Wayzgoose

Last week I attended my first ever Wayzgoose. It's a print making thing, I was told. I was a little wary and not even convinced that this was a real word, let alone an event. However, I took my courage in both hands and went along, and I'm very glad I did because in turned out to be excellent fun and nothing to do with geese, which is always a bonus.
When I returned, I looked up the word "wayzgoose" on Wikipedia and this is what it said:

A wayzgoose was at one time an entertainment given by a master printer to his workmen each year on or about St Bartholomew's Day (24 August). It marked the traditional end of summer and the start of the season of working by candlelight. Later, the word came to refer to an annual outing and dinner for the staff of a printing works or the printers on a newspaper.

Well, we didn't quite make it to St. Bartholomew's day, but the weather was glorious,the company was delightful, the bring-and-share picnic was delicious and the river was inviting. I even went in. Up to my knees!
And I'm looking forward to print making by candle light next season.

Illustration Friday "Equality"

Getting in early for Illustration Friday this week. Did someone say tea...?

Illustration Friday.

Just noticed that the Illustration Friday subject this week is Children. Well, I had to really, didn't I?

More art at Delamore.

As I sit here, staring out at the rain and clutching my mug of coffee for warmth, it's hard to believe that it was summer last week.

So I shall console myself with pictures of the beautiful gardens at Delamore, which I visited while the sun was till shining.
Delamore sits on the edge of Dartmoor in an utterly stunning landscape. Every year they open for the whole of May, filling the garden with fabulous sculpture, and the ballroom with paintings, ceramics and art of all kinds.

A truly special day which held the promise of long sultry summer days. Lets hope that promise comes to fruition.

Marie Shepherd

Duncan Varley

Lucianne Lassalle

Giant pencils, it's what illustrators dream about!

sculptures don't move. Very useful.

What I did this weekend.

What a busy weekend was had in Hunters Moon! I admit I was a bit nervous before the Totnes and Dartingto Open Studios event- did I have enough wine and nibbles for the private view? Had I ordered enough cards? Had I hidden the washing? Would anybody come?!

But I needn't have worried (don't you find that's often the case?) after a slow start on Friday (well, it was sunny, who goes to an Open Studio when you can go to the beach?) things picked up rapidly on saturday and by the end of the holiday weekend there was a steady stream of visitors filling the house. So I sat on the stairs and held court!

In between visitors, I was not idle you will be happy to hear. I had spoken to a little girl who, it turned out, was unfamiliar with Paper dolls. So I made one. No little girl should miss out on the fun of a paper doll!

Thank you to everyone who came along and made the weekend so special. Now I can't wait to do it again. I'd better start work, there is apparently a demand for seagulls in bobble hats.

Totnes and Dartington Open Studios. 24th-27th May.

Well folks, it's that time of year again, when artists all over the land are regretting the impulse they had in January, to sign up to one of the Open Studio events that happen over summer.

It all seemed like such fun when we got together in the pub at the beginning of the year to talk about brochures and private views. But now it seems terribly close and I realise what a lot of work there is to do. And worse, I'm going to have to tidy up!

To avoid such things for as long as possible (the tidying up bit, I mean) I've been painting T shirts in the hope that someone will buy them over the bank holiday weekend, 24th-27th May. There will be cards too, and bags. Even some paintings, if we're lucky.

So, if your in the Totnes area for the bank holiday, why not pop along to TDOS and say hello. It would be lovely to see you.

You make me feel like dancing.

Well, morris dancers might be more appropriate, but I don't have any pictures of them.

It's official. Spring has arrived. We all suspected it wasn't going to happen and that Totnes was in fact, as the sign read for some time, twinned with Nania. That is, the pre Aslan, permanently frozen Narnia, not the post Aslan, frolicing woodland folk type Narnia.

For that reason, plus the fact that this is something I've been working on this week, and I have no idea how else one is supposed to celebrate St. George's day, I am digging out my dancing shoes and getting out in the sunshine! Actually, forget the shoes, this is Totnes, I'm off to commune with the barefoot woodland folk...I might take a picnic.

proof that spring is sprung!