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Book Shelf Art Up at UpCo!

16 February 2022
Roo Waterhouse
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Categories: Art Events, Blog, Events

BOOK SHELF ART at UPCO

I’ll be taking my Book Shelf Art over to Wharfedale for an exhibition at the new Otley Arts hub that is

UpCo

7 Courthouse Street, Otley, LS213AN

The exhibition starts with an

Opening Day event on Saturday 5th march 11am-4pm

and ends with another

Open Day on Sunday 1st May 11am-4pm

If you’d like to visit the exhibition any time between these dates please ring Josh on 07549 531449

Snowdrops, Starlings and Jane Austen…

8 February 2022
Roo Waterhouse
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Categories: Art Events, Blog, Events

I had my first snowdrop sighting of 2022 yesterday on a very blustery coastal walk in Silverdale, also including snow, rain, sunshine, hail and a rainbow!!

After a quick paddle in the sea (trying and failing to stay upright in gale force winds!), joy of joys, my very first experience of a murmuration of starlings, at Jenny Brown’s Point, which settled just 50 yards from my feet before swooping off again, and later coming straight over our heads – what an astounding show!
My incredibly moving starling experience has encouraged me to dig out my binoculars and seek out some more bird focused walks.
Any recommendations most welcome!
You can bring a touch of the Wonder of Birds into your own home with this ‘Bird Life’ art print from my shop 🙂
Shop Bird Life range
I am very happy to have finished my new ‘Jane Austen’ Shelf Portrait last week, so it will be framed and ready for the Battersea Spring Affordable Art Fair in March, with Limited Edition prints being available from my exhibition open days at UPCO Otley on March 5th and May 1st.

Wishes for 2022

17 January 2022
Roo Waterhouse
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Categories: Bespoke Painting, Blog, Shelf-Portraits

New Year Greetings!

I do hope you all had a cosy and delightful holiday season 🙂

I so enjoyed having various family members coming and going, feasting, playing games and chatting around the fire in my garden 🙂

One of the highlights of my winter break was a winding tour through the back streets of south-east London, with @monicaheeranart finding secret wild gardens and community murals.
This lovely old chap caught my eye, and has become the basis of my wishes for 2022:
To spend more time just being – watching the birds, wandering the moors – mainly to take a step back from the stresses of producing daily social media content and to be more of a real presence!


I will be touring my Calm and Collected exhibition (starting at UPCO in Otley in March /April dates to be announced soon!) and attending more book festivals around the country…


I would be delighted if you would let me know if you have a favourite local book festival, and I may see you there!

What are your wishes for 2022?
This Bespoke Shelf Portrait ‘Remarkable Books’ was one of my favourites this year.
I love the broad variety of titles and the way it reflects a lifetime of reading.


What books would you choose?


You can find out more about how to commission your own bespoke book shelf painting here 🙂
I hope any Scots amongst you found a small way to celebrate Hogmanay, with public celebration events being cancelled…

Here is my own little celebration of all things Scottish, from my painting ‘Scotland the Brave’, this set of mounted print, notebook and art card…
Buy Scotland Set Here

Warmest Wishes for 2022 🙂

Roo

Inspiring Gift Ideas From Yorkshire Artists :-)

8 December 2021
Roo Waterhouse
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Categories: Blog, Gift Ideas

Christmas is coming…….

This year I’ve been inspired to give my lovely family and friends treasure trove shoe boxes full of little gifts, rather than one big gift.

It is so much more fun choosing them 🙂

I’m also opting to shop independent and support my fellow artists and makers.

I would love to share with you my top 25 gifts inspirations for £25 and less from creators around West Yorkshire to give your Festive present ideas a boost!

Mistletoe Hanging Decoration
from Hannah Nunn

2022 Printmakers Calendar
from Rach Red Designs

Fairy Books Art Print
from Roo Waterhouse (that’s me!)

Yorkshire Winter Scene Hanging Decorations
from Kate Boyce Art

Carousel Tea-Light Lantern
from Kate Lycett

Joy Care Bundle
from Java Bere

Jane Austen Little Cup
from Katch Skinner Ceramics

Yorkshire Map Apron
from Jane Revitt

Jewellery Gift Card
from Kate Rhodes

Penguin Rainbow Notebook
from Roo Waterhouse Art (me again!)

Golden Plovers Nest paper fold-out
from Angie Rogers

Golden Moon Bag
from Julia Ogden

Trinket Dish
from Sue Gunn Ceramics

Funky Zip Pouch
from Amy Mellis

Burrows screen-printed containers
from Folded Forest

The Encyclopedia of Unbelievable Facts
from The Printed Peanut

Agate Cup
from Gary Thomas

Cheerful Tea Towels
from Maggie Magoo

Red Squirrel felted Decoration
from Ladybird and Leaf

Explore! Look! Collect! Create! download activities
from The Egg Factory

Chameleons Greetings Card
from Geckoman

Space Mug
from Crow Nest Pottery

Rainbow Necklace
from Miss Dot Designs

Robin Lantern
from Katfish Designs

and finally, another one from yours truly (anyone would think I was biased!!)……..

Pick of The Penguins Gift Box
from Roo Waterhouse Art

Happy Shopping!!

I’ll be taking a break from sending you news and inspiration until 2022 is with us, so I wish you all a…

Very Merry Festive Season 🙂

Warmest Wishes
Roo
Here’s me at the recent Northlight Winter Fair!

23 November 2021
Roo Waterhouse
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Categories: Art Events, Blog, Events

Last of the Summer Flowers…..

I am happy to see that the Calendula flowers in my garden are still going strong despite the downward spiral of the temperature.
There were still a few insects buzzing around in yesterday’s glorious sunshine too!

Brand new in my shop this week is the ‘ABC of Bees’ A4 print.
This wonderfully honey-coloured image comes mounted and ready to pop in a standard A4 size frame 🙂
‘ABC of Bees’ is also available as a Limited Edition large-format print, and as an Art Card.

Something to suit every budget:-)
Shop for Bees!

And yes, it is time to start thinking about Christmas!

I do hope all of you will be trying your best to buy your gifts from Independent makers and sellers this year!

A great opportunity is coming up to do just that, at the
Northlight Winter Fair
December 4th and 5th!

There will be a super selection of Northlight creatives with a wonderful range of gift ideas. But you don’t have to be there to buy – you can take a look at their wonderful work by clicking on their names below 🙂

Rach Red Designs
Kate Boyce Art
Katch Ceramics
Red Mouse Design
Toby Cotterill Jeweller
Jane Revitt Mapworks
…and Roo Waterhouse Art, of course!!

Happy Browsing!!

Best Wishes,
Roo
Visit Roo’s Website

A Virtual Tour….

11 November 2021
Roo Waterhouse
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Categories: Art Events, Blog, Events

For those of you who weren’t able to make it to my Calm & Collected exhibition (for either geographical or ridiculous weather conditions!!) I thought you might like a little virtual tour of images…..
‘Down to Earth’; ‘Leonora’s Fairy Books'(sold); ‘Scotland The Brave’.
‘French Linen 2’; ‘French Linen 1’; French Linen 3′; ‘Hug’

I was very pleased with the way the exhibition looked – thanks to my dream team of assistants 🙂  It was pouring with rain all weekend, so a big thank you to all the visitors who braved the weather!

For you lovers of all things Renaissance and Tuscan; new in my shop this week is this Limited Edition print form my recent painting
‘About Florence’
Buy About Florence Print Here

I do hope you are enjoying some glimpses of Autumn sunshine between the rain clouds 🙂

Looking forward to December here is a date for your diary:
Northlight Winter Fair
December 4th and 5th!

Best Wishes,
Roo

(Reasonably) Calm and Collected!

26 October 2021
Roo Waterhouse
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Categories: Art Events, Blog, Events, oil painting

 Hello 🙂

Phew! It’s been a busy old week…

Preparations for my Calm and Collected Exhibition this weekend are well underway and I’ve been buzzing about collecting paintings, framing prints, writing blurbs, and generally trying to pull everything together! As well as still working on a painting I would like to show (there will be a Wet Paint warning!!)

I had a great afternoon browsing around the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea while collecting some paintings. Such a variety of art on display. The highlight for me was the wonderful seaside light and atmosphere reflected in the colours of the buildings in the paintings of Camille Dowse

I managed to find time for family and nature too with a Thames-side walk in the morning sun, admiring the autumn colours in the park in the afternoon and a family feast in the evening 🙂
In celebration of my own architectural heritage (my great-great grandfather being the prolific, much admired Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse) I have now published a series of 100 Limited Edition Mounted Prints of the original shelf portrait painting ‘Architectural Heritage’ and they are available to buy in my shop 🙂
Shop Architectural Heritage Print Here

There will be a preview evening of Calm and Collected
on Thursday 28th October from 6pm to 8pm
to which you are all invited.
The exhibition is then open on Friday 29th, Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st from 11am to 5pm.

I look forward to seeing you 🙂

Down to Earth

14 October 2021
Roo Waterhouse
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Categories: Blog, oil painting

This summer I spent a wonderful few days with my grown up children in a beautiful wooden yurt at Henbant Farm in Caernarfon. Plenty of wandering about the land, watching the birds and the bees, and browsing all the inspiring planet-friendly books on the shelves of the common room outbuilding.

Our time there inspired these two Shelf Portrait paintings: ‘Down to Earth’ and ‘ABC of Bees’, which are now heading down to London to be on show with Nicholas Bowlby Gallery at The Autumn Affordable Art Fair in Battersea, October 21st-24th

Down to Earth ©2021RooWaterhouse 12×16″ oil on canvas

 

ABC of Bees ©2021RooWaterhouse 12×16″ oil on canvas

I’ve used the beautiful nature-inspired wallpaper patterns of Hannah Nunn for the backgrounds, which help set the mood perfectly 🙂

Look out for Limited Edition Prints coming soon!! Hopefully in time for ‘Calm and Collected’, my solo exhibition of recent paintings at Northlight Artspace in Hebden Bridge…..

Calm and Collected

2 October 2021
Roo Waterhouse
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Categories: Art Events, Blog, Events

There is a definite change in the light and the colours up on the moors this week.

Things are starting to feel more autumnal as October marches on, towards…….

A solo exhibition in Hebden Bridge 🙂

Things are hotting up in my studio as I focus on getting a series of new paintings ready for my solo exhibition Calm and Collected at Northlight Artspace at the end of this month.

My Shelf Portrait paintings of collected possessions (not just books!) hold a reassuring stillness and calm. Conjuring up memories, they give us a chance to reflect upon what is important to us in our daily lives and histories.
In my bookshelf paintings I celebrate a love of books – their power, their magic, the joy and the heartbreak they can give us.

There will be plenty of new bookshelves to browse and a series of new domestic shelves (sneak peek below!).

There will be a preview evening on Thursday 28th October from 6pm to 8pm to which you are all invited.
The exhibition is then open on Friday 29th, Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st from 11am to 5pm.

I look forward to seeing you 🙂

Open Studios Open!!

2 October 2021
Roo Waterhouse
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Categories: Art Events, Blog, Events

The artists and makers of Hebden Bridge and the surrounding valleys welcome you into their studios this weekend 🙂

You can find out more about the individual artists on the Hebden Bridge Open Studios website

I will be in my studio at Northlight Studios alongside Kate Boyce Art; Toby Cotterill Jewellery; Juliet Blackman Ceramics; Alex Harwood; Sue Turner Ceramics; Red Mouse Designs; Rach Red Designs; Jane Revitt, Catherine Long and Don Myers…. where we will be looking forward to seeing you between 11am and 5pm 🙂

Thank you to The Yorkshire Post today for a lovely feature all about Open Studios..  You can read it here.

And also…

Here is a lovely short film about me and my work made by Sebastian Jennings….