A look back at some of the art I’ve seen while out and about this year. (Stripes, lines, red, threads, waves, shadows, surface, time, stance.)
From top to bottom:
Myths & Machines exhibition, Niki de Saint Phalle
Myths & Machines exhibition, Jean Tinguely
The Madonna and Child with St John the Baptist, Giovanni Bellini
An Uncommon Thread exhibition, Max Boyla
Bronze Age Beaker, Broadmayne
Ship of Fools, Kehinde Wiley
Gromit Unleashed 3 Art Trail
Ton of Tea, Ai Weiwei
Street art, Mau Mau
October sees the return of the huge flocks of starlings to Somerset and I am very lucky to be able to watch these extraordinary little birds locally. They are an endless source of entertainment and inspiration and they definitely brighten up those grey winter days with their rowdy antics.
I’ve posted before about my bird haiku book, available here, and during the year I keep writing about the birds I spot, an ongoing project for me. For the last few weeks the starlings have been gathering on the lines in our road, reminding me of that Hitchcock movie classic ‘The Birds’, very appropriate for this week!
Wishing you a Happy Diwali, Halloween, Samhain and Allhallowstide at this turning point of the year.
Starlings
This morning’s laundry
Already flapping in breeze
Starlings on a line
In the grey rain-light
A steady drizzle of wings
Storm clouds of starlings
This weekend we had stormy weather which left some late blooming gladioli blown over in the garden and so I decided to pick a few for the house and use them for drawing practice this week.
These late bloomers have all been this lovely white and red bicolour, making beautiful structural shapes and welcome flowers after a dry summer and early autumn.
I started with a quick pencil sketch to loosen up and then a couple of studies in chalk pastels. I will probably use the pastel sketches as a base or inspiration for either cards or artwork.
I thought I’d put a few handy tips if you’re thinking of using chalk pastels for the first time:
Chalk pastels are crumbly and very easy to smudge, I recommend trying pastels in a pencil form if you want detailed, crisp lines as they are easy to sharpen to a point and create far less mess.
Try keeping a clean piece of paper handy to cover areas you have already worked on in order not to smudge pastel as you move over your work.
These white gladioli are much easier to pick out on a colour background than on white paper. So, if you can find a pad of pastel paper with various shades, you can pick a background to maximise the impact of your work.
This month, as Summer turns to Autumn, these are my four picks highlighted in my Etsy shop this month (click on the titles to go direct to shop):
Top of the Tor: The Portal, a set of three blank greetings cards. Perfect for the card drawer, you can frame them as a mini gift as well!
Linocut Pumpkin Garland Decoration. I’ve drawn and hand printed this original linocut pumpkin design which I’m sure will add a festive touch to your Autumn décor and festivities.
Two Wool and Cotton crochet storage bowls. Featuring lovely natural materials and beautiful autumnal tints, I’ve crocheted these soft bowls so they won’t scratch furniture. Great for coffee tables, hall stands and dressing tables .
Little Egret Linocut. This little original linocut of mine, ready-framed, is perfect as a gift or an addition to your decoration schemes. Find out more about the inspiration behind it in my Etsy shop.
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