... If not in the weather. If spring is going to be slow arriving this year I decided just to bring it on with flowery paintings this week. I like this kind of work to suggest tapestry or embroidery, so I used a heavy impasto consisting of acrylic gesso primer bulked out with whiting alongside gouache to create texture. I have tested it for stability and adherence as much as I can and it seems to be fine, it even has flexibility and will bend with the heavy Fabriano print paper I favour without cracking.
Adding some dots details finished this piece by the end of the day, when it looked lovely in the low sun.

I was saddened to hear yesterday's news of the death of Prince Philip. He was 99 years old, a national institution. Farewell and rest in peace, our Duke of Edinburgh.

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This week, some of my monsters developed two heads! - inspired by insects which often display a big scary face on their body or wings which isn't actually their face. At long last I worked out how to make Reels on Instagram with the image top left, above, and set it to "What's that coming over the hill" by The Automatic - great fun.
Still working in my sketchbook, I developed the floral theme a little further with my adoration of ikebana. I love the gravity-defying weirdness where truth is indeed stranger than fiction as they spring from preposterously tiny vases or shallow bowls apparently supported by nothing but moss.
I am also preparing some textured Fabriano Rosaspina, a heavy card-like printing paper, for stand-alone works. I'm getting texture by adding whiting to my primer and using lots of scumbling.
Yesterday I had some weekend fun making small yellow flowers from one of the paintings into a repeat pattern, which I am calling Pansy Riot. Can't wait to see it on some products.

I began working on drawings in Procreate this week, based on and inspired by my collection of gypsy purses. I must have started the collection in or around 1995, when I used to go camping in the Cotswolds to get out of London, and discovered a wonderful shop called Cargo in Cirencester. It was filled polished wooden floor to white ceiling with Indian artefacts and textiles, with a special basket of colourful embroidered, woven and appliqué purses. I had developed an obsession with Indian artefacts years before as a student in Edinburgh, combing Cockburn Street Market for Mysore soap, embroidered cushion covers, cheesecloth blouses and batik printed maxi skirts (I can still smell the fragrances now) - so this wonder of a shop in Cirencester became a treasure trove for me.
I have a very deep affection for my little purses which I hope to convey in the drawings, with attention to details such as tiny stitches and unexpected decorative motifs.

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Left: an umbel drawing which I have been working on for the children's book this week.

Above: I particularly love the wild romantic treatment I gave it, using a couple of filters - it's kind of Granny's attic and old books. It puts me in mind of cyanotype photography.

It won't be long until the illustrations are finished and I will be able to share full pics with the author's blessing. I am so looking forward to that, the book has been years in planning and now it's becoming real!

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Another pattern this week for my Redbubble Store - birds and potted plants gardening, inspired by the fact that I have been doing a lot of gardening recently. I was delighted to launch this one on the full range of 'kids' clothing' as well as home décor, adult apparel, accessories - and of course, socks! I do love the socks.

Warm, sunshine-filled days must have gone to my head last week because I totally forgot to post this! I back-dated it while I was posting next week's, if that makes sense (beginning to feel a bit Time Lord)
Anyway, I took a bit of time out to tidy up my Redbubble Store and design a new pattern - birds and berries, all ready for Autumn. I am loving the way the pattern works on the products and I have discovered I definitely have a thing about socks. Here is last week's pattern on some products, too.

I have been working on a pattern this week, based on a watercolour I made in a sketchbook a couple of years ago. I remade all the flower motifs from scratch and assembled them into a motif for experiments. Left here shows the first play around with a tile, just seeing what looks good and getting a feel for how it might look in repeat. It is in a more advanced stage in the image below, in fact nearly finished following a few more experiments and alterations. I want to make a grid pattern, then a half drop version.
There is a deliberate nod to the 1970s in the shapes and warm palette. The first play around had been put to one side while I continued work, but when I looked back at it It really reminded me of the '70s - of something in particular which I can't quite put my finger on. It's something like a cookery book, or a Clothkits design, or a kitchen mat; whatever it is, I am definitely going to have a go at recreating the look when I have finished this version of it.

My birthday, with the full Blossom Super-Moon occurring at the same time. That, together with some super weather and B cooking his superb tikka chicken thighs on the barbecue meant one thing only - pop-up tent in the garden!

The apple trees, after what appeared to be a holiday last year with virtually no blossoms or fruits, are going crazy this year, and this one is right in front of my tent door. This view, a glass (hem-hem bottle) of Prosecco, B's heavenly thighs (so to speak) on the BBQ, the radio playing quietly, birds singing in the warm evening sun ... living the dream.
I did actually do some work in the tent during the week, as well!

​Thanks for visiting, see you next week!

It's March! To my mind, that mean it's now officially Spring, and March is coming in like a lion today with a big old blustery wind. I worked on my HEW website this week, and completed two more illustrations for the children's book before relaxing with this pattern put together from flowers which I made for one of them. I thought it had an appealing 1930s vintage look. I was particularly interested in the panel which resulted when I turned the original drawing 'inside out' to create the pattern fill - perhaps a nice scarf design to think about?
Happy Spring!

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When I was at art school still life was my favourite genre, I loved going to the college wardrobes and cupboards to select objects for my paintings. Now, for the last few weeks I have been organised enough to collect elements as I work into a scrap-book file so that at the end of the week I can make a still life with them. Although this work is digital, I have noticed that the process of composing and problem solving is the same as painting and in fact the end result resembles my paintings.

Still collecting ideas based on coastal flora to use in illustrations, I found Sea Stock this week, and on Thursday I discovered that Sea Bindweed and Beach Morning Glory are actually the same plant - I have yet to identify the little yellow flowers which I originally thought were Beach Morning Glory. I would never have known there existed such a wide variety of plants which grow on sand dunes in the UK; now I'm looking forward to visiting the beach in summertime for a good old poke around to see what I can find.

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We had a flurry of snow which lay for a few hours this week. Apart from that it has been unseasonably mild and very windy, and more weather warnings of high winds have been issued by the Met Office, which makes it feel more like March than the beginning of February.
By contrast, sea bindweed and beach marigolds are still providing delightful settings for summery seaside illustrations, as well as spin-off patterns - so pretty, and a nice way to welcome in February with its promise of spring and longer days.

I do like to fiddle about with filters, especially on patterns where you usually wouldn't expect to find them, and I found this fuzzy filter quite enchanting on the flowery themes.

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Working with the gouache paintings I made last week, I made some butterflies to go with the poppies (top right) and created a new pattern. I am loving this work! Next week I intend to work on the poppies pictured top left. I am uploading them to my Redbubble account, it's always exciting to see them on the products and tweak around with them until they look just perfect.