A Treat!

Now I have never attempted to insert a link in a post before. So if you get porn, or even worse, Rick Astley, please accept my apologies. But if all goes well, you should see a sight to cheer your heart. Peregrine falcons are nesting at the top of Sussex Heights, a Brighton tower block, and they have kindly allowed a webcam to be installed! They've been coming back for a few years now. Please take a look - it's great. http://www.regencybrighton.com/birds/webcam/

Broccoli

I really don't like Wednesdays. I used to go and clean for a lovely 94 year old friend, who sadly died last year. I still clean, but now I do it for her son, so the house is empty when I go, and it still makes me sad. We used to have fantastic conversations. I wrote one down in my notebook once. Here it is:-

Mrs B: Do you know, I heard something the other day that made me feel sick.
Me: Oh?
Mrs B: That actor, you know, one of the top film stars...Well his wife is pregnant, and he's only said he's going to EAT the afterbirth when she's had the baby! Eat it!
Me: Really?
Mrs B: My John says he's one of them...scientists.
Me: A Scientologist?
Mrs B: Is he? Oh, that must be why then.
Me: I just think he's got more money than sense.
Mrs B: Do you know what I think? I think he's got more money than sense.
Me: Mmm.
Mrs B: Here - can you imagine getting your husband to eat an afterbirth?
Me: Ooh no.
Mrs B: I couldn't even get mine to eat broccoli.

Great, isn't it? I miss my friend. Sigh. Enjoy the sunshine everyone.

Princess & the Pea

Just been trying out some collage.

Work!

Behold my latest painting project. Yes, it's my garden fence, which I painted yesterday, all six panels and one gate of it. The weathered look had gone beyond stylish, so I found a small tin of something-or-other in the cupboard and just started. The tin ran out after two panels, so I walked, yes walked, to B & Q, only to find the stuff I needed had been discontinued. Using the splashes of paint on my hands and arms as a guide I chose what I hoped was the same colour in a different range. I queued up for ages. You always have to in B&Q, to allow the till staff time to make constant staff announcements while serving people: "Staff announcement, 306 to checkout two please, 306 to checkout two, customer waiting." Everyone in the queue can then glare accusingly at said customer - usually an embarrassed-looking bloke carrying a really long, white strip of plastic. I finally reached the front of the queue and oh! how I hooted with laughter when realised I didn't have my debit card in my purse. I nearly grabbed the mike and shouted, "Staff announcement, evacuate the store please, homicidal customer at checkout one, checkout one homicidal customer, thank you!"

Long-suffering Brad came to my rescue, and the fence got finished. Followed by the weeding in my Mum & Dad's garden. Don't be fooled though - these jobs were only done to prevent me from doing things I actually should be doing.

Have a nice weekend everyone and more illustrations here next week when I have access to a scanner, I promise.

Holiday!

Oh well, it's back to reality after four days in lovely North Devon. It was fantastic. I mean just look...






I did do some sketching too, but I don't have a scanner, so apologies for the rather rubbish photos.







These were both done on Woolacombe Beach.

Off on hols!

Hi everyone, just a quick post before I go off to Devon for a few days. Have spent the weekend helping Bags of Books (the finest childrens bookshop in the land), at the Brighton Children's Book Festival, at Brighton uni. Our stall was very quiet, leaving lots of time for reflection - but it was unfortunately positioned directly opposite a huge (5 foot square) photograph of a woman lying on a bed with her legs wide open. Granted, she was wearing underwear, but let's just say she wasn't over familiar with the Veet. Bless her. Anyway there were people from all aspects of the children's book world there, most of whom tend to be kindly folk, so I had a good time.

I'm hoping to do lots of sketching on holiday so I will try and post when I get home. See you soon!

Well hello!

Yay! I've got a blog! I'm new to all this malarkey and a bit of a technophobe, so I apologise for any errors I might make. (For example, I've been trying for over an hour to put text under the images below and it kept going weirdly down the sides, so I gave up!) Anyway... the images are monoprints for some mini books I'm making based on skipping rhymes. I did them during an illustration course run by the splendid Pam Smy (link to follow when I know how!) and they will hopefully be in a future exhibition with our group of artists the Inky Crows. (Again, link to follow when I know how!)

Cinderella, dressed in yella!