I had just thought that Summer was eventually here, then started to wonder as the weather turned cooler with thunderstorms and rain!

Firstly, I have two new works to show you. The tranquil and captivating coastal scene in ‘Morning Calm’ is 60 x 60 cms in oils on canvas, while the dramatic and evocative ‘Sunset Rendezvous’ is 16 x 16 ins in oils on gold leaf. They are both now on my website at www.FionaHooper.com if you’d like to check them out, or email me for more information. If you’d like to see a short video of how I apply gold leaf to a canvas then follow this link to my YouTube channel. My second piece of news is that I will be exhibiting with the Dorking Group of Artists at Betchworth in Surrey from the 2nd to 5th June. There is also a private view evening on the 1st June by invitation only. If you would like an invite to this fantastic exhibition’s private view please let me know and I will email one to you with pleasure. I shall be at the exhibition on Thursday morning (2nd June) and it would be really lovely to see you there. All best wishes, Fiona

Preparations are proceeding fast now ready for our annual Bloomz Art Collective’s international art event on the 29th and 30th April! This is an event for everyone who loves art, including art collectors and people who would like to own original art but don’t quite know where to start! If you have ever thought that art galleries are boring, or even a little bit intimidating, then this is a great show for you. Come and meet 15 artists from around the globe, see our work, watch live demos, talk to us, ask us the stories behind our art, or ask advice on how to begin or grow your art collection. All from a computer near you, via Zoom as you have never used it before (unless you’ve been to one of our previous shows!). You don’t even have to leave your house, and if you don't like being on camera you can always come along and leave your camera turned off. We are a friendly, welcoming bunch of artists from around the globe, keen to engage and help people to get art they LOVE onto their walls at home. It's an entire art experience that will leave you feeling inspired, and may well change how you see art! Get your free tickets at Bit.ly/TheBloomz and find out more about us at theBloomz.co.uk There will be 15 artists (myself included!) waiting in their individual studios to meet you, chat and answer questions! We have myself, Stephanie Lester, Sammy Hexter-Andrews, Julie Wrathall, Steve Brookes, Steve Gallagher, Ben Laughton Smith, Colleen Conti, Marion Deacon and Debbie Page from England, Mac McGregor from Scotland, Elisa Colangeli from Italy, Cindy Porter from Australia, Lynda Bell from New Zealand, and Katerina Kestemont from Switzerland. And we all have very different styles of art for you to enjoy. So add these dates to your diary - Friday 29th April 7pm UK time Saturday 30th April 10am and 7pm UK time Don't forget to come and say ‘Hi’ – I’ll be waiting in my studio to meet you! All best wishes, Fiona

Last Saturday I spent most of the day at the Surrey (Spring) Art Fair at Sandown Park Racecourse, meeting up with friends and chat ting with many of the artists exhibiting their work there. It’s a very well run show in a light and spacious building, ideal for seeing all the wonderful work on display. There really was something for every taste and pocket, from abstract to traditional, paintings to fibre art, and oils to pencils. I was especially interested to see the layout, and check where my stand will be when I exhibit there later this year (23rd – 25th September), on stand 19. I’ll send invitations out nearer the time and would definitely recommend it to all my art loving friends – it’s well worth a visit. Mark it in your diaries now! All best wishes, Fiona

At last I’m ready to reveal exclusively to you, as a valued subscriber to my newsletter, the series of small oil paintings on gold leaf that I’ve been working on recently! These are now on my website at a special VIP introductory offer price of £90.00 each, with free UK postage (please contact me regarding shipping to other countries). The nine paintings are gorgeous little nuggets of gold to brighten up any wall and bring pleasure all year long. The link to the private page on my website is www.FionaHooper.com/VIP-special-release and you will need to enter the password - VIPoffer You’ll have exclusive access for a month from today, and then they’ll be listed on my public website pages at my normal prices and also shown on social media. There are landscapes, seascapes and two flower paintings, with sizes ranging from 13 x 18 cms to 15 x 20 cms. They will make fantastic gifts for the special people in your life, or why not treat yourself to a few to make a wonderful display! Message me to purchase – first come, first served! All best wishes, Fiona

Firstly, a very happy New Year to you all. I hope that you had a really good Christmas in spite of Covid’s attempts to derail things again. I’ve been continuing with the gold theme and am currently working on a series of small oil paintings on gold leaf. These are going to be available first to my VIP newsletter subscribers (that means YOU!) and at a special VIP introductory offer price. I’ll be sending you a link to a private page on my website once they are all completed. So far there are some landscapes, seascapes, and even flowers! Gorgeous little nuggets of gold to brighten up your home at the start of a new year! You’ll have exclusive access for a month after the link is sent out, and then they’ll be listed on my public website pages at my normal prices and also shown on social media. The one shown here is Birches and it’s a little gem at 13 x 18 cms., in oils on gold leaf on canvas panel. Look out for my next newsletter and the exclusive link for my private website page! All best wishes, Fiona

Gosh, it’s that time of year again already! Time to wish you all the very best for a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year – followed by a fantastic 2022! And also to thank you for your continued support and encouragement over the last 12 months. It really means a lot to me, and I very much appreciate it. Having finished the commissions last month that had kept me occupied for a while, it was a lovely change to get back to painting another landscape. This time I was painting on a canvas that had been covered with gold leaf, and which had been sitting in my studio begging to be painted on for quite some time! Paintings on gold leaf are a challenge to photograph as they can look so different as the light changes, but I think I’ve managed to capture a good likeness here. The painting is called ‘Splash Of Colour’ and is in oil on gold leaf on canvas. It measures 60 x 60 cms, and is £550 (unframed), plus shipping. It can also be supplied in a black floating frame which really sets it off to perfection. As well as this larger painting, I’m currently working on a series of small works also on gold leaf and will be able to reveal some of these in my next newsletter. In the meantime it just remains for me to say again that I hope the festive season is a really good one for you and your family. Stay safe, have a happy Christmas, and a happy New Year! All best wishes, Fiona

Sheltered Valley! Those of you who’ve been watching my weekly live shows on Facebook about The Poetry of Painting (each Wednesday at 7:00pm UK time) will know that I’m passionate about trying to do everything I can to minimise my impact on the environment, as I find the whole issue of climate change very worrying. It scares me to think that so many of the beautiful places that I’ve visited over the years may soon be lost forever. In my art I love to celebrate these special landscapes and hope my paintings will inspire others to try to help preserve them as well. I’m currently looking at ways to make my art practice as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible, as well as trying to generally reduce my use of plastics. This painting with its meadows, trees taking on autumn colour, and majestic mountains with the early snows can bring a reminder of the beauty of nature into your home. The painting is called ‘Sheltered Valley’ and is in acrylic on canvas. It measures 60 x 60 cms (unframed size), and is £550 (unframed), plus shipping. It can also be supplied in a black floating frame which really sets it off to perfection. Please feel free to email for further information or you may like to come along to see it in person at Kingston Upon Thames next Saturday (weather permitting) where a warm welcome always awaits you! All best wishes, Fiona

Autumn - a time of change as we put the clocks back, dig out warmer clothes, and the trees start to change from green to gorgeous golds, reds and russets. What does Autumn mean for you? It can also be a great time to think about having a change in your home with a new painting (or two!) to brighten up your walls! As promised, these two new paintings are being sent out to you by newsletter before they appear on social media and my website. Both paintings were inspired by the change in the seasons and the glow of the Autumn foliage, and are in oils on canvas and 60 x 60 cms (unframed size). The painting on the left is called ‘Autumn’s Glow’, and the one on the right is ‘Mountain Tarn’. Each painting is £550 (unframed), plus shipping. Please feel free to email for further information or come along to see them in person at Kingston next Saturday (weather permitting) where a warm welcome awaits you! Stay safe and hope to see you soon! All best wishes, Fiona