Good Morning !

 

The sun is shining and all is well, I have just pottered down the garden for my usual check to see what has appeared overnight. New shoots every day and my sweet peas are racing each other towards the top of their climbing frame. My runner beans are waking up and stretching like lazy teenagers being dragged from their beds and my peonies are like shiny green and red marbles getting ready to burst open like a chorus of loud overdressed ladies trying to out sing each other. Just outside my studio is a pot of pretty pansies who make me smile when I look into their cheerful faces and see them wink back at me and wriggle in the breeze like giggling school girls.

 

And now the kettle is on and I am going to treat myself to ten minutes of me time just sitting and watching the bumble bees.

 

Have a lovely day!

If you go down to the woods today.....

 

You're sure of a big surprise ! Hidden amongst the bluebells you will find me and my friends grabbing the opportunity to capture this truly gorgeous scene. I was giving a workshop on composition and how to make use of your sketch book to record the colours of a British woodland in May. What a treat !

  

 

And Alfie came too.

 

More exciting parcels arrive

 

It was just like Christmas once more this week, parcel after parcel has been delivered with all sorts of goodies. New packs of Sunshine and Smiles collection 3, the latest published cards from Glebe Cottage Studio and lovely little packs of note cards commissioned especially by the RLNI which will be available in their shops very soon. I gather there is to be a calendar too before long, can't wait to see that! The most recent box to arrive was my lovely new tea towels taken from my painting 'The Garden Party'. They will be available to buy from my web site very shortly, I hope you like them. x

Spring time in Yorkshire

 

The Spring is sprung and it is time to welcome all the new life. I took some time out with a friend this morning to visit one of my very favourite places Jervaulx Abbey in Wensleydale. A place of tranquility and calm in our otherwise hectic world, and surrounded by lots of spring babies to make us smile.

 

How cute are you!

Family bliss

At home we are playing host to numerous nesting birds who are all going hysterical grabbing anything they find to line their nests, pulling all the moss off the roof, digging up my newly planted pots and generally causing mayhem. I will just have to wait a couple of days until they have laid their eggs and are sitting quietly on their nests whilst I remake the garden! A small price to pay to have the joy of watching the fledglings take their first flight in days to come.

Love is in the air

 

it is that time of year again, how time flies! Everywhere you look there are hearts and flowers sprouting all around. So in order that you won't feel left out I have painted some little cuties to raise a smile and share a little love. Hope you like x

 

'Love is in the air'

 

'Love Ewe Babe'

Happy New Year

 

So here we are in 2010 and let me wish you all a very Happy New Year! Well what a wonderful white Christmas we had !

I love to see the snow especially with some beautiful bright blue skies. However, it did cause some difficulties, particularly on the roads which were so difficult and icy we couldn't get to Masham to open the gallery on several occasions so apologies to anyone who travelled there expecting to find us open only to be disappointed.

We now have 12 inches of snow in the back garden and are promised more tonight so the adventure continues. Martha and Freddie think it is just great rolling about and chasing snow balls. Luckily I have a cosy heater in the studio that keeps me warm while I work and I have lots of new ideas bouncing around in my head for new paintings so I can't wait to get cracking on those.

 

       

 

Google

 

Google

Looking on the bright side

 

As the rain continues to fall and the river levels continue to rise it is easy to begin to feel rather fed up with our British weather. Dark skies, wet and cold,  muddy paws and dripping rain coats everywhere. It isn't so easy to get enthusiastic about walking  in this climate, but Mother Nature is a wonderful thing. Just when you are feeling the winter blues approaching she senses we need cheering up and sends us something to brighten our day ! So think again we wouldn't have had this gift without the rain. Did you get one too?

                                        

Every day a new inspiration

 

Sometimes the simple things in life are where the inspiration comes from. Just look at this cake asking to become part of my next painting I only went into the shop for a loaf of bread and came out with this little beauty! So here I am at the dining room table with my sketch book and a cup of coffee. Take a look at my gallery in a couple of weeks and see if you can spot where this luscious lovely turns up.

I have finished sketching now and I can tell you it tastes as good as it looks!

CHRISTMAS CARDS AVAILABLE NOW !

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW MY CHARITY CHRISTMAS CARDS ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE ONLINE. JUST GO TO THE GIFTS PAGE, DOWN TO 'CHRISTMAS' AND THERE THEY ARE !

THANK YOU !

Christmas is coming!!

I know it is only September still but can you believe it October is only a week away! So I have had to be thinking ahead to allow time for printing etc and   have come up with two new designs for my charity Christmas Cards. Once again I shall be supporting the Lewy Body Society and £1.00 from every pack sold will go to the charity. For those of you who are not familiar with Lewy Body Dementia you may be interested to visit their web site  www.lewybody.org . So here they are and they will be added to the site shortly. Hope you like :0)

 

Christmas Capers

Mistletoe Kisses

The message inside is 'Christmas Bleatings'

The little gallery opens it's door

With fabulous Autumn weather and sun streaming in through the windows I opened the door of my new little gallery for the first time yesterday morning. I was thrilled to see so many happy faces, familiar and new popping in to say hello and everyone had a kind word to say and shared in my excitement.

For those who live too far away to pop in I have taken a few photographs to show you where I will be spending some of my time over the coming months. Of course most of my time will be taken up in the studio creating more paintings to fill the gallery and to send out to the other galleries I supply, but you will understand why I am so pleased with the result of the family's hard work over the past few weeks.

Take a peek.