Hello…..Again!

just to let you know I’m making you a promise…

In the next month I’m going to update you with everything I’ve been up to in the last few months…
I have lots of things to tell you, photos and drawing to show you and hopefully at the end by Autumn
an updated website.

I’m off to Chesterfield College tomorrow to do a course and to have a nosey at what the Art students work.
This will be my second visit the first time I went was last Friday, I got rather emotional as 15 years ago I completed my Art Foundation there one of the happiest years of my Art studies.
I was happy to see that they were painting the hand rails blue when I walked up the outside stairs
towards the North Block, a tear was in my eye!!  

Pictures to follow soon….

Colourful Pencil fencing Centre Parcs

March- were did March go?

I’m so happy that spring is around the corner and one of my favourite flowers are beginning to appear…tulips, watch out for lots of pictures and illustrations of spring flowers next month!

On March the 10th it was my birthday , to celebrate we went to away for the weekend to Centre Parcs -Sherwood Forest.

We had a lovely time we had a special treat as we spent one afternoon in the Aqua Sana Spa rooms, with a combination of different spa rooms to explore and a warm outside  swimming pool to relax in , even the sun shone for us!

My Favourite room was the Greek Herbal Bath Room followed by a scented cool shower , it was heaven!

We ate out most evenings and on Sunday night we had a french dinner with a jazz band playing in the back ground.

Yes I did go down the big sides,  the rapids and  inflatable dinghy ride, I was a big kid for the weekend, but seriously realised I’m very unfit. Riding a bike was very hard work, I think really the gears weren’t working properly!!

The nearest I got to drawing when I walked past these giant sized pencil fence-thinking this would look great at the back of our house!!

I did a favour for a friend and made some badges for her daughters Birthday Party, The theme was  a Prom Party and had instructions to make badges saying Prom Queen, Prom Princess, Cool Dude and for my friend and husband Prom Queen Mum and Cool Dude Dad. My friend was delighted with them.

Party Badges illustration

I visited the Art Room this month,  I was really impressed with a members painting, so decided to take a picture of it to show you!

Long Eaton Art Room Painting

I’ve not picked up my Doodle Diary for a few months and  I was just trying to reflect on the last few months, weeks,days,hours, minutes and seconds..

Doodle Diary-"Doing thing I'd never thought I'd do!"

“I’m doing things I’d never dreamt I’d do”!

I’ve been involved in 3 workshops at the Quad this week.

footballer

I ran my first Cut-Out animation workshop in the Mac Suite at the Quad-It went well. I made a footballer to demonstrate how to make a movable paper character .

I went into a Derby School and helped run a Comic Life Workshop, Comic Life is a really child friendly piece of software to teach Children Literacy and story making.

On Valentines Day I chilled and had a big bunch of  12 beautiful red roses and chicken & chips with salad and lots of glasses Pinot Grigio wine- well a few!! Hick up!

Lazzatti are keeping me buzy too and I did a poster for the Long Eaton Art Room.

Long Eaton Art Room Poster

I discovered a new ‘de-stress essential oil roll-on remedy by Tisserand Aromatherapy from Boots-it works a treat you, I definitely recommend it!!  A Blue Box and a lovely illustration on the packaging too….Hmmm! Chill Time after a busy week!

'de-stress essential oil roll-on remedy by Tisserand Aromatherapy

I had a busy week last week on Monday I was involved with a ‘Treats’ all day  animation workshop at the Quad Derby. I worked with 5  lovely children all of which worked really well as a team and produced an film all about ‘A Groovy Planet’ we had aliens with afros, a disco ball for the planet and lots of lovely dancing Aliens. I maybe in the Derby Evening Telegraph!!

On Friday I also started a 6 week course at Derby University, The first week was great fun and looking forward to next week. Derby University serve the best  Decaffeinated  Tea and you never guess what picture was on the sachet……

Clipper-Decaffinated-Tea

A Blue Butterfly!!-This made me smile!

Happy Friday & Belated Best Wishes for the New Year!

I’m So Sorry it’s BEEn along time, I’ve got lots to tell you………

I’m involved with the Quad Derby and really gaining lots of experience helping and designing workshops the people there are a lovely bunch to work with,  I have  already got a few really successful workshops under my sleeve. I’ve designed and ran , titles such as  Books that  Flip, Spin & Pop-up and  a Doodle Fun, I’ve got loads more ideas for other workshops, so watch this space!!

The Quad in Derby is a really Creative Friendly place , it’s well worth a visit.

I’ve also got a few other Freelance Jobs on the go from Wall Charts to Number books.

This Year I’ve had another  Grant application accepted so that I can continue to have marketing advice from Piu Ltd and update the wording to my website to add to it the extra services I can provide such as Workshops, Graphic Design, Picture Minutes!! My Friend Eileen Parr is putting pen to paper this very minute.

This week we’ve just had new windows put in at home and my husband has decided to put brush in paint and decorate the house…..he’s starting with the bathroom.

Christmas Card

Merry Christmas!!

Can you find me in the picture?

(I’m dressed up as a snowlady wearing glasses and holding a pencil)!!!

On Halloween Day I ran a Caricature Workshop at Long Eaton Art Room, Whilst everyone was busy I decided to do one of my self….The idea of the workshop was to draw a Caricature of themselves, someone they knew or a Halloween Character!

For next years Halloween look out for  FREE Spooky Characters to download and colour in!!

Caricature of Kate Smith

Unfortunately since  Sunday I’ve not been well….. I’ve tried to battle on and succeeded to finish of an important deadline this week!!

Here’s a sketch from out of my Doodle Diary

…I’ve  used photoshop to colour  it in!

Kate Feeling Blue

Halloween caricature Workshop

I’ve been asked by the Long Eaton Art Room to do three 45 minute taster sessions on 31st October -I’ve decided to do

Halloween Caricature- Workshops, the good news is that the workshops are being  funded through a successful funding application.

This is the promotional cartoon I have done quickly today, whilst listening to Paolo Nutini-my husband treated me to the album ‘Sunny Side Up’ this weekend, my favourite song is Pencil Full Of Lead!!

Paolo Nutini-Sunny Side Up!

During the month of August, I was fortunate to be asked by the Quad to help with several digital family workshops

Interactive Forest, Virtual Telescopes, Animation X & Touch Screen Games, I really enjoyed every minutes of the workshops and gained lots of invaluable experience. Before I went on holiday to Devon  I was asked to do Photoshop work- cleaning up the photographs that had been taken of the families artwork, there was a lot of plastercine models which needed their  backgrounds made transparent-in technical terms!!

I was also given the opportunity to submit some of my own work to the final exhibition, which would mainly be used for the interactive Forest and was delighted to be told that I would be credited!

As I’ve been really busy since I returned back from my holidays, I’ve not had the chance to visit the Quad and look at the final exhibition. I definitely  going to visit in the next two weeks as I’m really quite excited about it all!!

Please see the artwork I submitted, each element had to be individual, hence thats why the artwork is a little  random!

Do hope you like them……?

Forest Illustrations

I have recently updated my website and you will notice that I have changed my homepage fairy to more of a pre-school style.(which I’ve tried to look like me )!

If you look closely to the wings of the fairy, they have proper butterfly textured wings. The texture has been taken from a picture of a Silver- studded Blue butterfly that my brother was able to capture in his hanging basket, this summer. I changed the colour of the texture, by using duo tones in Photoshop CS3

I hope you like the new Fairy-all comments and feedback very welcome!

Fairy illustration

Silver-studded blue butterfly

Silver-studded blue butterfly

‘Return To  The Hundred Acre Wood’ a brand new ‘Winnie The Pooh‘ story is on sale from today………..I’m nervously intrigued!

I can’t wait to read the new story and look at the illustrations, apparently there is a new character in the story, a Otter called ‘Lottie‘

I’ve had a quick look around for the best price and  Amazon is tops at the mo at £7.14 with FREE delivery! self!!!

Do let me know what to think to the new ‘Return To One Hundred Acre Wood’ by David Benedictus, A.A. Milne, E.H. Shepard, and Mark Burgess.

What I’ve seen of the cover, it all appears to be done tastefully and in keeping!!

Return to Hundred Acre Wood cover

Do let me know your thoughts on the new story, I’d love to hear from you!

Lottie the Otter

Doodle Dairy Icecream

Wine Illustration

Icecream Illustration

Mortehoe Hill & Kite-illustration

During this holiday I have started to keep a Doodle Diary-I bought this chunky little blue sketch book from ‘Shore & Moor’ the little gift shop in Mortehoe! When I come back from my holidays my head is always full of lovely memories the week after, so this time I’ve decided to  continue with the Diary and  sketch a few memories that I wouldn’t forget ! Do enjoy………..

When We left for our Hols, We had a lovely green Mint plant growing in our kitchen window- to discover when we returned it was a very sparse looking Mint plant, but sitting on a top leaf  still munching away …we received a warm welcome from our new pet ‘Minty- The Very Hungry Caterpillar’!!

Please let me introduce you to Minty!!

Perhaps you may know which caterpillars like Mint and what the butterfly will be?

Caterpillar Illustration

Caterpillar

rI had a fun time during my Holiday taking photos of Textures for my illustrations, Heres a couple for my texture photos folder and a good one of a furry friend we met on holiday!!  I have a few illustration  ideas which I’m going to experiment with in Photoshop CS3, lets see if all goes to plan?

Leaf Texture

Leaves TextureCaterpillar