A Touch of Glass

Now the new stock is arriving at a nice flow. Always quite exciting to have another box of goods turning up and with most of the artists it is usually a bit of a surprise whats is within the package. I tend to leave it up to the artist to send me a good selection of their products. Today it was the turn of Stephanie Bowen. Stephanie is a Glass Artist from Lancashire and her range of contemporary bowls and hangers are bright and attractive.

It will be a couple of days before this work will be on the website and I'm pretty sure there will be a good reaction to the new stock.

Purely studio work

It was a day for getting on with some of the Wainwrights in Colour sketches today and quite a productive day it was. The only frustration that I have at this time is that some of the sold work I cannot complete as I need a few references for these fells where the detail of the sktech will still be covered in snow. Consequently I am having to work a bit "out of order" on some of the fells. However, some sketches do in fact need the snow to be as near as possible to AW's depictions in the Pictorial guides like the example shown below of the crags on High Street.

This was painted today from a refernce I took last week on my Mardale Round. Unlike on the day that AW got his reference Blea Water is frozen over in my drawing. It just goes to show how consistently cold it has been for the last few weeks.

A walk in Borrowdale

It was a great day over in the Lakes today- bright blue skies, snow on the high fells, and even warm sunshine. Is this Spring? I was able to take advantage and get a walk in over two of the lower fells of Great Crag and Grange Fells which are in Borrowdale. They may be low in height but they do give fine views in most directions. And they enabled me to ticki off a few other references along the way.

Brund Fell.

It was another day of an early start but the effort was well worth it. The photos are now online, to view, click here

March- It must be hares!

  Yesterday's trip was partly to collect some more stock for the gallery. Its always great to go and collect work from the artists workshops and studios even though it takes up precious time. I feel that it gives me an insight to the artists and how they work which helps when talking to customers. So the boxes are unpacked and now all I have to do is make up a good display but it's not hard with these guys, they really sell themselves.

Boxing Hares.

photos for the new stock will be online shortly.

A day away.

A bit of an unusual day for me today as I had a bit of business to do down near Wrexham, however it did give me a chance to call and see my Mother who lives down that way. A fair bit of driving was involved and an early start was called for. Fortunately the first part of the journey towards the M6 does involve passing close to the Howgills. The dawn was just breaking as I passed the Cross Keys Inn so I couldn't resist this photo.

Cross Keys Inn.

The Howgills are a great range of Hills basically lying between the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. They offer some quiet fellwalking over some rounded hills that give excellent views. This year The Wainwright Society's Challenge involves walks on the Howgills and other areas featured by AW in some of his lesser know guide books. To find out more click here. It's a great opportunity to cover new hills (and of course raise funds for a good cause.)

 A long day of driving was worthwhile but reminded me of why you dont see me too often on Motorways.

Below Abbey Bridge

Not a long walk today before opening the gallery so I took the dogs for a stroll alongside the river but below the Abbey Bridge this time. It was a bright frosty morning and before the trees come into leaf I was hoping to get a good view or two of the bridge and other interesting features of this section of the Tees. Sadly there is now a increase or riverside "scrub" which obscures these points of interest.

Abbey Bridge, even here this delightful arched bridge is difficult to photograph without being veiled by branches etc. Further downstream is "The Meeting of the Waters" where the river Greta and Tees join, a scene made famous by Turner in one of his watercolours. Nearby is The Dairy Bridge, another location popular with artists which can no longer be enjoyed to full effect thanks to the encroachment of undergrowth.

I might just "have a word" with one or two people about the problem, after all, it would be a shame if  nothing was done to "show off" some of the jewels that Teesdale has to offer.

Any thoughts anyone? (In the hope that someone actually reads my jottings here!)

A Mardale Round

The forecast for yesterday was brilliant so an early start (leaving the house before 6) meant that I should have got a good day in on the hills. I planned to visit the Far Eastern Fells where I needed to tick off some references for sketches for the Wainwrights Project. A star filled sky as I left home soon turned to fog in the Eden valley so I guessed there was a good possiblity of a cloud inversion once I gained height. It didnt happen though as by the time I reached Mardale Head the fog had gone.
By 7 I was heading up the north ridge of Branstree at the start of what was to be a brillient and productive day. I have put the photos online which should tell the story of the day.
It was a late finish but well worth the effort only slightly frustrating in the fact that the snow levels obscured some of the detail I need for one or two drawings. Never mind, there's always next time!

Harter Fell from Mardale Ill Bell.

To see the rest of the photos click here: A Mardale Round