"Moon of Falling Leaves"

Just a quick up date after another busy week. However I did manage to fit in creating my  November page.

2011 is nearly through - it is unbelievable. 

 "Moon of Falling Leaves" is the Lakota for October, whilst November is "Moon of the Coming of Winter". There are still plenty of leaves left to fall . With no frost to finish them off the geraniums are still adding to the colour scheme in the garden as well as a few out of season miscreants like the companulas.

For the November background I used Derwent Inktense pencils with some cut-out stencils created for my creative sketchbook course. The squares are plain brown paper.

Here are a couple more pages pages I have created using Inktense and Karisma colour pencils. 

Cotoneaster berries - a detail taken from a photograph

and in my smaller book, an experiment making a rubbing from a cutout I made of a sparrow. 

 I am very pleased that over the last year we have cultured a fair size colony of House Sparrows that live in the shrubs in the garden - and kick up quite a din too. Two or three years ago we hardly saw a sparrow, it was once such a ubiquitous bird that we took it for granted but its numbers have declined over the last decade or so.

Hoping to get my Apple Mac this week, so fingers crossed,  next time I blog....

Have a good week whatever you're up to,

Jill

Only just time for tea

I've had an extremely busy week including visiting Dad on the Isle of Wight and a trip to Ikea to buy new desks for my work room - thanks to John and Trish for the lift and help lifting heavy flat packs. I have put together one under-desk cupboard, but my back suggests leaving the other one for a few days. Eventually I should have continuous worktop along one wall which will also accomodate my new computer.  Hopefully I will be able to fit everything in. At the moment every gap is filled with a folder or a box, my new arrangement won't have so many gaps!

I have made time for one project in my sketchbook.  I have used a favouite teapot as the starting point. May do a bit more work on it at some point.

It is nearly the end of October, so I am going to work on my November calendar page now as I've another busy week ahead with more family visits and appointments with the vet and the hairdresser! I don't know why, but appointments each seem to take up half a day since I retired.  I can't believe I used to fit them all in with working full time!

Hope you all have a good week and see you in November!

Jill

The weeks fly by...

Thank you all who wished me well after my tumble - I'm fine now. No lasting damage, although my back is always a bit dodgy, as many of you who are fellow sufferers of chronic back ache know.  Falling over is not recommended!

I have been really getting into my sketchbook course.  It is helping get back into a creative mode.  Hopefully it will also push me into some textile work.  Meanwhile I have been getting into cut out pages -

the edge of the right-hand fork is cut out and turns over to reveal -

this page with pink fork and some rubbings on a cut out jug.

This was an experiment with large scale washes - not totally happy with these - yet.

Wax resist experiments ...

and a more finished piece.  The wax resist and rubbing has been really great for getting me away form  finicky detail, which has its place, but can obsess me!

I'm in for another busy week - but I will try to keep up with you all

Have a great week

Jill

Catching up

Thought it was about time to catch up although not a great deal has been happening on the home front. However last Monday I took my camera out for a walk on Sharpenhoe Clappers to enjoy the last day of the 'heatwave'.
I bought myself an impromptu sandwich and ate it sitting by the car park enjoying this view, with the wind blowing in my hair.

Then I set off along the path ...

to emerge with a view across Bedfordshire.

Although very sunny, it was hazy in the shadows and I think the Travellers' Joy (aka Old Man's Beard) that smothers the hedgerows gives these bushes an almost eery appearance 

 It was very windy on top of the hill and there was the continual clatter of beech masts falling from these magnificent trees.  It looked as if someone had been trying to improvise some shelters with fallen logs.

As well as the magnificent beeches I love ash trees. Their leaves make a beautiful tracery against the sky.

I always like to keep my eye on the ground too ...

...however unfortunately, when I was nearly back at the car and on the tarmac path, I turned my ankle on a beech mast and hit the deck.  I was thankful that I had put my camera in my bag and managed to avert an expensive trip!  However I did cut my hand and knee AND TROUSERS.  It was a good job no one was around as I must confess to uttering a loud expletive as I landed.  If any of you watched Steven Fry's Planet Word you'll understand that this was to relieve the pain.  Luckily no lasting damage was done, although I was so cross with myself - I have very wobbly ankles and have to take care.  I had picked my way gingerly across the rough ground, but with the car in sight I let down my guard! I have said before that I can turn my ankle on a sixpence and devoted a whole post to my tripping disasters here.

Kitchen shelf

I am finding the Creative Sketchbook course with Design Matters great fun, and I am very impressed with the material and immediate feedback. I would not hesitate to recommend it (It's full at the moment) if Linda and Laura Kemshall run it again. I have finished the first module so here are a few more of my pages.

forks,

knives

and spoons.

I'm moving out of the kitchen now and into colour!

My best wishes to all of you - several of you seem to be having a bit of a rough time lately, and what ever you do take care - watch out for those beech nuts - tripping hazard!!

Glorious October!

Well there goes September

and in comes October in a blaze of glory.  Looks a bit of a muddle here but I painted the background in the garden surrounded by beautiful sunshine and warm autumn colours. I used water colours and my water brush.  I scanned a page and printed out a couple of sheets for the squares.  They'll stand out more when written on. 

I was inspired by my previous page in my journal which I wrote about in my previous post.

Norfolk Pages

Here are the pages I started when away in Norfolk.  A brilliant addition to my tool kit has been a reservoir brush (also called a waterbrush).  This means I can do water colours sitting in an arm chair! A perfect companion to my ancient watercolour box which was my Dad's. The brush will clean with a few wipes on a paper towel so is ready for a new colour. No good for sweeping washes, but perfect for what I wanted.

I painted the shell whilst away, but added the photo montage and tracing paper seaweed back home.

Freehand copy of Cromer church window (photograph) done with the reservoir brush - not sure how I will develop this yet.  I have to give credit to my Design Matters Creative Sketchbook course for inspiring me with the cut out and adding a page.





Home again,

I've just got back from a short break in Norfolk. I took my camera and a few arty bits and my art journal. Where we stayed was close to footpaths bordering fields so easy to lose yourself in the sound of rustling leaves - nearly as good as the sound of waves for restoring the spirits. The first day we visited old friends who we haven't seen for many years - we couldn't quite work out how many! After a lovely pub lunch Laurence took us for a walk with his two dogs - Ali had to spend the afternoon preparing lessons - on her day off.

It is really difficult taking photos whilst in charge of a charging spaniel you don't know!

Meanwhile Mr T and his old college pal make up for a few years' news.

The weather was a rather overcast, but there were patches of blue.

Where we were walking was a newly planted woodland with lots of native tree species . Everything seemed to be laden with fruit.

The next day we headed for the coast and Cromer was the closest spot. It is many, many years since I have been to Cromer, and mainly just passed through it on my childhood holidays.

It has the air of a slightly run-down sea-side town. but that is part of its charm.  This was obviously once a much more salubrious parade of shops with its white tiled front.

Despite the sign in the window this shop was shut!

Another rather rundown building, but looking as if it had plenty of history.

The pier however was lickety-spit and topping the bill were The Barron Knights (You don't have to own up if you remember them).  Although it was overcast it was very mild and we enjoyed watching this little chap have a paddle.

We enjoyed lunch in a teashop opposite the Church.

Cosy!

I was rather struck by this reflection of the church windows in a mirror on the back wall.

After toasted sandwiches and tea the sun came out and we drove down the coast to Mundesley.

How perfect was this?

I couldn't wait to get down on the sand.

I took lots of pictures of the weather front as it moved south leaving us with a beautiful blue sky.

I love the butterscotch coloured waves and could easily have sat for an hour just listening to them.

Mr T likes to keep moving, but he enjoyed a bit of beach combing, but there weren't many pickings today.

The break-waters or are they groynes - I don't know the difference, are always fascinating...

and a good source of a bit of rusty corrosion.

On the way back to the car we dropped in to what must be one of the smallest museums around.  Upstairs was the coastguard station.  Well worth a £1.

We spent our third day in Norwich. I didn't take my DSLR camera as it is a bit heavy, but did have my 'point and shoot' in my bag.  However I didn't take any pictures!

I'll share my journal pages later.

Back to reality now, I hope to catch up with you all soon.  Meanwhile how can four nights away generate so much washing!!

Have a good week,

Jill