After an enlightening evening with a new and inspiring friend, Kate Dixon, I was unable to sleep as my brain felt as though it was on a magical journey into all that interests me about life – the why’s what for’s and the endless inquiry I have to search for deeper meaning.  At about 3:35 a.m after about four hours of semi-conscious consideration of self, I wrote this……

I am grateful that I am
I am thankful that I am searching
I am connected
I am awe inspiring
I am every possibility
I am a conduit for love and compassion
I am healthy and full of vitality
I am my thoughts and emotions
I am potential for change
I am an important part of everything
I am endless and without boundaries
I am loved and am able to love
I am seeking to find and yearning to know
I am here as myself, as all I have been and am yet to become
I am joyous with a happy heart
I am energy in the frequency of my choosing
I am the creator of my own reality because my reality is my creation
I am all my capacity to be because I am

Fiona Mackenzie-Spence (C)
Written 12th August 2015

I’m dipping my toe in the water exhibiting at my first Art Fair.  I will be exhibiting eight paintings – oils and mixed media and eight photographs.  You can find me on Stand Number 10 at the Landmark Summer Art Fair, Landmark Arts Centre, Ferry Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 9NN.  Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June.  The Private View is on Friday 19th at 6:00p.m.

I’ve never really understood the prejudice about cosmetic surgery, or why when someone famous decides to have something done, the Media slates them so much you’d think they’d kidnapped a Royal Corgi!  Where did this prejudice come from?  Perhaps because of those who’ve taken the former title of Plastic surgery too far and the plastic look is not a good one.

There’s a strong ‘Left Flank’ that advocates growing old gracefully and embracing the fact that every cell in your body is on an interminable move southwards.  Our inner self is supposed to be above the immaturity of still wanting to look great.  Why can’t you be deemed to be growing old gracefully, yet maintaining your looks to the best of your ability, via modern technology and medicine?  Is the general disdain for these procedures to do with vanity?  Yet is it anymore vain to have a facelift than it is to want new clothes you don’t actually need, or to colour your hair or paint your toenails?  Is the disdain maybe due to envy because costs prohibit the masses from taking part?

Most people will live in a number of different houses in their lifetime, whether bought or rented, the majority of us will spend a great deal of time and money making these homes comfortable and to our liking.  We will renovate, restore, re-build, landscape, secure and do just about anything to the particular abode we’re to inhabit for a certain amount of time.  Why then is it frowned upon when we decide to do some restoration or renovation to the actual home we inhabit our ENTIRE lives?  Surely if the plaster is showing cracks or there’s a little subsidence, it’s a good idea to get it sorted, especially when you can afford to do so.  Afterall, with this type of restoration, you won’t have to worry about the builders stopping for tea and fag breaks!

If your ‘house’ is on public display because of the industry you happen to work in, it’s very understandable that you need it to look as good as it can for as long as it can.  We should all grow old gracefully, accept and embrace the new challenges that come with getting older, but who has the right to say we can’t stay beautiful too?

Delighted that my painting ‘Disintergrating Shape’ has been selected for the Wells Art Contemporary Exhibition.  The Exhibition has a huge variety of art, sculpture and visual performance and is thoroughly recommended.

I’m also currently exhibiting at The Black Swan Gallery, Frome, two paintings with Frome Art Society.

The Deputy Lord Mayor of Bristol, Faruk Choudhary attended the Private View of my Solo Exhibition on 5th September, at the Grant Bradley Gallery, Bedminster Parade, Bristol BS3 4AQ.  The Deputy arrived soon after 6:00 and was happy to pose with me for the photograph.  The Exhibtion runs until 27th September.  Works are selling and comments from people have been very complimentary and encouraging.  Works on show include my paintings, photographic Fine Art and classic photography.  There are also some mounted only prints and a range of twelve greeting cards for sale.

Artists around Somerset open their Studios to the general public for two weeks starting on the 20th of September,

through to the 5th of October.  I shall be taking part at my Eclectic Life Studio in Frome, Venue 128 (BA11 4AF). On

display will be some of my paintings, photographic Fine Art and my photography.  Prices will range from £85 to £400.

I shall be open from 11:00 to 6:00 daily.

Evolver magazine has a Somerset Art Weeks pull out feature and my image ‘Exploration of Colour’ shown here was

chosen for the front cover of the supplement.

The weather is driving me nuts, but I’m thankful I don’t have to use a boat to get around like many people living in Somerset at the moment.  Today has been pure bliss to get out, have some sun on my face and use the camera again.

I have been busy with the marketing side of things since the website was done and now have some unlimited edition prints available on line at the Saatchi Gallery, Los Angeles – www.saatchionline.com.  Also got a portfolio of images on my site within the Royal Photographic Society.  For either, just put in my name and please let me know if there are any issues!  I’ve also finalized my solo Exhibition at the Grant Bradley Gallery, Bristol for the month of September.  It will be a very busy month for me, as it will also be Somerset Art Weeks and I’m planning to exhibit for that too.  I’ve submitted two images to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition – so I have everything crossed for that.  There will be 12,000 entries, from which judges choose just 4,000, so huge competition.

I now have to address my business Facebook page – of course all this stuff I’m not great with and hate that it takes me away from what I love which is creating art, but the idea is also that I sell my work and for that, people need to know I exist.  Apparently I must also write lots of blogs with words in that are particularly appealing to legless spiders! Why they have to be drunk I really don’t know and neither am I sure of the language they speak and what words they might like! 

Boxers are highly intelligent, exceedingly loyal, delightful dogs and I adore Pugwash, probably more than any other dog I’ve had, which is just as well, as he’s been the most costly!  He is utterly beautiful to look at and everyone comments so and it’s not surprising as his Grandad won Best of Breed at Crufts.  Unfortunately although the outside looks like Brad Pitt in dog terms, the inside is a disaster, but it wasn’t until he was three years old that things started to go wrong.  There are apparently common health issues with Boxers and Pugwash is a case in point for Breeders placing too much emphasis on looks rather than good genes.  If you’re thinking of getting one, there are some things you should know before you do.  Get really good insurance cover in place. Question the Breeder about health issues. Heart problems are common, as I found out from the Cardiologist who treats Pugwash, when he told me he sees about three Boxers a week.

Everything started to go wrong when Pugwash was about three and his coat became very thin and dull with lots of dandruff.  This was due to a thyroid disorder, which was sorted by daily medication of Saloxine for the rest of his life.  He then started fainting which is the scariest thing ever.  After a fast run, he would just collapse.  For some reason thyroid issues and heart problems in Boxers seem to be linked, so if you have a Boxer please be aware of this.  If any dog faints after activity, get it checked for heart problems immediately.  So, yes I have a dog who’s as gorgeous as Brad and has cost my Insurers almost as much as he earns, so I have warned you, but that being said Boxers are just the most fun dogs ever!

They are as mad as hatters and I was warned by a friend who had one, that during the first year, I might want to send my puppy back, but after the first year all would be well.  I started to understand what she meant when he was about 12 weeks old.  There was no chewing and house training was easy, so in puppy terms you’d think he was a dream, but the only way I can describe him was that he must have had an ASBO in a past life.  He was just a thug and a bully to my dear Labrador.  Like an unruly inmate in Wormwood Scrubs, he had a bad attitude and I realised why they are called Boxers.  The Boxing starts quite early on with getting up on their hind legs and thrusting both front paws forward very hard.  A fully grown Boxer can push a man over doing this – believe me it’s very powerful and they will use this for both play and when they are being protective.  {The photo here is an early Boxing session – he was about 10 weeks old}.  They love playing all the time, with other dogs, with other people, with anything at all, but they are exceedingly boisterous and they play rough. Other dogs often object to being charged at, even when it’s a friendly charge and for some reason people find a dog leaping up in front of them with all four feet three feet off the ground a little disconcerting, understandably!  They don’t know it’s just a Boxers way of saying “hi”.  You do have to watch them around small children because they’ll just be bowled over like nine pins.

What many people don’t know is that Boxers were bred for hunting and they are extremely good at it.  They are very fast dogs and they need lots of exercise off the lead.  Walking a Boxer is a bit like walking a Stallion and they do need to run free, hunt and play and if you don’t have a lifestyle that allows this, a Boxer is probably not the right choice for you.  If you can take up the challenge of one of these amazing dogs and find a breeder who breeds for good health and great looks, I would certainly say it’s worth it.  If you can handle the thuggish behaviour and overpower it with love, you will have a friend who makes you laugh more than you have since you can remember, who will become your shadow, adore you, protect you, depend on you and be the best thing you ever did.

In preparation and launch of this website, I have been tasked with writing a couple more blogs to get things going, but I’m suffering from bloggers lock and a bit of a conundrum.  You see, I have blogged about losing weight on another site that I have and on my laptop I’ve written lots of things about life.  The trouble is the stuff I write about life, society, the human species, the environment, my political views, religion – all things dear to my heart – require me to be on a very opinionated soap box, accompanied by a decent bottle of wine.  These thoughts will probably make some people quite cross.  So not the kind of thing to be saying on the launch of an Artists website really!   Perhaps I can feed in one or two of my less ruffling opinions a bit later on.

I suppose I can always do the British thing and have a little blog about the weather….mmmh I think there was a hint of frost this morning!

Although this is a photographic art site, there’s really not a huge amount I can blog about on the subject, I just get on and do it.  For that reason, my intention is to have a blog about absolutely anything that I want to jot a few words down about.  So you’re likely to see anything here, from remarks about Ted Talks, Existentialism, to the joys of living with a Boxer called Pugwash and anything else in between.

However, since this is the first blog on my brand new website, I would like first of all to welcome anyone who’s on my site and having a look at my work or reading this and I thank you for your time and hope you enjoy being on here.  Work will be added to and updated but things tend to slow down a little for me in winter simply because of the shorter days and weather.  If it were not for Pugwash, I think I would leave the UK for a warmer all year round climate – Barbados would be fine for me, but too hot for him.  C’est la vie!

I would like to introduce you to B1G1 – a charitable giving organisation that really does get the job done for the people who need the food, water, clothing, education or whatever it might be.  Please click on the link to find out all about it and see how you and your business can start to give back to those who really need it.  I will blog about this more later on but please do take a look at this charity and the extraordinary work it does by clicking on the link below.