Here's one I made earlier...

And' Hi 'again...

I just thought I'd do a bit of a printmaking appreciation class....

Printmakers are an under appreciated bunch ( I don't rank myself among them) who work away for days

creating an image only to have someone say " Oh no - that's just a print! "

Let me guide you, if I can to a fantastic website showing the work of Angie Lewin and hopefully some

progress will be made....www.angielewin.co.uk. Click onto "about my work" and there's a scrumptious

film demonstrating woodcuts - lino being similar.

And of course I can't fail to mention again Mark Hearld.... whose fantastic coloured

linocuts I find inspirational Find him at..www.stjudesgallery.co.uk.

Rant over!

However I also thought I might alert fellow print-makers manques to a fantastic new-ish material which

you can use instead of lino. Its what I used for my little bird........

I hand-printed more than 80 of these, and still it showed no signs of deterioration. In fact I had a dream

that I was printing revolutionary pamphlets in ancient times - yes, I got a bit carried away and even

started on the envelopes.

We  use it in art-club, even the youngest ones haven't made too much of a mess of their hands - very

easy to carve. I've bought it as' soft-cut' but have no other name for it - help please if anyone knows.

I bought this piece in Westhope College near here, an arts and crafts type place .

I think I've out-done myself - a blog this long! This is what happens when you are too ill to go out!

Can we get back to normal Christmas weather please?

Very cold - even colder when you're oil rationing! Thought we'd be in plenty of time to get oil delivered for Christmas - a week and a half in advance.... but no! No oil coming our way
 till January.

I have been sending out my Christmas card - only a very simple linocut - there's a lot of work to be done before I can get to create work like Mark Hearld's.

I also made a card for my n&d (nearest and dearest) featuring a small and determined cyclist.

You'll have to look very hard to see it on here but it is there!
Daisy dug out the ones from last year - at least they get their money's worth!

I've not finished two for this year but must get into card-making mode  because after Christmas there will be the "House of Cards" at the Discovery centre Craven Arms, which has been good fun to do in the past.

Hoping to blog again but if not ...Merry Christmas!

Happy Advent!

Our plates arrived back from their firing! I can only show you one or two as the others are top secret until

later in the month!

Here's a Christmas one....

and here's Daisy's bus...

I still haven't learnt to drive the wretched thing yet!

Whilst I had the camera out, I thought I'd do a bit of showing off ....

Tea towels available now from the Discovery Centre , Craven Arms as well as from Acton Scott

Historic Working Farm ( modelled by Stanley!)

I'm off to start printing Christmas cards and will post one here as soon as they go out.

This year I've decided to do things differently and print them myself!

Let's hope they go down well, its just a simple linocut but I think black and white looks really good

against all the glitz at this time of year.

Its nice to have a change......

Have been working in pen and paint, lino and cutters for the last week or two, so how refreshing to get onto a bit of technology!

Press a button and pop! There's the pic in front of you! How lovely and quick!

Hopefully all will go swimmingly with this blog today and I will turn off  pc in a serene frame of mind....

We went to one of our favourite places on Saturday - The Emma Bridgewater factory, shop and most

importantly - the painting cafe!

Its a fantastically creative place , AND people bring tea and cake to your table whilst you create!

Have a look at the website..... emmabridgewater.co.uk

Can't show you what we made as its being fired but can show you a not too tremendously exciting plate I did last time....

Featuring the famous whippets ,Walter and Mitty!

I knew it wouldn't take me too long to get them onboard!

Also a little bird that went to art club.....

Almost Advent!

 Just to keep me busy,(!), I run an art club at our local primary school, Wistanstow C of E primary.

The children have been busy making advent calendars....



Its been literally inspirational running the art club, the only drawback being that I get carried away

with the "Idea for the week" eg. clay modelling or lino-cutting and spend too much time making demo

clay fish etc. Fun though!

I'm going to try to feature my art-clubbers work here so watch this space all you art-clubbers!

Just room for Daisy's fish - who said nepotism was dead?

And so to start with....

  Just to let you know what I've been up to , I'm going to start gently blogging.....

I was asked to do a couple of map type commissions back in August,  one of which was for the Shropshire Remembrance Park over at Rushbury, a very beautiful and peaceful place.



And also a map for a campsite over at Bishops Castle, with lots of wildlife to be included!