Carols at Acton Scott Historic Working Farm.......

 Back in the spring I was commissioned to create a couple of Christmas cards for Acton Scott Historic
Working Farm, and today I've just managed to catch up with them......

I have done quite a bit of work for the farm in the past and have visited countless times especially when the children were small but I never get tired of going. There's such a sort of timeless feel to the place which doesn't seem due just to the fact that it is actually set up as a historic working farm. There's a very still, calm sort of atmosphere pervading the place - lovely.

This picture was of the animals getting together for carols in the yard. Visitors are staying, its Christmas Eve and the animals are trying to concentrate on the carols, not the sledge which has just been parked in front of them. The odd lettering is due to the animals writing it - not me!

Hope you're all calm and carol-singing too! How many blogs in how many days - gosh! It must be Christmas!

Stamps!

Every time I put a stamp on my Christmas cards I am happy!

Royal mail chose one of my favourite illustrators to create this year's Christmas stamps   - here's the link

to the man himself talking about them....bliss!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20681731

I've made another house for one of nearest and dearest but its too dark and I've too many chores (my

own and other people's) to do to photograph it - next time!

Advent and a Christmas card for you....

Advent has been lovely with windows to open every day..........this is our house with the light shining

 through the back of the little windows....how sweet!

 This isn't an advent calendar but a christmas card/house for a friend who I know isn't online and therefore won't know you've seen it before her! I will get it to her very soon!

 And your Christmas card! I know its in the sun but we haven't been seeing much of it so thought I'd leave it like that...

 More of the cards and a preview of one of the lino cut cards I'm making for the house of cards exhibition at the discovery centre Craven Arms in January. Its only the first colour - there's more to be printed on it.... and you'll find another as you scroll down...

Better get back to it then... the days are so short but its been super in sunny Shropshire today - a real gem of a day

Advent and other houses.

 I've not been feeling very well - a tedious chest infection. As a form of therapy I have been making advent calendars in the form of houses. I have always loved advent calendars (without the chocolates) and try and inspire my art clubbers to make their own - I just got a bit carried away...

 Then I made our community shop a Christmas card/house, (not an advent calendar, just a building) which they haven't seen yet!

And then I decided to make my art club helper her own house to say thanks for all her help

(with moveable cows)

 
And then my daughter begged for one featuring her guinea-pigs town house, and so it goes on...

But I think I'm over it now.
I'm told by my mother-in-law that Phoenix trading make such a thing - but do I care? These may be rustic but they are personal which is probably worth a lot.

It can't be November already - can it?

 I'm back!
 There's only so many hours in the day and I've been too busy to write here but now a chink of time has appeared!
I've been very busy illustrating a book commissioned by the AONB in the  Craven Arms based office,
more on that to come. A little peek at one of the pics, and it IS a  little one, its actual size here.

So, having dipped my toe in the blog, I'll be off but I'm aiming to write a bit more very soon.....

Only a little damp from the flood....

And we survived a 16yr old's birthday party in the kitchen! Drum and bass rocked the poor house's

foundations but all was well!  Phew!

Today I'm off to the Discovery centre, Craven Arms (centre of the known world) to hang work for an

exhibition starting on Friday evening - "Fire and Light ",you are all welcome to the preview - look out

for the posters.

About a week ago I took part in "Open studios" part of the Shrewsbury weekend. It went very well and

my studio is now stupidly tidy! Tadaaaa.......

Oh this is just a little bird I printed for the event...flap..flap..

Happy 20th to us!

Hello! Just thought I'd say its our 20th wedding anniversary today, I made a card....I hope he liked it!

Have been doing another little piece for the exhibition at the discovery centre . . .

This is a little sneek preview - but what are they looking at? Well you'll just have to pop down to the Craven Arms discovery centre from the 21st July to find out.....

Sales are happening at Burway books! My Church Stretton map is going down nicely - have a look at www.burwaybooks.co.uk

Meanwhile back at the old ranch mad housework duties are happening due to the fact that on the
6-7th July my studio will be open to the public! So sorry spiders time to say goodbye!

Just off to find the bubbly and the hubby!

Katy x

It's flowered!

A long time ago I bought a tree peony from our plant stall at Wistanstow school - about seven or eight years ago in fact. And it has just flowered!!!!! I was aware that they took about this long but that seems an age ago!


Been working on a piece for an exhibition at The Secret Hills with the art cafe there, just a little glimpse...

Its called" Fire "!

I got "Ludlow" back from the printers this morning, it will appear in the new Ludlow booklet and hopefully soon on the town map website, also it might be destined for another venue - again just a little glimpse for now....

This is just the area around the castle, I will get around to putting a watermark on and then show you the rest soon. Wish this weather would change its beginning to feel like Yorkshire in the autumn (sorry Yorkshire!) And it looks so nice and sunny in my picture!

Here's looking forward to summer,

Katy

Whoosh!

Its

Whoosh! - is what the glider is saying in my new Church Stretton print!

Its taken quite a bit of effort to get this out there but as from today its on sale via my website (or give me a ring phone on website) or even more splendidly you can go to Burway books in Church Stretton to have a look and buy it there and then ( depending on availability -perhaps ring first? www.burwaybooks.co.uk )


 Its been a difficult decision how to price it but I've decided to reproduce it as a top quality giclee print,
scanned and printed by the same people that Twenty Twenty gallery used for my Much Wenlock print, with a limited edition of just 50! Be quick! The prints are fairly expensive to print and not at all bowed on the edges! Unlike my inadequate camera work!


So getting down to the nitty-gritty..... - unframed £65.00


Barbara has a framing service right next door to the bookshop and if you like the oak frame its in in the 
shop that's £55.00. So together you can have a top quality pic for £120.00!


I had great fun making the new website, there's more to add but that's it for now - oh except for a few little snippets......

This is the bottom right signed corner.......

Self-portrait with infamous whippets.

Same with added fox(this is on top of the Ragleth hill.)

Rooks fly-by.

There  was a fairly famous battle here......but the sheep don't care.

.

Normal service will soon be resumed!

Its been a busy few months here and I've been too busy drawing, making, illustrating etc to manage to

report on it too!

Walter in assertive mood.

I have made a new website which doubtless you will have found if you are reading this....There have been a few technical hitches too which will be ironed out soon and hopefully all will be roses (just a few thorns to dispose of first!)

Be back soon,

Katy