Hello Subscriber First Name and welcome to my big, exciting, January update newsletter!

Landscape Artist of the Year have asked me to apply!

Ok, so the big news first. Sky Landscape Artist of the Year (the TV programme) sent me a message on my Instagram asking me to apply! I've submitted my application on Friday and I should hear back in mid-April to see if I've got through. So you never know, I may be painting on the telly!

The format of the show is changing. It's no longer 48 artists who will be selected from the 2000 who apply each year, it will be only 10 artists who are selected. But on the plus side, the standard should be very high and you'll be able to follow each artist for longer and understand more about their work. Which may include me if I am lucky!

There's not much I can do now but wait for the selection to be announced. But I am still allowing myself to be ridiculously excited at the thought of even being asked to submit an application!

Heads up - if I get selected, I'll be doubling my prices 🤣

Next artwork sale

It is very much time for me to create some room in my studio space and put some of my smaller, experimental and older pieces online. I've attached some images below of some of the works I'll be including. Obviously, as my very (very!) supportive and hugely valued newsletter subscribers, you'll be getting first access. These paintings are full of learning and development, so they are very hit and miss, but you might find something which really speaks to you. And they are priced accordingly - some are more polished than others, but all will be in the £50-350 price range.

Next week I'll be sorting out the sale page on the website, photographing artworks and of course, emailing you all with a list of paintings for sale and their prices. I’ve added some images of some of the works below, but you’ll get the full list soon.

I’ll send out a link to the sale page in the next newsletter, and as my subscribers, you’ll get a day or two to access if before I promote it online to my social media followers.

Also, I am more than happy to do little studio tours of my work for anyone who is interesting in collecting my pieces! A couple of collectors have already done this, we’ve had great artwork and local knowledge chats and it’s been a real joy to meet people who love discussing painting. I think I’ve learnt more from the chats than my collectors have though! Just to note that my studio space is in my loft, up some steep stairs, so if you want to see this usually horrendously messy place, you need to be reasonably agile. Otherwise I can bring work downstairs where there is at least a comfy sofa and we can chat in a space with heating! If you like dogs, I have a lurcher who is always around and likes to say hello / bark excitedly before heading back to bed for his usual 23 hours a day of sleep.

As a side note - if you are interested in buying work but paying in one hit is an issue, I have previously offered some of my very trusted collectors the option to pay monthly over 3-4 months, so if you have bought work from me before, I want you to know that that's available if you need it. Just send me an email to joe@joemeldrumart.co.uk or a text/whatsapp/facebook/instagram message if we are connected on there. If there are any artworks you are particularly interested in, please let me know and I can always reserve these for you. In fact, three of my planned sale pieces have already been reserved - thank you Sarah!

This bloody rain

I know I have a few newsletter subscribers from around the world, and I doubt this has made headline news anywhere other than the UK - so for those who don't know, this January and February has been the consistently wettest on record in Plymouth. In fact, nearby Cardinham near Bodmin has recorded 50 days of consecutive rain. Although not as bad, Plymouth has had 40 days of straight rain, including our wettest January day ever.

I am obviously a dedicated outdoor painter. But I have been mostly stuck inside! However, on the very rare dry day, I headed on a trek north from Plympton to reach these beautiful woods on the top of the never ending hill. I was sure I was going to end up on Dartmoor! It felt like that anyway, lugging all my kit.

Within the grey light, these woods were softly beautiful, a never ending whisper of fallen leaves and the creak of reaching branches swaying in the wind. As seems to be increasingly happening, this painting began to emerge out of nowhere. Sometimes I really don't know why I tackle a painting in a certain way, or what moves me to think a different approach is needed. My senses seem to come alive, responding to temperature, light, cold, distance, and imagination, and before I know it, a painting has emerged. This was one of these moments!

I am going to take it back for a second session when the paint dries, but what a start, I think you'll agree. To anyone who is interested in this artwork, I'm afraid one eager collector has already reserved it!

Painting sold

I just want to say a huge thank you to a lovely couple who bought my recent painting of Parade Ope on Plymouth’s Barbican as a graudation present! That is such a nice idea and although I am not going to spoil the surprise of who it is for, I just want to say a hugely appreciated thank you for thinking of this painting. I hope it marks their university years with a special memory for them!

Website update

And although this is very very boring, I have been slowly updating my website. You’ll be able to view some of my recent available and sold works on there, as well as more information about myself, why I paint and what I am interested in capturing when I paint. I’m also getting a journal section ready where you’ll be able to view my older newsletters, as well as any interesting painting stuff I need to write about. So hopefully that may be a bit of a resource section going forward! Actually, not so boring after all.