Michaelmas daisies and new stencils

I purchased some lovely stencils off Ebay recently.

The seller very kindly put a load of extra stencils in with the ones I ordered for free!

That brightened my day!

I use stencils for ink spritzing, modelling paste layering, gelli printing, in fact anything and everything!

They make a lovely background for watercolour sketching in my sketchbook.

I use inked spritzed through the stencil and painted on top when dry.

Michaelmas daisies are so evocative of autumn days and that 

 breathy chill in the morning air,

sketchbook hydrangea

Getting back to routines after a little break can be difficult and all I seem to have to show this week are some pages from my sketchbook. Summer is done and time to capture a few of the late blooms before they fade,

 Hydrangeas are such chameleons...
Sometimes blue, sometimes pink... what colour are yours? :)

Other news this week is that my new mixed media workshops started in Lancashire,the course runs over several weeks so I will post some photos  at the end. Already I am very excited by what the great group of ladies have created.

Better get back to the workdesk and get busy.... :)

.

Watercolour workshop

 I had a wonderful day yesterday in the Scottish borders at a painting workshop run by Amanda Phillips.
It was at the wonderful Abbotsford House, former home of the writer 'Sir Walter Scott'. Many of you may not have read or perhaps heard of Scott, however if you have been to Edinburgh by train you will have arrived at Waverley station named after his novel written in 1814, the only Station in the world named after a novel! He also wrote iconic works such as Rob Roy and Ivanhoe.

My daughter works as Heritage manager there and I'm not sure she realises how lucky she is working in such a beautiful, magical place!
Of all the historic houses I have visited this is definitely my favourite. It breathes romance with its fairytale turrets and quirky angles. All I should add, a nightmare for me, an artist who hates drawing straight lines!!

The weather was unbelievably sunny... these photos aren't digitally fiddled, honest!!!

 The gardens are beautiful and I took loads of flower photos which I will post soon. I intend to use them for some reference for future work.

I love this dog sculpture of Scott's faithful hound. Scott loved his dog so much that when he died a statute was commissioned to mark it's final resting place.

 There are so many fascinating details. Little gargoyles pop up around each corner.

 I found it hard to find just one area to focus on. I was drawn to the garden but my dislike of painting buildings made me decide to challenge myself and paint an architectural detail. I liked to view through the arches. ( I am sure there is a architectural name for these! )

So that is where I set up my easel. We were a small group of 8 and Amanda let us get on with things. I'm a bit of a loner when it comes to painting, liking to get into my own headspace, however she was always at hand for assistance. I am by no means a watercolourist and really can't remember when I just used watercolour as a single medium. I mix it with other mediums such as collage and inks. So this workshop really took me far out my comfort zone.
 Amanda also gave me some excellent advice on setting up workshops and a few Gallery names to contact . Also giving me the encouragement to 'get out there!' Thank you Amanda. ;)

I actually don't like my finished watercolour, but that for me wasn't the object of the workshop. For me it was about trying something different. Stepping into the unknown and seeing what could happen.
Even after the workshop ended I continued drawing on the grass...the weather was too beautiful to stop!
I came well prepared with my trusty flask of earl grey ;)

If you want to find out more about Abbotsford you can check out their new blog
abbotsfordcollections.blogspot.com

Unfortunate and fortunate. My right foot.

Today it's not so much what is on my desk, as I can't get to it at the moment, but what is on my lap!

I mentioned in my last post that I had been ill with pneumonia and was at last on the mend....

Well life often throws us a curved ball and within days of that last post I had fallen down my steps and fractured my foot!
I have never broken a bone before and nor do I want to again. Life on crutches is proving tricky as I can't weight bear for around 4 weeks. :(
Things I take for granted are often out of reach, my house has become an assault course, and trips up or down stairs to be viewed with trepidation.


I have started to sketch on my  lap, it is hard to get things easily to hand so I am using what is easy to get hold of.

Sketching with Inktense pencils.

I have used some of the lovely get well flowers sent to me as inspiration.

I have been doodling flowery patterns too.

Also... Big Tah dah...

 I have spent my sofa time learning to crochet, something that until last week had baffled me! Now courtesy of you tube I am beginning a blanket. By the time my cast comes off I want it to be finished. It will be a reminder of how much I take my mobility for granted and how lucky I am to be fit and able bodied ( Usually) Many are not so lucky and it is not a case of enforced rest for a few weeks and the removal of a cumbersome cast.

  

I may be unfortunate, but I am fortunate in so many ways.

linking up to WOYWW this week as I have lots of time to seek out woolly inspiration.;)

 Learning to Crochet

Linking up to  Paint party friday too where I have lots of time to peruse this weeks artful meanderings.

windmills and teapots

What exactly is 'good taste' ?
Who decides?
I guess this little windmill teapot set could be described as 'Kitsch' and that is why I like it.
So much today is about clean lines, minimal colours and co-ordinating pattern, I'm not sure this little teapot would fit into many peoples lives.

I am a collector of things, if I like something, I like it, and often I can't even quantify why....
Usually the things I love are colourful
Colour makes me happy.

To many people still life paintings are DULL....

Depends what you choose to draw! I love this teapot because it may be many things but dull is not one of them!
 I think It was made in the 1930s and is known as a type of china called cottagewear. made by the Price brothers. It is wonderfully frivolous, rather impractical and to many it would be seen as 'bad taste',

Who cares? It is fun! ;)

I used neocolour crayons and pen and ink.

Happy tea-times.......   ;)
Hello to all those visiting from paint party friday !

An oriental jar full of colour

You may remember my visit to the Kaffe Fasset '50 years of colour' exhibition a couple of weeks ago, click HERE to take a look at my visit to the exhibition.

Well as you can see I have been playing with colour. Inspiration Avenue came up with the exciting challenge of creating a piece of work in the style of a favourite artist.

Its easy to assemble a quick still life.... a china cup, a pomegranate ( don't you just love those jewel like seeds!) and a little  treasured oriental jar which belonged to my mother. I assembled my little collection on some bright butterfly paper.

I used this wonderful paper to work on, it is made from bamboo and is excellent for mixed media projects.

I used a combination of gouache  and neocolour crayon. Once dry I dabbed white gesso  over the surface to mute the lines. I noticed in Kaffe's  colour drawings that he did not have hard edges on his objects, and I really liked the way his patterns almost blurred into one another.

Kaffe Fasset

Of course I didn't want to copy the magical Kaffe, I wanted to capture the feeling of joy his colour studies bring and also keep my own style....
So it seemed right to add some gold flakes, metallics feature in most of my work, I just love these shiny pieces of magic. I am sure I must have been a magpie in a past life as I am drawn to anything glittery!

Oriental jar

linking up  this week to Inspiration Avenue

The joy of colour!!

A picture heavy post this week, and to be honest pictures speak louder than words!

I have returned from spending the weekend visiting the Kaffe Fasset 50 years of colour exhibition in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. His first solo exhibition in Scotland.

I made it by the skin of my teeth, the final day of the exhibition.I had been excited since I heard of its imminent arrival but had had to wait till Saturday to experience for myself the glorious explosion of Fasset technicolour!!

 As a textile student in the 1980s  Kaffe Fasset was hugely influential, both to me and many other textile students
 I still adore his use of pattern, and opulent colour. As soon as I walked into the exhibition I was filled with Joy.... The joy of colour!

Each section was themed,

faces and animals

squares

early works

with a huge inspiration wall

And insights into how traditional Kilim designs were translated into knitted designs.

Abstract and geometric patterns in both knitted and quilted designs

fabulous florals.... and  his trademark cabbages

the displays were mouthwatering

I adore this fruity chair covered in fruity needlpoint. The  duck egg blue is so beautiful!

The quilts were amazing

This one I particulary loved.

Also  on show were some of  his wonderful paintings used to inspire his work.

I love this painting......

And this knitted hanging!

having studied Tapestry weaving at University the above tapestry really blew me away.

And finally these two little needlepont plates..... how adorable!!

If you want to find out more about Kaffe Fasset I bought a copy of his wonderful autobiography which is well worth delving into.

Dreaming in colour

Linking up to paint party friday