Seedheads and Seashore

Hello friends,

I'm in the middle of a new painting which was inspired by seedheads, I started to notice them on my travels as July melted warmly into August.  There are architectural shapes appearing in the hedgerows and the skeltons of cow parsley sway in the sunshine next to the first (early) blackberries.  There are voluptuous poppy seedheads in my garden, full to bursting with next years harvest and I don't know about you, but I am all of a sudden finding myself caught unawares some mornings by the whisperings of late summers arrival.  It's a gentle infiltration of feelings and signs that come now and then; a slightly lower sun casting shorter shadows, leaves turning that dry, faded green, and a wistfulness that passes in a moment so brief, you wondered if you imagined it as another warm and dry August day unfolds...

So all this got me thinking about my next painting; out came the sketchbook and a coastal drawing emerged from my imagination.  I'm working on a much larger scale for this painting, and after marking out my space I put down a rough background wash:

I like having a base colour to work from. There are two reasons for this: the first is that it is easier for me to start work on a coloured background rather than a stark white one, and secondly it provides a wonderful depth to the painting on top.  You could try it yourself, using different colours.  


Once the background colour is dry, I draw my picture onto it using watercolour crayon.  This allows any lines to dissolve into the work as I paint.  Here's a glimpse of the work in progress, I'm really pleased with how it's coming along and I'm also enjoying working with a slightly limited colour palette for a change!

 Maybe some of you will see this painting and feel that you recognise the location.  I have a habit of doing this with some of my work; integrating my memory of a place into the painting so that although it is not the actual place (as in that it's not drawn exactly from a picture or photograph), you get a strong feel for where it might be all the same.


This picture is being painted in acrylics.  I find myself using a rather dry, almost scrubby way of painting in places, and then layering over with almost translucent, watered down paint to create luminous glazes.  I'll share more with you as the work unfolds :)


Most of you who are familiar with my little blog, will know that I have a weakness and a love affair with the coast, and despite being landlocked in a village just north of Sheffield I like to go as often as I possibly can to get my 'fix'.
Last week I stayed with my sister in Suffolk, and we took ourselves off to the beach for the day...

...can any of you guess where this might be?


It's a tiny little place called Sea Palling in Norfolk and it reminded me very much of childhood holidays on the east coast. There's a long and winding lane, flanked by tipsy old fashioned telegraph poles that leads into the heart of the village which is a cluster of little buildings nestling at the base of the dunes.  There's a couple of houses, a B&B, a small amusement arcade, a chip shop and caravan park, and then there is a ramp leading right off the road which you walk up and then there is the beach.

Norfolk has the most amazing beaches.  Most people tend to grimace slightly when you mention the North Sea, imagining it to be a cold, disgustingly brown affair that you wouldn't let your dog paddle in.  This part of the coast has mile upon mile of creamy, fudgy coloured sand, and crystal clear water.  I was utterly seduced by the simplicity of the place: dune grasses, sand, a huge expanse of sky, and turquoise water as far as the eye could see.

There were lots of starfish on the beach, beautiful peachy orange ones of all sizes.  It was one of those days where we paddled too deep and got our dresses wet, but didn't care too much; and we went home late with sand in our hair and didn't mind too much about that either.


It was one of those days I shall remember for a long time.


Well, I think I've gone on long enough!  Before I end, I'd just like to tell you about my little Book Shop which you can see in the sidebar there.  I've put together a collection of my most inspiring and favourite books and you can now buy them directly through my little 'shop' via Amazon!  


I wish you all a happy, and sunny weekend.  Looking forward to catching up with you and your blogs, and to seeing what the participants of the Being Creative Project Group have posted in the gallery so far!


Thanks for stopping by today, hugs and love
Julia x x x

The Sunny Spring Giveaway!! (and some other bits and bobs)

Hello Dear Souls!

We've been to the seaside! My goodness, it seems an awful long time since I walked on the sands and inhaled the delicious tangy scent of a salt breeze, but on Sunday we took ourselves off to the east coast of Lincolnshire and enjoyed a bracing walk on the beach - although it was bitterly cold there the sky was a radiant cobalt blue and seemed to go on forever...I love Big Skies and a sense of space like that!
The sun shone all day long however, and it was a day for discovering once again, how pretty dried seaweed can be, collections of fragile, tiny shells on the shoreline and admiring the simple beauty of sunlight on tide rippled sand.

Little Person, needless to say, enjoyed it immensley and there was much sand pie making and pitstops for games of football.


Thoroughly refreshed and reinvigorated after our bracing day out, we returned home. And the homeland is much cheerier now that there is a promise of spring on the horizon. Ah yes, the days are definately getting longer, and the other evening we had a glowing sunset as we travelled over the 'tops' to go and fetch our daughter from Nanny Mum's house. (the 'tops' are a local name for the hills that rise up between the valleys here).

The view through the farmers field there, is over Bradfield and out to the Strines Moor- beyond that you can just about make out Winn Hill in the Peak District (teeny tiny pointy bit on the horizon).
I love the old marker stones you get around our way too that serve as road signs. This one in the top right picture is showing the way to Brighthomlee, with a helpful etching of a finger in the stone to point you in the right direction!

So, Spring is absolutely and most definately in the air...and there is also something else in the air too - yes, Im sure you who visit me often enough will know by now that Im having a little giveaway! And....today is the day I can finally share the scrumptious goodies that will be on their way to one lucky soul!


The Sunny Spring Giveaway!!

This giveaway is a little celebration of the impending arrival of Spring, and also my birthday which coincides beautifully with this occasion! If you would like to enter, all you need to do is leave me a comment in the 'post a comment' section at the end of this post. That's it. It's that easy. On March the 21st, which is the Spring Equinox, I shall draw a name from the hat and post the winner's name the following day (I'd post it on the 21st but it's my birthday so Im hoping to be whisked off somewhere marvellous and nowhere near a computer!! ;-)


So, without anymore waffling, here is what you can win!

One signed, limited edition print of Moon Fishing, presented in a white mount
ready for framing.

A crocheted daffodil corsage, made by yours truly - looks quite splendidly spring like and colourful on a coat or jacket - or bag come to that!

A bag of the most delicious praline eggs - well, Easter is but a hop away and it wouldn't feel right not to include a little chocolatey goodness for you!

Four of my art print cards, of the designs shown

aaaannnnnnnd...last but not least, a lavender heart, made from pretty Erin McMorris Park Slope 'circles and stems' fabric, filled with generous spoon-fulls of garden harvested lavender, and finished with a shell, and vintage pink button.


And there we have it my friends! All that remains is for you to leave me your comments - meanwhile, Im off to finish a certain painting that I started last week - thank you for all your excellent suggestions about that, I really was in a bit of a pickle with what that dear blackbird could have come to find, but Im now happy to tell you that, inspired by Surfer Rosa's idea Im going to be adding a little cotton reel or ribbon to the scene!

I'll be back again as usual next week (if not before)!

Til' then - love to you,
J x