Hand Lettered Maps

Look at this beautiful map produced by http://seagull.wazala.com/. It looks like all hand lettering and is a joy to behold. Very trendy thing now... hand lettering. Seagull's Hut have also got a Crayon Hand typeface for sale which is pretty delicious.

Lots of Mud...and sketchbook pages (Not together!)

We were all very taken with The BBC's adaptation of Just William so much so that Big Girl and Big Boy seemed to have formed their own band of outlaws. They have found a good place to create a den-like-camp (behind our house in the field) and set about getting thoroughly muddy whilst threatening to light fires (as there is lots of wood there ...and trees...and other flamable items. Its great to see them so enthusiastically embracing the outdoors in all this grim January weather.

This weekend we meet up with a real life William (from next door) and took to the muddy fields to explore the flooded ditches and swollen river which surrounds our village. The kids had a great time and, much to their delight, we found a group of ancient Land Rovers testing their four wheel driving skills to the max on the steep inclines of part of the river which cuts through the Roman Fosse way. Lots got stuck, engines failed, some nearly tipped over, one had to be towed out of the river. The Big Boy's main interests, along with the other outlaws we aquired along the way, are mud and things with engines... so it goes without saying that our grimy rabble really were in their element. The rain lashed and the wild winds blew, it really was bracing and fantastic to blow away the cobwebs.

When we got back and the outlaws (thoroughly knackered from the expedition) were tucked up in bed I set to with another creative pursuit...my sketchbook. Unlike calligraphy, sketching is very easy to do a little bit of, to pick up and put down. I'm doing some designs to send off to Phoenix Trading. I'm hoping I might get one published. Fingers crossed!

Lovely Sketchbook

This Lovely sketchbook page and colour print is courtesy of Sarah Fanelli whose work can be found in probably every library and bookshop you care to look in. Her work has that delicious messiness that is so difficult to achieve if you don't have an eye for it...and a shed load of artistic skill. Mixing image and text is something I find so tricky yet Sarah's work seems to effortlessly combine the two with wonderful and original results. I like the pillar of text on the left hand side of the colour piece and how it is 'held in place' by the lettering used in the illustration. I'm inspired to add to my sketchbook tomorrow...and to photograph it.

David Hockney's iPad

“I draw flowers every day and send them to my friends so they get fresh blooms every morning." These were executed with his thumb on the iPhone screen. “Who would have thought that the telephone would bring back drawing?” David Hockney

Can you imagine receiving an iPad flower from the great man himself? How would you exhibit it in you house? I think I would be tempted to mount my iPad on the wall as a digital photo frame and then save up for another....
I am really inspired by these beautiful creations. I'm a big fan of drawing and drawings. One of the reasons I love drawing is because the equipment is simple and portable. You can draw on so many surfaces with so many different tools, creating any number of effects. The possibilities are endlessly exciting.
I remember reading somewhere that David Hockney has special big pockets stitched inside his coats so that he can carry his sketchbook with him wherever he goes. I also have big pockets and a large bag...but currently filled with such items as a packet of tissues, a hot wheels car, a Barbie shoe, a slightly melted chocolate penny and a port-a-potty. One day soon I will add a sketchbook to that collection.

Birthday Celebrations (part 1)

The year always begins with Mr Arty's birthday on 1st January. Before children he used to spend most of his special day slightly jaded but three children later we're usually in bed early the night before and up bright and early on new years day! Not out of choice I might add...
Anyway, whilst all birthdays are different there are two things that remain the same 1. I make a huge birthday cake and 2. I make him a card. He loves the Ellie Golding version of Elton John's 'Your Song' so I used some of the lyrics and drew them on his card. I used Aquarelle water colour pencils, which were satisfyingly vivid, to draw some bold, heavily serifed capitals.
This neatly leads me on to my new years resolution which is not to buy a single greetings card all year.I will make my own!

A picture from my garden

Outside our back door is a shelf made from an oak beam. It's mounted onto some beautiful, weathered, iron brackets and there are lots of interesting treasures to be found there. It seems to be fasinating to both adults and children alike. The adults are always drawn to the the old advertising signage and general junk. Part of the appeal to them, I think, is that they probably live in a very tidy house which doesn't have a load of old rubbish hanging outside the back door! Children like the huge shells and pebbles and are instantly drawn to the animal skulls which we found when we moved into the property. There is a badger, deer and rabbit...complete with teeth! yuk! The Big Boy loves showing them to his friends.
The little square piece of slate with a letter 'G' was my first cut letter. I drew it and carved it for my husband. It's quite wobbly close up but doesn't look too bad in the picture.