In the run-up to my holidays this month I couldn’t help reflect on how excited I used to get, preparing to visit Portscatho; somewhere I now call home. Give a horse, cow or dog the same routine for years and they’re happy. For us, the grass seems always greener and we never seem satisfied with our lot.
If only I had this, or I lived there, I’d be contented and happy.
But take it from someone who truly is living the dream, living now where I used to holiday, the chances are, it won’t be enough. For most of us, the special becomes the mundane and we start looking around for more.
True happiness and contentment though, like world peace, isn’t something that comes in a box. It’s not what we have but how we are inside that will truly make us happy or contented. So how to create happiness and contentment in our lives?
I’m a great believer that being in a state brings it into existence much quicker than wishing to be in a certain state. In other words, if you act in the way you want to be, you manifest that thing in your life.
It’s why I always say, if you want to feel rich, make someone else wealthier with your abundance; if you want to feel happy, make someone else smile; and if you want to feel love, give your love to someone else… all without asking for anything in return.
You can only give what you already have, so in giving it, we become that state. Or, as the saying goes: in giving, we truly receive.
OK, once again, a lot to get through despite my own distance from the physical gallery; and thanks must go to Deborah who is keeping all the balls well and truly in the air. So much so, we’ve had some cracking new works in and some more on the way.
Before I get to those, though, I wanted to introduce you to our newest International recruit to the THG stable, Bulgarian artist, Angel Angelov (with a name like that, he’s gotta be special, or?)… and special he is.
Having grown up and still living in small, beautiful town at the foot of the Balkan mountains, I have been a fan of his work for a while and decided to take the plunge and ask him to paint for us. The nine pieces now live on his page are the result of those sessions.
I hope you’ll enjoy his work as much as I do and they are currently on the way to us and should be in to view by the end of the month. Of course, it may be prudent not to wait too long, though, as I have the feeling this fella’s gonna be popular!
Stephen Higton‘s sales have been apocalyptic over the past month, so much so we’ve sold out twice! But he’s painting like a good ‘un for us, so do check out his newbies.
Julian Mason‘s popularity doesn’t wane, either, as we’ve just taken deliver of a new batch of his, too. You can see them here before they fly. Added to this, the inimitable Ben Taffinder has blown it out the water again in October and he’s been kind enough to keep the balls in the air for us, so do check out his new works.
Robin Mason, Claire Henley, Ann Kelly and Hilary Stock have been flying works of art out of the door this month, so it’s worth seeing what newbies they’ve replaced those sales with if you have a moment. As has our in-house wood-crafter, Howard Moody.
And it would be remiss of me not to mention Philip Tyler‘s sales whilst I’m here as well, not least because that clever fella was on TV last month, featured in Sky TV’s Landscape Artist of the Year show, no less (now if only I could get Sky here in the US…)
Oh and just as I finish putting pen to paper (digitally speaking) Tom Marsh, Neil Bolton and Ruth Langenruch have some killer newbies just in, too… Phew!
So, there it is. The new book has arrived and you can get your copies online now here. But I’ll fill you in more on that in December’s newsletter when I’m back in the gallery… a nice Christmas stocking filler that for just £8.99, maybe? ;0-) You know you want to!
For now, from a hammock somewhere in sunny California, I hope you have great November and if you need Deborah, just email her any time, or call in the gallery in the usual hours between Wednesday and Saturday.
Mark
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October 2016 Newsletter
Like many couples, my wife and I are very different people. I have an idea, then, with little planning, take a running jump at it. If it sticks, I start to hone it. My wife is a planner, weighing up the height, width and length of the jump and taking many practice runs at it before even attempting a test leap.
Neither way is right or wrong, it’s just right for the individual. Of course this causes many issues as for her it seems I bodge a lot of things and never do them right at the outset. For me, she never seems to actually commit to anything and even then, takes forever… read more.