Art Fest North this weekend!

Really looking forward to exhibiting at the first ArtFest North this weekend in Kendal Town Hall, I'll be showing my originals, prints, greetings cards and coaster designs. There are a fantastic selection of exhibitors so don't miss popping along for a look if you're in the area!

A few recent commissions...

Aview from Calton hill...

A personalised house illustration...

and 3 characterful Havenese!

Plockton drawings

I was pleased to get the chance to return to this picturesque little seaside town during a trip to Glenelg and Skye this month. I couldn't resist doing a couple of little drawings while I was there.

Wordsworth Trust photos

At last a couple of photos of my finished illustrations for the Wordsworth trust in-situ in their newly revamped Family activity room at Dove Cottage...

More Edinburgh Tenements!

I took advantage of the warmer weather in Edinburgh on Saturday to get out and capture this typical Marchmont scene from Bruntsfield Links looking towards Warrender Park Terrace with Marchmont Road snaking off into the background...

New Kendal drawings

After finding out the good news that I have been accepted to exhibit at the very first ArtsFestNorth in Kendal at the end of July I took the opportunity over Easter weekend to head out and do some new drawings around Kendal.

I liked this view of the Castle on the hill from Abbot hall park. It was a bright and dry Saturday so there was plenty of family fun happening on the park for  me to capture...

I thought this view of Kendal Parish Church and Abbot Hall with the river Kent sweeping away into the distance under Nether bridge made an interesting composition. Unfortunately I dropped my phone into the river just after finishing this drawing and got a wet foot trying to fish it out whilst hanging onto the steep banking!

The Market square was packed with people out enjoying the spells of sunshine in the early afternoon. I enjoyed capturing them amongst the busy market stalls...

This view looking down Branthwaite Brow is a very iconic Kendal scene and on this day it was filled with lots of window shoppers and tourists and locals out for a Saturday wander...

Illustration commission for the Wordsworth Trust

I was very pleased to be asked to do some illustrations for the Wordsworth Trust down in Grasmere, Cumbria. The brief was to create 4 characters inspired by real life historical figures from the time of William Wordsworth using written references from the museum archives.

Dora Wordsworth...

 Hartley Coleridge...

 John Wordsworth...

 Pepper the family dog...

The illustrations have been printed onto large posters to be displayed in the newly refurbished Family Activity room at the Wordsworth Trust Museum at Dove Cottage. In situ photos to follow!

The Chocolate tree

After enjoying a delicious take away hot chocolate from here whilst I was out drawing this morning it seemed appropriate that I pay my compliments to the Chocolate Tree with this picture. I especially like the suspicious looking old man I managed to capture outside the baguette shop! Whilst drawing this picture I was asked by a passer by if I was the artist who exhibits at Earthy...small scale art fame found at last!

Another Meadows landscape

A combination of sunshine, Nick Drake music and a shiny new landscape format sketchbook enabled me to capture this morning's busy scene on the Meadows.

Sunny morning on Brunstfield Links

I am on a mission to do lots more drawing at the moment and the recent sunny weather in Edinburgh has been helping to get me out on location. I did this drawing on Friday, the sun had brought lots of people out and about on Bruntsfield Links so I had lots of action to capture...

Drawing in Bruntsfield

I haven't been out drawing enough recently so decided to make the most of the good weather today to get out and about with my drawing pens again. I walked around Holy Corner for a while picking the best view before realising that inconveniently it was from the traffic island in the middle of the junction. After the hour or so that it took me to do the drawing I was pretty chilly and had probably confused a lot of motorists as to why I was huddled over a bollard in the middle of the road but I think the result was worth it...