work in progress

Just a few pictures of work in progress for next year exhibition at Quennington Sculpture Trail in June.

 

October Perpetual Nature Journal.

Here are my October pages. Mostly leaves, nuts and berries. Perhaps not so many entries as some months but it will fill up over the years, if I can keep on with it. I love doing it and can see my drawing improving over the last few years. Well that sounds conceited but seeing that improvement spurs me on. National Lockdown has just been announced so there may be more time for drawing but we have stayed quietly at home anyway. Enjoy this Autummn colour it has been glorious.

Little Dunnock - ever present in the garden and a real joy to watch ferreting around in the leaf litter.

 

Slow stitch - circles and Autumn colour.

 I have been pondering over the borders on my large meditation circle- the cycle of the seasons.I began some small cicles and really enjoyed them. So this side is the autumn border, from the colours outside the window and autumn leaves. I have used either a variegated thread or 2 strands of different colour silk or cotton so that the colour isn't too flat but contrasts with the large middle circle. These are spirals for the unwinding effect.

 Autumn leaves gathered and pressed flat. Below at Westonbirt Aboretum - Lime Avenue.The leaves shone on a rather damp misty morning.

Signs of Autumn and cake illustrations.

Signs of Autumn in the lanes and hedgerows now. The season of mellow fruitfulness. I am working on the cake illustrations for our community recipe book. Most will have to be in black and white for cost purposes. Not so much fun as colour. off on holiday again soon so want to get some finished before then. Making a large choice in black and white and hoping to get better at it.

Autumn harvest in the hedgerows.

Just reminding myself of previous Autumn drawings as I start on the next piece and add colour.

Autumnal walk in the Enormous field - in progress.

 So back to this piece that I began in September before my holiday. I drew in some brambles to create a foreground.

 I really was going to keep the colours very muted, black white and brown, but it seemed very dull.

 So colour crept in! It is a mixture of hand and machine embroidery. Lots more to stitch.

Detail of blackberries now very much over but this remember this was started in September, leaves turning, misty mornings and fruitfulness.

Westobirt Aboretum - another day.

 Return visit to the Aboretum. Yesterday was very sunny and the autumn leaves backlit were stunning. This time we went to Silk Wood. The other pictures were taken in the older part of the Aboretum. Plenty of people admiring the sights and doing some forest bathing too!

I couldn't help collecting some of the leaves they are so beautiful.

Westonbirt Aboretum- Autumn Colour.

 This morning we have had quite a severe frost but last Wednesday was beautiful and we made our pilgrimage to Westonbirt to be awed by the Autumn colours. Enjoy, especially if you can't get out much at the moment. Just imagine it. Forest bathing is now the new trendy phrase for absorbing the beauty, smells and relaxing time. Apparently it has been proved to be good for you, but we have always known that haven't we?

Tiny landscapes.

 We have had misty mornings and then bright sunshine for amazing autumn colour. I have been working on a few tiny landscapes as a beginning for my new project on local landscape.

 These are on paper- the bottom one tissue paper over watercolour paper.

 This misty one on fabric, painted calico and machine embroidery.

 We had a beautiful day out at Lacock Abbey ( National Trust) on Friday. This is a tulip tree in the walled garden.

 Leaves - to see the tulip shape. Wonderful colours in the bright sunshine and against the blue, blue sky.

Lacock village in Wiltshire is very picturesque. It has been used in a lot of films, costume drama and Harry Potter. Whenever an unspoilt country village is needed for a film! This is inside the tithe barn, the sunshine streaming in through the windows.  I bought some beautiful chrysanthemums from a cottage door step, all the colours of autumn.

New work to see at the Guild at 51.

These 2 pictures are going to the Guild at 51 this morning along with some portfolio work. Jo in the gallery will have lots to sort out after the amazing exhibition at Rodmarton Manor. ( the Sparrow is a small picture but the photos make it large against Sedimentary Layers). Labels below if you want to see the stories behind the work.

These 3 are the unframed pieces -their label is diary story.

After all the excitement of the exhibition.

 I sold 6 pictures and a concertina Sketchbook at the exhibition so I have put their labels on this post so hopefully if you bought a piece you can track its story on the blog. This isn't always possible as I have only recently started to document all my work. That is my intention for all future work.

 A quiet corner of the studio with my new square sketchbook purchased over the weekend, made by Ursula Jeakins and my new 'Swallows' painted glass piece by Annie Rie. Life getting back to normal after all the excitement! Managed a walk to take in the Autumnal countryside.

Leaves underfoot - finished!

 This piece finished at last! It seems like a long time because I have made other things between.( 24 x 30 cm)

 The photograph, taken at Newark Park on our Autumn visit, that I worked from.

And these are some of the sedimentary samples mounted onto pages for a book or a beginning at least. It always feels good to make a little progress especially when the days are short and cold. The bird cafe is very busy outside my window and that is good company when I am stitching.