Photo's on my Phone 28th July to 6th August 2024

Seems like ages since my last post, but it was only a week ago.

The sun has finally come out so the day's have been warm and fuzzy.

Ron didn't want to play ball anymore so he refused to move and forced his master to carry him. It was early evening and even though the temperature had gone down he still exhausted himself. This was after 5 mins of play, trouble is he runs a million miles an hour so gets tired really quickly. So no more ball play for Ron until it gets a lot cooler.

We went to lots of beaches. 

This is Woolacombe, in between swimming and playing football the boys pretended to be really cool, all Queenie and Grandpa wanted to do was lay in the sun and read their books, but alas caring for two small boys makes it impossible.

In between swimming and shouting at small boys to try and stop them kicking balls at people I did a sketch, which I'm not terribly happy. The tents were supposed to look like jelly fish and the jelly fish tentacles to look like the sea. I shouldn't have added the parasols, but I quite like the people, I added the spots to make it better, but instead I've made it worse. Sometimes things aren't meant to be.

The dogs re-enacted a photo taken about 9 years ago, only Tinks remains of the original 3. Siri has replaced Loki and Ron has replaced Billy, which is ironic because Ron hates cat's. I wish I still had a Billy, he was the best cat ever, but sadly we will have to wait until Ron has gone, fingers crossed it's a very long time. I will wait for another Billy in the same way I will wait for another Land Rover.

Our next beach trip was to Blacklands which is our local beach at the bottom of the hill,  it's a huge contrast  to Woolacombe. We did more swimming and I attempted to do more reading, I might of managed a page or two. I hate photo's of me, but this one is ok, its me & my small boys at home in my happy place.

Yesterday's beach was Crow point, no swimming as the tide was out, but plenty of sand, most of it is in still in my hair and sketch book! A little bit more relaxing as the boy's played on the big sand dune, which is on its own and means they can't disappear into the Burrows like rabbits never to be found again.

My Crow Point sketch is just a pencil sketch, I will work over it in fine line pen.

I've finished my first colouring of the ghost of Hollerday House, it's interesting to see how the colour changes the image. I love it and have already started on the next coloured print, the coloured Hollerday House will be available to buy as soon as I've worked out how much to charge. If you are interested please let me know.

I'm still working on the digital version of Summer, I can't wait to start colouring, but it will probably be digital colouring as the A1 print will be far too big.

Sketch books

 

In the past I was always very precious about my sketch books. I wanted to keep them pristine, so didn't draw on the page in case I made a mistake and had to rub it out. All the drawings and images were glued in.

The one below is from 2002, the image is of the Sutton Hoo excavation and the painting is the treasure being excavated on hand made paper. I used the sketch books as diary's and filled them full of angst ridden  waffle about how I was a failing artist.

Life has taught me that I don't have time to angsty about being an artist, its who I am and I will always draw.

Fast forward 20+ years, my worry about perfection has gone, now I draw directly on the page, some of it is good, some of it is bad, but it all fits together and is a diary of my life.

The following drawings are from my current A5 sketch book, I also have an A6 and A4.

Woolacombe                                                        Lynton

 

I like to draw from life, the boys are a big part of life and watch me drawing. Of course they want to draw too and when we are out and there's nothing for them to draw on I let them draw in my sketch book. 

I would never of let them anywhere near my precious sketch books years ago.

The above drawings were drawn at half term on Dunster beach, I drew the path of the river Avill running down to meet the sea. I told Bert to draw what he could see, so he drew the nuclear power station at Hinkley Point and a container ship in the Bristol Channel.

I take my sketch book everywhere and draw when we're out dog walking. Phil has long legs and walks a lot faster than me, so at some point in the walk I will stop to draw while he carries on walking with the dogs. The drawing above is of Holdstone down,  I continued drawing and did some colouring when I got home.

The view from Daddy's garden of the hillside on the other side of the river, in Lynmouth.

Lynton, from Holman Park looking up towards Station Hill. Sketched on sports day in between races and tidied up when I got home, I might continue with this one.

Yesterday we went to Crow Point, the first time since our car disaster, this Appledore drawn from Crow Point beach across the mouth of the river's Taw and Torridge. It must be at least half a mile across the river, probably further, so it's difficult to make out details, even the close ups on my iPhone art very good.

I will tidy it up, but probably won't take it any further.

And finally the boys drawings at the back of my sketch book. 

As I said previously I've told Bert to draw what he see's and that sometimes the only place he will be able to see what to draw is inside his head, but that doesn't matter and not to listen to people who say otherwise.

A couple of weeks ago I'd forgotten what I said to him, we went to a meal with some friends, when he got bored I gave him my sketch book and he drew his food, knife and fork.  I am so proud that he remembered my advice.

On the other page Maggie drew a snake (I think) and wrote his name.

I'm so proud of both of them 💙💙

Photo's on my Phone 9th of May - 25th May 2024

The sun shone a lot, the dogs were hot, so we dumped them in the river under the bridge in Lynmouth and accidentally had a cheeky pint.

The next evening we walked the dogs on Countisbury Hill, the photo of Tinks is to remind myself that old dogs are just as disobedient as young dogs. The sun was still shining so we had another cheeky pint at The Blue Ball on the way home.

As the sun was still shining Mummy and I took the boys to the beach, they all swam, but the sea is still cold for me. I'll wait a few more weeks till the water warms up.

Then the sun stopped shining.

Monday's walk was at Crow Point in the wind and rain!

I started a new drawing of Woolacombe its a stunning massive sandy beach. It's a famous surfing beach and you can see Lundy, so I decided to draw some of the houses instead!

 

I sold a drawing of Ilkerton Ridge at the Paracombe Art Exhibition, so we walked the dogs on Holdstone Down to celebrate, the view is stunning in every direction.

I did a sketch and am going to do a drawing of it at some point in time.

My lovely friend Jacquie (who runs our local dog shop - https://www.thelynvalleydoghouse.com/ )

organised a big pup meet. 

I don't have many photo's, luckily Jacquie managed to capture this one of Siri in the paddling pool, he got thrown in the river on the way home!

Then the car started smoking, its at the garage, no idea how much its going to cost or whether it can be mended. I did suggest we leave it at the garage, sell everything we own, buy a van and travel, but Phil said he didn't want to sell his special tagine, so guess we won't be taking to the road after all.

All our adventures for the foreseeable future will be at home, we have feet and the cliff railway.

Ilfracombe update - 25th May 2024. Still no bottom left corner, but I've nearly finished the yachts in the harbour.

Catch up - The last 6 months of 2021

Lots of drawings, all drawn with Posca acrylic pens.
I love the fact they are acrylic paint and intensity, but the nibs are too thick.

Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway

My first attempt at the Valley of Rocks

I love these 2, the first is Crow Point, which is one of my favourite places. The second is Malmsmead the location of Lorna Doone and a few miles away from my front door.

Two Christmas card designs, the first is the Snowball path which leads to the top of the hill that I live on.

Two views of the pine trees at Wistlandpound reservoir, which used to be a favourite dog walk, until I got a puppy that I can't keep out of the water.

My first attempt at drawing Cloud Farm, which is in Doone Valley about a mile from Malmsmead.

In November we went on holiday with our babies and their babies. We had a few days in Fife, this is a drawing of Crail. 

The beach was covered in seaweed, which smelt of iodine which was very reminiscent of my favourite malt Talisker whiskey.

We stayed in a lodge at Lochearnhead, these two drawings were the view from the patio.