Getting ready for the Open Studio

Getting the brushes and oil paints ready...............

Selecting colours - a refined limited palette reflecting the moods of the Cheviots.

Working large and small.......

Preparations

The image below tells you something about the day..... rain, lots of rain (and that the grass needs cutting!)

 

So what am I working on?  Well it's a bit hard to show you everything as I want to keep some things as a surprise for the Open Studio and also for publication.  It's a balancing act sometimes.  I'm only managing a few hours a day too due to lack of energy - frustratingly horrid when I want to get on and work. 

Let me show you the fabrics...... hand dyed silks, rayon and velvet. 
Nothing dyes like silk.  Nothing gives wonderful implied texture like silk.

The Artista has been busy "printing out" some designs for me.

More texture - I'm checking to see if prepared panels and canvases are ready to paint / gesso.

My baby is growing up

Well the little boy is now 9 years old.  I still remember bursting into tears when they first showed him to me.  He was wrapped up in a white towel with just his little head showing.

I couldn't cuddle him much as I was lying flat during a C-Section.  Then he went to special care almost straight away.  I didn't see him again until 24 hours later and felt very detached from him

("Baby, what baby?... oh that baby... did I have a baby?...it wasn't a dream then?
......guess he must be mine.")

It was all very surreal and I would try to have things happen differently if I could do it all again.

Keep calm...............

 

Just what I needed.  Perfect.

I got mine from here.

Portfolio is published

A note to let you know that I have published a Portfolio. 
Its a snapshot of my work - textiles, photographs and paintings.

You can find it here on Blurb.  Its available for £13.95 ($28.10) plus shipping.

I'll have some copies for sale at the Studio Open Day (11th, 12th, 13th September 2009, 10am-5pm)

If you go to blurb you can see a preview of the first few pages. 
I'm really pleased with it and its really cheered me up.

Summer holidays

The summer holidays are really here now and the weather is being good to us. 

We started with a trip to Pauline Burbridges studio...... not a lot new, few smaller pieces pinned to the wall with no proper edgings for £300...... 

 

Meanwhile back in the studio..... I finally attached the BSR for the first time.  Its going to take some getting used to..... I seem to be neater without it.

And a sneak preview of some new work coming along.  Yes its grey, don't alter your monitor.

Yes I know, no colour.  What NO COLOUR!  Well actually its grey with a hint of purple.... of course :)

I am thoroughly enjoying having DS at home.  He is at a wonderful age.

Thursday we took a trip to Lindisfarne (Holy Island).  I have never seen it so busy!  Northumberland is becoming more popular I think.  Shush, should I tell you all how beautiful it is?......

Its billed as the "Secret Kingdom" and I'd very selfishly like to keep it that way please! 

Here we are at the top of the Castle.

Here's the castle and in the centre of the picture on the horizon you can see Bamburgh Castle.

View from the castle.  Look at the number of people!

We stopped for lunch on Lindisfarne on our "secret beach".  This is just 3 minutes drive from the village centre.  Can you see the sea in the distance?

Look at complete lack of other people - fantastic! 
Who needs to be abroad when England can be this beautiful with such beautiful clean and warm beaches. 

Feeling down

When I came back from Urchfont I discovered that the house and studio had nearly flooded again - within 1/2inch of coming through the door and floor.  The studio is still damp - you can feel it through the floor.

Look at the damage the water has done again.....we now have a dam!
Getting the government agencies to take action (only they can action work on the river, not the land / river owners) is like, well, you can guess.  I am phoning and asking for action as much as I can.

Wednesday I have a site visit from the Environment Agency and I can only try my best to put my point across.  Wish me luck.

 

Can you see the fence across the water..... a chunk of field has disappeared again.

And my little baby isn't a baby anymore!  This was his last day at First School, from September he'll be going to the Middle School for four years.

We celebrated his leaving with a meal out in Wooler - this was my pudding....... wonderful!

DS had some friends around on Saturday - his birthday is next week,
but its a good excuse for a cake and candles :)

Also this week I discovered that I have lost a huge chunk of my blog pics.... anything before April 2009 has disappeared!  Seems the album has been deleted in Blogger.  It coincides with the blog being moved to the new web site but I'm not sure if this is the cause.  This is a HUGE loss to me - all those memories and photos of daily life.  I have family pics backed up of course, but not the little snippets of everyday life.

Depressing.  Very depressing.  Hugely depressing.  *sob*

And my energy levels have gone to minus readings....... I would give almost anything to be rid of the ME. 

I'm fed up of being so tired and drained all the time. 
Life is such an effort these days and I want it to be fun again.

Guess it will feel better again soon........