Springy, summery time

Spring didn’t really arrive, but we are now starting to get some better weather as we run in to summer.

Our days out, and general wanderings (see @moodymeanders and @juliemoo1960 on Instagram) are a source of much inspiration. For Julie it is the flowers, gardens, and colourful shop displays. Her camera is always locked and loaded, ready to store another memory.

For me, it is the architecture, houses, shops, factories, old, new, interesting; vehicles, machinery, rusty, shiny, that set me thinking. How can I capture the soul of the object?

We will be visiting National Trust places during the summer, they cater for both our needs – and there is usually a quiet corner where one can enjoy a cup of tea and slice of cake.

 

Back in dear old Blighty

The day after we returned it snowed! What a welcome.

A couple of new posts have gone live. One of my favourite cars, the Shelby Cobra 427, was created with Derwent Grafix pens using only dots, a technique known as pointillism. That took longer than usual but I’m pleased with the result.

Today I posted the Harbour Master’s office. It’s an old building that lends itself to a bit of artistic licence. I can never tell tell what the finished product will look like. Where to next?

The Shed – the story

A recent commission has been delivered, and the customer is pleased with the result.

Karen Barclay of Karen’s Quilts had a new studio built in her garden. She asked me to draw ‘The Shed’ so that she can use the illustration on her business cards and blog.

Featured in the picture are; Karen, Treacle the cat, Oliver the dog, Cheryl the crow, and Lance the knight.

You can read Karen’s side of the story, and compare it with the real shed here. The chalet/workshop/shed was made by Tuin, a Dutch company supplying quality buildings. The story about it’s delivery and construction will appear on Karen’s blog soon, too.

If you want to view your house, or other building in a different light, contact me for more information.

Tempus fugit

[For more info go to my arty-crafty blog]

It’s been a busy couple of months. It all started with the 2017 BADFA convention, a day out in London, and a Ministry of Mixology weekend. I was glad to have a long weekend at Easter just to recover.

The BADFA 2017 convention went well. Peggy Harris came over from Tennessee to spend the weekend painting with us, Suz Humphreys made time for us on the Friday, and I took a ‘mucky mixed media’ class on Saturday.

Lighter sessions were had on Friday night – Kim’s fun night with a quiz and modelling balloons, and Saturday night – a Powertex demo by Claire Holmes. You’ll have to visit my other site for details

We held the event in Crick again this year. So far we can’t find a venue to beat the price, service, and central location. Chances are we’ll be back there next year.

On Tuesday after convention I took Julie to London for a photo day. She learned in her class while I played tourist. I hopped on and off the tube, sightseeing, and ended up at the Science Museum for lunch. Other than losing her on the Underground between Euston and Waterloo, it was an uneventful day.

But the following weekend was full-on, again. Ministry of Mixology in Coventry with France Papillon and Kate Crane; guest appearance by Andy Skinner. The two days were filled with all the usual MoM fun; France on Saturday, and Kate on Sunday. An evening of make’n’takes filled the bit in the middle.

Then it was back to earth, and a return to work – but inspired with lots of ideas and projects.