Compromise, Cat And Cheese

The text on the little lino blocks I’m cutting goes through changes at each stage of the process, partly because of the materials I’m using, from pencil, to ink and brush, to tracing transfer, to carving with cutting tools. But along the way I make adjustments, a curvier bit here, a shorter bit there. TheContinue reading “Compromise, Cat And Cheese”

‘Only’ The Cat

I try to do a drawing every day, even if it’s only the cat (she doesn’t like me describing her as ‘only’ the cat). It’s important to practice every day, sketching is like a singer practising their scales. And to be honest, after the very difficult weekend half the world has had, it’s nice toContinue reading “‘Only’ The Cat”

A Cityscape, A Lush Loaf And A Spider Man

Earlier, before the rain started, we went to visit an elderly friend who lives high on the hill, observing social distance of course. I did a scribble into my Khadi sketchbook with some willow charcoal. It’s hard drawing a cityscape – it’s so packed with detail and charcoal is quite a blunt instrument, so IContinue reading “A Cityscape, A Lush Loaf And A Spider Man”

Charcoal And Baps

I took my Khadi sketchbook and willow charcoal to the allotment this evening and drew from inside the allotment site, which is tucked away in a corner of the Castle park. It’s on a fairly steep hill dropping away to the coast and we’re near the top. It’s surrounded by woodland, which can be aContinue reading “Charcoal And Baps”

A Thing About Rumtopfs

I had a quick scribble when I was watching Grayson Perry’s Art Club on Channel 4 this evening. I love the programme, he makes art so much fun. I scribbled a few things on the small table in the window. I have two Rumtopfs – I’ve got a bit of a thing about Rumtopfs. HusbContinue reading “A Thing About Rumtopfs”

Warm Buttered Plums: The Recipe

You can download the recipe and print it out, it’s a jpeg. It’s delicious, even if I say so myself. I’ve given gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan alternatives. Tecchie stuff I took the photos with the camera on my phone, put them into Instagram, then reduced the size in Adobe Photoshop. I used Comic Life forContinue reading “Warm Buttered Plums: The Recipe”

Lino, Love Hearts And Leftovers Pie

More little grey lino blocks cut and lettered, in reverse, ready for carving and …. I had a delivery from Handprinted Co, a tube of Speedball fabric block printing ink. These little blocks will be printed onto home made face masks. The first one I did a couple of weeks back was printed in CaligoContinue reading “Lino, Love Hearts And Leftovers Pie”

A Day And Night On #PlanetLockdown

Lockdown carries on. Cooler today but still sunny so I spent some time in the garden sketching some ideas. Then I marked up a block of grey lino – I should get three small prints from it. I’ve been playing with words; words that keep cropping up throughout the pandemic; some good; some negative. I’llContinue reading “A Day And Night On #PlanetLockdown”

Potager, Leftovers, Castle. In That Order

Hot hot hot today! It was too good to stay indoors and we’re lucky to have an enclosed garden so I spent most of the day working on it. It’s the silver lining in the lockdown, having time to do stuff like this. The garden was really scruffy and overgrown after the very wet andContinue reading “Potager, Leftovers, Castle. In That Order”

Ideas And Fish Pie

I’ve been thinking a lot since the lockdown started about doing some artwork based around the Covid19 virus and the way our lives have changed. But I’m not someone who can force it and it’s had to mull around inside for a while and now the ideas are creeping out from wherever they come from.Continue reading “Ideas And Fish Pie”