Monday 7 November 2011

Week 44


Week 44.  On Saturday we had a beautiful day, a day to just slowly stroll along the shore and take in the views.  The grass looked so green, the sky a soft shade of blue and the sun brightened up the day.  The daylight seems to quickly pass  by,  I guess if I was young I would not complain as it was Bonfire night  and the evening can't come quick enough with the excitement of fireworks and bonfires. 
It was enough for me to have a clear blue sky to look up to.  Before the afternoon was over we sat on the grass banking as the reflection of the sun twinkled in the water, it sparkled and  I had to close my eyes from the glare.   It was such a clear day, and as the day turned to night,  it was perfect to view the displays of brightly coloured fireworks in the sky,  all around the estuary.


Most of my finds were brown, the hornwrack seaweed,  leaves,  a mermaids purse  and I was thrilled with the duck feather  half brown and half white.  Just two red berries today and one sycamore seed.  I loved the old bottle washed up on the sand no doubt by last weeks high tides. 

The birds were enjoying the sunshine too.


I picked the dried seedheads from the side of the railway line, most of the wild flowers and plants are dead and brown. I decided to use just brown inks for this weeks drawings, as I am going on a pen and ink day on Tuesday. I thought I would experiment and  play with different ink pens.   The acrylic ink was  diluted with water and used in an old fountain pen, it flowed smoothly.  I used the PITT drawing pens with sepia inks and a little bit of paintbrush work with my acrylic ink. I also dipped the nib directly in the jar of ink.  It was interesting to see how the white paper shows through the ink,  all the white is the paper.  I had fun experimenting with different lines, strokes and marks using the sepia inks and I do like the different results, even with wobbly lines using the pen nib just dipped in the ink. Of course I couldn't resist doing the berries in red.
   Hope you like it too.

 Thank you for the lovely comments.  I always enjoy reading them.
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Also thank you for the people who sent me messages regarding the fabrics.  It was through this blog that Kimberley Bell, a talented interior designer contacted me and asked if I would like to work with her.  I was delighted to draw some different natural subjects which Kimberley has been able to use in her designs to become part of her beautiful range of linen fabrics. I was thrilled to see  my drawings translated into fabrics.    Kimberleys Website is http://www.peonyandsage.com/
Her new fabrics are beautiful and it was such a wonderful experience and  pleasure working with Kimberley and being part of her new venture.   I wish her every success with "Peony and Sage".  

Photograph from peony and sage website.

15 comments:

Matteo Grilli said...

Beautiful pages.. I love to come back to your blog.

martinealison said...

C'est toujours avec un immense plaisir que je découvre vos dernières créations et vos dernières balades...
Une publication pleine de fraîcheur tout comme vos oeuvres si délicates...
gros bisous

Jill said...

Beautiful pages as always and the umbellifers are a particular favourite of mine.

Frances said...

Milly, I like imagining what it would have been like to view the Bonfire Night fireworks from the bank of the estuary. Pretty spectacular, I think!

The Week 44 pages are also spectacular. Drawing with ink does require many talents and skills and you do it with such apparent ease! Those little berries do make the perfect punctuation for your studies in sepia.

Best wishes, as always. xo

Claire said...

Milly,Lovely work and beautiful photos,love the umbellifers too;and what stunning weather we've had lately xxx

Susan Scheid said...

When I come to look at your weekly drawing, I often think, how can she top that one? And then you do. There are so many beautiful aspects--the round plate of objects with the shadows playing off them a treat in itself. The linens with your drawings on them, so wonderful as well.

Windsongs and Wordhoards said...

Wonderful! I really love the seed heads... I often try to sneak them into my illustrations but you have drawn them far more beautifully than I could! The inks you use are lovely...
I also really like the photo of the leaf next to its own print in the mud, leads to all sorts of interesting trains of thought!

Melody said...

The seed heads are great; and what a lovely duck feather! You have such a special way of making the ordinary extraordinary! :))))))
any writing on your bottle???

Acornmoon said...

I especially love the drawings of the seedheads, they are asking to be made into fabric designs.

Your collection for Kimberly is a triumph, I am sure it will be the start of great things to come.

Vicki Lee Johnston said...

Beautiful, beautiful work Milly ... love all the artworks and the photos are lovely ... I love taking a little holiday on your blog ...

Pondside said...

Of course the berries had to be red!
The photos are beautiful, and the words that go with them, as always, just perfect. Sunshine on water, so bright that one has to close one's eyes against the glare - I know it.

Avery Hill said...

I love this! Thank you for your kind words on my blog... Memories are so meaningful.

Thank you for sharing your work... breathtaking!

Alaina
averyhill

Unknown said...

Not only are your drawings beautiful you have a lovely turn of phrase too.

suz said...

These colors are so fall-ish, the sepia colors are wonderful. I love the Queen Anne's Lace (umbellifers?).

Teresa said...

What a beautiful place you live in. Sigh..... looks so peaceful and just invites you to come and explore.

Lovely art!