Friday, November 20, 2009

It's Raining Cats And Dogs

We complain about our wet weather but compared to the poor residents of the North West of England, we have nothing to complain about. They have had dreadful flooding over wide areas and destruction of homes and livelihoods. Sadly some people have also died as a result. Sitting here in the drier south of the country we cannot contemplate how awful it must be to have your possessions ruined by filthy water. My heart goes out to them.

I decided to try my hand at another collage this week. This is the result and it is called Josephine's Tree. The lady and the tree are collaged but the background is digital. I was going to paint the background but when I started the watercolour began spreading on to the collaged leaves and spoiled them, hence the digital colour.


Here is the detail of the little bit of text I found that I thought would go quite well with the picture.


This is a digital image called Red Tree. For some reason Blogger doesn't reproduce digital red colours very well. They always look blurry. Take my word for it that there is not a blur in sight on the original.


A couple of gorgeous snowy Christmas cards for you here. They are produced by Canns Down Press who have a nice display of cards this year here.

Snow Bike - Sheila McInnes


Special Delivery - Hannah Cole


Some local shots of our beautiful autumn foliage and scenery.




My most recent charity shop find was the 1983 book below by Joyce Hargreaves published by Batsford. It is full of really interesting printmaking information and great prints. I have posted three of my favourites below. I can't post a link because I cannot find very much at all about Joyce Hargreaves although apparently she has been printmaking for many years.



Cockerel


Scraperboard Sketch


Web


Who could resist this seasonal door mat from Gisela Graham. I love it but I don't think I could wipe my feet on them. It would be cruel. They are far too cute
The weather was wet and miserable on Thursday so I decided to treat myself to a visit to my favourite local contemporary art and craft gallery. This gallery is like Dr Who's tardis. Nothing much to look at on the outside but goes on forever inside. It is a treasure trove of lovely art and crafts and cards. They have their Christmas exhibition on at the moment. Once inside I noticed a display of ink and watercolour original paintings by an artist I was blogging about last week - Flora McLachlan. What a coincidence. They were so dainty and detailed in real life. I didn't realise that she painted as well as doing printmaking. I also found a couple of her images on greetings cards by PrimeArts. You can see the others here on their website. These will definitely remain with me.

Greetings cards by Flora McLachlan


I have been reading a lot about the newly opened Anthropologie shop in London lately and after seeing these necklaces on their website I think I will have to pay them a visit soon. They have lots of gorgeous jewellery on show. This is the US link but I am sure they will have similar in Regent Street.

Idlyll Respite Neclace


Stone Garden Necklace


Cornelia Forster was a very prolific Swiss artist and craftswoman who created in many media including paintings, drawings, sculpture, tapestry, embroidery, ceramics, photography and poetry. Quite an extensive list. I don't suppose she had much time to herself. You can see a lot of her work at Adhikara here.

I really like her simple and attractive fruits below




and totally love this woodcut. It is very simple but beautiful.


I came across some exquisite stained glass on the Internet the other day. I have posted about stained glass before (and probably will again) as I absolutely love it. Traditional or contemporary, it doesn't matter. I think the colours are so vivid and vibrant that they sing. Only glass illuminated by light can give you that effect.

Here are some wonderful examples by Ann Sotheran who can be found here, Hazel Yabsley here and Angharad Whitfield here.

Angharad Whitfield - Allium


Angharad Whitfield - In The Garden (Autumn)


Angharad Whitfield - If Nothing Ever Changed There Would Be No Butterflies (Detail)
(See the complete window here)


Hazel Yabsley - Change Of Wind


Curlew by Ann Sotheran

25 comments:

Kat Mortensen said...

As usual, Cathy, there are some lovely images here. I really like your pink-dressed girl, but I have to say, I just adore those two ladies on the bikes in winter.
Although I'm not a flowery person (especially on cards and such) I do love the necklaces—even the floral one!

Kat

Cathy said...

Hello Kat. Glad you like my postings. I bought a pack of each lady on a bike so I have enough to send as cards and can still keep one of each design for me. I love them too.

jamjar said...

Hi Cathy
love the stained glass that you have shown here, all three are new to me. Do you know the work of Tamsin Abbott? She has a lovely website full of her glass work. Isn't it lovely seeing all these Christmas cards, although it does make me realise that I have to hurry up with all the things I should be doing!

Caroline said...

Red Tree is a super image Cathy!! What a fun mat that is - too good to use though, as you say! Very nice cards by Flora McLachlan and I especially love the last two pieces of jewel coloured stained glass! However... it was your Flickr link that caught my eye today so I popped over to check it out - my you have some amazing work there! The pointillism Red Fox is superb - what patience!!

Cathy said...

Thanks Caroline. That fox too me forever and it was a real labour of love. I used to do a lot of pointillism once but can't really do it for the blog as it takes a long time to even do a small picture.

Cathy said...

Hi Joy, I do know of Tamsin's work and had her down to do a post as her stuff is fascinating. I like her style. I haven't even started sending out any cards yet. I am usually doing mine mid December.

Flora said...

As ever, so much good stuff to go through. Love your collage and red tree...glad I'm not the only one who has real trouble with red and orange on blogger - esp. glass! So pleased about the Flora McLachlan greetings cards - will be tracking them down...ladies on bikes are wonderful too...and then to top it off you finish with some amazing stained glass! Hazel Yabsley's is really inspiring. I'm off to do some googling! Thanks!

Crafty Green Poet said...

I love your collage and digital pieces! I really like Cornelia Forster's work too, I like the simplicity of it. And all the other lovely things you've shared again!

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Hi Cathy, love your collage and autumnal photos.

I've not come across Cornelia Forster's work before and adore the pomegranate and pear paintings you have featured. Best wishes. Lesley

Cathy said...

Hi Lesley, I was amazed when I saw the volume and scope of the work done by Cornelia Forster. Her pomegranate and pear are my favourites though.

Cathy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cathy said...

Thanks Juliet. It is lovely to know that my efforts of scouring the Internet for great artists are appreciated...lol. I hope I don't run out of people to feature though.

Cathy said...

Hi Flora. Yes I expect the red, orange, pink thingy affects your glass too. I wonder why it happens. It is very annoying anyway.

Pleased you like the glass artists and Flora McLachlan's cards. I might try and get some more myself.

Nicola said...

Beautiful collage! And beautiful collections--I agree with you re the intriguingly simple pear woodcut. It is always miraculous to me when something can be produced with such a zen quality.
I love Matilda's gentle holding of Ruby (or is it the other way round!).

Acornmoon said...

Goodness me! what an abundance of visual delights, especially the lady in pink.

I love the fruit prints and the necklaces, such a lot of talent in the world.

Cathy said...

Yes Nicola. You have it right - Ruby is the hen. If I had a real life hen I think I would call it Ruby but in the meantime the ink one will have to suffice...lol. I agree that so much beautiful art is simplicity itself. I wish I could teach myself that. Most of mine is quite complex.

Cathy said...

Isn't it amazing Valerie. Until the advent of the Internet so many visual delights were out of reach. I am continually astonished by the depth of peoples' talent.

Sandy Mastroni said...

I like sweet pink pretty pink
we are both into PINK this week Cathy !

Cathy said...

Hello Sandy. It is a pink time of year...haha. I will pop over and have a look at your pink.

~ Phyllis ~ said...

Cathy I just love Josephine's dress. It's beautiful.
Your new blog header picture is perfect.

Old World Primitives said...

Hi Cathy,
I really like the design and colors in Josephine's Tree this week - you always have such an eye for pleasing color palates! I like the imagery in your Red Tree piece quite a lot as well. The Anthropologie jewelry really caught my eye as well, it is gorgeous! Stay dry - my heart goes out to those in the flood zone of northern England as well.

Stephanie

Cathy said...

Glad you like it Phyllis. I wanted something a bit seasonal for a change.

Cathy said...

Thanks Stephanie. As I write this it is still pouring with rain outside and has been all evening. We are having a very wet late autumn here.

Alexjam said...

Wow. Hello! I came upon your blog by accident, and I'm very pleased that I did. I study art at university, which can sometimes get a bit heavy with expectation; the freedom you demonstrate here is really uplifting! Thanks! *Follows*

Cathy said...

Hi Alex. Thanks for visiting. Glad you like the blog. It is a lot of work but I enjoy it very much.