talking to crows

Michael

2011-08-13T20:43:00.001+01:00

Fastest snail in the south-east.

A lovely wonky pie.

2011-05-08T22:39:00.003+01:00

not much drawing happening lately,

but lots of baking - particularly from the Peyton & Byrne British Baking book, including this lovely rhubarb tart/pie thing. mine is definitely not as neat as the one in the book, but it changed my Dad's life long dislike of rhubarb, so doing something right!

Its nice to make pastry for a change, something I'm not that practised at, more to come!

Cupcakes for tea & coffee fiends!

2011-04-03T12:36:00.005+01:00

Tea Monster cupcakes for mum topped with dinosaurs climbing up towards great shards of Rich Tea biscuit, and Coffee Lover looking kinda girly for dad.

French Macarons!

2011-03-27T20:15:00.002+01:00

I've been doing alot of cooking and baking recently, including macarons. I was asked to make them as wedding favours, took a while to master the recipes, but I'm so pleased I persevered! it felt like a real achievement making 140 - 70 rosewater and 70 pistachio.

I suppose since leaving university and northampton I haven't been challenging myself creatively so much and this reminded me how good it can feel.

Tiny Dancers

2011-03-05T14:13:00.002Z

are we nearly there yet?

2010-12-22T07:45:00.002Z

4 sleeps to go!

2010-12-21T16:45:00.001Z

20th December

2010-12-20T12:44:00.002Z

Only 6 sleeps to go!

2010-12-19T13:06:00.001Z

17th & 18th

2010-12-18T21:31:00.002Z

Trying to keep up with Advent

2010-12-16T13:17:00.002Z

14th december

2010-12-14T12:55:00.002Z

13th december

2010-12-13T14:47:00.002Z

Advent catch-up

2010-12-12T18:38:00.002Z

December 10th

2010-12-10T07:47:00.001Z

Advent Calendar

2010-12-09T11:21:00.002Z

December 8th

2010-12-08T12:45:00.001Z

Todays belated Advent

2010-12-07T22:36:00.001Z

For Mara

2010-12-06T22:34:00.002Z

Who is having Christmas in the UK for the first time...

He's checking it twice....

2010-12-05T17:37:00.002Z

Advent Calendar

2010-12-04T10:59:00.002Z

December 3rd

2010-12-03T10:00:00.001Z

Advent

2010-12-02T08:51:00.002Z

Action Jimberee

2010-07-19T16:14:00.005+01:00

Had a busy couple of weeks, including cycling to greenwich, getting drunk in a park, and seeing a preview of Laura Solon's new show The Owl of Steven!

Also went and saw Architect's build Small Spaces in the V&A. The structures are throughout the museum and all allow the visitor inside. My favourite was Beetle's House by Terunobu Fujimori (see photo) Kinda helpful too as some drawings and diorama's I'm working on include small houses and strange buildings metamorphosing with people. Totally coincidentally a colleague of mine, Claire Platt, has been harbouring an obsession for houses too!

I have been doing lots of new drawings but want to transform them into something more substantial, hopefully involving some print, collage or 3D element.

Was really inspired at Art in Action at Waterperry near Oxford. Also want to live there and steal everyone's beautiful whippets. Saw lots to inspire me, but particularly printmakers Carry Akroyd (just realised she's based in Northamptonshire where I went to uni) and Colin Moore. Made me miss the spacious print room of university!

She Sells Sea Shells on the Sea Shore

2010-06-26T21:37:00.003+01:00

Its time to get those pasty white limbs out and scare the general public. It's also time to get mildly sweaty at work, feel sleepy in the humid conditions and yawn continuously, but hopefully not in customers faces. And also it is time to drink alot of smoothies.

I've finally got my room sorted out so I have more of a working space to draw etc, and a separate space for the laptop (to stop it talking to me and thus distracting me) hurrah for that. Thanks for the mega useful desk Claire!

So I'm hoping to be more productive over the next few months, especially as I have a break from fencing and ceramics.

There are no excuses!

Oh look there's a bird over there....

Today has been good: a picnic with dad, catching up with Sarah Kerry, watching the last Doctor Who and doing a bit of drawing.

Nunchuck skills

2010-06-21T13:13:00.004+01:00

okay so I don't have nunchuck skills....but I do have some fencing skills!

Have also been going to ceramic classes where I have made these two hand-built pots - the first I have made since I was a kid.

Book Fetish

2010-06-15T20:15:00.003+01:00

Everyone drools over books right?

Now I can make my own and at the moment I don't even want to sully them by drawing in them....but i'll get over that I'm sure.
I did my bookbinding course at Flatford Mill, which is where Constable painted The Haywain
I would really recommend the courses run by the FSC (Field Studies Council), they do all sorts of arts, crafts and natural history courses and they tend to be in pretty idyllic surroundings.

Only problem is, now I want to make lots of books...and fix all the books that need restoring and I'll be spending a bit of money on materials and tools. But it feels so good to have learnt a new skill in such an intensive way. Now I just need to learn how to marble paper...

Frenchy Sketchy

2010-03-30T19:14:00.005+01:00

I went to france, and while I was there I drew a little. here is a bit of that.
I saw the Bayeux Tapestry and I really wished it were mine.

I am excited because this week I have some pieces in 'Fifty-two' in Bristol...so if you happen to be in the area, go see!

A Lovely Dish

2010-03-14T11:11:00.007Z

So....its been a very long time since I've posted...which kind of defeats the point of having a blog! I've had a very unproductive few months, so nothing to post. I suppose its the first time that I haven't been working towards a particular project or exhibition so I'm finding it hard to be motivated. All those years in education have made me institutionalised.

I'm sure it won't last.

Anyway, meanwhile I've been getting obsessed with ceramics a the V&A and excited about starting a ceramics course in april.
I am also very excited that some of my 'I only like chihuahuas and dresses' pieces are going to be in 'Fifty-Two' an exhibition in bristol consisting of 52 artists work!

and the sun is out. things are looking up.

The End is Nigh

2009-12-31T10:54:00.003Z

2009 was an odd year. I started off in one place and ended up in another. In between me and Ria lived in an eco community, I made costumes, masks and a severed deer head, froze my tootsies but made alot of friends at the fishmarket, moved back in with my parents, holidayed in sunny eastbourne with fiona, ate alot of Wahaca's mexican food, visited Ed and Charlie in the harry potter house full of animals in muswell hill, got a job, spent some money, had a tea party, met my cousin Christie's baby, fell in love with painting again, fell in love with david tennant again, missed Laura Osei Bonsu, Sarah came back from Canada and ate cupcakes, made Christmas cake for the first time and felt relieved it was over.

2010 promises fencing and bookbinding.

Happy new year.

Hampton news

2009-12-01T18:44:00.003Z

SO...I am back to work after a busy weekend in london, northampton and the WORLD. it was a flying visit to the Hampton, but a marvellous one! got the chance to catch up with all the important types and also muchly enjoyed the BICYCLE BASKET BAZAAR. if you haven't ever experience one of these you are missing out! get yourself down to the Fishmarket - they are on every saturday til christmas - i'll be at the 19th.
sold my big oval table top piece so now gotta keep my magpie eyes out for more wood and furniture scraps....
was sharing the stall with lauren and her beautifully plump shootown pigeons and laura's dinky bunny and moustache related keyrings, good stuff!

i only like chihuahuas and dresses.

2009-11-18T20:48:00.003Z

and thats the truth.
this is brand new stuff i've been making, using paint and collage on wood (or a table top)
its exciting and i'll be taking more pieces like this to the Bicycle Basket Bazaar in Northampton at the end of the month.
come see me!

Bicycle Basket Bazaar

2009-11-13T20:07:00.005Z

this promises to be lovely!
can't wait actually because I haven't done one for months and am looking forward to taking my new stuff along for an airing.
will preview my new stuff here very soon....

laughing in the face of adversity.

2009-11-05T23:00:00.002Z

some more in glasses.

2009-11-03T21:55:00.005Z

two posts in one evening.
here are some more of the girl in massive glasses, she is talking to monsters this time.

better late than never

2009-11-03T20:39:00.000Z

a place to put things

hopefully I'll be able to organise my thoughts a little.