A circular walk at Wembury

On one of the only decent days in January about a week ago I did a 7 mile circular walk at Wembury with a friend - there were a few spots of rain but we managed to eat our lunch in the sunshine overlooking the river at Noss Mayo 

Leaving Wembury crossing fields 

Up, down, sideways walking?

We only saw this as we came out of the field!

On the way back to Wembury along the coastal path 

I hope this stormy weather we're having at the moment will subside then I can do this walk again - a lovely day out.

Walking bliss

2 days on the coastal path at Zennor in Cornwall - a magical little hamlet with the myth of mermaids, a fascinating museum, good pub and hostel accomodation in an old chapel - and the sun shone!

I stopped here to listen for seals 

Look at the colour of the sea - you'd think you were in the mediterranean!

 And I'm still photographing stones 

the carved mermaid chair in St Senara's Church, Zennor 

Crossing Paths - a walking collaboration and artist's book

Sometime ago I promised to post an image of the final book I made for the walking collaboration with painter friend Judith Cockram .

Finished book - Crossing Paths

I finished making one book for Judith's degree show in June and am now busy making another 2. One for myself and another for Mandy Beall who has inspired me by ordering a copy. Thank you so much Mandy for your support and encouragement.

page of book - collagraph Rosie Kearton

We have (Judith and myself) now decided to make it a limited edition of 20. I have put the details on my Etsy shop and there is a link on the sidebar to the right if you'd like to know more or even buy a copy!

End pages of book 

I am really going to make a concerted effort to promote my work more. I sometimes lack confidence in what I do so when other artists and bloggers comment positively about my work it makes such a big difference! Love getting all your comments!

Collaborative project

I have been making a book based on 10 walks on Dartmoor with a painter friend Judith Cockram - we've had really bleak cold weather and the book reflects this quite well although it was unintentional. The design and printing has given me headaches and was a steep learning curve but worth it in the end. It is A4 landscape with 4 signatures double sided - and it took me ages to figure out how to print this on my very basic inkjet printer but perseverance wins out 

I have sewn the signatures together and all I have to do now is the cover - I'm going to use an old Dartmoor map

I will post a photo of the finished book - hopefully at the weekend! 

Then I have to make another one for me as this one is for Judith and will be displayed at her degree show at Plymouth University mid June 

Thursday's walk on the Rame

the best day of the week!

Walking

It's been such a wet winter that I haven't done much walking - many of the walks I normally do have been subject to floods and erosion making it quite dangerous to walk in certain areas along the coast. But in avoiding certain areas then new paths have evolved and on one of them I made this recording of body movement during the walk - you can see the parts where it was raining and both I and the drawing got wet - I like the blurring though as it encapsulated the feeling of the walk - misty, damp and circumscribed.......

I have been carrying this tiny book (5cms square) in my rucksack for simply ages and I finally found a use for it - it was a giveaway from Kate at A disorganised life - thank you Kate - I loved using it and I'm going to adapt the idea to make further walking books. It has concertina pages so I can unfold it as the walk unfolds - lovely! I have had to scan the book in 2 parts as it is too long (50 cms) to do in one scan. I would like to post some photographs but I am still waiting for my camera to return from Canon services where it is receiving tender loving care after my accident with it on the beach on New Year's Day - an expensive mistake! But I will post another photo of the whole book when I get it back - hopefully soon as I really miss it!

'Leave the camera at home' day

It was a beautiful sunny day yesterday so I took the opportunity to take a long walk starting with a 'latte' at one of my favorite places, the Cliff Top Cafe at  Whitsand Bay -  and walking along to Cawsand. I made a conscious decision to leave the camera at home in spite of my intention to take a photograph a day - I find that I look at things differently without the camera - I took my little sketchbook so instead of quickly snapping away my looking was more focused and recording much slower - time slowed down!

As luck would have it the tide was out and the first part of the walk was along the beach - I collected some sea washed fragments of shell and plastic - the plastic fragments must be very old and who knows what journey they have been on - I hate seeing rubbish on the beach (now there are a few less pieces) but I have to say they make intriguing images..........

so even though I didn't take the camera I still took photographs when I got home - how different they are from ones I would have taken on the beach! I'm quite intrigued to see how they look in monochrome.

The shell fragments I collected are quite small, some really tiny, and have a softness and warmth - they are almost pearlized from the constant washing of the sea - I have collected sea glass since moving down here 18 months ago and these are just as beautiful.

Because I have become engaged with grids again through following Liz Davidson's blog I have been working on creating a grid of details from 'man in a boat' painting which will be used as 'fragment investigation' for my degree project

my collection from the beach yesterday seemed an ideal way to lay them out - so many changes can be made - this is the first layout..............

I have a photograph selected for the drawing exhibition on the theme of SPEED at Plymouth University - it opens next week for 3 weeks in ArtSpace 101  

'Experimenting with a digital camera at night the image was drawn with light using a long exposure. The camera captures the movement of light reducing it to a still image, which reflects my efforts to keep up with the speed of technology and the way I can use digital tools to push the boundaries of traditional drawing. The river and surrounding landscape represents a calmer and more measured way of working, flowing and expansive. The enlargement of the photograph to 45 x 60cms causes a further blur to the image, which is intended as a metaphor for the transitory and fragmentary nature of existence.'

A walk

We've been having some wonderful spring weather here in the UK and yesterday I took a rest from FAILURE and took myself out in the fresh air to blow away the cobwebs!!! I took the bus to Wembury where there is a rather nice National Trust cafe - I treated myself to a coffee and read the Saturday morning paper - I bought one of their delicious Devon pasties (they are slightly different to the famous Cornish pasty and if you find yourself in Devon then woe betide you if you don't call it by it's proper name - a Devon pasty!) They kindly wrapped it in foil to keep it warm - and off I set to walk back to Plymouth along the South West Coastal footpath - around 7 miles. I rambled along and ate my pasty on a pretty beach watching a hazy sea. Then a little bit of failure happened!! I failed to see the footpath sign veering off to the right to avoid the military zone and ended up at Fort Bovisand - it was a lucky failure as I took these photographs of the windows in the fort.

There was also some wonderful rust and weathered wood!

Thank goodness I'd taken my camera but in any case I will make another visit during the summer months. I had thought that the Fort was part of the 2nd World War defense as this coastline is scattered with them but it turns out it was built in the 1800's as a defense against a French invasion! I arrived home tired and took a long soak in a hot bath - It had been a good day and I felt very refreshed and alive!
Today the sun is still shining and I have some pottering jobs to do - tomorrow it's back in the print room to finish my Failure cover for the book I'm making.

Drawn to the valley - artist's open studios

The last few days I have been visiting artists studios - 'Drawn to the valley' is an artist led collective of around 100 members who all live and work in the Tamar Valley, designated 'an area of outstanding natural beauty' - it's a great way to meet other artists and also get to know the area I've recently moved to better! I love visiting artist's homes and studios too! The river Tamar runs through the valley and divides Devon and Cornwall, from Launceston in the north down to the sea at Plymouth - so the artists are working in border lands - on the edge of 2 very different counties!

I started off on Friday evening by going along to a Private View at the Tamar Valley Centre in Gunnislake - the 4 artists exhibiting belong to the printmaking studio I have been attending during the last few months and Mary Gillett, the tutor was one of the exhibitors. It was so lovely to know people and to chat over a glass of wine- something I have missed being new to the area!! It was a great space and all the work was of high quality.

On Saturday I visited 4 artists based in Millbrook on the Rame Peninsula - I particularly liked the ceramics of Jill Holland and the work of Helen Round a painter and printmaker.

it was a beautiful sunny day and I took the Cremyl ferry and walked a circular route of around 8 miles stopping for a coffee at my favorite cafe The Honey Room at Widdicombe's In Millbrook and then lunch on this hilltop - overlooking the twin villages of Cawsand and Kingsand

what a view!

I love visiting this area - it's not far, as the crow flys, from where I am at the moment but it requires a ferry ride or a longish drive around the estuary - Millbrook is where I would like to live when I get around to buying a property next year. I am renting at the moment to give me a chance to find the ' ideal spot' - then of course I need the ideal house at the ideal price to appear! this is where I need to TRUST! so watch this space and see if I find my dream home!

I returned to Plymouth on the Cawsand ferry and finally a bus arriving home tired, inspired and happy and ready for my supper!

A ‘black and white’ day

I’ve had a couple of days feeling rather low, Still a lack of focus and not much energy for anything. A creative block? Had all that RED drained me - was it a danger sign? I mooched about wondering what to do with myself and finally went out for a walk! I found myself looking at white …………….

the hawthorn blossom is splendid at the moment but then we are now in May!

A glance in my direction but her back was soon turned on me!

I then noticed black – obviously my mood was affecting me!! I felt small, a little lost and alone!

“Well just look at me then” this ewe seemed to empathize my self doubt but it made me laugh at myself! Hmmm…..

but then‘black and white’

Finally my sprits soared when this kite appeared in the dark grey sky !

And a moment later the sun came out in a blue sky – colour and light were back in my life!

I feel much better now and tonight I’m going to have some yummy rhubarb crumble I made earlier (with creme fraiche) and watch a DVD - ‘Conversations with my gardener’ A French film which I think will suit my mood! Tomorrow is another day……………

A 'RED' day

I have lacked focus during my walks and there hasn't seemed any connection to the images I have come home with - so yesterday I decided to give myself a challenge - a word to focus on - I saw 'RED' (so to speak) !! As soon as I left the gate!

And then saw these!

The beautiful camellias just outside my front gate are quickly fading but other plants are just beginning!

Red really does SHOUT out in contrast to surrounding colours!
Can you see it? A faint blur in the sky - I just wasn't quick enough to capture the RED helicopter above!
Then a soft red!
And red in the most unexpected places!

Leaves turning a glorious red.......

Yes - I've finally seen the light

I wonder what tomorrow's word or colour will be!