Illustrated Italy!

Here is a colourful collection of illustrations that I came across while in Italy. These are my top ten in no particular order.

1. Ceramics seemed to be a speciality on the Amalfi Coast.

 2. This beautiful mosaic was part of the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Amalfi.

3. More ceramics. I took this picture for a friend of mine who likes cats...a lot!

4. The Crypt of St. Andrew. The murals were painted in 1660. This place took my breath away.

5. The best surviving fresco in Pompeii.

6. I was quite taken with the illustration on this glass which came with my peach iced tea!

7. A modern mosaic at the bus stop! If only all bus stops were that beautiful!

8. Stunning hand painted ceramic dish. It was too big to fit in my suitcase unfortunately.

9. The tiles of a table in Ravello, the city of music.

10. Hand painted signs to the town I was staying in.

Sketching...

Despite the fact that I am relishing the freedom of drawing without thought of pleasing anyone but myself, I really did very little of it in Italy. Just a couple while on the beach. I think I put myself off because I didn't like what I did do. So much for this only pleasing myself thing! I am, as ever, my harshest critic and the one hardest to please. However, I'm going to post them here for the sake of honesty. We're all allowed a few mistakes, right?

Spectacular, Spectacular!

I haven't posted in a while now I know but I've got a pretty good excuse: I've been in Italy! and also working on the farm quite a lot too but that's not as interesting! I did manage to do a little sketching while on the beach (oh yes! ON. THE. BEACH! it was still warm and sunny enough in October to lie on the beach!) although that's not why I'm posting today. Italy will have to wait. Today I wanted to share this: The Tate's Pre-Raphaelites:Victorian Avant-Garde exhibition. It looks spectacular and I for one can't wait to go. This will be a family outing for sure. Ever since I can remember my world has been imbued with the imagery of the Pre-Raphaelites. Mum and dad took me and my sister to many other exhibitions, we had a calendar, bought post cards, read the plays, poems, legends and myths that many of their works illustrated. If I had a wall of inspiration, these paintings would tread a merry path across the entire length of it.

Fred and Ginger get a feathery make-over!

Just two very quick sketches I produced to go in the Plaw Hatch Farm newsletter. They are to accompany a written piece about the many colourful animal characters that often wonder into the shop there (Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers being two of them obviously!). I can tell you that drawing poultry on a tight deadline is pretty hard and I struggled with these two. I don't think I quite managed to capture their toe-tapping skills! But I would just like to say here and now that Bantams (that's Freddie) are officially my favourite breed. They look so smart with their fluffy trousers! I think Fred Astaire would be pleased to know his namesake was keeping up with his style.