a wet art workshop day

Tuesday last week was very wet! I was hoping for lovely weather for my art workshop in the beautiful woodland on the Birtley Estate in Surrey, but it was not to be.

























So in true British spirit, we went ahead anyway and had great fun despite the effects that rain can have on charcoal drawings...





I had hoped that we could sit amongst the trees to draw, but luckily we were able to stay dry in the barn after an inspiring stroll in the woods, guided by resident woodsman Mervyn.

























The bluebells and other wild flowers were looking beautiful. I liked the dark vertical tree trunks against the blue.

























There was even a wild crab apple tree in full bloom.
























The afternoon was spent monoprinting, and it was interesting to see how each person grabbed the idea and made it their own. Suzy's prints were all about colour, Merv's were intricate and delicate and Brenda enjoyed using pastels and other elements to add to her prints.

I love the unpredictable quality of monoprinting, and this sheet which was left out in the rain ended up looking like the the rain falling into the stream.

There are three more workshops planned this summer, on Tuesdays 7th June, 12th July and 16th August. If you would like to come along, contact me at:

surprisinglines@gmail.com



























More about art workshops here:

surprising lines- come to an art day in the woods

surprising lines

surprising lines- come to an art day in the woods

Following on from my day demonstrating at the Surrey Hills Wood Fair last October, I am now gearing up for some art days at the Green Woodworks barn on the beautiful Birtley Estate in Surrey.

I'm planning fun days with small groups of five or six people in a relaxed atmosphere, drawing and monoprinting and enjoying the peaceful surroundings.

The joy of monoprinting is that you never know what result you'll get. It's a very simple technique, done by putting paper onto an inked surface and making marks on the back. I use water based inks, and and it can be done anywhere, from your kitchen table to a clearing in the woods.

Green Wood Works barn

http://www.birtleyestate.co.uk/events/

Some samples of surprising lines below:

tiny shepherd's hut stove

the big beech tree

landscape above West Dean, Chichester

Maybe you would like to come along? The contact details are on the poster above, and I am hoping for sunny days!

looking closely

At last I can see properly to sew, the new specs have taken some getting used to but I am happy to be making things again.  



























Here are my 'looking closely' specs, (I also have 'looking generally' specs) and a hunky circus strongman who is on the front of a small notebook, along with his bouquet-wielding friend. She has been sold, so I'll be making some more circus performers...




























And I was commissioned to make two small pouches with naked ladies for a customer at Handmade Happiness- I love sewing these ladies relaxing in their unlikely hats. You can see the original drawing from life here (without a hat!).






























In a way, I like the backs of things almost more than the fronts, a sort of random scribbling its impossible to do on purpose.





























I think the word is 'serendipity'- more serendipitous nudes to follow.

bad light stopped play...

There has been rather a lack of both creative work and blog posts here, due mostly to the aged Mrs Molebags' eyes giving up the ghost. I have glasses which are good for 'seeing' with, but not for close work in low light, which has meant not much hand sewing lately.

So Mr P and I have had an extremely expensive trip to the optician, and we both await new specs which will hopefully transform our lives, particularly as my new ones will feature cool black and purple frames!

Can't wait for them to come, as I really enjoy some therapeutic hand stitching and fabric 'collage'. Here's a velvety pouch bag that I finished just before Christmas. Just the right size for an evening out, with or without the detachable handle. I'm so pleased that somebody liked it enough to buy it, although I almost kept it for myself. 




























This similar one started life as a large shopping bag, but it just didn't 'work' so out came the scissors to chop it down to size. A good lesson- never be afraid to hack and slash , you never know what joys you might end up with...

























I am still thinking about hands,




and this is my first 'handy' purse:


























Made from vintage fabric, and backed with soft blue velvet and a little crochet covered button. (Modelled here by Ruby).





































Next time- new specs, and a kick start to creativity...

coming back to life

Maybe it was the wet and gloomy Christmas weather, not to mention a surfeit of stollen and stilton, but my artistic inspiration seems to have completely deserted me for the moment. Happily though, today was the first of the post-festivities life drawing mornings, and I was hoping for a good model to start the year. None better than this man, who can bend himself like a pretzel and stay that way for ages.







































Not the best drawings in the world, but it was good to lose myself in colour and form. Life drawing is like a form of meditation, other thoughts cannot intrude when concentrating on it. 

























My other inspiration has been from our visit to the V&A Museum to see the Fabric of India exhibition. Such fine delicate fabrics made using methods as old as time, which are still being produced in exactly the same way today. 
We where amazed at how old some of the pieces were, and how lively and playful some of the designs. Look at these elegant hands from a wall hanging showing dancing ladies, printed in 1450-1500.






























I could have stayed all day, admiring the workmanship and making drawings but that's not really practical when visiting with friends. One of the only good things about living in London would be being able to just amble along to any gallery or museum for a second look, but we absolutely wouldn't like the London crowds and hurry!





































Those ancient hands made me think more generally of hands. Here are some drawings of my own, and I have an idea for expanding them into sewn art when I get my mojo back.





































Here's hoping for a drier and colder spring, and some sunshine, especially for all the poor people who have been flooded this winter.

grey from the shortest day

grey

mud grey



 leaf grey

























sky grey


























rose grey

























lichen grey

























seakale grey

























roll on spring

























happy christmas

a merry lobster christmas

Last week we rushed out during a break in the weather for lunch and a walk by the sea, and found this extraordinary lobster pot Christmas tree!




























What a brilliant idea- the pots were donated by local people and when it stops being a tree it will become individual lobster pots for the Emsworth fishermen. A good example of the practical spirit of Christmas. 




We love to be by the sea whatever the weather, and everything was sparkling when the sun came out. As a late friend used to say 'it makes you wish you were alive'.































The sky was full of the low winter light that makes colours flat and chalky. I noticed these pastel coloured cottages, and I love the subtle difference between the white and the almost-white pinky grey.






























They reminded me of this doll's house, seen in a shop window




























(This must be for rather posh dolls, there's a miniature aga in the kitchen!)

I really hope that the pretend snow won't be the only snow we see this winter. The weather is spookily unseasonal, and we could do with some lovely bright frosty days, if only to dry up the unending mud. Also now that Mr P and I no longer have to leave the house to go to the Day Jobs, we are hoping for the opportunity to snuggle down in front of the fire with a big vat of soup and wait for the snowdrops to come out...