F is for Family Portrait

F is for Family Portrait

‘For Your Delight’ RWA2024

Last autumn I spent a lovely afternoon at the home of Russell and his family. They had each selected their favourite books, alongside books that had meaning and memories for them as a family.

It was such a pleasure to paint their Shelf Portrait, especially having got to know the stories behind the choices. The William Morris Thistle wallpaper in the background took the longest time, but was such fun!

One of the quotes I try and live by is Morris’s
“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

The finished painting was delivered last week:

“We’re loving it, thank you SO much – it is already hanging in our hall way at the bottom of the stairs.

It’s been a pleasure being part of the whole process, and the wait has been well worth it.

Rest assured our ‘family portrait’ will bring us many memories for the rest of our lives.”

Thank you Russell and family 🙂

Bespoke Shelf portraits
W is for Wanderlust

‘Pathways’ Limited edition Print

I’ve been busy wrapping more prints this week, as the ‘Pathways’ Limited Edition has been a popular one this month.
With the season turning and signs of autumn beginning to show, what better than to stride out across the moors or wander into the woods, map in hand, to explore the wonders of Autumn.

Find some outdoor inspiration in this Shelf Portrait print. Indulge your Wanderlust from Christopher Goddard’s The West Yorkshire Moors to Wainwright’s Coast to Coast, via The Old Ways and The Living Mountain….

Pathways Limited Edition

D is for Dates for your Diary

Over the next couple of months, on the rare occassions that I’m not busy painting in my studio, here’s where you’ll find me:

Derby Book Fair:
Saturday 16th November
at The Museum of Making

Hebden Bridge Open Studios Winter Weekend:
Saturday 30th November & Sunday 1st December
in my studio at Northlight

Northlight Winter Fair:
Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th December downstairs in the Artspace at Northlight Art Studios

First signs of Autumn

Best Autumnal Wishes,
Roo

Currently Reading: ’10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World’ by Elif Shafak

Roo’s Shop Here 🙂

Another Happy Family :-)


This Happy Family were very chuffed with their new Bespoke Shelf-Portrait oil painting. A lovely reminder of the books that have been most significant in their lives together.
I love the way it matches their wall!

Things Can Only Get Better

I was very busy in the run up to Christmas, completing five new bespoke Shelf-Portrait oil painting commissions.
Mission Accomplished!! So now that they have been delivered and given to their new owners, I can share them with you….
This one is called ‘Things Can Only Get Better’….

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‘Things Can Only Get Better’ for Sharon C. rsw2018

In The Yorkshire Post!

A lovely feature on my work in this weekend’s Yorkshire Post magazine, thank you Sharon Dale.
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… Although I certainly cannot claim to have ‘invented a whole new genre’, artists have been painting shelves of books since bookshelves were invented!!