GETTING CREATIVE FOR 2018

So here I am in between Christmas and New Year. I have got my website up to date, sorted out a newsletter and now a blog post. This dose not make me super human, just trying to fill the gap left by my family going home after several days with a full house over Christmas!!

I do try to keep my hand in and this holiday finds 

me doing a bit of research and development. 

This little sketch book is for a 3 day summer school I am planning for next year. 

Not on the web site yet, but details are going out in the newsletter. 

I find developing pages 

very soothing. 

You may notice a little festive influence.

I have to say I love the monochrome snow brings to the landscape, always inspiring.

Walks have had me constantly bird spotting. 

And there is always the odd garden visitor.

But it has not all been work, I have had some fiddly fun too.

I go back to childhood makes at Christmas, these peg angels were made several years ago. 

This years peg fairy's have become very pantomime dame and

I had the joy of participating in Viv Sliwka's alternative angel workshop at the yard:ARTspace in November. 

Inspired by the weather and as part of a family decoration challenge I did some stitch drawing and made a snowy lantern.

All in all it has been a full on season, cooking, decorating and generally having fun. I hope you have had an equally cheery season and have lots to look forward to in 2018. 

A VERY CREATIVE TIME

I find Christmas exhaustingly creative...I can't resist those festive makes. But before that has really taken hold I have spent the last week or so

making new collagraphs these will be editioned after the glitter has settled in the New Year. 

Inspired by the winter birds in the garden, I have 

put together a set of birds on milk bottles.

Card and glue plates, simple is often the most effective. 

While enjoying new inky pleasure, I have also started a new sketch book. 

I found that the wintery weather has inspired me. I also 

miss the discipline of, Draw a Bird a Day! Never thought I would hear myself say that?? 

There is a cunning plan here which I will reveal at a later date. 

But in the meantime I am enjoying lots

of mixed media and birds. 

No surprise there really!

I have arranged a series of prepared pages so that I can snuggle into the shed between Christmas and New Year. It is too easy to emerge after the festivities feeling a bit lost, so I always arrange a buffer to avoid that dip.

END OF TERM AT the yard:ARTspace

It's getting all festive in my world!! This is the time of year when my mind turns to Christmas cards. 

I have decided to try a new material this year. Why make life easy eh?

Now I know it's madness to make a collagraph Christmas card, the inking is far too time consuming. So this year I have made a collagraph robin as the basis of a stamp.

Using Magic Stamps from Handprinted UK. Iron the surface of the blue block, protected with baking parchment, then

press onto you chosen texture. In this case my collagraph robin.

Ta dah! Inked with a roller, or an ink pad! So that's my card sorted.

As part of my busy Christmassy weekend I held the last class of 2017, fueled by festive treats.

Viscosity mono printing is always exciting as everyone

makes lots of colourful , layered work.

Could I get anymore rollers on the go?

The results are spectacularly colourful, 

All these prints are made with one pass through the press,

and excellent printing use of wall paper.

Then the over printing starts,

adding rich colour to pale ghost prints,

extra texture and above all

silver ink.

It has been another exciting printmaking year at the yard:ARTspace and 2018 is looking to be equally experimental. There are just a couple of places left on the 10 week course and the weekend workshops are booking up quickly. Have a look at the website and see how the yard can develop your creativity.

CREATE FOR CHRISTMAS CONTINUES.

Create for Christmas continued  the yard:ARTspace last Saturday 

with the wonderfully creative Hens Teeth delivering and alternative angel workshop. 

A host of heavenly bodies were created under the expert guidance of Viv. 

She filled the yard with delicious beads and fabrics together with her gorgeous work. 

Inspired by her examples we eagerly put together fabric and beads,

diamante and glitz. 

Fueled by Quality Street...other chocs are available.

We had all bought along our most treasured fabric finds.

Viv spread her magic and guided us all in our individual projects.

The lovely Di made a nativity in a day

I adore this angel.

Pam created the most exquisitely made Victorian lady. 

Christina found inspiration in a recently felled small tree and a collection of vintage fabric.

Everyone was very excited at the end of the day...many oos and aaahs

My and Emma's angels joined the heavenly throng.

We were all thrilled with the results, thank you so much Viv for a creatively stimulating day. Our Christmas trees will look amazing this year.