Spring Cleaning.....

My Studio I'd divided loosely into two work areas,  a sewing/fabric area and a drawing/painting area, but I still seem to need room, over the years one accumulates so much necessary stuff, or is it just me?!!   I am planning to have a good sort out, I just need a really nice day so that I don't get caught out half way through in a shower of rain.........here is a tiny peep........

My Studio.....

I thought you might like to see my studio.  It's tucked away within easy reach of the kitchen door. I've tried to bring the garden nearer the studio and the house as, unusually, although we have quite a bit of garden, we can't see any of it from the house, boo hoo.  Many of our friends refer to it as the 'secret garden'.   Looking through my blog you won't be surprised that I love gardening and, in particular, spending time in the garden. I think it is where I feel closest to my late mother, who was an amazing gardener, creating wonderful gardens from hard work, lots of splitting of plants and sharing and swoping with friends.  So, I might be sitting inside or out, depending on the weather.  I am deciding whether to paint, but it is the 'bare, time of year that will help me decide on colour........

Sheila's Kitchen....

Sheila has travelled a lot and with her husband has lived in several different countries, so it was no surprise to see treasures all around her home which represented the journey of her life so far.  Sitting in the kitchen, I homed in on a few things that caught my eye, including the shell, which proved to be quite a challenge........tea and cake throughout of course!!

Sunny Afternoon in the Garden,.....

Relaxing in the garden, sketch pad and one pencil, too lazy or too comfy to fetch another pencil, I drew this corner of the summerhouse with the bird bath .........

Hilary's flower arrangements....

Hilary had lovely garden flower arrangements dotted around the house, so I set to moving from room to room, chair to chair using pen to quickly draw them in their various vases of glass, china and pottery....my reward was Hilary's fabulous cakes and biscuits, she is an excellent baker, yummy x x

Weston Park....

How lucky for me that one of my Artist friends lives very near to Weston Park.  Here are some quick sketches we did one afternoon.  It was wet and in the lovely glass house we had to move the bench so that we were not being dripped on.  Outside it was a matter of sitting on our coats in a doorway, so these are necessarily quick sketches to capture the moment, supported by photos for future reference.

Rosa's Portrait...

About eighteen months ago I decided to paint my first portrait in oils, my subject was our gorgeous grand daughter, Rosa, ...............It's fair to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the entire process x x

Sweetpeas...

Sharone's Sweetpeas were picked in huge handfuls from her veg patch, I wish I could have captured the scent......

Sharone's

I often meet up with friends from my Art group and we gather to chat, draw/paint and eat cake......This time it was Sharone who was our host and there were lots of things which caught my eye as we sat outside on a hot summers afternoon......

Moelfre, Ynys Mon

Anyone who knows me knows that Wales and Ynys Mon especially, has a special place in my heart.  Ynys Mon for purely romantic reasons, but Wales in general because it is in my roots, with Griffiths and Evans from either side of my parents, it's in the blood.....

This particular view from Moelfre towards Penmon and the mainland and Snowdonia appears time after time in my work.  I've produced it in many different media, from pen to textiles.....I never tire of this wonderful view....

Bill and Liz came to tea ...

Friends from my art group were visiting for tea, but Bill and Liz just ate cake and drank tea, no pen was put to paper, so I quickly captured them........

The Retreat...

Visiting an artist friend who has the most amazing garden in north Shropshire.  This little gem of a spot is referred to as 'The Retreat'.....

Tulips, thank you x

Tulips are always a welcome blast of colour in late spring.....

Pomegranates

Whether its picking with a cocktail stick or bashing a cut half on the back with a wooden spoon, I love these amazing fruits.  I just had to do a quick scribble sketch before eating .....

Bramleys...

When someone gives you fruit from the garden it's a great excuse for pudding, these lovely Bramleys were soon prepared for baking in the oven, well no naughty pastry anyway.......so yummy x

Houseblend....

Tony and I enjoy having a cup of tea in china cups from my collection...... We mix our 'Houseblend', a packet each of Assam and Lady Grey, it gives a touch of Earl Grey, when you don't feel like the full on flavour..........

Shallots fresh from the plot ...

Pots of different varieties of shallots brought into the kitchen by Tony, we decided to put them in clay pots so that we could keep the varieties separate, but not take up too much room on the counter.  They looked neat in a row and lots of visitors commented, I think we set a trend.....

China Blue, Shifnal ..

My friend and fellow Artist and Florist extraordinaire, Jan Park, owns a lovely business in Shifnal, which combines flowers, gifts, gallery and clothes.  I often pop in if I'm passing and rarely come out empty handed.  After our chilly outdoor sketching session, Susanne and I quickly agreed that we needed tea and cake........but we still kept sketching, well you have to don't you x

Tong Church...

Outside the Church and it actually seemed warmer..... So, trying to capture my thoughts on paper,  just some quick sketches with pen and watercolour crayons.   I keep one of those tiny jam jars for my water, it's a good excuse for a cream tea!

Rubbings..

Inside the church, so much richness of texture, I decided just to capture some by doing a bit of rubbing....

Tong Church...

We escaped the cold and found the door to the church was open..........  The page was open and I copied these words......

Cottages in Tong .....

A bit further down the lane, moved the picnic blanket, but it is so cold so no hanging about....

Church Farm and The Stables, Tong

I've known this lovely group of cottages for years, passing them every time we travelled to visit my grand parents.  
On this cold October day I sat with my friend Susanne on our picnic rug with our backs against the wall, a flask of hot tea, it was so cold, so it was quick sketching.  We soon moved on ......