It’s been a busy couple of months which has included North Somerset Arts Week, The Wildlife Art Society Annual Exhibition, The Royal Bath And West Show, and throughout the whole time, my exhibition continued at WWT Slimbridge. My feet have hardly touched the ground! It has been a very busy and exciting time but I have to admit, I’m shattered!!
This week, I’ve taken a few days to recuperate and take stock ready to prepare for the next exhibitions. I’ve started by updating my website and adding some new feathers into my shop. If you’ve seen a feather at an exhibition and its not in my shop, please message me, as I’m only putting a few on at a time and it may well be available.
I have two major highlights I’d like to share… The first is the success of my exhibition at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre. I was absolutley chuffed to bits to be offered the chance to exhibit at Slimbridge and during the exhibition I spent several days there in the gallery demonstrating my feather painting. It was a really enjoyable experience, particularly talking to the visitors about my painting and our shared love of birds and wildlife. I met some really lovely people and received some wonderful compliments about my artwork which is always a bonus. The cherry on the cake comes from knowing that a percentage from all the sales made throughout the exhibition goes directly to funding the important conservation work carried out by the WWT at Slimbridge. This has been an ambition of mine since I began painting – to give something back to the wildlife which inspires me, and this is just the beginning of me doing just that!
My second highlight of the past couple of months happened at the TWASI Annual Exhibition held at Nature In Art, where I was awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ for my painting of a Ruppell’s Vulture on 3 vulture feathers, titled ‘Beauty In The Eye Of The Beholder’. The judges’ comments, ‘Interesting use of support – very well excecuted painting’ made it even more special.
Mandi Baykaa-Murray being presented with Highly Commended by Anna-Loiuse Pickering
Vulture Painted Feather
I’ve just remembered a third highlight….I’m very happy to be represented by The South Gate Gallery in Exeter. A selection of my feather paintings (both real feathers and works on paper) are now available from the gallery and can also be seen on their website where they’ve written a fab write-up about me!…http://southgategallery.co.uk
That’s me for now….I’ll try to keep on top of the shop but now it’s back to full steam ahead working towards the next exhibitions…