The Coniston two!

Living in North Cumbria, Holme Fell and Black Crag are two rather insignificant Wainwrights that are a pain to do - not that I'm doing the Wainwrights again - these were two I was accompanying a friend on - but having done them again I may as well continue! So that's me on 20 Wainwrights! Cracking views! 

Yew Tree Tarn ...rather misty! 

As we arrived at the col before going onto Holme Fell the clouds lifted briefly ...

The heather is in full bloom.

Rocky had another good day! 

Holme Fell summit ...although where it says Holme Fell on the map is lower than this - so we took it as the highter cairned top. 

The cairn.

From the summit of Black Crag.

Tarn Howes.

Walking back down to the carpark from tarn Howes.

Seat Sandal, Dollywagon Pike and Nethermost Pike

A cracking walk from Dunmail Raise, up the Raise Beck path to Grisedale Tarn, onto Seat Sandal and  then back down to the tarn and up over Dollywagon to Nethermost Pike. Good weather, cool on the top with a good breeze and splendid clarity. Spectacular views all round. 

Seat Sandal.

From Seat Sandal to St Sunday Crag.

Grisedale Tarn.

From Dollywagon along the ridge. 

Looking down towards Ulswater. 

Panorama looking west. 

Helvellyn aand Catstycam. 

Sheffield Pike and Glenridding Dodd

A damp walk up Sheffield Pike and Glenridding Dodd - the Fell Forecast lied! Good to be out on the fell again and that leaves Steve with only eight Wainwright's to do with Rocky. We parked on the roadside, near Glencoyne, and walked up Glencoyne valley to Nick Head before turning back on ourselves along the ridge to Sheffield Pike. We  then descended down over Heron Pike and then onto Glenridding Dodd. Then we followed the path down the side of Mossdale Beck to the road and back along to Glencoyne. It has to be said, the path down the side of Mossdale Beck hasn't improved! 

Setting off...

Catstycam and Helvellyn in the cloud. 

Sheffield Pike summit.

Happy boy!

Looking down Ullswater.

Looking down over Heron Pike and down onto Glenridding Dodd - a lovely scrambly descent.

Easy Cyanotype

With it having been such sunny weather, I decided to finally have a go at cyanotype - I'd been given a pack of preprepared fabric sheets last year for a birthday present, so a 'play' was well over due! 

Open the packet of fabric sheets, remove a sheet and reseal the packet. I then put it on a board for ease of carrying, added vegetation and a sheet of glass (held down with kitchen weights) and put this in the sun for 8 minutes.
This was at 2 O' Clock in the afternoon and the sun was strong - a completely clear sky. 

After 8 minutes the fabric takes on a bronze hue and the area covered by vegetation has turned blue. 
I then washed the fabric for 5 minutes in cold water - the blue vegetation impression turns pale and  the backgroung becomes pale blue. Left to dry naturally for 24 hours, the pale areas become paler and the blue darkens. 

The results are beautiful and really detailed - the dots are from grass seeds in the above print.

This, less successful, print was made in the late afternoon. Although the sun seemed strong it wasn't - hence the paler blue and as the sun was dropping in the sky there was a 'shadow' around the impressions. 

More prints - and below...

Book making

A couple of weeks ago I treated myself to going on a book making course in Kirkby Stephen run by Neil Walker of Neelz Expressionz and hosted by the Art@23 gallery. A 'grand dayout' with an excellent tutor and a good value for money session. 

I have since then made a few small books - ideal for using up the offcuts from my lino cut prints....I may be doing many more - I just need to write and draw in them now! 

All ready to play. 

Work in rogress...

The results of all participants...

My book from the day....and below - a few of the ones made after the workshop. 

Ennerdale Meadow

Following my comment in an earlier blog click here, about taking photographs for inspiration at Ennerdale, here are the resultant quick sketches. It really is a shame all the flowers are going over now - just as I find a technique I like working in that is easy to do in the field! 

Bowberhead Cushion

Following my visit in early July to Boweberhead, I came back and gelli printed some fabrics based on a Hay Rattle in seed motif. I then patched peices together and quilted  them into a cushion ...

Printed fabric piece.

Patched and quilted. 

Detail.

Cushion front.

Cushion back.

Detail, 

Fused Glass Yellow Flag Iris

 Following my first fused glass Yellow Flag Iris piece, I decided to make a pair of individual Irises for the garden ...a direction I might persue with other plant species. 

My original piece.

Pre-firing garden pieces.

In situ...

Bilberry picking

It's that time of year and it's been a good crop - the freezer is full and we look forward to plenty of Bilberry frangipan! As always the scenery while picking was spectacular. As you can see the light was extremely bright! 

The Bell Heaather is out and the Ling is on its way.