March

Ostara Greetings and Easter Blessings

Spring Equinox 2024 – is very welcome with some (days) minor improvement in the weather.

The garden is looking well, despite the veg plot being a bit of a soggy mess in need of attention. The rhubarb is well up and there are leaves on the fruit trees and bushes. A little bit of blossom has recently appeared on the plum tree. I am enjoying the view from my studio window.

Despite a very busy month we managed a Dolly Day up to Bempton Cliffs where we caught site of some beautiful nesting seabirds – the Gannets were glorious. And three Puffin sightings too. Miss NancyWhisky was so well behaved she was rewarded with a doggy ice cream

I had a very busy few days labelling, packaging and delivering work for the Print Exhibition at the Ropewalk and the Lincolnshire Artists’ Society exhibition at Doddington Hall. I have had some sales already too.

I had two lovely, productive days in my print workshop working on some collagraphs I had recently prepared.

Textured Landscape – Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter

I also made two long plates, one collagraph and one drypoint with three images on each (!) they were cut to a particular size so the individual images could become easel mounted prints, cards or postcards. It was quite manic in the print workshop undertaking these as the busy drying boards below show!

Boards – One Easel Print, one Postcard and four Cards and A selection of painted cards this month also

Signing off now – I am looking forward to the Print Fair next month and preparations are well underway. I will make a separate post for this.

Best

Jan

February

Imbolc Greetings – as the days lengthen and the garden comes to life.

Outside my studio window I can see rhubarb emerging – with leaves, buds on the raspberry canes, blackcurrant and blueberry bushes and plum tree. The daffodils are out – after a splendid showing from the snowdrops, cowslips and crocus. I have managed a couple of days in the garden this month sorting out pots, the herb patch and a major pruning of one of my gigantic Pampas.

And Miss NancyWhisky has managed a bit of ‘all hail the sun’ worship.

We have managed a couple of trips out in the camper van – Alkborough and also down into the Lincolnshire Wolds to Snipe Dale.

I have completed the Fields and Farms of Lincolnshire – the seasons series, here are Autumn and Winter

Geese and Hedgerows – Drypoint/Monoprint

Birds and Bales – Drypoint /5

Winter Ploughing – Luscious Earth – Themed Drypoint/Monoprint

Elsham Wold – Wintertime Skulking

All eight pieces are now at the framers – It’s an expensive month.

February has been a sorting out kind of time – I have two pieces of work exhibiting with the Lincolnshire Artists’ Society – four pieces of work to be exhibited at the Ropewalk – Ropewalk Print Workshop/Feral Art School Northern Print Exhibition (plus browser pieces!) The Print Fair (fingers crossed) and the featured artist for July, also at the Ropewalk.

For Northern Print I have worked up two themed Drypoint/Monoprints with inktense marks – and these are also at the framers.

Woodland – looking down moon

Secret Pond – looking down sun

For the July display I have written myself an artist statement and brief – I have tried to explain how I work and what inspires me. It has emerged as:

Up, Down and Over the Humber

Basically I start at the Ouse and the Trent becoming the Humber at Trent Falls and work along both banks to the North Sea. The south takes in Blacktoft Sands, Alkborough, Far Ings the Humber Bridge – Waters’ Edge, Barrow Haven and Cleethorpes – Fitties Beach. The north bank is Hessle Foreshore, Saltend, Paull and Spurn. The ‘over’ is the both the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Wolds – either side of the Humber Bridge. I am making a painted concertina map to illustrate this. There are to be 10 (approx) prints of key places displayed on little wooden easels around the ‘map’.

I started with Alkborough and will work my way up and down and over.

Over Alkborough Flats – Drypoint /5

I have a lot of work in my tiny studio and only one plan chest so I have been archiving some – during this process I have had a good think about my commitments. I decided that one thing I wouldn’t do was this year was to enter the Ferens Open, I am a bit sorry about it but I feel I would have need three new pieces and I would be overstretched. There is always 2025 – if we’re spared.

Sorting 1

Sorting 2

Finally – remembering Kath who passed this month – a lovely lass.

Enjoy the progress towards the Spring Equinox and the emergence of the Oak King.

January

Happy New Year

The garden is still asleep and very soggy – lots of birds about however which are a joy to watch. I am considering getting a monocular to keep on my drawing board for viewing. We have had a pair of chaffinch visiting regularly and early in the new year one flew into the studio window (I do have stickers too) with a right bang. It was stunned and laid in the garden. I went out and brought it back in and it lay wrapped up on my lap while I painted and said a few prayers. After about 20 minutes it started shuffling about so I took it back outside and put it off the ground in my large bay tree pot with some seeds and water, where, after a few minute it flew off! That afternoon there were two chaffinch back in the garden and they are both still visiting. So grateful.

After a quiet Christmas we went out and about on Boxing Day – to Withernsea to witness the ‘Boxing Day Dip’ It was very cold but these brave souls ran in and embraced the North Sea. Went down to Spurn and took a lovely walk on the beach. Miss NancyWhisky decided a closer look at the waves was in order, and managed to pull Nick and I in up to the knees. Drove home in wet trousers – which takes about an hour and 20 minutes. Once we crossed the Humber and were heading home we saw the moonrise.

Had a day out in early January to Flamborough and then across the Wolds.

Finished the day on Hessle foreshore and watched to sun go down over the Humber Bridge – much inspiration from these trips out.

I have a couple of things to work towards already – hoping to be part of the Ropewalk Print Fair in April and then in July I am having a display of my work in the Ropewalk Hall Mark Room. Eight pieces have gone to the framers and I am working on a paint and print ‘project’ reflecting the four seasons in and on the fields and farms of Lincolnshire. I am not intending to ‘repeat’ the painted image but to use it as a reference.

Here are Spring and Summer.

Joys of Spring springing

Watercolour and Inktense and Monprint/Drypoint – Hawthorn Stay Open Inks on Fabriano

Oh Deepdale!

Watercolour and Inktense and Monoprint/Drypoint Hawthorn Stay Open Inks on Fabriano

I had good sales of cards, two mounted paintings and a framed print over Christmas at the Ropewalk so I was expecting the call for Valentine / Spring cards!

Love is in the Air!

Enjoy February – the light is returning – the days and lengthening

Blessing

Jan

January – Print Fair

Happy New Year!

Very exciting to be applying to take part in the Print Fair at the Ropewalk.

Here are six pieces I have selected to show the diverse range of my work from traditional drypoint and collagraph to the more experimental monoprints/types using Tetra Pak.

Across to Spurn. (Drypoint on Drypoint Film with monotype background)

Plough and How (Collagraph)

The Lords and Ladies Above (Drypoint on Drypoint Card)

In Winter Woods (Tetra Pac Drypoint)

Secret Pond – looking into the water (Drypoint with ghost print reflection)

The Yellow Field (Monotype)

I will be back later in the month with updates from the garden, sketches, prints and paintings as usual.

Jan

December

Advent and Yule Blessings

We are approaching the fourth Sunday in Advent and I am looking forward to a Christmas break. I like to make an advent candle wreath out of things from the small window studio garden and then put tea lights around it. 1st 2nd and 4th Sunday it’s purple, pink for the 3rd Sunday. The white one is Christmas Day – but I also light it for the Solstice. The jar of nature serves that celebration too.

Advent Hope * Love * Joy * and Peace * and Winter Solstice below

The garden is fast asleep and somewhat soggy but the birds (Rooks!) are still coming and there have been some spectacular sunsets.

I haven’t done as much as I would have liked this month because of the card making. I have been very taken by the fields with the rough winter ploughing – so chunky. It has inspired a series of four Collagraphs - only managed to print two. Great activity making the blocks got a bit carried away with crackle paste and collage.

Rise – Dip – Rise

Collagraph Block and Print

Plough and How

Collagraph Block and Print

Possibly the other reason for the sparsity of work is the little trip to Ragdale Hall in early December.

small window studio is closing down for Christmas – have a lovely Christmas and a very Happy 2024.

Here we have Captain Tedward - bought for my first Christmas – in 1951. He watches me working.

November

Winter greetings – it seems to have come very suddenly. The small window garden has had a lot of hungry birds recently – we have had a few frosts and some snow this morning.

Some bright sunshine has blessed us too and the colours are sill glorious.

The Holly King is rising to full strength now and is keeping a close watch over the land.

Cards 2024

I have been busy making a series of Lincolnshire in Winter cards – a batch has just gone to the Ropewalk gallery shop and another lot is ready for the Ropewalk Christmas Art Fair 2/3rd December. I like to make a long panorama monotype (or two) of wintery scenes and then cut them to size for cards – I usually favour ‘window’ mount cards (pre bought) but have tried some on textured square cards for a change. They look well. The snow is talcum powder sprinkled on to the wet ink.

Panorama!

Square Cards

I also made some cards to go on the small easels – I used an old Tetra Pac plate which I cut down to fit. I managed an edition of 4 out of it. I mounted them up on card but cut the top to the shape of the print so a bit of the easel showed through.

In Winter Wood

The print workshop got very messy again and I realised when I was cleaning up it was a mess in general – my problem is I think it is located in a mansion and ‘collect’ what artists’ call ephemera – Nick calls it kelt! Anyway I had a good sort – cupboards, paper shelves and all.

Before

After

Spent a day working with Linnah and Gill on the Humber Bank – our favourite place. I did a bit of experimenting with wet tissue and worked up a couple of mixed media pieces.

I followed up another ‘Reflections’ print working with the lining paper trick I shared in October.

Reflections 2

I’ll sign off now and wish you a happy December – be back just before Christmas. This was the full moon in the morning.

October

Samhain Greetings 31st October – 1st November

Small Window Studio Garden

The weather during this monthly has been mostly wet and wild. The garden is in real need of attention but it has been a matter of going out there when the rain stops. The earth is sodden and the grass squelches when you walk on it. On the few fine, sunny days the autumn colours and textures have been spectacular, with plenty of berries for the hungry birds. A large family of long tailed tits paid a visit when a remnant of blue stilton went onto the bird table.

The month started productively with a visit to the theatre to hear Grayson Perry on perceptions of self – hilarious, fascinating and a thought provoking. The next day working with Linnah and three other artists at Waters’ Edge Country Park, then back in her studio. There was much to inspire in this beautiful place and some of the work is still in progress. Here are some snippets from the day.

Autumn Seasonal Landscape

Experimental Monoprints

I am still working on Tetra Pac prints and learning more about the possibilities and limitations. I enjoyed a very busy and productive day in my own small window studio – workshop. Using acetate to print a monotype background then overprinting with a monoprint Tetra Pac drypoint.

This is the first print – I felt the background was too strong, fortunately I had made a ghost print – the second print is more subtle.

The workshop was a bit mad by the end of the day – but a little print was made during the cleaning up.

Good to be back in my ‘clean’ studio later in the day, looking out on the small window studio garden.

Trip to Whitby

23rd October 2023 – our Silver Wedding

We took a trip to Whitby to celebrate, booked before storm Babette! Renamed it WHETBY. Managed to work on some sketches at Sandsend before retreating to the White Horse and Griffin.

We had a studio session for an Anniversary picture with the talented Paul Armstrong – of the Artistic Lens in his beautiful old house.

25 Years

Back to Work

The Lincolnshire Artists’ Society first exhibition of 2024 is on the theme of Reflections. I’m starting early.

This was an experiment! – I cut a Tetra Pac plate and inked up in Charcoal Black and a hint of Cornish Sea. I made a print, then a ghost print from the plate on a sheet of damp lining paper. This was carefully peeled off and the bottom trimmed to the edge of the print. This cut of out was placed face down -upside down on the original print lining up the bottom then put back through the press thereby printing a ‘reflection’. Probably best explained in pictures!

First pull

Ghost on lining paper – cut to shape

Lining up for second pull

There you go!

This is the plate – it should have been at the start of this ramble – sorry.

The night draw in now the clocks have changed – the world turns and hopefully creativity blossoms.

Enjoy – see you in November.

September

Mabon Greetings – Autumn is here, and at the equinox the Holly King stirs

My apologies if you got just a headline earlier – the publisher crashed.

Some lovely visitors to the small window studio garden, magpie, doves, starlings, robins, blackbirds and a hedgerow full of sparrows. They have got used to the ‘no mess’ seed (ha!). The garden fruit and veg is finished and is either in the freezers, jams or chutneys or our tums. There are plenty of berries around in the garden for colour and bird food and lovely cobwebs

I am continuing to ‘Peep Through Hedgerows’ and making some of the small paintings into cards.

The cards have sold well and led to a commission for two A4 hedgerow paintings (thank you Liz Owen).

Fruity Hedgerow

and Autumn Hedgerow

My piece in the Ferens – Elloughton Dale – Tree Cathedral sold this month, I’m very pleased about that. I also took part in an exhibition at Skelmanthorpe showcasing the work of Bretton Hall Alumni.

I love the autumn and enjoy foraging for seed heads, grasses and leaves – this year I got a splendid collection of holly leaves in various states of decay.

They have been softened in hot water and bicarb and pressed in ‘Nipping Nora’ ready to make nature monprints

Su France told me how to soften them, it makes such a difference.

I have my birthday this month and I enjoyed roaming about in Newark and, particularly at the Whisby Reserve. Also I have a new hat!

Looking forward to working with Linnah and Gill at the weekend on some seasonal landscapes down at Waters’ Edge

See you in October – Autumn blessings and….

The Long Journey Begins

Enjoy the season – Jan

August

Looking out at a much tidier (and emptier) small window garden. My favourite job at this time of year is cutting back the fruited canes on the raspberries – thanking them for the fruit -and tying in and blessing the new growing canes. The beans are almost all picked, saving a few to plant next year. The potatoes have been good, with some quite large ones and the tomatoes are still going.

The new bird table has been installed and is a success – they were a bit picky about the the new ‘no grow’ seed which, incidentally costs a fortune, but have got used to it now. The wood pigeons have taken a couple of week but can now get in it!

Tetra Pac Cut Outs

There is a particular folk song I have always like called the ‘Mingulay Boat Song’, which, along with ‘The Summertime is Coming’ remind me of the Bretton Hall Folk Club. I got to thinking about an image concerning this verse:

Wives are waiting, by the pier head, Gazing seaward from the heather, Heave her head round, and we’ll anchor, Ere the sun sets on Mingulay

Cutting the plate was a bit complicated, trying to get the waves to flow. I like the composition but some detail was lost in the printing.

Tetra Plate

Print

I am in the process of rethinking this – I may cut the plates into separate areas like the water, the boat and the figures. Possibly using a combination of tetra pac and drypoint film.

My dear friend the artist Jane Quinn and I had a plein air painting day at the Buddhist Madhyamaka Kadampa Centre. It is a stately home set in beautiful grounds with a lake. After delicious cake we had a good walk round and then settled to work. The sun shone and the birds sang, so good for the soul.

Nick and I managed some time out in Dolly -the -Camper Van. Visited the Canal Head at Pocklington then a couple of Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust places down in the Wolds near Horncsastle.

Canal Head

Snipe Dales

Red Hill Meadow

View over the Wolds

Spent some time this month making small paintings on two themes inspired by the season and the Lincolnshire landscape. The hedgerows and the farms are at their finest. Inspirational.

On the Farms of Lincolnshire

Peeping Through Hedgerows

Thanks for reading – see you in September when I will be a year older.

July

Sitting looking out on the small window studio garden – it’s raining again – I did wake up to a rainbow however. The veg plot looks a bit disheveled but the crops have been plentiful. I have been busy freezing stuff, making jam and vinegars and started the rumpots. The potatoes are nearly ready and in the ‘secret garden’ the tomatoes are ripening. I think we have broken the planet.

The birds continue to visit us – rooks, magpie and jackdaw wake us up, wrens, blackbirds, starlings and sparrows and of course doves and pigeons. We are looking to remodel the feeding areas to cut down on seed growth.

We haven’t sat out much in the evenings this month too wet. On the odd occasion the swallows, swifts and house martins are swooping but sadly not as many as usual. This has inspired Nick to write a beautiful poem:

I was inspired by it and made some prints. I experimented with the Tetra Pac using both drypoint/monoprint and also cut out stencils.

Lords and Ladies in the Sky 1 and 2

The Lords and Ladies 3

When I am cleaning up in the small window studio print workshop I often get distracted by the spare ink and, being a Yorkshire lass, I don’t like waste. Here are some of the results.

Accidentals

The Ferens exhibition opened this month, it runs until early October. I haven’t seen it yet but will make my way over shortly. Proud to be in it as ever.

I continue to paint the fields and farms of Lincolnshire which are, despite the weather, a joy.

Rain – Down Leden Beck Path

Rain – Making us Grow

I think that’s about all – enjoy summer if it comes! See you in August.