Summer pictures and Mo's pennant.

 The exhibition in Bristol is finished and was a great success. I sold Winter into Spring and two of the little sketchbooks, Winter and Spring. These two summer pieces have gone to the Guild at 51 in Cheltenham. ( Summer flowers and the Summer Book.

 I am now working on Mo's pennant. I painted the long thin triangular piece, called Mending the Sky and embroidered the first bird, an oystercatcher. This is a piece that will fly off to Australia to be part of a wonderful installation - see the label below and look at Mo Crows blog to find out more. Pennants are winging their way from all over the world!

Holiday part 2.

 The cottage we stayed in was very close to Charleston, home to the Bloomsbury group. Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant decorated everything at Charleston, walls, furniture, doors etc. etc. They also decorated this church at Berwick.

 This is Virginia Woolfs bedroom at Monk's House. It had a lovely peaceful feeling in the house and garden. ( Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell were sisters and they lived just 4 miles apart)

This is her writing room, a garden shed with views of the downs.(Through glass )

Charleston from the garden ( no photos allowed in the house) I have wanted to go there for years and it was a real wow! Very inspired by the lovely bright colours and loose painting styles.

A picture of me, on the right with 2 of my sisters in the garden at Monk's House.

Holiday in East Sussex

 We have been away for a week in east Sussex to see my aunt to celebrate her 100th birthday. She enjoyed it all being very independent, healthy and active. Living very close to the sea helps and she tries to walk on the prom most days.

 We stayed in a large house, hired for the week, with my sisters and visitors came and went and a fab time was had by all. Luckily the weather was fantastic so included picnics out and dinners on the lawn.

 We walked along the Cuckmere valley down to the sea at the start of the Seven Sisters. (white cliffs)

And up on the beautiful South Downs. This is the Long Man-etched into the chalk and later made permanent with white bricks.

The Downs were full of wild flowers, birds and butterflies. Skylarks in abundance. More tomorrow.

A few days out.

 The bank Holiday weekend was glorious and it was my birthday so we had a few days out to enjoy the sunshine. We went to find bluebell woods and bluebells in the lanes.

 These are the cloisters at Lacock Abbey N.T. Wiltshire. The coolest place to be on a hot day. As featured in the Harry Potter movies. We had a great day out wandering around the abbey and admiring the gardens and village. ( which also features in lots of films)

This beautiful lady was on the walls in the family rooms. Her embroidered gown was amazing. Away for a few days now.

And a few more pictures at the exhibition!

A few more pictures because I know about not getting out and about at times and for my overseas friends. Going up the stairs.

 Same frames - one piece from each artist.

 Too many reflections but you get the idea.

 Detail from Carla Mines hanging about the bees waggle dance.

 Claire Passmore quilt.

 In the corner yellow quilt by Colin Brandi and right of that Autumn by Liz Brooke Ward.

 Woven sea plastic -Debbie pawle.

 Witness Tree Liz Brooke-Ward.

Sea pieces- Liz Hewitt. All the artists took the title Transformations: Earth Matters and choose their own interpretation. Artists statements on the walls explained their own themes. All beautiful work that you want to study closely.

Lizzie Godden.

Transformations Exhibition at Bristol Guild.

 If you can't get there, this gives you a glimpse of the exhibition.

 Weaving- Debbie Pawle.Photos Dominic Hewitt. Patricia Brownen watercolours.

 Hanging Lizzie Godden, my picture, mended china Steph

 Scarf or hanging by Patricia Brownen.

 Photos by Dominic Hewitt and 2 of my pieces.

 Liz Hewitt and Debbie Pawle.

Jewellery by Rosemary Cochrane.

Liz Hewitt.

Beginnings.

 I didn't get to the opening last Saturday. I have had a week of tiredness, muscle pain and general unwellness. ( no such word but you know what I mean) But that seems to be going and these things ebb and flow. Cold weather again doesn't help but worrying about it certainly doesn't. So best to relax into it, accept and take pleasure in small things. We hope to visit the ex soon and then there will be photographs.  SO moving on ........ I am putting some old bias binding around the edge of my pennant for Mo's project- Mending this broken world - see Mo Crows blog on my side bar if you don't know about it.

 Here is my strip of wedding dress spread out on my work desk. Tidy for me believe it or not! My new sketchbook in brown made by Ursula Jeakins from the Glos Guild of Craftsmen.

 It was glorious yesterday and my friend Helen,  Haggis and I walked Roundabout lane spotting wild flowers. We saw 3 different types of butterfly ( peacock, orange-tip and tortoiseshell) lots of wild flowers and swallows around the Farm barns. This is ground ivy ( inside that new sketchbook) - I draw in the hope to remember and learn names. The flowers are a deep purple blue. Small and common but perfectly beautiful.

Lastly, large and perfectly glorious a cherry tree at Westonbirt Aboretum. A Japanese visitor was seen bowing to this tree. I think we should all do the same.