and I couldn't get my head around much else...
Here is a design on it's way - called the "Cherry Picker" - one of several bird and flower cards that will be available for next season. Having spent so much time reading and being around Gilbert White's House, it seemed appropriate to include a few feathered friends.
The calendars are selling well this year, both in retail and direct, keeping us and the Post Office busy. Perhaps next year I will do the Christmas cards I keep humming and haa-ing and maybeing about. Meanwhile of course, NAFAS have produced the "Winter Flowers" as a card for general sale. (It was the President's card last year). So that's 2011 sorted. And I still see an occasional Christmas design pop up in Smith's on some card or another. Licence to use an image may only be a few years, but publishers get some mileage out of them!

I circulated info. on a workshop next March - and I do apologise to anybody that would have liked another date in Spring. The overspill from the first advertised workshop then filled another two. This leaves me with no more time for more before Chelsea. BUT! I do know that Gilbert White's House still has space on 17th March, and I will be doing more in July (think sweet peas hopefully). If you would like to know if anyone drops out from the Spring workshops (see events for dates), send me an email. If you didn't get an email in the first place, we got an awful lot of undelivered mail returned from the server!! Wrong dot or changed address? Let me know if you've slipped through the "web" net.

So exciting to have been picked for the floral range of 2011 by Greetings Today magazine. It was a lovely surprise. Also concentrates the mind on 2012 designs! See.....I am thinking....]]> http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry111124-182902 Jan Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:29:02 GMT http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry110920-114155 Does anyone recognise the venue for this workshop? Thought not (unless you were there of course). It's the lovely Clore Learning Centre at Wisley Gardens. We were allowed in there, and I hope that we will be able to use it again in the future. So bright and airy. Really enjoyed the Workshop which was at it's maximum, and as it took place during the Flower Show Week, Pheasant Acre Nursery let us have some magnificent gladioli and dahlias from their stand. Thanks to Rob and Helen for that. And Geoff won loads of brownie points for manfully manning OUR stand for the whole of Friday assisted by sidekicks Terry and Sally on the busiest day of the show. SO lucky with the weather too. It didn't rain with meaning until breakdown Sunday evening.

By the time we set up for Wisley of course, the Exhibition at Selborne was underway. Lovely Preview evening, beautiful weather for that too, lucky, lucky, and thankyou so much to everyone who came. I had a lot of camera wobble for some reason, so only have a few presentable images of an empty room! Nevermind, here's two walls to be getting on with!

The photos left and right are of some textile work and a "Gilberts Garden" necklace I made. Just because I love doing it. The fabric is available from www.spoonflower.com in the USA. It's a brilliant company that prints your designs and also sells them on to the rest of the community if you want. I was really pleased with the results, and I'm amazed that I've actually sold some.

Now it's back to fulfilling orders, more and MORE calendars going out - does that mean that Christmas is coming??

I'll be at Gilbert's tomorrow morning and Friday, and we have a workshop on Saturday at the Field Centre. Plans for next year's workshops are underway. Those here at the Studio haven't been given a date yet, but those at Gilbert White's and Wisley are now decided. I've put them on the Events Page, more info. from the venues.
]]> http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry110920-114155 Jan Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:41:55 GMT http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry110829-102615 Nearly finished preparations for the exhibition....some things just never got there, but on the whole I think I've covered what I wanted to. Invitations to the Preview have gone out by email - so if you would like to come on Friday evening, and haven't yet received an invitation, please let me know. I don't have e-addresses for everyone I should have, and even when we do send out to our mailing list, sometimes a dot is in the wrong place and it bounces back again. Some just disappear into the ether completely.........So, if you'd like to keep in touch, just let me know.
On the right is a new design from the next range of cards - this is the whole card, back and front - I'm having a bit of a 'bird' session at the moment, very enjoyable. I expect it's Gilbert's influence at work.
Speaking of which, I felt that I should do something that would have been familiar during Gilbert's time, so I acquired some pieces of vellum to work on, and this is my first venture on the left. A bit different in way of technique, no big washes, using a very dry brush. Interesting experience, I'd like to do some more. Vellum is still being used by somne botanical artists as a matter of course. In particular I like the way Kate Nessler uses it.
I have to now decide which picture is going where. You'd think, maybe, get it there and then decide, but no. Experience tells me that it's best to have a PLAN of sorts, otherwise it can take forever....stressy too. I don't actually keep to the plan of course, but the illusion helps. AND labels, and LISTS for the gallery/museum. Painting soon begins to feel the easy bit. Thank goodness for the framer living so close to home and being obliging! (Yes, I expect you know it's the long suffering husband, what a hero I say.)
I'd better go and get his lunch and a nice cup of tea...........]]> http://www.janharbon.com/index.php?entry=entry110829-102615 Jan Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:26:15 GMT