This Saturday the 27th October 2012

Hey everyone, We're heading to Court Lodge this saturday the 27th to do some sketching, plan for the exhibition next month and just generally hang out somewhere incredibly positive. With winter well on the way, we all need a little some of something positive, so join us for the penultimate Court Lodge trip, feel free to contact me if you would like to join up or need a little help getting there :)

Calendar sketch July 2012

July sketch! Building some lovely momentum and loving how much you can get done when there are deadlines to meet :) Don't forget we are aiming for the exhibition on the 25th of November at Moorhen cottage, so book the date and start spreading the word.

Sunday 25th of March

Hello! It's time again to head out to court lodge farm. The car battery is dead and the sun is shining. Preparations are underway and I am excited to see what this month will offer in terms of both people and nature. Last month lovely Ms Frouin joined me in the sunshiny meadows, and I am hoping that the slightly warmer weather and officialdom of spring will bring some more artists out of the wood work... we may even draw some cows!
If you happen to be in East Sussex and would like to know more please be in touch! Happy Wednesday, it's beautiful out there :)

Where have you been...

For those of you who have never tried keeping a blog, there is a yearning to embellish it, to make it more interesting, readable and at the very least enjoyable. To this end, I have been casting about for pearls to post and things that will perhaps make the blog better, so far the most profound quote "FREE GUIDE TO THE CITY'S TOP CREATIVE PEOPLE AND PLACES" on the cover of a magazine in Brighton and this only for the bright pink allure of the badge. In a way, it is much the same as making a picture. As an artist, I want to transport the viewer somewhere, give them something to hold their eye, keep their attention longer than a few seconds, something that perhaps will make them think and if I am very lucky will one day be remembered and thought back on. As such I am constantly looking for new ideas, new ways of seeing, better modes of mark making... But, for some reason as this month has trickled sand quick through time, I have returned to my roots. At school, armed with only a black ball-point pen, I would doodle down margins and in the backs of text books and sometimes on desks (but I swear only to make them better!) and it is back to black line work that I have returned. Tonight I give you only this post, tomorrow I will digitise and post the results of February's sketch time.

Sunday February 26 2012

Another month has just fizz-whippled by and again, Sunday will see us making our way over to Court Lodge Farm. For those of you unfamiliar with Court Lodge Farm, it is an organic dairy farm in East Sussex and can be located by searching for the little village of Wartling. David and Marian Harding are amazing and an important element of their farming ideology is based around sustainability and biodiversity. As a result, Court Lodge is not just about cows, milk and truly delicious yogurt, but also about the surrounding country side, its natural beauty and the critters that like to call it home, check out the web site for more info about Fen Raft Spiders and Marsh Harriers at http://www.courtlodgeorganics.co.uk/. On Sunday I am hoping to do a roughly round trip taking in the cricket bat forest, a stroll along the river and hopefully a delight of loveliness to keep us sketching and camera shutters clicking. I fear however that the February winter chills will curtail the endeavor and have us heading for the shelter of moor hen cottage and a cup of tea!

First Drafts

On the left are the initial sketches looking north east from a field, the foto is on the right. Tonight is the night, goodness gods willing, to put some ink to paper and come up with something finished before we visit the farm again next week. I'm thinking to keep it simple in ink...

Sunday 29 January 2012

After a few months of gestation, court lodge organic sketch achieved day 1. The idea is to visit the farm with a group of artists, once a month for the rest of 2012. Excellent :) All appropriate steps taken but on the day, some difficulties were experienced:
1) Volunteers unable to attend due to illness and hangovers.
2) Car battery KAPUT (new battery purchased)
3) The fantastic weather experienced in the morning turned into an icy gray cloud (after above mentioned 2hr delay) reminding me that, weather here should never be viewed as a constant.
4) Brief delay on arrival due to unexpected 6hr Australian open final (wasn't it a great match?)
5) After one and a half hours with no gloves I could no longer feel my fingers to hold the pencil (difficult)
 However on the positive side:
1) The Hardings' are wonderful, welcoming and generous (Thank you so much for the soup and cups of tea!)
2) Court Lodge Farm is beautiful, even in the dead of winter  (I can't wait to return at the end of February)
3) Some sketching done, results to follow.
4) The sound of hundreds of starling wings flying over head which just for a moment make you forget the cold.
5) Baby cows warm fingers wonderfully when they suck them.
Till next time, will upload some pics over the next few days!