I’ve had quite an exiting, but also frustrating week making decisions, and framing up some of my artwork for an up and coming exhibition at the end of May.
I need to submit an inventory with prices and titles, I prefer to do that after framing, just in case for whatever reason I change my mind about a piece once I see it in a frame.
It’s been a frustrating time as I ordered frames from 3 places and 2 lots were damaged when they arrived, almost half the frames in total. The other lot I had mistaken the internal mount size as the frame size so that was my mistake, but still I can’t use them. Oh well, it’s a reason to work larger in future. I did get a replacement delivery from one company, all but the top frame were once again damaged in the same way due to poor packing. I give up.
I have been looking at my botanical cyanotype prints for some time wondering if I should stitch into them. I love them just as they are but I did decide to do a little stitching as I want to emphasise that they are textiles. I only did a little stitching mainly into the backgrounds as I want the print to be the star of the show.
I will show you some of the other pieces that I’ve chosen for the art fair in another post soon.
It’s been a while since we have had a few days way walking, it felt so good to get back out there, even the rain and mud didn’t deter me.
We decided to stay in Kettlewell as we know the area. We lived in Grassington for a while and would have stayed there but it’s so busy since the village appeared on TV as the fictional Darrowby in the TV show ‘All Creatures Great and Small’. More about that later.
Kettlewell is a charming small village with 2 pubs serving great food, and perfectly located for a couple of days walking so what’s not to like? For some reason I forgot to take photos of Kettlewell but you can read all about it here https://www.kettlewell.info/ .
Our first day’s walk was a mission, we set out to find a barn that is the subject of an oil painting owned by a friend. The painting belonged to his parents who loved the Yorkshire Dales.
We started our walk from Grassington car park, down to Linton falls. I felt a bit emotional as this was my daily walk when we lived here. I think the Wharfe is my favourite river.
From Linton we took a path across the fell to Thorpe, where we hoped to find the barn. We looked down onto the river. The weather was good and Grassington looked so cozy nestled into the valley.
Knowing from the artist’s daughter roughly the whereabouts of the barn it was easy to find, and with a copy of the painting we could find the exact spot from where it was painted.
I too found lots of inspiration in and around Thorpe.
From Thorpe we set off across the fells to Hebden where we had to cross back over the river Wharfe. The choice of a suspended bridge, which was quite bouncy won hands down, rather than the stepping stones, the river was too high.
In Hebden we headed to the Old School cafe which has the best carrot cake I’ve ever tasted. It’s always a welcome place to rest and take in some refreshments including a big pot of Yorkshire tea, before heading back along the river to Grassington. Again this used to be part of my regular walk when living in the area.
We weren’t so lucky with the weather on day 2, it rained all day, the paths were incredibly muddy, we were suited and booted in wet weather clothing so it wasn’t too bad although by the end of the day I looked like a mud wrestler. We headed off on another of our regular walks along the tops to Grassington. This walk always makes me think of Wuthering Heights, if only I could sing like Kate Bush.
The views weren’t so great, but it was moody. I love the starkness of the limestone pavement.
One of the things that I love about the Yorkshire Dales is the sound of the curlew. Both days we were lucky enough to see them throughout the day, and hear their bubbling call. We also saw and heard oyster catchers and lapwing. Such inspiration for a course I’m about to take with Deborah Campbell over on Flourish.
As I said earlier Grassington is now used as a film set for ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, which is based on the books by James Herriot. This is the house used as Siegfried’s practice and home, Skeldale House.
The marketplace features too, but the shops have different fronts on them.
To us though the marketplace is a reminder of having a stall at the Dickensian Christmas Fairs. It was a magical experience as the place is transformed and snow only added to this magic.
While in Grassington we visited our old haunts and had to buy a bacon roll and a cake for lunch from the bakers.
As the rain wasn’t letting up we decided to get the bus back to Kettlewell. A Dales bus ride is an experience in its own right, being higher up you get to see more. After a shower and a change of clothes we sat by the log fire in the pub with a roast dinner and a drink, and had a bit of craic with the locals.
Before setting off home we had a trip to Hawes creamery where they make the famous Wensleydale cheese so loved by Wallace and Gromit. Followed by a walk along the Gayle beck, I needed to walk off the biggest fruit scone I’ve ever eaten in my life.
If you read the Inspector Grimm novels by David J. Gatward you will know that Gayle is home to Inspector Grimm. I love this series, the characters feel very real and again I know the area well. I’m currently reading number 16.
What a perfect end to a great couple of days, if this is what retirement is like then I can’t wait.
Just a reminder that my Etsy shop is closing for good on Easter Sunday, it’s been good and I will miss it. Thank you to all my customers, without you I couldn’t have lived my dream. I’m looking forward to some new creative adventures.
I have decided to close my Etsy shop at the end of March. I’m retiring this year so it makes sense to close down the shop at the end of the financial year. My bottle flattening service will continue to run for a while longer.
This is what I have available. There is 10% off with the code CLOSING10
I may have decided to retire from my craft business ( I can’t believe I get my old age pension soon, where did the time go? ) but that doesn’t mean I won’t me making art and craft in future. I’m looking forward to exploring new ideas and getting back into things I haven’t done in a while, like watercolours. I will be making for pure enjoyment, when my hands permit, at least I will be able to rest them when I need to.
I will keep you posted where my new ventures take me.
Winter can be a difficult time of year when it’s cold, wet and dark most of the time. I’m trying to think of this winter as a balance to those long productive summer days when I’m up at 5.30 and getting a lot of work done.
I decided to treat myself to a couple of online courses, and a couple of in person courses. Some have given me the experience of making things I wouldn’t be able to make in my studio.
The online courses are with Ellie Hipkin and Susan McCreevy. Both courses are very rewarding with great teachers and projects, learning techniques I have wanted to try for a long time but never seemed to find the time.
These are pieces that I made in November on Ellie’s course, the theme was Autumn landscapes. I used my own photos as inspiration and challenged myself to go out of my comfort zone with the colour palette. I’ve looked forward to each new project every month so far.
These mixed media paintings are from Susan’s course. I can’t wait to get them framed. Also there’s so much more to try out, materials and techniques that I’ve not tried before so lots to get my teeth into, I’m really looking forward to trying encaustic wax.
I took a glass blowing session at the Makers Mill, this is the vase I made, it’s so cute, just perfect for snowdrops.
I took a day workshop with Jean Tinsdale, to make an asymmetrical willow basket. I never dreamed I could make a basket as good as this, I love it and I’m looking forward to using it.
I’m relaxing into winter and treating the time I have in a short day as something to cherish instead of fighting against it and trying to fit too much into the day. I have found my winter happy place, relaxing into it feels so good.
This month I have started work on some textile mixed media pieces inspired by my holiday walking some of the South West Coastal path. It’s now ready for framing. I love this piece as it’s a reminder of a special time walking with my husband and son. Each time I look at it I smile. I could take each one of these compositions and make a larger piece of work .
This piece that I’m still working on was inspired by a trip to Flodden in Northumberland. It was a blustery day, the sky was inky and the fields looked so bright in contrast.
I will let you see it when it’s finished, it now needs to be chopped up, glued and stitched.
We took a trip to Devon and Cornwall earlier this summer for a much needed break. There were other reasons for going, firstly I’ve been researching my family tree, I knew some of my ancestors were from Devon but recently I found some further back who came from Cornwall. Several generations lived in the village of St Neot and not having been there, I felt compelled to visit.
Also having read “The Salt Path” written by Raynor Winn, I wanted to walk some of the South West Coastal Path. Raynor had painted such a vivid picture in my mind I really wanted to see for myself and walk part of the path.
Our first port of call was Bideford and Holsworthy, my grandfather was from Bideford and his father was from Holsworthy, we had been there before but I wanted to get some photos to show my Dad who used to go on holiday to Bideford as a boy. He was pleased to see that the Pannier market was still there, my Great Grandmother sold her home grown vegetables there.
Once in Cornwall we stayed in Fowey, which is a lovely harbour town with lots of galleries and eateries, there are several really good bakeries too, selling Cornish pasties as well as delicious scones. Pasties are great food to take on a hike.
St Neot is a small sleepy village, not to be confused with St Neots, which is in Cambridgeshire. They were staunch Royalists during the English Civil War. Each year an oak branch is placed on top of the church tower to mark their allegiance to the king.
Having 7 generations in my family tree from St Neot I thought I would find an ancestor in the churchyard, that didn’t happen. I’ve gone back to the 16th century so I wasn’t too surprised really. There was a stained glass window in the church that had been dedicated by someone with my ancestors family name, but who knows if it was him. It was amazing to think that they could have been baptised in the font, probably little had changed in the church over the centuries. Also one of my ancestors married a woman who was a miller, could the now converted mill be hers? I don’t suppose I will ever know.
We walked parts of the SW coastal path over 4 days, the views were stunning. One day we took the Polruan ferry to walk on the other side of the estuary to Lantic bay. Another day we took the local bus to Mevagissy to pick up the path again, after our walk we got the ferry back to Fowey. The views were so inspiring.
On our homeward journey we had a couple of days walking the Malvern Hills ( more in another post) again such inspiring views.
On the way there we called at Berry Pomery castle, which I found out while doing my family history was built by the first Pomery who came over in 1066 with William The Conqueror. I haven’t established a direct link to him, and probably never will but researching the Pomery family has been a fascinating journey. The walls and gatehouse are part of the original castle but the house was built later by the brother of Jane Seymour, he bought the castle from the Pomery family.
We have had so much rain this summer but today was sunny so we went out for a walk. It’s been a while, a lot has changed since our last walk. The farmer has planted turnips in the field which is usually full of sheep.
We walked on to follow a path along the beck which takes you to a small but magical woodland. The beck was full of small fish, we disturbed 3 herons who were fishing.
I am enjoying reading Guy Shrubsole’s book ‘The Lost Rainforests of Britain’. It’s a wonderful book, there’s also a website with an interactive map of temperate rain forests. I was delighted to find this wood listed on the map.
It’s a wonderful place, the trees are swathed in epiphytes like polypody ferns, mosses and lichens.
We went on to our favourite blackberry picking area in an old quarry and foraged 3 kg of huge brambles; apple and blackberry crumble was on the tea table a couple of hours later.
As I’m constantly looking for plants to inspire sketching and stitching so I was pleased to find docking and hogweed seedheads and umbellifers which could be angelica.
I found so much to appreciate today, and took so much pleasure in our walk. I really must get out more often, but maybe the break is what’s made me appreciate everything so much more today.
I haven’t done a raku firing since last October, for various reasons. Last week we were all set waiting for a “good weather day” to fire all the glazed pieces that were sitting waiting.
I had customers waiting patiently for leaves and fishes.
We had a good day, with some breakages but that’s to be expected. Everything got listed in my Etsy shop the next day and I informed my customers. In less than 5 minutes the sales started to arrive so my stock is now somewhat depleted, although there’s still some leaves and fishes still available.
It felt quite sad as this is probably the last raku firing of stock for my shop, unless there is an overnight cure for my hands. I may make some pieces for myself but I don’t have anything planned just yet.
Here’s some of the pieces that, at this time, are still in my shop.
A shoal of sprats MackerelRaku leaf wall artRaku leafCeramic leaf wall art
What else have I been doing since my last post?
I’ve been working in my sketchbook, inspired by my walk along some of the Southwest coastal path in Cornwall. Also knitting a jumper with the gorgeous wool spun at New Lannark mill. I will show you later, but for now have a great weekend. X
Kiln Fired Art Blog 