corners

there are corners of my garden that i really quite like

the rest is rather dull

grow

and they did

anybody else pleased to see some shadows today?

Barra Bunting

I was initially rather sceptical about Twitter but I am gradually coming around to its good points, one of which was to bring the Barra Bunting project under my nose (I think via #cbuk). This is a lovely idea that invites anyone who has set foot on the island(s) of Barra and Vatersay (I use that plural ‘s’ with caution!) to contribute a flag to an ever-growing string of bunting. The first contributions are due to be displayed at the Barra and Vatersay Island Produce Show on 1 September 2012.

We visited Barra last year and it was the inspiration for a number of prints, including Oystercatchers, which I used as the basis for my bunting contribution.

Thinking back to this holiday reminded me of some favourite moments.

Cycling past the beautiful machair wild flowers on the way down to Vatersay

Watching the seals in Bagh Thiarabhage from our cottage

Watching small planes land on the beach at Barra Airport &

Eating spicy scallops in the Cafe Kisimul

You can find the details for the Barra Bunting project at http://www.barrabunting.net/ and follow the project on twitter @barrabunting. 

Morston Quay

We visited Morston Quay on a foul weather day and I was the only one who got out of the car. Which was a shame because it meant OH and son missed the eery clanking and whistling sounds made as chill wind cut around the masts of all the little boats. I really like this stretch of the North Norfolk coast where the landscape falls quickly from the rolling chalk hills down to "coast" road and its string of picturesque villages, then out onto the marshes before rising again over the dunes and finally, finally meeting the sea (and believe me it is a very long way to the sea!).

That quick visit to Morston Quay inspired this print. I hope we might return in more favourable weather conditions. Find out more about Morston Quay and Blakeney National Nature Reserve on the National Trust  pages .

Morston Quay - a two colour lino print available here and here.

Quay - work in progress

Phewee, another school holiday over, a whirlwind of travelling, walking, cycling, making, and the odd smidgeon of chocolate. It seems only yesterday that we were holed up out of the rain at Sandringham (the caravan site, not the royal residence) but we've been back a week now. That’s not to say that we didn’t have a very few good days on those stunning Norfolk beaches :) The sketch above is for a new print inspired by the marsh quays between Hunstanton and Wells.  

Random

I've been working on something a bit different for my latest print. I've been feeling that sometimes the way I approach the processes of draughting a design then transferring it to the lino prevents opportunities for a more spontaneous creation. For this print I took the random positioning of 28 little lino circles as my starting point. I covered some stiff card with pva and then moved the lino dots around in the glue until the distribution felt right. I liked the combination of black and white with accents for red in my woodpecker and oystercatchers prints so used this again.

I then transferred the positions of the dots to a fresh sheet of lino so that I could cut out white space around them.  I wasn't sure at this stage where the design would go but i started to think about the way growing wood diverges and then envelopes around protruding twigs and branches.

I sketched in a few pencil lines but then let the cutting tools lead the carving.

Random 28 ~ an original lino print ~ edition of 10

missing spring

 I've been so rushed off my feet the last month or so that I'd barely noticed that it was spring. I've supervised the first lawn mowing, counted the first open daffs, seen some very amorous woodpigeons and done basic garden chores but I hadn't really looked properly. So it was with a touch of sadness that I finally noticed that most of the pussy willow has already changed from silky grey bunny tails into chartreuse tassels. But I was really pleased see that we have a little self-seeded sloe bush growing at the end of the garden, not quiet big enough to supply a serious sloe gin habit yet but give it five years...