Lino cut course

Pamela Dodds our tutor.

Working away

 Hello there, a couple of weeks back, I enrolled for a lino cut course at our Art House centre.  We had a lovely instructor, who came from Toronto. Pamela Dodds was very informative and easy going, we could ask as many questions as we liked and the group as a whole were very creative. I am always amazed at how creative people can be in these classes. The work produced was to a very good standard. I enjoyed it very much, I love the varying textures that can be produced using this method. I'm hoping to incorporate this process in some work I'm doing. We only had 3 hours total, I tend to panic after an hour, and everyone seemed to be at printing stage by then aaaagggghhhh. I was still cutting away at the lino, this was partly due to the fact that I'd forgot my specs, and couldn't see what I was cutting really. I will show you some more photies of our class, it was a fantastic £5 well spent!! I love learning new techniques. See you again soon.

My sketch and lino block

Initial prints

Talented pieces of work

Pamelas work process samples

Showing the process of adding colour

We've had so much rain yet again, but with the rain come the beautiful double rainbows :) This was taken from my front door looking across the street.

Red hot and ready!

The bees and the birds love the red hot pokers!

This is a little blurred sorry!

Almost enough raspberries for a pud, YUMMY!

A few little red hot shots for the next summer colour on the blog :)

Floral colour

 Hello there blog friends. I've been absent a while, still lots to do, and catching up with some gardening too! The artworks above are some I've recently worked on. I keep reading all your lovely blogs and this week have noticed a Flickr photo posting feast going on with a colour theme. I thought I would add my personal little version so far. My photos are nowhere near as good as ones I've seen, but I felt like joining in! So here are one or two snapshots from my garden on the colour theme, starting with green, then yellow (which I didn't think I had anything of until I looked out this morning and bang, the St Johns wort is there) and today pink, which there are various shades of in the garden right now. I will be back soon, probably with more colours and some arty pics, see you soon :)

The bees love these, but have trouble keeping on the stamens.

Bits of pink, I love this Erigeron Profusion

Found a home in my garden, another favourite of the bees!

I'm in Tesco!!!!!

 Hello there Blog friends! Just a quick little update of some work done previously. I had an email from the lovely people who created some gift wrap and bags from some floral work I did last year, to say that it is in Tesco now, whooppeeee!
I called in and sure enough, there I am on the shelves!! I love how this looks even if I say so myself, it's bright and cheery and pretty all at the same time! I stood there in the store and felt quite proud, I didn't tell the cashier when I bought these bits this time, but I was excited. I am daft sometimes!! But it's always a thrill to see my work in a shop, and they did such a lovely job combining my artwork with spots and stripes.

 I have also had work in the 'Next' stores, this was a while back now, but I still like the images. I was thrilled when they created a gift wrap from the same images! These are in my portfolio now, but it's ages since I did them.

Finally a design also in 'Next' for wedding. This was also done some time back, I had a phase of creating these black line images, using a cut off straw and black ink! Hope you like my shopping trip? See you again soon :)

Jubilant Jollifications!

J H Dowd Illustration sketches

 Hello blog freinds. I was trying to think of a title for this post that would tie in with all the Jubilee celebrations that are going on around our little island this past few days! When I thought of this one, I remembered these wonderful illustrations that are in a book I have 'People of Importance' with all the illustrative sketches by J H Dowd. I love them, the book is signed and dated 1935, so fairly old. Hope you like them?

 My own little nod to the British flag, which is being waved all over the country as I write, came about 2 years ago, when I could see this trend for the flag symbol appearing on Everything!! Out of necessity really, I created this little teacosy and below a lavender scented bag, both in faded denim, which I love. My intention was to create lots of these, and sell them on Etsy or someplace. But the artwork took over and I've just been so busy with all that. I only have a borrowed 'old' sewing machine anyway...

Arnclffe

We've been out in the lovely Yorkshire Dales walking today, lots of flag waving going on all over in the villages. I've just watched my favourite 'Paul Mcartney' as the final act in a concert for the Jubilee, and beacons are being lit (4,2000) throughout the country on hill tops everywhere. We saw one being set up, whilst in Littondale today.

We walked through fields of buttercups, daisies and red clover, past old barns and houses, it was a pleasant day indeed. See you all again soon. Hope you get to see some of the celebrations from over here, wherever you are in the world! :)

Mini break and studio peak.

Next doors caravan

 My little mini break away is all too quickly over. We only stayed away the one night, but it has been very pleasant! The caravan site we stay on is quiet and beyond the site are woods and fields. You are woken with a dawn chorus from the birds, but this is a little early! Most people seem to have feeders for the birds hanging up, so I found it lovely to sit and watch a variety of birds coming and going! Including big fat wood pigeons, which cleverly waited under the feeders for seed being dropped. They also land on the caravan roof, and sound like they have boots on, they are so heavy!

Window view left

Window view right, to Olivers Mount

 It's an amazing view we have right over Scarborough, the weather was perfect. We can see over to the castle and the bay and then up to Olivers mount, where the motorbike races are held. I could look at this view all day!

Jet wanted to see the view too!

 We visited Filey this morning, and sat for a while on the cliff top, taking in the view.

Filey beach and front

Filey Brigg.

 

Yummy afternoon tea!

 Later this afternoon we headed to Helmsley, which is further inland. We managed to make afternoon tea at the Black Swan tea rooms. It's all decked out ready for the Jubilee celebrations next weekend.  I can't believe how quick this little break has gone.

My 'Tidy' studio?

Back to work next week, or possibly tomorrow. I managed to do some tidying up in my workroom (spare room). So you can have a sneak peak now. I know it's not amazingly tidy as so many people show their work areas, but at least I can see the floor now!!! I had projects scattered all over, been so busy since December, It's been crazy. I'm now working on some cute characters, enjoying sketching again!! Bye for now :)

to follow on.......

From my last post, I am following on with the lily of the valley, which are opening their little bells nicely now. They reminded me of some artwork I did last year. This lovely flower is used for both weddings and funerals, so I tried to paint for both subjects, but alas they have not sold as yet.

little bee

baby blue tit

I would like to thank all you fellow bloggers for your kind weather wishes!! It has dramatically changed here, it now feels like summer and the bees and butterflies and baby birds are out in abundance. I was so lucky with the photos of that little baby bird above, I could hear all this tweeting commotion in the bushes,whilst out walking the dog yesterday morning. I think they had just fledged and the parent birds were calling loudly to this little one. He was a bit wobbly on his perch and eyed me nervously, but didn't move. I backed away steadily, so he could carry on practicising flying etc, he was cute!

Hawthorn hedge

 As I mentioned previously, the Hawthorn is so full of blossom this year. This hedge I pass on my morning walk, I have never seen it quite as heavily laden as this I'm sure. There will be a bumper crop of berries in the Autumn, it must have been all the rain we have had? There are 2 nests at the corner where my dog is, I saw them earlier, being built, and could hear loud calls as I approached.

full of blossom

I hope the lovely weather is continuing wherever you are in the world... we have a trip to the coast to stay with my Mother in Law in her caravan this weekend, and tea out in Helmsley again I hope! I may take the camera with me.....so see you again soon. Thank-you for leaving your comments they are much appreciated. :)