BUS MANS HOLIDAY...AUGUST OF FUN.

Now as you know I don't usually do posts about me, exactly, I chat about my work and classes, but during August I have been having a bit of a break to recharge the creative batteries. The lovely Mr Brown and I had a little trip to Yorkshire. The weather was kind and Yorkshire is a fantastic place to visit. We started off at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

There we came across the most fantastic exhibition of work by Ursula Von Rydingsvard

I staged an intervention with this figure by Elizabeth Frink.

The lovely Mr Brown and I had fun trying to find this Gormley.

There is just so much to see and the walking was glorious.

There was still a great deal of evidence of the

Tour de France around the towns and villages.

We enjoyed a gothic moment in Whitby and did some fantastic moorland walks.

We returned via the Wakefield Hepworth Museum.

Enjoying a further sculpture fix

where there were extraordinary things to see. 

We have a Barbara Hepworth in Cheltenham,(did you wonder what I was about to say there?)

 really interesting to see the original designs for that. 

We also took the opportunity to stage another intervention with this work

by Allan Kaprow called Yard.

Another highlight in August is the St Christopher's Garden Club Summer Show. We have been active members for some time and enter a few things, not always successfully, but with enthusiasm. Here are my prize winning garden cup cakes.

It is all a bit like the Archers summer show with classes for flowers, veg, floral and domestic.

This was the winner of the novelty container, surprising what

 can be found on a dog walk, well done Barbara.

My orchid came second...the one on the top left hand side. 

The show has a lovely atmosphere.

We all do it for fun.

But like to win if possible.

The cakes, sweet peas and flowers make the church hall smell of childhood memories. 

Some times we are left with growing envy, my chard does not look like this.

And we do get some interesting entries. Melon/cucumber apparently?

The handicraft section was garden on a plate, any medium,

 so I couldn't resist a bit of crochet, alas not placed.

Next year I am going to encourage others to bake, grow and make for the show,

 you don't have to be a member to have a go, so if you are close

to Cheltenham or fancy a weekend in August 2015? Lets

see what you can come up with, you have a years worth of planning, so don't say you haven't been warned when I mention it in March!

I now have a long list of things to do after the Bank Holiday, but feel refreshed and recharged with still a few more days off to enjoy them.

EDITION SUNDAY

I decided that today should be edition Sunday, much more fun than paperwork Friday which will be heading towards me next week.

So with my inks and collagraph plates laid out.

My paper soaked, draining and blotted

and trying not to be distracted by the view from my studio window, off I went.

So I have now added some new Marans,

Ravens,

Eider Ducks,

 

 

 

Lakenvelders,

Crows with cage,

 

and these 2 Ravens to my collagraph stocks.

They are all drying on my marble print hanger waiting to be finished off later in the week.

I couldn't resist this studio selfie...now for a lie down.

A BIRD IN THE HAND!

I have had this idea in my head for sometime now. I am fascinated by small garden birds and the idea that they will take advantage of man made nest boxes.

Last year we were honoured to have a family of Great Tits nest and bring up their family in the box we have in our garden.

They have not come back this year, but there have been Gold finches flying around our street.

This has got me thinking and drawing

and will contribute to enough material to keep me going for

several prints.

 

So for my print this month, here are 2 offerings together with gum arabic printed labels.

Gold Finches.

Blue Tit.

Both made using polyfilla, carborundum, grey board and wood glue.

While I had the gum arabic transfer stuff out to make the labels for the collagraphs I thought I would try out something else that has been on my mind for a while. Inspired by the work of Anna Lewis and Rebecca Jewell I have been intrigued by how they transfer images onto feathers. Well I am not sure that this is the way they do it, but gum arabic seems to work really well, so thankyou to Lesley for the fabulous tropical feathers she got for me ages ago and watch this space...labels and feathers, a heady combination.

SUMMER AT HAMPEN FACTORY

It is now the end of the summer term Printmaking for All course at Hampen Factory.

We have had beautiful Wednesday weather and

I can't quite believe how quickly the term

has whizzed by.

During the last 10 weeks I covered

Silk Aqua tint with the morning group and

Viscosity Mono printing with

the afternoon group. 

The end of term was rounded off

making sample books

from the printmaking experiments generated over the term.

For details of all my printmaking classes check out the workshop page, but the morning group is now full and there are just a couple of places in the afternoon.

Thankyou everyone who made it such a lovely summer term.