Scribbles

Sometimes you've just got to get out there with a graphite stick and a sketchbook. I'm learning that there's absolutely no substitute, no shortcut, for just going into the landscape and scribbling. A camera often flattens and edits without you realising and you notice so much more when drawing from life. It's hard to draw waves and seagulls though. Anyway, here in Biarritz for my wonderful cousin Sam's big birthday, this is what I've managed to scribble down in between trips to the mountains and the sea.

Cote de Basque (to the South)

Cote de Basque (looking North) 

Sea sky line

San Sebastian

Last night we went to Bar Nestor in San Seb - the best place for food I could imagine and well worth visiting if you are ever there.

It's been a while

I've definitely been neglecting this space for a while, but I think that the reasons for doing so are justification enough. In no particular order, here is why: 1) I went to Kenya for a beautiful wedding and the best holiday imaginable (wow); 2) I've had interviews for Masters courses; 3) I've been busy busy making work after Africa and 4) I've learnt to frame. Couple all that with a fab wedding in Suffolk, birthdays and generally keeping up with day-to-day stuff and I feel busy. Hoping that as summer starts a-coming (fingers crossed) I can settle back into more of a rhythm. Anyway, here's some pictures of what I've been working on. 

Grassland Path

Lewa Sunset

Paw print casting

Sunrise

Stormy Scarborough

As I mentioned in my last post, we went to Scarborough (Scarbrrrr) last weekend. The surf was freezing cold, even in a winter wetsuit, gloves, boots and hood. We warmed up afterwards with a curry and the boys even went in the next day too (once was enough for me).

Cold waves at Sandsend

This last etching of South Bay, Scarborough, is printed using a combination of two zinc plates, both etched separately. This week we had a lecture on Conceptual art, which got me interested in the idea of Land Art. If I can tear myself away from the print room then that's the direction I might move towards. 

Shifting Sands

Moving towards a different sense of print and image, I'm also thinking hard on the uses of text in art. In the meantime, I met Norman Ackroyd (!) and produced these images this week.

Water's edge

Morning Tide

Banyan Roots

We are off to Scaborough this weekend - cold, cold surf and cliffs await.

Norfolk in Colour

Today, all day, I put some colour onto my Norfolk images. I haven't coloured them with ink, or paint, but with blocks of coloured paper. I kept the tones very subtle. There's a few things I'd change next time, but this is a new technique I'm learning so, by and large, I'm pleased.

Very much looking forward to the weekend - and my lovely friend Sarah's birthday!

Norfolk etchings

I'm juggling cooking with updating this blog so I'll be brief and just post three etchings from the images I collected in Norfolk.

Burnham Overy Staithe Creek

On Holkam Beach

Brancaster Marshes

Norfolk New Year

We spent New Year in a lovely, chilly cottage on the creek in North Norfolk. The wind blew, the geese honked (over 200,000 in Norfolk at this time of year, apparently) and we stuffed ourselves full of food. One of our group, the hilarious Italian Andrea, was adamant that we had to eat lentils and sausage for breakfast on the morning of the 1st - stave off poverty, he said. We duly did. I felt rich in spirit surrounded by the flat landscape and here are a few of my scribbles.

Brancaster creek view

Deserted Holkam beach

Moreston quay

Beached at Brancaster

 As well as hanging out in the cottage, I got to see my lovely friends Sarah, Hannah and Tom - all in all, it was a good start to 2013 and I'm back to college on Monday.