Runswick Bay Illustration

A while since I posted an Illustration, so hope you like this one I did some time ago. I was reminded of it whilst looking at Lisa Stubbs blog,' lilsonnysky' she has some lovely photos on there of the little house in my painting. it is a very popular subject, and fortunately, Runswick Bay remains quite secluded and tucked away on the Yorkshire coast. It does have that 'times gone by' feel to it, like childhood memories.The light wasn't too good today on my photo, sorry. I had a print done of this painting and it hangs on the dining room wall. The colours are a little stronger on it.

Hope you like my painting!

Edensor 'play'

Chatsworth last year

Chatsworth with a coat on this year?

Edensor village entrance

View looking down at Chatsworth

From top of village, looking towards Chatsworth.

Hello everyone, in the Easter break and in previous years, we have visited a little village near to Chatsworth House in the Peak District, it's called Edensor. It is on the route in to Chatsworth, but you could easily miss it, because it looks sort of gated off? It is open to the public, and I love it. It's a bit like stepping back in time in there, it's a little random, because although the houses are all in similar stone with blue painted doors/windows etc, they are all different. It has a lovely church, and one main street,  some of the houses have things for sale on stands outside, with honesty boxes to pay for anything.(little plants and a lovely Jam stand) You can park here and walk up and away from the village, on various routes, There are deer in the fields above. It is all quite idyllic, I think the houses form part of the Chatswoth estate, and may be owned by them, not sure how much or even 'if' you could buy a property there, it's sure to be expensive if you could. I will post my photos of this charming place, if you've never been down that way, I can highly recommend it. So many lovely walks, villages, towns, and oodles of tea-shops, essential after trecking up on the 'edges' that skirt all around this area.

This year I persuaded my husband to part with some dosh and we bought some absolutely delish Lemon curd, from the lovely stand selling home made delights! So cute and delicious all at the same time, YUM. My kind of treat. I'm sorry you can't enjoy the sweet tangy taste of My lemon curd, but I hope you enjoy looking at the photies, maybe you might get there one day and enjoy this lovely place for yourself.
Bye for now X Jules

Screenprint update

I went to do the screenprint course I mentioned previously. My head was in a bit of a fog, trying to deal with things, and I wasn't quite as prepared as I would have liked to have been, but I went (nearly turned back home) and I am glad that I did. The lovely Clare Caulfield who took the course, was so calm and collected, I felt sort of transported to another world? A bit surreal really. I'm going to hopefully show the progression of the course through my photos. I wasn't sure about all the process, but I knew we needed black drawings, or photos etc, to use for the screen, so I sketched something first, then I did seperate blacks for each colour I was hoping to do. These were just photocopied and then transferred to a screen using a photographic method, that involved coating a screen in UV sensitive liquid and exposing to UV light. The black parts then wash out of the screen, leaving these as open areas to screenprint through. It was a fairly simple process, but you did need the darkroom etc, so not so easy to do at home. I did 2 prints altogether, each had 3 colours, which was a bit ambitious, given the state of my head (not quite with it). I went a bit mad printing, it was so nice seeing the ink appear as you printed, I did too many really. I am pleased with my first attempts. I would like to do some more. which will probably mean me joining the lovely 'West Yorkshire Print Workshop' at some point. I have been meaning to do this anyway. But it may be later in the year, I hope you like the photos, and you can see what is happening, and the end results! Not quite Angie Lewin, but we all have to start somewhere???

The first print is of Hogweed or Cow Parsley, I think that's what you call it? The second is a Dandelion clock and forget me nots, I ran out of time on this one. Overall it was an excellent course. Clare was cool calm and collected throughout and made you feel like anything was possible.Probably because she was working away amongst us, cleaning and tidying up, as we made a real mess at times!. I hope you like what I achieved, bearing in mind I was in a bit of a daze! Clare has work in various galleries I'm not sure about a website for her, but she may have, Her work is really lovely.
Bye for now. X

My Big Brother

I've been away a while. I don't think you put sad things on a blog. But I can't ignore what has happened and its effect on me.My lovely Big Brother sadly passed away last Friday. He had been in hospital for a few weeks, struggling to combat a disease that had struck twice before, it was similar to polio. I am posting some photos of him, and me, when we were young. He was 10 years older than me, and I think I tormented hm something rotten as a kid! I won't say anymore. I shall miss him, but he had really had enough of suffering.

I will add another post later on, when I feel something like. 

I know a quiet place

I know a quiet place, that I love to go to and walk the dog. If you go at the right time, you can have the place to yourself.You can walk for an hour and not see anyone, which is really how I like it.There is something about the woods that I find very soothing, I feel at home there, no matter what the weather. Right now things are springing up like crazy, the yellow oil seed rape has flowered so brilliantly in just one week. I have sat very still in this place and seen deer cross the path, and watched a hare creep out from the long grass, even with the dog nearby. We have planted a tree in this place, for my nephew, who was killed 2 years ago now, knocked down and run over by a young driver, who lost control on a bend. I go back to check it's doing ok, and there it is, bright green leaves, that stand out amongst the background, it looks wonderful, I hope it grows up big and strong, with lots of conkers on!
So I will let you have a sneaky peak at my lovely quiet place, I hope you enjoy the views, and my little tree.
Happy Easter Everyone, Sun is still shining, hooray!

Screenprinting weekend

I have next weekend booked at the West Yorkshire Print Workshop, to do a screenprinting course with Claire Caulfield. I am really looking forward to this. I hope to be able to create a print, over the weekends course.?(fingers crossed)  I have some ideas of the things I would like to do, with influences from several artists that I admire. I doubt I can do something so wonderful to start with, but it's a start. I bought the book in the photos with my birthday funds, Angie Lewin shows some of her gorgeous work, I love seeing the woodblocks as well.It's interesting to see the sketches she has done alongside the finished prints.
 I took some photos of plants and seed heads last Autumn and I also love the work of Sally Elford. So I hope to do some sketching this weekend, that I might be able to use on the course. Hope you like the ideas, I will update with my sketches etc as I hopefully progress. This is something different for me, and it's quite an exciting diversion!

Walk on the wild side

Hello there, Ive been taking a few days off from working, got the decorating done, Hooray. Also been on some lovely sunny walks, the weather is just amazing right now, it's just my kind of weather, as it's not incredibly hot, but it is lovely. We managed a walk in the Dales on Monday, and I was delighted to hear Skylarks  soaring and singing and lapwings making those lovely warbly sounds that seem so typical of the moorlands. I did record a Skylark, but I can't fathom how to put it on the blog, so There are just a couple of photies instead. If anyone reads this and knows what to do to put a movie on, then do let me know? Hope you have enjoyed the sunshine too.

This is above Starbotton on the way back to Kettlewell.