January

Happy New Year from small window studio. It has been quite a busy start to the new year following a very quiet Christmas. The weather is gloomy and the garden is very soggy but there are birds in abundance and lots of bulbs shooting up so we are emerging. Taking part in the Garden Bird Watch this weekend. The new monthly project this year is ‘Zodiac’. I am exploring the sign for the month (they span two) but I am picking the date as to the month we are in and including a moon as it is in her cycle. For example Aquarius, which spans 20th January – 18th February I painted around 25th January where it was a Waxing Gibbus.

Aquarius

I have been very busy hand painting cards again – which are for sale at Shawbriggs Farm Shop. My other outlets are closed. Mel asked for some farm animals, a new subject for me!

Cards – Spring Collection

I can’t seem to get these side by side!

I am taking part in a Zoom Ropewalk Printmakers group meeting and demonstration by Tim Needham each week. He is exploring some printmaking techniques without using a press. Last week we looked at monotype and monoprint using a Tetra Pac opened out to make a ‘plate’, water based ink and burnishing the image with a wooden spoon.

Nick and I had been out walking the dog and spotted a horse in a field with the moon emerging above it’s head. This image provided inspiration for the following pieces

Horsey Monoprints

Using stencils for the horse and moon cut out from a drawing on thin card and embracing the creases in the Tetra Pac. Blue and Black ink – other marks made with card, bubble wrap, scrim, and cocktail sticks. This week it was Kitchen Sink Litho I am on with something!

Carrying on with the Horse and Moon theme Nick and I worked together on this and are planning an anthology of combined work.

The Half Moon and the Horse

I am in awe of the words.

There are some exhibition opportunities coming up with Lincolnshire and Whitby Artists which I am working on but who knows if galleries can open.

I have a hand made sketch book on the go with things in it from ‘Walking the Dog’ but I haven’t got far enough to share yet.

Looking forward to February.