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New Classes! Colourful Critters + Owls!

I promise I have some new sketches coming up soon, and some photos of springtime happenings around me, but lately I’ve been preparing to teach some workshops in Needle Felting. Please take a look at the fun creations I’m making! And if you live in Northumberland maybe you’d like to take a class?

Make a Colourful Critter of your own or makes a great gift!

Make a Colourful Critter of your own or makes a great gift!

Class 1: Wed. March 23rd 10am – 12:30 pm  £20

Optional Follow-Up Class 2: Wed. 30 March 10am-12:30 pm Only £10!

LOCATION: Alnwick Playhouse, Bondgate Without, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1PQ

Come have fun learning to Needle Felt with over 106 colours of wool to choose from!

In Class 1 you will make one Colourful Critter of your choice and all materials are included in the fee. The optional follow-up Class 2 is Half Price and you just pay for wool you use in class. It’s inexpensive for each little project so you may want to make a bunch! Optional follow-up class 2 is a great opportunity to ask questions, get help on projects you tried at home and gives me the opportunity to make sure you get lots of extra attention! Sign up for one or all classes! Secure your place to learn creative techniques with artist Mary McAndrew. Email me for details and to secure your place.

The class will be held at the Alnwick Playhouse. We’ll work on the balcony that overlooks the Gallery; it’s a great location but still feels cozy! Also the cafe will be open, it’s goodies and drinks available for purchase if you like.

I will also have Needle Felting kits with all tools, some different colored wool and a basic Needle Felting booklet available at class for purchase. I’ll also bring over 106 different colored wools if students would like to purchase any. See additional pictures of Colourful Critters I’ve made below!

The next project I’m offering is OWLS:

Class 1: Wed. 13th April 10am – 12:30 pm  £20

Optional Follow-Up Class 2: Wed. 20 April 10am-12:30 pm Only £10!

LOCATION: Alnwick Playhouse, Bondgate Without, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1PQ

Come have fun learning to Needle Felt with over 106 colours of wool to choose from!

The OWL class will be run just like the COLOURFUL CRITTERS above, Email me for details and to secure your place.

Northumberland, Land of Distant Hills

As I was looking through my small sketches and watercolors from this spring and early summer, I found I have many that are of distant views of the hills. Scenes that are all around me here in Northumberland England, just drive anywhere and you will always see some far off huge hills in the distance that all the locals can tell you the name of. Yes, all have names, very old names! It’s fun to learn the silhouettes and names of them.

Our favorite thing to do is walk up any of the high hills and see into the distance; can you believe we can see all the way to Scotland!? You don’t have to climb a high hill to appreciate the views though, even walking on the upper lane out of our village gives you views across Whittingham Vale or up to Corby Crags.

(c)view of Cheviots + Glanton

View of the Cheviots and Glanton area in the Whittingham Vale.

The tiny watercolor sketch above is from one of my morning walks along the upper lane of our village. The blue hill in the distance on the left is actually two hills in the Cheviots, one being “The Cheviot” itself. The hill in the center I’m pretty sure is Low Pyke in Glanton, the next village that you can see across the valley. It makes you realize that all the way back to bronze age man, people must have named the hills and used them for direction.

Study of Corby Crags in watercolor pencil.

Study of Corby Crags in watercolor, March 10, 2015.

This little study above is of Corby Crags, as seen from my side yard in spring. It’s just a quick watercolor sketch to practice clouds and colors, but I remember standing there doing it on a sunny day in March, when winter was breaking.

(c)April 2015 Burning Heather on Brizlee 2

“Burning Heather on Brizlee”, watercolor field study, April 6, 2015

This one was done while walking along our upper back lane, I saw smoke from a fire in the distance and stopped to record it. I leaned on a big field gate as I looked past the buildings in the foreground to the long hill in the distance. My husband told me they were burning heather on the moors up on Brizlee, this is to promote new growth of heather shoots for the grouse and partridges (all for the hunting season). This hill I realized later when I looked on a map is all the way in Alnwick, the next village about 6 miles away!

(c)5-26-15 view of Demesne Farm + Thrunton Woods

“View of Demesne Farm and Thrunton Woods”, watercolor, May 26, 2015.

One of my favorite things here is to watch the clouds cast shadows and patches of sun creep across the face of the land. Where the sun goes the greens and golds of the land come alive, it’s so dramatic! The little 5 1/2″ x 7″ watercolor above I did while sitting on the side bank of the road out of our village looking towards Thrunton Woods and Demesne Farm. It’s one of my morning walks that is relatively short but always windy when you get to the top. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this view!

"View From Edlingham Lane" watercolor, July 21, 2015.

“View From Edlingham Lane” watercolor, July 21, 2015.

This 4 1/2″x 6″ study was done on the same lane but just a week ago. I was near the top of the lane where you really get hit with all the wind sweeping across this valley. It was a misty day and my hands got cold and stiff, yeah even in July! As I painted this it started to rain (see the approaching clouds?) so I quickly put my kit away…then it stopped….so unpack the kit again! The weather here is just like that, dress in layers because when the sun comes out you’ll get so hot and start peeling off jackets, but as soon as the clouds come it’s cold and there could be a surprise sprinkle in that cloud. I usually bring more than the average walker because I end up sitting or standing still a lot and it gets cold when you don’t move around.

 Next post I’ll share more photos of my surroundings, but still so many sketches to share too! Besides sketching I’ve been busy testing watercolor paper so I can dig in and concentrate on my illustrations, I also got a new watercolor field box that I’ve been using and love. I’ve been recording (with photos and sketches) the local flora and fauna (would you expect anything less from me?) So far I have positively identified 51 birds, 46 different wildflowers, 10 butterflies, 3 moths and any number of unidentified insects, moths, plants etc. It’s exciting to be in a new country with all these new things! I’ll share more of this coming up, stay tuned!

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