One of my early commissions, three years ago, was ‘The Shed’. It was the new workshop of Karen of @karensquilts. All sorts of ‘additions’ appeared – Cheryl, the crow; Lance, the good knight; Treacle, the family’s late cat – and a strange dog who was who was, perhaps, a premonition of Arthur, the cockapoo. Karen has now moved to Devon, and for her special birthday, I was commissioned to draw her new home. This is the barn, The Old Granary. And Karen and Ray now have a real Arthur to keep them company.
There are records dating back to 1650 for this Devon cottage. The modern extension is what used to be ‘the stick store’, presumably where firewood was stored, now kitchen/diner with bedroom and balcony above. It is also recorded as being the place where ‘the pauper in the stick store’ resided, according to census records. Apparently, as a family home the younger couple and their children occupied the main house – and grandma was relegated to the stick store.
And now my wife and I call it home.
If your home would like the attention it deserves, or you would like to give a unique and personal gift, contact me for further details.
Image is drawn with dip pen and acrylic ink, enhanced with graphite pencil shading. A4 size.
Since my last post in January, there has been a lot going on – so much that I’ve forgotten to post!
Our son moved out leaving Julie and I free to re-assess our situation. So we did.
We moved house, from central southern Hampshire to north Devon. It has been a long process. We had to downsize considerably, and it took a while to get organised in the new property. You wouldn’t believe the amount of ‘stuff’ we got rid of! But we are in and settled and the house is now feeling like home – and of course it is the new HQ for Pen and Lens Artwork Ltd.
There have been a number of house caricatures commissioned and dispatch from within the chaos – the latest being “Di’s Place”, the most recent in the Portfolio. Others are included here.
Our new HQ in Devon
Early in May we went off to Rugby for the annual convention of The British Association of Decorative and Folk Arts (BADFA). From our new location, this proved to be quite a hike! But it was worth it as it was one of the best conventions ever – and all British event to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Towards the end of May we released our third set of stamps, four more quirky houses, with a moving house/party theme to the supplementary ‘worker’ images. They are: Ye Shoppe, Gran’s House, Our House, and The Posh House. These are my coloured samples – people in the stamping and card making community do so much better.
The stamps are manufactured and marketed by Chocolate Baroque – renowned for their high quality stamps and life-time guarantee.
Ye Shoppe
Gran’s House
Our House
The Posh House
The idea for this set was that they could be set next to each other to form a street. Here we have – ‘Our House, in the middle …’ (cue Madness!)
The first set was released in October 2018 – a set of quirky buildings. Clockwise from top left: Head Office, Loft Conversion, English Country Garden, La Maison.
In January 2019, we released a second set, influenced by the seaside, close to where we lived at the time – my nautical set. Clockwise from top left: A dip in the sea, Jolly Roger, Looking out to see (sic), Harbour master.
Set 1
Set 2
Well, that’s it for now – I hope to post again soon – ish! Better get started on the next house …
Pen and Lens Artwork 