Pet portraits in time for Christmas

These two were a little challenging because sadly the pets were no longer with us so I had limited subject matter to work with. The dog, Moppet (such a lovely name), was worked from a computer print out that had been sent as a Christmas Card. 

This sweet little Gemma is the spitting image of our cat, Topsy. We still have Topsy, when she cares to come home and we are so proud that she’s reached 7 years! 

Wasps are Ok!

So this year thanks to Covid19 I’ve done a lot more drawing, and also, surprisingly, writing. Well, let’s be honest, this blog hasn’t seen a lot more action this year! And I read, articles online, library books, and I read about wasps.

I started writing about wasps because of that thing. That no one likes wasps. 

And I discovered that ecologically speaking, we do actually need them. I really wanted to get hold of one to draw too. 

We saw some soggy dead wasps on our dog walks, but I didn’t fancy picking any of those up and taking one home. But then one day I saw a shadow on my bedroom curtain and Wopsy became a guest of ours for a little under 24 hours. 

Even after a feed of honey Wopsy couldn’t fly so we just kept her in. 

Then I got to see how beautiful this pollinator and hunter of pests actually is. 

And I didn’t realise that wasps are fluffy. Saving all my photos of Wopsy here for reference. 

EnCOWNter Captured!

Today I stepped back and managed to get some photos of our bovine friends. Walking among bulls. They have access to a number of adjacent fields on tumbledown farm through which a footpath runs. 

If you hide your hands they are happier to come close but still very wary. We move slowly among them. 

Mike enjoyed being used as a post for a head rub. I believe there is no higher honour. 

Autumnal Sort-Of Lockdown

Rain and leaves fall and the Uk has locked down again, or rather, just closed a few things that had gradually been opened up again. But we never went back to school. What had been taken was restored, and so dog walks and hot lunches together are still part of an average day. 

And life is good. I have a dear friend, well, I have a few, but one keeps us all in ‘rubber boots’ and me in savoury snacks. The children have rediscovered a love of puddles and mud, because a decent pair of waterproofs makes all the difference. If it’s not raining very hard they frequently ask, “Can we go on a welly walk today?” 

The lower field at tumbledown farm is deliciously boggy. You can make great noises in the mud by the gate, and wash it all off in the swampy sections. 

But mostly I think, we love to meet the cows. Indeed I think an enCOWnter really tops off the excursion. I don’t take pictures of cows because they like us better if we hide our hands. Daisy plans a future like around cows. And perhaps writing.  

I still make Edward Tulane dolls

This is the half size doll, it’s like holding a baby! I really like the eyes on these little dolls. 

Making a basket from a free sack

Sometimes coffee shops and garden centres give away hessian sacs for people to recycle. Often coffee grounds too. A friend brought one back for me recently and I’ve been wondering how best to use it. I decided a lined container might be nice. I wanted to keep the thick sewn edge and make a feature of it, and I found that it is possible to sew them together using a heavy needle and one of the weave ....

I’m making the lining from an old curtain plus it’s interfacing, that was part of another friend’s clear out. I’m just a girl who can’t say no! The lining of the curtain was faded and weak. But the Laura Ashley cotton fabric was still nice. 

The Roy Dog, a Portland tail ....

Have you heard about The Roy Dog? If not I am sure you are about to have a bit of a Google! Legend tells of a black dog who lives in a cave ...

He has one eye that glows red and one that glows green, but I’ve omitted the eyes that dangle in his shaggy mane, those of his victims! 

After all, this is a birthday gift for a young lass. She requested not to have all those! 

Roy dog has a vintage nose, plundered from my sewing chest. It looks nice and glossy in the evening sun on Portland. 

In Tout Quarry my plush version met the Portland stone version who’s been there for quite some time. 

He’s now waiting for socially distanced collection, in my gallery. 

I’ll miss him as he’s quite a character, much more than the real Roy-dog I suspect. I had fun deciding just how much of him to make shaggy to balance out that lovely mane, and I think he’s turned out quite well, with some needled sculpting of the face and paws. I’m looking forward to an unboxing, maybe on TikTok if I’m lucky!