Drawing Tuesday :More Coral at the Beaney

 Drawing Tuesday this week  was at the RAF Museum , Hendon, a bit too  far  for me  to get to easily and anyway I needed to take my laptop into Canterbury  for repair ( tracker pad and internet not working) .So instead I went back to the Beaney and after my fascination with coral at the NHM, found some different structures to sketch. I only had about 45 minutes, the one below will have to wait for my next visit !  

 I walked a different  route from usual from the repair shop into the city, past the Castle  and  lots of interesting  shops. I was lured into the  Stark Gallery and couldn't resist these earrings made from old  watch faces

 Nor could I resist this combination of peeling paint - enough inspiration for a whole series !

A very satisfying day out  and I've just had a phone call to say that my laptop is ready to pick up , all fixed for £35 'MOT'  

Drawing Roman Glass and Studio Makeover (again!)

We spent the weekend clearing spaces in the house and garage for the arrival of our goods from storage next Tuesday  (they've been in since May2015!) With the arrival of more shelving , I wasn't able to go sketching in London  this week so rather than 'Drawing Tuesday' ,I had 'Drawing Monday' at the Roman Museum in Canterbury while I waited for new lenses to be fitted in my specs.
A small museum, hidden in a back street, you go downstairs to find  the Roman mosaic discovered  during WW2 with reconstructions of shops etc built around it and excellent interpretation linking finds to  where they were discovered. It's very popular with families and school groups  but was very quiet  when I visited. No sketching stools but the steward kindly found me an office chair - luxury!
 Lots of Roman glass , how could I resist the flagon below which was found in Faversham!

 Yesterday, in between waiting for the doorbell for deliveries, I was sorting through my stash, repacking it into bigger plastic boxes ,making discoveries,  moving bookcases, constructing more shelving.  The scene before (above) and after (below).  

 The 'Phoenix' cube storage system from Argos bought because  the shelving was discontinued looks like it will be prove to be very useful - there's another set of 4 to go where the boxes are in the picture above .  I really like Ikea Ivar shelving and boxes but the quality has declined drastically since  these I bought 25 years ago hence the search for alternatives (the temporary black  plastic shelving has gone out to the garage). I might finally get my African textile pieces on the wall - having inspiring but neutral coloured artwork in the studio works well for me.  

 These fabric covered shelving units are proving useful for smaller boxes. I can construct one in 20 minutes now and as  I add to the row, my aim is to drop the covers down,  and use as the basis of a design wall ( along with boards propped up on Ikea wooden footstools, that indispensable studio item)The sewezi tables are also proving indispensable - I can quickly set up my sewing machines in all kind of positions in the room and it adds flexibility to changing studio space.

A week in Kent: Quilts and Hops

 Snapshots of a busy week! Last Thursday  I got a lift   to Hever Castle  to set up the CQ Journal Quilt display as part of the  annual quilt show. Building the 'booth' with poles and sheets on uneven terrain to support the very clever hanging system of hooks straps and rods was challenging - I was very grateful for the help of all involved .

 Maybe not the neatest display ever but the best in the circumstances and I heard they generated a lot of interest in the variety of techniques, a contrast to the mainly large , more traditional quilts on show.

On Saturday we had a joyous day at Faversham's annual Hop Festival  which involves the whole town. Everyone  including babies,  dogs, policemen, mayors and dignitaries ( who formally opened proceedings welcoming the Pearly Kings and Queens)  wore hop crowns.  We had lunch at 'The Yard' and nearly everyone was sporting  them like it was everyday headwear - quite surreal. There were a variety of music on offer at 5 stages and other venues;(music hall, punk, folk and everything in between );  20 or so different morris sides and dance troupes  and  a funfair and other activities for children. And of course lots of food and drink !

 We caught the parade on Sunday morning on the way to the train station  into London

 Lunch at ASK, a quick visit to the Islamic gallery at the V&A , then afternoon Prom with the fantastic, lively,  Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra

 We got back to Faversham around 9PM,the  only evidence of hop festival was full bins,  stalls being dismantled and  the last few revellers - as we got off the train  a steward was attempting to get an armful of 2 tiddly, giggly  buxom girls onto the Ramsgate train. All very good natured.

I had my first choir practice since  June - a lot of catching up to do as we have our concert in 5 weeks time! It was dark when I returned home( sign of the changing seasons), lovely shadows of the plant borders on the path thanks to the security lights.

I've not had much studio time this week but I've got into making  6 x 4inch sized postcard compositions mainly from offcuts  left from trimming down quilts plus other scraps . The backs are bondawebbed colour catchers so they're firm enough they could in theory be sent through the post. I share photos on Facebook group  'Sketchbooks and Experiments for Textiles' and its' lovely to receive comments and see what other people are up to   

 Yesterday I met up with Margaret C. in Canterbury ( she'd come for the day to see her artists book in the Prescriptions exhibition at the Beaney  museum. ) We started out with coffee and lunch at the wonderfully old fashioned café of C&H   ( 3 floors of fabrics and haberdashery), comparing our scrap creations : my postcards and her vessels destined to be cast in ceramics.  

 I'd  spent a long time looking at the Prescriptions exhibition the first time I'd  seen it , but it was good to  view it again with Margaret as she knew quite a few of the artists.  In the gallery at the Beaney there were paintings associated with Kent and Canterbury - some of which I will do a separate post on, but I leave you with hop picking equipment and a painting by Laura Knight of a hop picker!

Sketching Catch-Up

This  weeks Sketching Tuesday was at the V&A  in the newly opened 'Europe 1600-1815' Galleries. So much over the top ornamentation isn't really to my taste  (and lighting levels were low)   but I found much to enjoy in the section on drinking vessels !  I   was trying out combining graphite and watersoluble colour pencils ( and finding colour pencil marks don't  erase)  and in the last few minutes  scored into my paper with a piece of wire and then rubbed it over with pencil  with intriguing results - one to explore further.

 

Last week it was opaque turquoise glass vessel in the  Islamic Gallery at the British Museum,  separate drawings in watersoluble colour pencil and in graphite exploring the negative shapes.  One of many discussions that day in the café afterwards ( apart from sketching stools )  was how the objects that interest you most initially seem to be the ones that fall off the edge of the page!  

 

Looking for art classes more locally, I've just signed up for course on using oil pastels ( not a  material I've used much ).   I was late for the first class yesterday  , no bus turned up for 50 mins and then I couldn't find the Adult Education Centre  in the large Canterbury School campus! But I soon got stuck in, making simplified tonal sketches from photocopies of photographs, b&w to start with and then  more difficult colour ones.   

 



 All useful exercises and I've ordered my pastels   for next week when we'll be playing exploring their properties.  

Hard not to get distracted with views of Canterbury Cathedral  in the distance and  glowing wintry skies.