Spring in Slaithwaite

The weather continues to be unusually stunning and my little garden looks lovely in the sunshine. It may sound churlish to complain but I fear that everything is going to be over very quickly and blossoms and blooms will soon fade. 

But oh - what glory........

The bees are all over my little crab apple.

Slaithwaite couldn't be more picturesque if it tried...

The neighbours!

Jolly useful early border perennial.

And to top it all, I have a blackbird nesting amongst the rambling rose above my studio door...

London trip

Mick and I had a brilliant week in London with unexpected warm, sunny weather. I had arranged to see our MP Jason McCartney at Westminster, hoping that we could have coffee on the terrace. Sadly that was the only dismal, wet day we had but we managed a photograph.

It was jolly interesting to see the Houses of Parliament and to stand on the exact spot in Westminster Hall, on which  Charles l stood when he was being tried, was quite significant - all that history....

The exhibition at the V&A, the Aesthetic Movement, was really very good. and I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates beautiful things. There was a spectacular reconstruction of Whistler's Peacock Room that people could enter and see how it must have looked. There was much to do with Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites as well as Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley.

Me - on the steps of the V&A.

As usual we went and checked out the British Museum which never fails to delight. Our very favourite room in there is the Enlightenment Room - we would like to live in it...!

April 1

At a Month of Sundaes  in Marsden, Valley Arts is staging its spring show. Lots to see and good coffee as well.

If you are in Marsden then do take a look. Admission is free.

There will be artists 'hanging about' the place on Cuckoo Day, 16 April.

I have been working on a series of water colour pieces which rely on the paint itself to show me what I have done.

I started with a grid which I filled with circles and diagonals. I then tried to concentrate on emphasising  transparency which should lend a kinetic quality to my work. I then felt myself to be led on to blending and swirling the paint. These are the ensuing images. Obviously all the work is unframed at the moment but hopefully I will fix this as time goes on.

Spring Show

Valley Arts  

has just had a meeting to prepare for our 

Spring Show

at

  Month of Sundaes

in 

Marsden. 

We are taking over two whole floors for the whole of April and hope that this will raise our profile as well as being a selling opportunity.

If you need an extra reason to visit Marsden then there is 

Cuckoo Day

on the 16 April.

Jolly frolics in Marsden!

Moonraking

Well - here I sit in splendid isolation, all on my own with my G&T courtesy of the kind partner, wondering where everybody is. The night is fine so that's good. People have been busy all week making lanterns for tonight's procession and the procession comes right past the studio. It would be nice if one or two people wandered in merely to relieve the tedium....

The sun shines - birds sing - hmmmmmm - must be something going on...................