Another Snowy Day

Having learned how to create simple lino and wood cuts with Jo Westgate a couple of months ago, and being still a wee tiny bit not keen on going out into the snowy abyss that is the village, today I set about trying out a new skill Jo told us about on that (warmer) September day. I don't know if it has a technical name, but basically I sought my inspiration...

(It looks better in the flesh, promise)
...next, I drew my design onto the lino...

...and began to cut out different bits, printing over each layer with a different colour as I went.

Of the seven prints I have made, this one is my favourite (click to see larger image as usual):

Hooray for new tricks!

Snowed in in Northumberland

It has been snowing since Thursday. On Thursday morning, my train journey to Durham looked like this:

By Friday, a further dusting of snow meant the view from the hill above the house was this:

There were some fabulous clouds gathering above the train station.

By today everything has been changed again, and now my world looks like this:

I am almost snowed in (the roads near us are sort of clear, but those in between aren't, and there is a huge pile of snow behind our car courtesy of the plough) and very happy about it for now.

Chris and I have made time for regular walks up the hill to survey our snowy kingdom. 

And there's more forecast for tomorrow.

Learning to Look

Although I make my creative living through felt, I am always on the look out for ways I can improve my artistic skills in other areas. Sort of like running my own arts foundation course (I have no formal art qualifications).

A couple of weeks ago, Jane organised a life drawing day. I'd never done any life drawing before, and was keen to try it out. Below are some of my first ever life sketches:

They look a bit skewed on camera, but I am a little proud of them.

On another note...

I have just run off the first load of this years' Christmas card design. I made the lino cut at the weekend, after putting out our first bird feeders. Birds really sum up this time of year for me, as they suddenly become so visible when all the background noise and colour of the summer has been turned down.

Getting Above it All

Autumn has come (and somewhat passed) in the past couple of weeks. This tree was pointed out to me by my friend Pam (thanks Pam!) in Durham. What gorgeous autumn colour!

As well as beginning the second year of my MA, I have taken to the hills, and recently completed a gorgeous walk in the Cumbrian fells.

Alongside a small group of fellow all-weather walkers, Dad and I conquered the Fairfield Round.

The Fairfield Round begins in Rydal, a sleepy hamlet in deepest Cumbria. Climbing the hill behind the village (past Rydal Hall and the Coffin Route) we very quickly rose into clear skies and glorious sunshine.

As we climbed, the clouds drew in. The views were still stunning (in fact, even more so once moody shadows of the encroaching weather were being thrown across the hills) as we toiled towards our highest peak at over 2.800 feet.

 

 

The landscape at the top was barren, alien and beautiful. Having risen above the orange bracken, we clambered amongst loose stones to the oddly flat plateau.

Then the clouds appeared lower. This next picture is thanks entirely to my Dad, who despite standing in the same spot as me, managed to capture the sunlight and drama of the day when I couldn't.

Until the view vanished, that is. We struggled along like gorillas in the mist for the first part of the descent, offering vague condolences to walkers we met going the other way until the wind moved the mist off...
...and we saw this!

 

One of the things I always love about walking in Cumbria is the plethora of dry stone walls. Where lowland farmers might nowadays rely on a barbed wire and wooden post fence, in Cumbria many of the dry stone walls are not only still standing, they are kept in impeccable repair.

The Fairfield Round utilises eight Wainwright walks, and I can't recommend it highly enough for a long Cumbrian walk.

Plus, there's a lovely pub in Ambleside when you have descended.