Walkley Christmas Craft Fair

 

I have a stall here : Walkley Craft Fair. Further details including directions on their website: Walkley Community Centre

 Or just follow the penguins....

New York Sketch Book

We were lucky enough to travel to New York for half term and travel back on the Queen Mary II. Pretty exciting. We had a fantastic time in the Met. Saw more Rembrant's than I have in the last ten years, there was an excellent Cubism exhibition and some wonderful tapestries shown alongside the preparatory sketches for them. We oohed and ahhed over the colours and details. I made a couple of sketches, of course I had to draw a lion outside the NY Public Library. My family were not that keen to visit but as it was such a lovely building the complaints were short lived. As a bonus, there was an exhibition of Turner's prints for me to enjoy. 

Check out my new Facebook page

I've created a Facebook artist's page. There are more pictures to enjoy than you can shake a stick at. Liking and sharing will be much appreciated with the added bonus of news of my creativity and more pictures.

Rachel's Facebook page

Froggatt Show 2014

directions

We get home from NZ and I realise Froggatt Show is the next weekend. I thought we would have missed it. I quickly dash of an email to the organisers and arrange a stall. Yay - there's room. I love the idea of chatting about art, listening to brass bands and admiring locally grown vegetables all on the same day. 

We have our gazebo, no need for the usual paste table as sturdy tables are helpfully provided, we bundle art, child, dogs into the car and set up.

Setting up

We have a very pleasant afternoon chatting to neighbours, chatting to people interested in my art, chatting to people interested in the dogs, listening to the brass bands eating cake and ice cream and avoiding the showers (not too many of them fortunately).

I hope I can get a stall next year, and also get our acts together to enter some vegetables / crafts / cake competitions.

Holiday sketchbook

I managed a few sketches whilst visiting family and friends in NZ. Such a creative place, almost make me want to paint landscapes. (almost)

Cow with giant fluffy ear

I love working with ink and living in an area surrounded by horticultural stuff. Meet one of the neighbours!

Textile time

A day trip to London to primarily see this exhibition was entirely worth it. 

Artist Textiles Picasso to Warhol.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...again!

We were lucky enough to have spent the first week of half term in Cromer...I did a little bit of sketching, landscapes are not normally my thing. Fun though.

Curbar Art Show - Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May 10:30 to 16:30

I'm taking my sheep to market this time: Curbar Art Show will be held in Curbar Primary School. Professional and amateur artists exhibiting in a wide range of mediums and styles including sculpture and pottery. Tea, coffee and cakes available and light lunches.

Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May 10:30 to 16:30

£1 entry fee

Feeling sheepish

I've been looking at Henry Moore drawings, always loved his sheep. So...trying to get in touch with my inner Yorkshire self, I set about with pen and ink to draw some of the locals. Despite being Derbyshire sheep I think we made good progress.

Taking the cows to market

Two craft stall opportunities in one week! The University of Sheffield had a week of the Art of Work and invited creative types to have a stall one evening. I shared my stall with two other library staff (what a creative lot we are) and had a great evening. It was lovely to see other University staff and their creative efforts, ranging from photography, jewellery and baking.

This weekend the local Guides were having a coffee morning and invited us to sell crafts to raise funds for daughter's Guide trip in summer 2015. A completely different demographic but equally fun to do. 

 The 'Totes Amaze Bags' sold really well at the Guide coffee morning.

A little bird told me

I've been playing around with a bird sketch to add to the block 'library' for totes amaze bags...thinking of totally tweet bags...made a drypoint print as well...here's the proofs. Loving the green foliage, gives some depth to the bird.

Chip off the old block

This weekend has mostly been about printing tote bags. My daughter and I need to make and sell craft items to raise money for a guide trip she's doing in 2015... tote bags seemed a good idea. I want to call them 'Totes Amaze Bags' but apparently I'm not allowed.

Robot love and dogs

I've listed these paintings on Folksy...

Purple dog - acrylic on canvas 

We have a lovely old greyhound who is officially 'blue'. He's often the inspiration for drawings. I thought he would appreciate being represented as a purple hound!

Robot love - acrylic on canvas 

I was making some decorations for a friends little boy and drew this robot for him, I thought it would make a lovely illustrative painting for a robot enthusiast

Yellow dog - acrylic on canvas

This is inspired by a drawing of our little dog Molly. She is often sniffing for exciting smells - when she's not dashing around that is! She is pale cream in colour and the yellow exaggerates her natural colouring and tendency to stand out against the background.