Caldbeck cottages update......

Following my post a couple of days ago Click here this is the sketch that I'll start tightening up into a plan for my linocut, tomorrow. It doesn't look much, but this view isn't accessible - so this is a compilation of views and angles that would, in reality, be the view through the walls, in the middle of the Oddfellow Arms in Caldbeck. It took a while, but I'm now confident it will work.

Classic Buttermere views

Not a good forecast for the day, but we stayed dry and the light was OK! The blue herdwicks were spectacular!

Happy Birthday Rocky!

So the star of so many walks and blogs is 6 years old today. A faithful, friendly companion on all our walks ...and Instagram sensation! Why not follow his adventures at https://www.instagram.com/mollyonthemap/

Ullswater and Coniston Old Man mini paintings

With another box of mini canvases and easels arriving, this morning was spent with a palette knife!

Coniston Old Man from Tarn Hows.

Towards Helvellyn over Ullswater.

Gelli printing Christmas card designs

 I hadn't intended on doing these today, but sometimes it's really nice to do something you hadn't planned or expected to do! I'd forgotten how much I enjoy using the gelli plate and the fact that you, well I, can't plan things - you just work with the first print and keep modifying it with overlays. It was also an opportunity to try my new Speedball roller - which I must admit was great compared to the lino roller I usually use.

The first pull...

The second pull.....

The results ...after a third pull....

Caldbeck - Riverside Cottages

For my next lino I want to do the riverside cottages in Caldbeck - I took enough photos, but inevitably the only answer for planning the linocut is going to be to stand in the road and sketch! This way I can get the proportions of the cottages correct from a front on view - then it'll be tricky deciding what angle to put the bridge at and where to include bushes and trees and which to leave in/out to create an overall impression. Annoyingly it's going to rain tomorrow - 97% chance according to the BBC website - so maybe outdoor sketching isn't such a good idea! Time to find something else to do tomorrow!

New mini paintings

Four new sets of 7cm x 7 cm paintings: Dash Beck through the heather on Binsey; Skiddaw from Bowscale Fell; Carrock Fell and Ennerdale. All come with an easel and are done solely with a palette knife.