Painting my Christmas plates

I am so excited to these plates finished and fired. They are my Weymouth Christmas plates, I wanted to represent my lovely home town I live in and moved to in 2014. Weymouth defiantly has some fun traditions, some of which include Chasing the Pudding, the Santa run and the harbour swim but to name a few. I thought as I am as quirky as the town I live in, it is only right to have this displayed at my Christmas dinner table. I was give a voucher for a local ceramic cafe, which I really wanted as I had desperately wanted to design and paint my own personalised plates for Christmas. I have designed my plates with the view of the Weymouth Harbour. I loved all the cute colourful houses around there and it seemed like the perfect view of Weymouth to use. I had started my plates prior to lockdown but I ran out of colours in the first few weeks of lockdown so I had to put the painting on hold. I hadn't quite realised how detailed my designs were (typical me-making it slightly more challenging-put head in hands.) I suddenly realised that painting tiny people with very shaking hands (due to my medication) might be down fall. I didn't help I had given them all tiny bobble hats and completing various tasks, like driving a tiny turquoise car filled with presents and a tree on top and a mini me "Driving for Christmas" or a tiny couple pushing their new baby with shopping bags.

I will chat more into the design in a bit.......... but first tea.... especially at 6am and I have been awake for ages so I give in and get up and start painting my plates while everyone else is still snoozing. I think once I finish these I hope I can get a bit more sleep as I won't be worrying about getting them finished for Christmas (6 months my Festive Friends........it's not long to go and I have sooooooo many other projects to finish-more on them later!)

I started my drawing first in my note book of all my ideas, then I drew it in pen onto the plates (will comes off-don't worry, I have been well informed of this fact!) You can see above my design just as I've started painting the snow. I wanted to include a few little bits that makes reference to Weymouth and my story/future dreams/plans. So for all you eagled eyed Festive Friends, you may see a little sign that say 'My Christmas Emporium' which I am working towards to making this a reality (even if only online for the time being but I hope to have a shop in the town-one day!!!) One can dream no? I have designed every single house or shop stuffed with garlands, wreaths and Christmas trees to make it extra festive, because unlike some I say especially when it comes to Christmas MORE is defiantly MORE! So I have also included these very contentious fairy light (which were actually along the Promenade by our town's beach-they were removed but lots of people wanted them back so I put them back-if only on my Christmas plates) but I thought they looks cute and gave the illusion of being evening as they were all lit as well as the more vintage style lamp posts because I absolutely love them. The most important part is Santa flying over Weymouth dropping all the presents to all the lucky children and those who are ill in hospital. I know this to be true because when my kidneys failed and I ended up in hospital for Christmas Day he had managed to drop off my little special gift. I now help Santa out by dropping off my own stocking to the hospital as well just incase he might have missed anyone. Any way I digress, I obviously have made it snow in my design because lets be real.....it's me and I've always wanted a snowy white Christmas but unfortunately were I live we don't get that much! When I paint I often listen to Christmas music (even when it's sunny and summery outside) to get me into the festive spirit of my painting and today I lit my lovely Yankee Evergreen Mist. Now many of you may not know my BIG DREAM which is to own my own Christmas Tree Farm-really niche I know! Ahhhh I digress again back to the plates......

Lastly I have included Sammy the Seal who is a local celebrity here in Weymouth for some time and when Lockdown had been lifted a little bit I was able to go for walk with my little family and to my delight and my toddlers we saw Sammy the Seal relaxing on our beach.

So he makes a special appearance on my plates too. Here he is on the beach having a little snooze and on that very cute note I will leave you with Sammy the Seal.