Here I am again at my favourite garden. It feels good to have made the effort to come. I sketch away as the day unfolds. Brought the wrong camera am afraid so no artsy shots! Took a couple with my phone. The light is glorious at dawn and managed to capture a cloud over the far mountains. Then motifs suggest themselves throughout the day. I always love drawing the old oak and leaves with lake behind. There was a little proud robin proclaiming his presence on the lawn. A red hot air balloon took off over the lake very early. I dozed and pruned and surveyed all. This must be paradise. Will keep coming back when I am able. Rejuvenating as it was through lockdown. It was our life-line then…

Here are a couple of details of the small diptych I have been working on. It’s not finished yet and is taking a very long time but I’m ok with that. The marks and colour evolve very very slowly. Hand-stitching slows the process down even more but that’s what I like. The meditative quality of the making suits me very well just now. Process mentality is very much with me always.

I am an associate member of Neoartists at Bolton. Their open show at Rogue Studios Manchester has been extended for a month do catch if you can. Info on flyer. I have a small embroidery and oil on show there and the little sketchbook that goes with it.

Recently heard I have had a piece accepted (Yesnaby cliffs) for this so am super excited. They would like the sketch too so will get them framed up this week and take them over to Neo on the train. It’s exciting too as Neo haven’t had a venue to show work for quite a while, but that seems to be changing. I am an associate member there. Try to get over to see if you can…go to neo:artists to  find  out more  about  neo

I am creating lines of backstitch on my current piece. It is very slow and meditative work but satisfying. I think I will be working on this for a considerable time to come! I am alternating it with making new cushion covers. So onward and upward. May need to buy some new oilbars soon. They are quite pricy, hey ho…

Here I am at the Landscape and Seascape group show at The Open Gallery in Halifax. The show itself is a great mix of 2D and 3D work along with textile and stitch responses. I was really pleased that I made the effort to go. We got the train this time and only had to change at Blackburn. The whole thing worked very well! My other recent experiences with British Rail have not been so good. However, must not dwell on negatives! We really liked discovering Halifax too and had a great Italian meal after the show. My pieces were a diptych of Yesnaby cliffs in Orkney ,a mix of dye, stitch and oil-bar marks. I made the pieces last year from a sketch made on the spot. You can read about it’s development on this blog, just scroll down…

Here is a little detail of the stitch work that I have done so far on this piece. I would like to do more in various zones across the piece before I go in with the size as this makes it much more difficult to hand sew. I have a little sketch I have been using to work from which I will share anon.

Chuffed to say my little diptych of Yesnaby cliffs Orkney has been accepted for this group show! Do try to catch if you can folks!

Well I have started a new little diptych based on a sketch made from our holiday flat in Dieppe France. I have made two little bespoke stretchers with a little help it has to be said! Then I stretched the very last of the canvas from dad over them and dyed the canvas in Pebeo dye before beginning to stitch. I will then size the canvas and add oil-bar to selected areas. I’m really excited that I can make bespoke stretchers with the clamps I was given as part of my Christmas pressie! Watch this space for progress. My last little diptych has been selected for a show in Halifax in March under the title ‘Landscape and Seascape’ . I will let you know more in future blog posts!,

I went to this little cafe in Didsbury Manchester the other day. I made a little fine liner sketch whilst I was waiting for my order. The cafe has been there for a long while I think, but I have only just found it now that my son and his wife and baby have moved near there. It has a great atmosphere and I love all the books and wood. You can sense all the conversations that have happened and feel all those going on around you. It is the first time I’ve wanted to draw over the Christmas period. I find it all such a strange holiday and feel almost in suspended animation with regard to my own work. That feeling is receding now, which I am grateful for! I have stretched up a little dyp-tych with canvas and now have the right dyes to begin. So onward and upward again!