This is a slideshow of images taken by photography students at Hereford Art College on a visit to Ledbury. I think they really give an essence of what Ledbury is all about.

Back to work.........

decided to get on with some work, got bored with meself. i've been ill all over Christmas, moving from bed to sofa is all the exercise i've had over the last week. my first workshop in the new year is 'Inspired by Hundertwasser' next tuesday. it's a variation on the Klimt workshop but i don't have many good samples. I started by looking through my books and picking out some interesting images.

My best mate and fellow artist Jeanette McCulloch and i were having a christmas drinkie in the local pub and she showed me her latest sketchbook (from a holiday in Hawaii) in it she used only biro and i was really impressed with the quality of the lines and shading. i also remembered Tom Phillips used biro amongst other things in his famous altered book 'a Humament' which was my first sight of this kind of art and a big inspiration to me when i was studying. here's one of his pages below.

Anyway this is one of my Hunderwasser observations using biro, i haven't done any kind of drawing for an age so it took a while to get going so the second one here is a bit better as i'd got into the swing of things (i make the excuse that i was doing these drawings with a bunged up nose in a delirium of germs)





observing Hunderwasser's patterns and drawing them out sets the essence of HW in my mind and i chose the small section below to follow on with.

using bondaweb i plotted the design onto black cotton velvet.

Then blended transfoil adding a bit of fuse fx for a contrast.

i'm gonna frame this one so i checked the design against the mount.

i've finished the first stage with a bit of sweetie foil and black cotton fabric for the tree trunks.

watch this space i shall try to finish this off tomorrow.

You know i've been worrying about money and getting my accounts sorted well i've finished the accounts just before christmas (yipee!!) and i had an estimate of my royalties from Stitch Cloth Paper and Paint and i was stunned. Thanks to everyone who bought the book xx

Cold Noses and Toes's...........

i'm sitting here wearing several jumpers and pairs of socks with a hot water bottle on me lap trying to do my accounts. i'm bloody freezing! i think it'll 6 o'clock tonight before my studio warms up enough to take the first jumper off. doing my accounts throws up several issues

a) my accountant has retired after many years of dealing with my eccentricities and random book keeping techniques, should i attempt to do my own tax returns or tame up a new accountant?

b) i have to have them totally up to date and clear as i'm attempting to raise a mortgage for my studio, (it's rented at the moment) and despite all the tv fame and glory i still live a hand to mouth existence. how the hell am i going to convince anyone to give me a mortgage after they look at my accounts......... i'm quietly panicking!!!

anyway, i'm raising funds as best i can and managed to sell a sewing machine at the weekend. i have another for sale. it's a bernina aurora used only a couple of times 2 years old. it feel off the workbench onto me so it has a little damage but it's still in perfect working order.


it has a BSR stitch regulator and a walking foot and lots of other gadgets. i'm would like £600 for it.

Talking Threads

yeek i'm on the telly today as part of the Talking Threads series. it's really wierd watching yourself. x

Utterly wonderful (a little passion of mine)

Christmas open studio......................

Next Friday and Saturday I’ve got an open studio for Christmas lots of bits and bobs for sale including a mini rag market and I’m selling a couple of bernina aurora sewing machines if you’re after one. We have a button making machine for sale and quite a few other textile and embroidery related items going too.

Fri 11th & Sat 12th Dec
Christmas Studio Sale at Artplace Studio. Angie and friends work on sale lovely Christmas gifts
Open 10am—5pm two days only!!! If you read this before next week and you're in the area please pop in for a coffee and a mince pie.




i've mentioned in previous posts that i'm teaching Textile Book Club at Malvern Hills College. I'm trying to finish off for the end of term so i'm making a box for my 'House Book'. The poster above is the front door collaged and below are a couple of pics of the construction, next post will be the finished item.

contructed with white foamboard, very easy to cut and very light. I covered the whole thing with crumply tissue paper. i intend to paint with acrylics, emboss and use paper clay attachments.

Talking of paperclay, no..i'm not making interesting biscuits i'm making christmas tree decorations and christmas cards for me show. i'm really having fun with this, i've been impressing into the clay with all me snowflake rubber stamps ooh it's really great noodling around.