Its bank holiday Monday and I am having a lazy day, or at least trying to. A few jobs to do, like popping into town, then  going round to a friends for coffee. The jobs of a more practical nature, I will not bother you with.

Last week on the last day in Somerset, it was such a lovely day that we drove over to Knightshayes Hall for the afternoon. The same sort of reaction from the staff happened again. These NT places just love artists turning up. I was welcomed with arms open wide, so to speak. As usual the staff wanted to see the finished sketch; so here it is. Thank you all.

If you do paint or sketch, whilst at the same time being a little nervous of painting out of doors in very public places, try NT sites. Working in the grounds of these places I have never had a negative reaction from staff. Working out of doors, ensuring that there will be no spillages of colours, by using such things as enclosed ink pens such as biros and not dip pens, you will receive very positive encouragement. Try it.

Well Liz and myself have been of traveling again, this time we were invited to Taunton Somerset to lead a workshop on the use of ink and the width of it's the uses art-wise in general. The workshop was at St James's in the centre of the town and I must congratulate them all for being so flexible and adaptable to new (to them) ways of working.

Staying with long-term friends Jenny and Martin and were made very welcome. 

Visiting two old halls in our spare time, the first being Lytes Cary Manor. When some of the staff realised that I was an artist, the welcome was very warm. So for Celia (I think) and others, a couple of quick sketches. There is more, but space on this page is limited

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The second venue to be visited was Killerton Hall, but more of that in a few days

A busy week, and thankfully all the extra-curriculum type charging around is over for the week (a workshop on small still life which was real success in Leatherhead; that was the main challenge ), so relax a little with routine; well, almost; it was a good idea anyhow. 

Next week we are off the Taunton in Somerset to lead an ink workshop. That is with friends so it will be good fun and a pleasant couple of days to relax a little.

Sadly my scanner was on the desk when the hole punch fell off the shelf and landed on the glass screen. Oh dear, but to be positive I bought it eight years ago at a get rid of everything sort of sale, for £25, and it was a jolly good buy; it served me well. I was surprised that a replacement  A4 scanner was a lot cheaper than I thought. Well not cheap, but cheaper than expected, for certain it did not owe me anything.

Above is a water-colour and pencil of Kimmeridge Bay, which was produced a couple of weeks ago when with Liz we were in Weymouth. Lying amongst the pebbles I picked up a couple of small fern type fossils, very small, but special as I found them myself.

A friend is coming round shortly and we are having a curry together, so that will be very nice.

Two images today.

Please excuse the rather poor scan quality, but as it will not lie flat on the scanner and it to big to put the lid back on. And then just to make a few more  problems it needed  two scans  being joined together; not to bad considering.

The creation is made from copper wire, then coloured loosely with acrylics. If  my work is accepted for New Wine this year there will be a small number of these included.

At the present time I am working on a piece of meadow grassland, with daisies,speedwells, thistles and maybe something else, lets see what transpires. This way of working is fiddly but good fun. Don't worry my ink work ink work is not being neglected.

Just had to show you all another one of Weymouth. The building immediately to the right of the bridge is where we had our flat; Lovely. We had a super time.

See you all soon.