Some sketchbook work, some context, one spider.

Thought I'd give you a bit of context this evening. Back in March I was mercilessly dumped by the man I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with. Hey ho. Never mind. So, I'm back at Ma and Pa's, and they have been lovely. It's been a fairly grim summer (I'm a master of understatement) but I am, I think, finally emerging into the light, though the thought of Autumn, Winter and a box of carefully chosen and romantically bought Christmas decorations in the garage fill me with foreboding.

The point of this little exercise in explanation is too ask whether, at 30, I am too old to be knocking on my parent's bedroom door at 10.30pm and asking, in a small voice, "are you still awake?", "yes" was the reply, followed by "why?", "because there's a really big spider on my bedroom wall".

Dad hastily donned his dressing gown and disposed of the beast out of the landing window. And it was huge, I promise you. Perhaps I should have explained when I moved back in that it was on the understanding that spiders would be dealt with by the man of the house.

I have a day off work tomorrow and plan to do some more sketchbook work. I have little in the way of large paintings started, so I thought I'd use the next few weeks of quiet to plow through some sketchbook pages. The above doodles look a little windblown and desolate I think.

Procrastination. Diversification.

Right then.

It's only taken 5 months to get started on this blog. I've been putting it off for far too long. Now, though, I have good reason to get going. I have my first solo show coming up in November 2010 and this will be a great way to document that particular journey.

Blog posts may appear stilted for a while- just until I get into my stride. I'm generally not a confessional person (unless a bottle of wine has been consumed beforehand), and I don't really talk extensively about my own particular creative process, despite working in a busy arts centre and being surrounded by frighteningly creative and talented people all day, every day.
I am a lady of quiet, silly secrets, of private journals, sudden obsessions and whimsical diversions. I do remember being a person who liked to write though and, hopefully, this will overcome any propensity towards shy awkwardness.

To me, the blogging world feels like the school playground and I'm the sad sack in the corner wearing the wrong clothes and a boyish haircut.

Generally, I am a watercolourist though I have been known to wander down other paths from time to time. Such as the jewellery I have been making over the last two weeks pictured below. The pink bracelet went to my friend Ellie for her birthday.




A recent watercolour. This started life as a class demonstration on poppies. I find it quite rewarding to go back and rework them , especially when they start out looking like they might not amount to much.

I do wish I had never started the beading. It has resulted in stiff shoulders and some fairly severe headaches!

A little pile of pretty things....

I do love buttons.