Saturday, August 22, 2009

Summer Blog Break - Back 13 September

I am having a summer blog holiday now so I will not be back until Sunday 13 September, although I will be making visits here and there. I hope you all have a very pleasant late summer period. I hope to produce quite a lot of work in that time including a needlepoint I am planning and hopefully some linoprints. I bought a nice wooden spoon in a charity shop recently for that very purpose. See you in September.

This is called The Silent Land. I particularly liked the tree in the pot that my "lady who planted trees" was holding in last week's post, that I decided to expand on the theme. This is the result. The trees are pen and ink but digitally coloured. I have also done a version with snowflakes which I will use for Christmas cards later in the year.



I am working on a bit of a marine theme today. These watercolour fish also started out life as potential greetings card images. I used to produce quite a lot of fishy themed work originally but I haven't done so much lately.


Anyone who has followed my blog since the early days may recognise this painting but it is, in fact, a different one to the one I posted way back. This is the original and better version which has recently turned up again. Aren't "clear outs"wonderful?
Whilst I was having my clear out I found a couple of old greetings cards that I made about fifteen years ago. I used to make a lot of cards when I first started drawing and painting - some I sold and some I didn't. The pink one is made of handmade paper mounted on card. The image is hand drawn. The mermaid is also a hand drawn picture. Things took an awful long time in those days before computers were commonplace.


I love this Garden Lovers ceramic by John Maltby. He produces the most beautiful sculptures.
All is safely gathered in. The harvest is taking place all over the countryside now, in between the rain showers, of course. These shots are of local fields.




This is wonderful craftsmanship of about 500 years ago. These are the decorative chimney stacks of the Tudor period belonging to Chenies Manor House. I am not certain how they would have been carved but it was obviously a labour of love for someone and must have taken a long time to create. The results are stunning. Can you imagine anyone taking such trouble over chimney stacks in the present day?
Caroline Hyde-Brown is an textile artist and designer. She creates her gorgeous pictures by combining painting with acrylics and oil pastels and then adding embroidery. The result is a beautiful piece of craftwork. I have seen her work in exhibitions and it is far better seen in real life. She uses a lot of golden and silver thread which shimmers. She is very inspired by the way light falls on the landscape. I find her trees particularly lovely. Her website is well worth a visit and can be found here.




The paintings below are the work of the late Wendy Stevenson who was rightly very well known for her beautifully lively and colourful paintings of animals and the countryside and particularly cats. I have bought many of her images on greetings cards over the years and these are two of my favourites that I was definitely keeping. How I would love to be able to paint like this.

Sheep By The Lake
Sheep and Lambs In A Field Of Daisies
I really like these aspen and oak leaf pendants by Etsy seller Briguysgirls. Apparently they are the real leaves which have been skeletalised and plated in metals.



The summer blooms are starting to die off now we are nearing the end of August. I am sorry to see them go. We have had some wonderful flowers in the garden. Still, there will be lots of photogenic and superb seedheads to look at. I think the sunflower below is quite beautiful. A bit like a wizened old lady. I found this in my brother and his partner's garden a couple of years ago.

Dried Sunflower
This was a summer nigella after a refreshing shower
and this is what is left now the flower has bloomed and died. Nigella are one of my favourite flowers so hopefully there will be lots more for next year.
Late Summer Dahlias
I wonder how many of you have or would have vinyl wall decals in your homes? I think they are great contemporary idea and there is a huge selection of designs around these days. I think these three designs by Etsy seller SurfaceFlik are great. Notice how I particularly like the tree designs. If you go to Etsy and search for Wall Decals you will find many many more.

Garden Tree Design
Flower Balls
New Tree Design

I have long been an admirer of English artist and printmaker Adrienne Craddock. She produces the most beautiful hand coloured drypoint and collograph prints as seen below. Her work is heavily inspired by myths, folklore and dreams and has a wonderful narrative and graphic quality. Adrienne also works in schools and colleges teaching art. Her website can be found here, and there is a very interesting video of how she produces her prints at the Sheeran Lock Art Gallery here. Also if you visit here at the gallery you can watch all the short videos that John Sheeran has produced about the artists represented by the gallery. They provide a fascinating insight into the way the contemporary artist works.

Angel
Tiger In The Tulips
Still Among The Bed Of Cabbages He Lay
Keep A Green Branch In Your Heart
Chanticleer
The Dunce And The Chatterer

26 comments:

Caroline said...

Super stuff again. The Silent Land is lovely and I'll look forward to seeing your Xmas card later! I really like these prints by Adrienne Craddock and I have just spent an enjoyable half hour watching the videos - now coveting one of her beautiful pieces!
Well, Cathy, I will miss your posts for the next couple of weeks but hope you have a productive time! See you in September!

Pomona said...

Thank you for visiting my blog and becoming a follower! Have a really good holiday - I love the trees and deer at the top. But so many lovely pics - lots to look at!

Pomona x

Cathy said...

Hi Caroline. I am hoping to be very productive in the next few weeks. The videos of the artists are really good aren't they? I love to watch artists work.

Cathy said...

Thanks Pomona. Glad you like the art. I will have to start searching for new artists and craftspeople now.

andamento said...

Really like The Silent Land. Also, the photos of golden countryside are beautiful - we don't really get that here, it just turns different shades of green!
I'll miss your updates now that I've discovered you, but have a good break and I hope you manage to complete all your planned works.

Gillian said...

Hi there - enjoy your blog break! Its always so exciting to find long lost projects during a clear out. Recently became interested in Wall Decals myself - love the tree/bird ones too! G

Cathy said...

Thanks very much Anne. I am sure the time will go quickly and I will be back to blogging before I know where I am...haha.

Cathy said...

Hi Gillian. I am hoping that as I continue with my massive clear out that something else nice will turn up. Something I have completely forgotten about.

Chatters said...

Hi Cathy

Hope you have a lovely break. I love your silent land, its beautiful and defiantly has a nice festive feel about it, it would make a lovely christmas card

Cathy said...

Thanks Amanda. I really like the colours of that one. I will definitely do some Christmas cards with it. A bit early to be thinking of Christmas but time is passing so quickly.

LOVE STITCHING RED said...

All your photos are wonderful. Thanks for sharing all these great artists and piccies with us!

Enjoy your break. See you when you come back!

Carolyn x

bunnits said...

Your blog always puts a smile in my heart. Thank you. Enjoy your blogging vacation. I'll be looking forward to your return.

Cathy said...

Thanks Carolyn. I am hunting for great new artists on the Internet at the moment. Can't let the grass grow under my feet...haha.

Cathy said...

Hi Melissa

Thanks for that. I am glad there is something nice for you to enjoy. Art and craft always makes me happy too.

Old World Primitives said...

The Silent Land will make a really lovely Christmas card design, I like it a lot. Enjoy your break! I am between vacations here, furiously working - soon I'll need a vacation from vacation!

Stephanie

Acornmoon said...

Enjoy your break, I look forward to seeing your lino prints.

Cathy said...

Thanks Stephanie. Hope things slow down for you soon and you can spend some me time relaxing.

Cathy said...

Thanks Valerie. A few cuts on my hands already...sigh.

Caroline Gill said...

Have a creative break - and perhaps a well earned rest, too. Your blog is AMAZING!

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Have a lovely break Cathy. 'The Silent Land' is stunning and the grey background an excellent foil for the colours used. Bye for now. Lesley

Cathy said...

Hello Caroline, thanks for your visit and your nice comment. Glad you have enjoyed my blog.

Cathy said...

Hi Lesley. I printed out The Silent Land because I like to see a picture regularly after I have drawn it to see if there is anything that needs changing but I must say it is one of my favourites.

Holly Zemak said...

Enjoy your holiday. I watched the video of Adrienne Craddock producing her drypoint prints. Really interesting and something I would like to learn how to do. Silent Land came out well and I look forward to your snowflake version. Have a great rest and see you on the 13th.

Cathy said...

Thanks Holly. I did a grand total of one drypoint in a a workshop with Nicola Slattery but absolutely loved the technique. Sadly you need a printing press.

Art4Sol said...

Enjoy a little R&R. Love your latest work.

Cathy said...

Thanks very much. I am enjoying it so far.