Beading work

I am working on my beading at the moment. The stitch I am learning is Peyote stitch, and I am working it in the round. Now I have got the hand of it, I am speeding up. Here are the books I just got from the Beaderworkers Guild. They are good, basic and informative, with no frills.

Tag Tuesday-Letter U

On Tag Tuesday we have reached Letter U.

It was quite tricky to think of a subject!

I have chosen U is for Undergarments

My favourite book of Victorian fashions (Victorian Fashions, a pictorial archive by

Carol Belanger Grafton) provided me with some ideas for my Victorian washing line. I doubt the Victorians would have hung their unmentionables out to dry for everyone to see, but I thought it would be a nice picture.

I used water soluble graphite, a black fine liner and watercolour pencils on watercolour paper.

Sunshine

At last we have sunshine here, after some very cold and dreary weather.  The fields are coloured bright, vibrant yellow, contrasting with the grass and trees. 

 I spotted this beautiful clematis in a garden.

There were also some pretty chives.

Tag Tuesday-Letter T

On Tag Tuesday this week's letter is T

I am a bit late posting this week, as I have not been well. I am taking my third lot of antibiotics for an abscess on my back. The good news is it is healing well now, but has made me feel very tired. I have an auto-immune arthritis and keep getting these abscesses, and the cause has not been established. Playing Tag Tuesday is a great diversion, and easy to fit in making a small piece of art work.

For my T tag I have chosen Teacup.

I know I had C for Coffee, but I couldn't resist doing another cup. I am English, and from Yorkshire, where tea drinking all day is obligatory, so it had to be Teacup!

I took an image of a teacup from The Graphics Fairy , and re-created the feel of 

floral vintage china using fabric collage.

More about Caversham Arts Trail

Caversham Arts Trail is still on this weekend. I had a very enjoyable day  on Friday with my friend, Christine, visiting our local artists in their studios. Christine is a Fine Arts student, and we appreciate the same sort of work, so she was a great Trail companion.

Over the past week I have managed to go to 9 out of 13 venues on the Trail. I will tell you about the ones I visited on Friday.

At Venue 10 we met Nina Krauzewicz, showing her finely detailed botanical prints and painting, Debbie Page with her smoked series of ceramic moon jars, Jacqueline Fitzjohn  and her beautiful sculptural stoneware garden pots, admired Matthew Hitch's silver jewellery and bought some of his excellent natural soap.

Next stop was Venue 5 in Balmore Drive, where we saw Lauren Denney's textural ceramics- and I bought a lovely little lacey vase from her, Julia Hogan's machine-knitted cushions and gifts, and Corinna Smith's silver jewellery.

We visited Venue 4, Charles Burns' old barn studio, where he has a wall of silhouettes he is cutting of visitors.

After a quick stop for coffee and a sandwich, came Venue 3, Liz Real's prints, textiles and mixed media, Loisue Spiers' decoupage furniture and Nicola Kantorowicz's stained glass panels.

At Venue 2 Stephen Haine was showing his intricate woodcut prints. 

Our last stop was Venue 1, where Julie Simmonds was delighted to show us her prints, paintings and ceramics, shown alongside David Pope's pottery.

All in all I have to say it was a very good trail, and it is inspiring to see the work of local artists and to support them .

Tag Tuesday-Letter S

S is for Swan
I love to see the swans swimming in the river, they are so graceful and balletic in their movements. I made a collaged swan using tissue paper, covered over with tulle. I placed my swan on a background of Pelmet Vilene which I coloured with Inktense pencils. The photograph was taken against a hand painted silk scarf which I bought on one of the Arts Trails. The swan is very small and delicate ( only about 2 inches by 2 inches) so I have put in a close up.

Caversham Arts Trail

As you can see, I have been busy going on arts trails this month. Yesterday I went to the trail in my own neighbourhood , Caversham Arts Trail. I  really enjoy meeting the local artists and seeing their work, and buying a few bits and pieces.
I visited venues 6, 7 and 8. No 6 was where Nina O'Connell, Gloria Pitt and Therese Wicks were displaying their work. Nina's batik work is vibrant , Gloria's handwoven scarves are full of textures and Therese's stained glass is very eye-catching.
At No 7, the work on display was from a variety of disciplines-Lou Jessop's woollen hand-stitched pictures, Emma Bradbury's knitted and hand painted textiles, Brenda Graham's stained glass, Jan Lewis's collographs, Marc Juon's silver jewellery and Su Mcpherson's willow-weaving and sculpture were also full of texture.
At No 8 Nicola Duncan was showing her oil paintings of swans and other creatures.
I shall be doing some of the other venues later in the week, but I don't think I can get round them all!