There is a bit of a thread running through my life as an artist and it seems to be public speaking. I was offered the role of Artist in Residence last Summer after I was asked to do an after dinner speech and art demonstration on the theme of nature at Rudding Park Hotel, Harrogate, Yorkshire. So, one thing led to another.
Amanda and I have previously collaborated with fundraising for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. I illustrated the Amanda with her flock of sheep at Swaledale on one of the YAA Christmas Cards I created last year which became their best selling card.
In fact, Amanda was waylaid on her way to the show when a striker biker had to be airlifted from the scene of an accident by the YAA helicopter as she drove round harepin bends from her Ravenseat farm to Harrogate.
Amanda, mother-of-nine, shepherdess, author and much more besides, farms 2,000 acres on one of the most remote hilltop farms in the country.
So after Amanda was asked to do a book signing of her newest book, The Adventures of a Yorkshire Shepherdess at RHS Garden Harlow Carr Flower Show in June during my Art Exhibition there, she invited me to talk on stage with her. I decided to take up the challenge.
Our talk was on Nature, the countryside and my art as Artist-in-Residence, for half an hour. We spoke in front of an audience of 300 people showing a variety of slides which we had collated together. It took a bit of fitting the microphones to our heads and we were laughing in the back. Little did we know that the audience could hear us before we came on stage.
However the half an hour went quickly as we found our stride, interweaving stories as we went along. Everyone seemed to love it. Do watch our talk here.
My background to painting outside stems from early childhood. No matter what the weather - I'll always try and paint outside of my studio to capture the subject matter be it animals, landscapes or as is often the case - a combination!
Beautiful autumn colouring this year inspired me to capture the cherry trees on the stray in Harrogate - slightly windy conditions made the outdoors challenging but well worth the effort - !
Had a fabulous time at the gardens of Monet in the tranquil village of Giverny. Made all the more exciting when a massive storm hit the village the evening we arrived - ended up eating my Sea Bass in a plate full of rainwater..... as the restaurant got deluged!
Anita Bowerman
Author