Runswick Bay - Ammonites

The weather looked set fair in the North East, after Storm Agnes ...so glamping pod here we come! On the way we stopped off at Rumswick Bay for a breath of fresh air and a lovely lowtide walk. No significant finds but lots of noce ammonite casts.

The bay at low tide.

Runswick.

Happy Rocky pootling on the wave-cut platform.

Ammonites ..and below....

Mawbray Mud!

A walk along the coast and being as it was low tide - out to the ababdoned Oyster trestles. It was muddy! 

Across to Criffel.

Plenty of barnackles on the trestles.

Marine litter.

The trestles with old oysters in their cages. 

Mae's Tearooms, Uldale

It's always good to have a restock: so some general pictures and then photographs of the individual paintings. I have also placed three pieces of fused glass there - they really stand out on the windowsills, so if you are local I invite you to visit and enjoy a brew and cake and my contributions to the gallery! Feel free to contact them on 016973 71369 or email: info @maestearooms.co.uk

The Tearooms.

Re-stocked with cards and mini paintings.

Some of my oils ...a couple of really large pieces.....see further down for individual images.

Marsh Marigold fused glass wave...

..and Water Lillies...

..and Mountain Pansies. 

Grasmoor emmerging from the cloud on a winter's morning.

Central Lakes from Harter Fell ...across Eskdale to Scafell, Esk Pike and Bowfell.

Derwentwater.

Great Gable from Innominate Tarn.

Wasdale - Evening light.

The river Esk...towards Bowfell. 

Stormy Seas.

Drumburgh Water Lilies

I couldn't resist the light through the leaves and ideally could have spent a lot more time photographing these.

Drumburgh

In a break in the weather ...so  a walk round this little gem...between the showers ...

Autumn colours - Heather and Bog Asphodel 

Textures ....

Collagraph workshop

The workshop season has started and this morning's was an experimental collagraph printing session. We began with a PowerPoint outlining methods and hopefully giving inspiration. I then asked everyone, after a demonstration. to make two different 10cm square collagraphs using 'Enviromount' card and one with mounting board. We used abstract designs, in a single colour  for this, so we could really focus on the tonal qualities of the prints. Cuts were made and foil added. We found, I think, that the Enviromount was easier for the less experienced to cut and peel compared to the mounting board, but the mountboard gave a greater variety of tones when peeled away. The Enviromount gives a much deeper tone when peeled away than the mounting board. Handprinted in Bognor Regis supply the Envioromount card. 

This was my piece I had prepared with the plate on the left. 

Some of our test pieces ....

We compared two kinds of tape - aluminium builders tape which you just peel off a roll - and the type of backed aluminium sheets you put behind things to reflect heat. The backed sheets were easier for cutting shapes, but complex shapes were tricky to peel away. The buiders tape was more robust and very sticky! .As always a lot of the skill lies in the inking up - and in an ideal world we would have sealed our plates - but in three hours I think we made a pretty good attempt at introducing collagraph. Both kinds of plate printed well for two or three prints. 

Having learnt the basic skills we then went onto experiment with our own ideas ..I particularly like this one of tree bark, where  the texture was made by overlapping pieces of foil ..although I still see it as a landscape! 

Wedholme Flow - the bog.

Leaving the woodland fringe we walked across the centre of the reserve. Lovely to see 18 Snipe, the light was great, but most unexpectedly; a curled up Adder asleep in a puddle - until I had to rapidly avoid it, as I nearly stood on it. 

Breezy....

Still colourful....

Firy cups - or Cladonia fruiting bodies - which ever you prefer! ...and below.

Reflecting light...

Autumnal colours.

A gorgeous Adder..amd below as it slithered off.