Fly Casting

Harry practising his cast in the yard, he looked so natural. Khan, our Border Terrier, was so excited she wouldn't stand still for a second!

Waiting For Harry

A quick sketch while waiting for Harry to come out of school. I added the watercolour sky on location and the acrylic ink splashes back at home in the studio.

Ely Museum

During half term Harry and I also visited Ely museum for the first time.

We were lucky enough to see a re-inactment in the prison gaol, two fine actors who put on an emotionall show of what it was like for a wife visiting her husband the day before he was to be hung. A school party watched intensely and then were able to ask the prisoner questions, which were answered in character. Harry and I listened while we sketched behind the crowd.

There were many rooms, each themed, but my favourite had to be the Victorian room, so regal and feminine.

Wisbech Museum

After a hot cuppa at Bygones cafe, Harry and I visited Wisbech museum. For a relatively small museum it has such a variety on display, including a recent exhibition to commemorate the abolition of the slave trade.

Harry plonked himself infront of one of the display cabinets to sketch and I suddenly realised how confident our sketching trips together had made him.

Bygones cafe

I have been visiting Bygones Cafe in Wisbech since my now 18 year old Son, was a boy. He would love to visit and ordered tea because it came in a pot that he could pour himself, along with a tiny milk jug and sugar bowl. It's a very traditional cafe serving 'spotted dick and custard' and ''meat and two veg' dishes, because of this it is often filled with more mature customers full of character and conversation...like some elite club.

Last week I took Harry along and he sipped on his hot chocolate while I indulged in a milk coffee and a little sketching. The old beams are enhanced by a huge shelf that runs around the entire cafe displaying an array of saucers and plates.

It was, as always, delicious and friendly.

Foxy

Harry found this fox skull in a nearby wood at the weekend, it's a wonderful specimin and has all 6 back teeth still intact.

New and Old

I went for another drive today and ended up in Rampton, I've never been there before. I came across The Black Horse Tea Rooms and pulled over to grab a cuppa and a bite to eat. The food, service and coffee were all fantastic, I am very pleased I found this wonderful place and will deffinately return.

On my return home I took the rather bumpy Dykemoor Drove short cut, it's even bumpier than my drove so I usually go around the village and avoid it but I was in no hurry today! I managed to pull over into a good spot with a view of the chicken farm buildings at the corner of the drove and Benwick Road.

The sunshine was glorious today turning the ochres into sheer gold and the new, green growth into a dazzling citrus carpet.

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Drive-In

Went for a drive today and pulled into a lay-by on Whittlesey Road in March to sketch this old barn.

March Town Hall

March Town Hall, March, Cambridgeshire, England ©Anita Davies

Running a few chores in town with Harry this afternoon!

Afternoon Stroll

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Harry and I walked the dog for a walk along the drove this afternoon after I gave my class. I managed a couple of quick sketches in ink and added the colour back in the studio...No need for colour notes I just had to look out of my studio window for the drove then nip into Harry's room and peek out of his window to recall the colours on our old barn.

Peterborough Cathedral

It's half term and I'm back working in the large watercolour moleskine I purchased at the Fitzwilliam museum last Summer, recording these holiday's for my youngest Harry.

We kicked off our week with a trip into Peterborough and a visit to the cathedral. We had a fun day and even managed a little sketching both in the cathedral and in Wimpy where we stopped for a bite to eat.

September Break

These are the rest of my entries in my Summer 2008 journal (a large watercolour Moleskine).
It's been a wonderful week with Harry; we've fished, shot clays, walked along the beach and ate fish 'n' chips, rested and even been spies for a day.

http://www.spymasters.co.uk/

Dever Springs

I created three double spreads in my large watercolour moleskine sketchbook during our day at Dever Springs trout fishery yesterday and Harry caught a 6lb rainbow trout!

click on images to enlarge

September Break

So, as you may have already figured out from some of my previous journal entries, my eldest Son Jake is now in Memphis. I miss him madly and know this will be the longest week of my life.

So, I've booked Harry off school for a week to ease the pain and we are classing it as a little holiday ourselves.

I'm working back in my Summer 2008 journal for this week, keeping all of Harry's Summer adventures together, I didn't manage to fill the large watercolour moleskine through the Summer break so I have plenty of room.

Our first destination is Dever Springs trout fishery in Hampshire, a mere three hour drive from us which means we'll need to leave the house by 6am!!! That means I'll have to be up at five so I can consume as much coffee as possible before we travel and it's now past midnight

...Wish me luck!

A Day In Cambridge

During the school holiday Harry and I took a trip into Cambridge to visit the museum of zoology, an absolute feast of subjects greeted us and we had a glorious time browsing and sketching.
We visited various colleges, took photos, ate sandwiches, chatted, laughed and shopped before heading home.
Another wonderful day!

Column Week 32

This is my newspaper column, in print today in the Cambs Times and Wisbech Standard:


I spent the bank holiday at Go Ape, a high wire forest adventure course in Thetford Forest, Suffolk. Not one for heights myself, I helped to keep little baby Ellie occupied while I watched my children swing through the tall trees attached to harnesses. It actually looked like great fun and they certainly enjoyed the course.
By midday the sun had broken through the clouds setting the perfect scene for a BBQ lunch, which we spent the rest of the day working off with long walks through the trees and maze, finishing the day with a game of rounders on the huge green and a couple of quick sketches for my journal.

Barnsdale Gardens, Rutland, Leicestershire.

Sketchbook entries from Barnsdale Gardens

Barnsdale gardens are situated in beautiful Rutland in Leicestershire. They were built by Television gardener Geoff Hamilton over several years for BBC TV Gardeners' World programme & various other BBC specials.
In 1996 Geoff passed away and the gardens were opened to the public.

During Joannie's recent visit we took our first trip to Barnsdale and it's amazing 39 gardens! We took our sketchbooks and a couple of watercolour blocks with us, one of which I prepared the night before with an acrylic toned background. I sketched the greenhouse onto this block, using white gel pen and then watercolour washes to hint at some of the foliage.



My favourite garden was the town paradise garden, with it's running water and small pond giving it such a tranquil feel. I rested here a while to produce my second watercolour block sketch of the day.
I plan to colour it at some point in the near future.

Barnsdale is a beautiful place, Joannie and I had a wonderful day!

Sir Peter Scott's Lighthouse

On a recent trip to St Matthews art exhibit, my good friend Joan and I took a detour over to Sir Peter Scott's lighthouse, just a few minutes drive up the road. We were thrilled to find that our visit had coincided with the recent exhibition of Sir Peter's art works inside the lighthouse. We paid our £1 donation and went inside.

David Joel and his wife currently own the lighthouse and have done for the past 25 years. David has written two books, both of which were present at the exhibit.
"Monet at Vetheuil 1878-1883" (ISBN 1-85149-423-5) is a detailed account of Monet's life during that period, David was granted access to the Monet/Hoschede family archives and photographs, as a result the book contains detailed accounts, exhibition details and palette notes.
My dear friend Joannie purchased a copy for me, had David Joel sign it and wrap it discreetly in a Tesco carrier bag. Being a nosey, attentive type I noticed the bag immediately and begged to know what she had purchased...Me and my big mouth!!!
Still, the gift was cherished as much than if it had been passed to me on our return home (Thank you Joannie)

After looking through some of David's own paintings, displayed in the garage, Joan and I walked around to the side of the lighthouse to grab a quick record in our journals and a few snapshots.

A Quick Cuppa

A couple of pages from my Summer 2008 journal that involve the all important cup of coffee... Mmmm!

Sketches From The Old Palace, Ely

In between painting my 18x24 inch plein air acrylic of the Palace rear entrance I managed to fill a few pages in my large moleskine watercolour sketchbook.

The Palace has it's very own chapel and so many other interesting views and corners, one could spend a month there gathering interesting sketches and paintings.

After a long day, Joannie and I packed up our materials and walked over, past the Cathedral, for a well earned Italian meal, which was delicious.