A summer hello

I feel like I've been missing in action, but here I am! I was thinking I hadn't done much recently so had nothing worth talking about on my blog but it seems I've been here & there. I sort of feel that if I haven't made a completed saleable item then I'm not allowed to write a post, that anything else isn't interesting. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't - I'll only be able to tell if I relax my own (a little too strict?) rules & find there are still people reading my day to day happenings. We'll see! I do know that I miss reading what everybody else is up to, so I need to work in some spare time for that, but in small amounts so that the pain from the little bit of arthritis in my neck doesn't flare up too much. A bit of a bore that, but I won't let it stop me. If Chris Beardshaw can leap over fences, metaphorical or otherwise, then so can I!

When my parents were up a few weeks ago my Dad brought up the journal I'd made for him for his 70th......14 years ago - he finally started recently to use it as a sketchbook. I'm delighted of course. The blue represents Space, the silver for the milkeyway all embellished with little silver open french knots & beads for stars. The motif is the design then of the Radfets my Dad makes....still, which are little dose meters that get sent into space on satelights to read the radiation they are getting. He's got some now floating about the Van Allen Belt.....I know, I'm so proud!

 These are (quite a few, just scroll thru!) pics from the end of year exhibition from the Printmaking course I did & lots from the Art & Design course that my arty buddy Janet did .

 Patchwork from Jenny of Skye Quilters top (sorry it's dark)

Janet's sketch (sorry it's too light!)

Janets beautiful leaves & my fish below (which I'm extactic to say sold, as did J's leaves!) & my long rusty fish piece on the back wall there.

 More of Janet's hills

 & the most amazing work from Kirsty in Janets A & D class. Wish I'd met her. See above in her  sketchbook is Gwen Hedley, her inspiration. A girl after my own heart!

 I must make the effort to get together for a chat one day, she's all the way up the north end of the island.

collagraphs, 2 different pulls from one plate.

more form Jenny, look at those beautiful color swatches

 & Janet's lillies

 my curlews

 I've made some more swallow cards & a few hearts for a small order samples above. But I really haven't made much else. Maybe I do need the discipline of a certain finished piece a week but then I'd surely burn out. Maybe something per month? I'm sure my mojo will return, I've got some ideas for small pieces to replace the 5 sold in June for the next show mid September. I'll just do them. They say a plumber, for example doesn't have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to strike. He can't say 'I don't feel like fixing that leaky pipe' he just gets his tools out & does it. So will I!

You can tell I'm still in to birds - The beautiful Heron my DH painted for my birthday a month ago

& the Rose Starling that everybody is getting excited about, right outside our house on the telephone wires. The Youngest spotted it, thought it was an Albino & the DH showed me, so exciting! Then we discovered it's very rare to be this far north & all the twitchers were having a field day. What a varied life we lead ;) I'll hopefully be back sooner than I have been!