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.

Liz and myself are having a few days of rest with a good friend called Jean. We have a super flat right by the bridge in the centre of  Weymouth. So we are in the shopping area, beside the river and in the middle of the fishing docks. A plus for some would be that we are also surrounded by all the local night clubs. Thank goodness for deafness, I never thought that I would say that; by the way we are sleeping exceedingly well.

Today we wandered all over Portland; hence the image above which is of the cliffs at Portland Bill; the light house being immediately to the left of the above picture. It was very and I mean very windy, but lovely.

The method used was to drop a little water-colour onto the paper and then push it around with a pencil. Concentrating the colour only around the centre of the picture, A very quick and sketchy way of working, which produced lovely loose and expressive paintings.

Tomorrow we are off to Durdel Door, that sounds great!!

Well today a significant mile stone has been reached in my present project; called trees and beyond, that is in looking at the symbiotic relationship which trees have with their surroundings. Number 300 in the series has been passed. The original idea was for a dozen or so images to be produced, but as the subject was looked at closer, the subject became wider and then even wider again. Indeed it is still widening!

The above is number 300 and of a beech tree near the mushroom farm, Woking, is important as it demonstrated the need for really quite dramatically dark blacks and the use of a hard contrast. With the use of ink in this type of subject, the reality is dawning that very rarely is there an allowance for leaving any of the paper completely white, Surprisingly a light grey often seams to stand out more against a very dark area that pure white would; now that I do not understand?

Oh well must go, see you soon.

Yesterday was the first truly spring type day of this year and it was just lovely. Liz and myself remarkably had a day off, so we decided to make the most of it and go out.

A lazy start and we were out by about ten, a short walk near Walton on Thames was the aim, which we did, then on to the weir and a pub which for the life of me I can not remember the name. A large lemon and lime with a picnic of tuna mayo sandwich's, a packet of cheesetts followed; lovely.

Then we just relaxed by the river, another drink, with Liz reading and myself sketching; the above drawing being the result.

The method is simple if challenging. No pencil, no rubber, just a pen on paper. The shapes are drawn using a very light method of ink application. This is repeated several times until the outline becomes stronger; then hatch, cross hatching and yet more cross hatching until the end result is reached. The trick is to be very light fingered with the pen in the early stages and towards the end not being afraid of getting really black.

Got home fiveish, had tea, a bath, before watching a dvd.

Great fun, super day.

The weather today looked very promising, so of to London went I and the fine sunny day did not disappoint; in fact by the late afternoon it was very warm and it would have been quite pleasant without my jumper.

Returning to Smithfield's Market which was briefly passed the other day, however then being on a mission, was unable to stop. Amazingly, it was a rare occasion, when there was  no camera or sketchbook about my person.

Very near the Barbican the area is so yuppyish, but immediately around the market the place feels original 50's London, friendly, warm and everybody chatted to everybody else. The group of people to the bottom right of the sketch were construction workers, employed on the over ground railway scheme. They kept coming over to natter and see the ongoing work was progressing. The sketch should have taken 20 mins or so; but with stopping and talking to the above, it took over an hour; however a very pleasant hour. Then another sketch and onto a bacon butty in a real back street greasy spoon caf; lovely.  What a super morning.

Had lots more adventures but there isn't room here.