Garden Restaurant

A few quickies over a latte.

Window View

Hand*Book Journal Pages

Freddie

Waiting For School To End

Had a few minutes spare before my youngest came out of school, so I sat at my favourite spot along the River Nene in Benwick and sketched one of the bridges.

I've sketched this view before here and here

Just The One

More From The Hand*Book

A few very quick sketches including a portrait of my Mum reading.

Hand*Book Journal

More quick figure studies from life in my square Hand*Book journal.

Quackers and Roof Tops

A recent spread from my current journal.

The Griffin Hotel

Managed to pop into the Griffin, for the first time in ages, and sketch my way through a latte.

Shakers

Two Hour Workshop

I recently held a two hour journalling workshop for the March Art Group. We had a blast!

Home Sweet Home

Sketched from the top of my drove, I pulled over and grabbed five minutes on the journey home.

Hand*Book Journal

More from my hand*book square journal, on location in Huntingdon.

A Coffee Pause

Catching up on some journal posts, I seem to have so many pages yet to scan.
A new coffee shop has opened inside of a shop I like to visit (Dunelms) in Wisbech...Excellent!

Weekend In Wells - Day 3

I sketched my favourite chair in the cottage early Sunday morning before retiring to bed. In the morning I had my coffee in the sun drenched garden and sketched one of the fruit trees. Sea shells were tied to all the trees like mobiles, they made a wonderful sound aswell as looking very coastal.



Joan and I ventured back down to the Quayside, this time I took just my sketchbook but decided to fill a spread with a scene I felt one day might make a painting.



We warmed up in French's fish bar for lunch and I sketched a couple of the many people sat on the wall opposite. We visited a gallery on our walk home and after introducing ourselves it seems I may have work showing in a gallery by the end of this year...about time too, I've dragged my bum long enough!



Back at the cottage we made use of the beautiful walled garden again and sketched outside with our coffee. I had hoped to colour this but had to go inside because I had got so cold earlier in the Quay sketching that I simply couldn't get warm again.
Perhaps I'll still add a little colour sometime using the photos I took or maybe I'll add colour from life when I'm at the cottage again?

Back in the cottage I made once last sketch before saying goodbye to my dear friend and heading home.

It was a truly wonderful weekend, such a thoughtful and generous gift.
Thank you Joannie!

Weekend In Wells - Day 2

Day two kicked in while I was still awake, as does every new day with me. Joan had retired for the night and was sleeping while I sketched the view from my bed in the cottage before going to sleep myself.

The following morning we drove to the beach and set ourselves up on our travel chairs. A quick sketch in my journal to loosen up...



Then I decided to take out an 11"x15" watercolour block and complete a plein air painting right there on the beach in under 30 minutes with a big brush and nice loose washes.



After my plein air painting, I moved back to my journal...



The dreadful sketches of people in the spread above gave me cause for some figure practice.



Much happier with those.

In the evening, after a delicious chinese take out, I decided to experiment with one of my sketches and used gouache on Canson Mi-Teintes paper. I plan to enhance what I ended up with below with some soft pastels some time in the future.

A Weekend In Wells-Next-The-Sea

My weekend with Joannie was fantastic!

Joannie booked Maryland Corner, a quaint cottage just a few minutes walk from the Quay, as a birthday gift to me. We met at the cottage early Friday afternoon and, after a long chat, we headed towards the quay for some sketching.

Back at the cottage, after a delicious meal and a few glasses of wine, we decided to make paintings from our sketches, here's mine...


'The Quay, Wells-Next-The-Sea' - Watercolour ©Anita Davies

River Tea Rooms

Escaping the house for a few hours, I simply drove!
I ended up at St. Ives and parked the car to walk along the river and perhaps sketch from the bridge I remember being there from previous visits. However, the tea rooms sign caught my eye and my fancy and before long I had a table along the river dressed with a latte and the prettiest lemon cup cake I've ever seen.
I sketched both the cup cake and the view across the river.

School Run

The first spread, above, was completed along Benwick River after taking Harry into school and the spread below was completed the same day in Ramsey, sitting on the green, before collecting Harry from school.

It's surprising what you can find time for in the average day.

Hinchingbrooke

A few more pages from my square Hand*book journal.

I'm Not Here

This is a scheduled posting, as was yesterday's.

I am currently on the Norfolk coast with my dear friend Joannie for the weekend. We intend to paint through the day and snuggle up to the log fire in the evenings with a glass or two of rose.

Joannie booked the little cottage for us as my birthday present, what a wonderful thing to do. I am just now loading my things and getting ready to go...I'm so excited!

Wish us luck with the British weather!

May 2009 Voices - Day 8

I just love the Kings of Leon's latest album...

May 2009 Voices - Day 7

I adore this song...

Laura and Lily

Some Lily O'Brien handmade dessert chocolates and a long, strong, black coffee served in my Laura Ashley mug...Mmmmmmmm!

May 2009 Voices - Day 6

I couldn't possibly let this project go by without including this divas' superb voice.