January - From where I'm standing.

I finished this little misty, wet landscape with Old Man's Beard in the corner. Another piece for the June exhibition called From Where I'm Standing- in the pool room at Quenington Sculpture Trail. This is at the end of roundabout lane in January. From here I saw three Roe deer race across this field and over into the next whilst I was fumbling for the camera. Then they were just 3 spots in the distance. We have had some snow this week, wet and cold. Icy roads caused a nasty accident at the top of our lane. No one hurt but cars written off. It is really a  no go area in the ice and snow but people still use it as a shortcut. 15cm x 25 cms, painted calico and silk panels on felt, backed with calico. Free machine stitching onfelt, elsewhere hand stitched.

work in progress.....

 I am enjoying my nature journal but it does take up time. Sometimes I am happy sometimes, well i know i will improve.

 So work in progress (wips on instagram! I know it confused me too) Stitching is happening- more detail as I work out the problem solving.

Remember the old mans beard from my journal? - here it is in stitch - like a hairy spider or sea star. Lots of chiffon makes it fluffy and the beads give it a glint of sparkle.

Perpetual Journal January.

I am really enjoying drawing in my perpetual journal. Tiny cyclamen from the garden and Old Man's Beard (Clematis Vitalba) from the hedgerow this week.

 Making a collection of leaves from the hedgerow too.

Misty landscape - Steps lane. Trying out a new water soluble pen - it is on a tea bag paper I had in my collection of papers, a bit more texture than tissue paper. I did try this landscape on fabric but painted it too small and on fine silk so then the stitches looked clumsy. Maybe another try another time.

Hedgerow Harvest finished.

I started this piece- Hedgerow Harvest at the beginning of Nov and finished it this week.(Jan- so that is two and a half months, off and on) It is 56cm x 8cm. This is a close up of a fieldfare to feast on the berries.

 I have photographed here in 2 halves- the whole thing is now my banner. You can click on the label below to see how it developed. I have suggested a little patchwork of fields and landscape behind the motifs but I felt too much distracted from the berries etc. Interesting that on Instagram it has been my best liked piece so far.

Tiny Ted update.

 Tiny Ted - made by Maggie Shaw in the late seventies or early eighties is on an adventure. He is going on a family reunion to meet his long lost brothers and sisters at an exhibition in Stroud.
Maggie Shaw: A Retrospective at SVA John Street Gallery 19th Jan - 2nd Feb Fridays and Saturdays only 10-3. GL5 2HA. www.maggie-shaw.co.uk While tiny ted is away he is going to be documented and photographed in expert lighting, rather embarrassing for an older bear but he is very excited.

 Maggie goes on inspiring people. Meet Snowy Ted made by my friend Pip Morrison for me for Christmas. I had the armchair (pincushion) already and he sits perfectly in it with a little blanket for these cold days that I made. He is missing Tiny Ted but realises this exhibition is A Big Thing.He is 10cms tall so much larger than Tiny Ted but both have plenty of personality.

Perpetual journal and daily drawing.

Happy New Year to you all! -So the desk was tidied ( this is as good as it gets folks) and the new perpetual journal begun. I have just made a few signatures - cutting paper ( now got a sore wrist!) various weights, stitching a few together and putting dates on a few. Glad I didn't make the whole thing because cartridge paper is not thick enough if you use paint, so will intersperse with thicker water colour paper.

 I keep typing perpetual journey rather than journal and I guess that is what drawing is. My aim is to draw every day for January, but I am not one for New Years Resolutions - why beat yourself up? The journal is happy with once a week because the idea is to draw on the same page next year and end up with plants etc around at that time of the year - improving your drawing and learning as you go along.

 These two specimens came from Westonbirt Aboretum and are foreigners. Witch hazel, Hamamelis and acer seed heads from a Nikko Maple. I really intend to draw from local flora, fauna and maybe some birds too. We also went to Slimbridge WWT over the holidays - yes 2 of our favourite places.

As well as a Nature Journal I have begun a landscape sketchbook. I have gotten very interested in a long thin strip of skyline for drawing and embroidery. Where the land meets the sky. We humans always look to the skyline wondering about the weather or whats over the next ridge or just to stand and stare. It's a contemplation then and looking for a sign of hope?