The Sun has definitely had his hat on today, he has made the  winter morning frost sparkle!

Happy Sunshine

I have lots to smile about this January, I’ve managed to meet up with  lots of dear friends, who I’ve not seen for along time. I’m planning a Arts for Health drawing project at the Quad in Derby which will be a number of workshops , I’m really excited about it. Arts for Health is an area I’ve always wished to get involved with, so there’s another ticked box on my wish list!

Just before Christmas I have started to create some more secret friends which I’m enjoying, I’m in the 2nd phase of development…. but I’m afraid I can’t say any more than that at the moment.

I have updated Minty & Monty’s Logo, see what you think, comments gratefully received.

Minty & Monty New Tree Logo Colour

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.

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

Last month I bumped into my Senior School Art Teacher, out of the Blue at an Arts Council meeting!

We both got chatting and she asked me if I would be interested in running 4 Photoshop CS3 workshops to sixth formers on Thursday mornings! I said “Yes please”!

Over the last month I have spent alot of my time  preparing the workshops, as it is all very new to me!

The students have been working on the themes Knots, Materials and Folds so  I have planned 3 workshops:

• How to Draw over an image in Photoshop CS3

• Repeat Pattern

• Random Repeat Pattern

The first workshop should have started on the 5th February-but unfortunately the School was cancelled because of unexpected snow!

 I took most of the morning off,  after egg and soldiers and a cup of tea. I had  lots of fun  in the snow  with my niece and dad, we made a Snowman and danced around in our ‘Patterned Wellies!’

I’m now half way through the workshops and have really enjoyed it , they’re a lovely bunch of students to work with, I’ll be very sad when I come to do the last workshop, as working in my old Art classroom has brought back so many happy memories!

I attended 2 invaluable workshops ‘Back to the Future’  which was all about business planning and ‘Life’s a Pitch’! on Presentation skills.  Both only cost a fiver each which was worth every penny.

Tracy Pepper from Piu-a little more

She presented a really informative workshop about business planning. She also provides a service called walking coach where she takes clients out in the countryside – I really liked this idea -she was very impressed with my business card and mission statement.

Kate Lee presented the ‘Life’s’ a Pitch” workshop.  It was a laugh a minute. She gave me some really useful comments on my presentation skills. I’m one of the 90% of people who hate giving presentations.  I generally have to lower the pitch of my voice as it seems to get higher with nerves when I talk to an audience. Her advice was as follows:

“Meanwhile do those simple little exercises (the humming glide and the humm humm agreeing noise, then speaking on that note.  It’s very much about trying out new sounds and using them.  Read aloud lowering the pitch slightly - a little every day and gradually it won’t feel so strange.  It’s all about re-training muscles.  The breathing and ‘centring’ will be excellent for you too”.