Friday 26 September 2008

On The Beach


Huts ~ Pen & Wash

Huts ~ HB Pencil

Yep, I managed to get an hour or so on the beach today, the weather was simply glorious, so I sat and sketched a bit...beach huts as usual. I've just read Juliet's musings from 25/09/08 and realise I made a painting from exactly the same spot a couple of years ago.

Tuesday 23 September 2008

Autumn Approaches II




Leaves and seed ~ pen & wash

Wednesday 17 September 2008

The Monkey House


I've always thought of this little turret/lookout to be the 'monkey house' perhaps someone will confirm this using the power of the 'interweb'? See how little sand there is at this time.

Passed First Time!



Congratulations are in order to our son, he passed his driving test yesterday morning!

The Monkey Beach


TBTM20080917

I thought this morning I'd doff my cap to Elizaphanian and his excellent blog with it's TBTM series. He posts religiously [pun intended] and is always worth a read.

Monday 15 September 2008

Autumn Approaches


'The Hard' this evening

I walked with Mabel (our black labrador) this evening about 7.00pm and there was the first hint of that Autumn chill to the air. I think Mabel was indifferent but I wore my sweatshirt. There is a watershed moment in the Mersea calender that has been marked for me since childhood by the West Mersea Town Regatta firework display (other locals will know what I'm on about) this means Summer has gone and the beginning of Autumn is upon us.

Thursday 11 September 2008

Particles

Well, so far we've not yet been sucked down into the much hyped vortex that the Large Hadron Collider may or may not create. We've not actually noticed any perceptible movement towards Switzerland here at artistandtartist H.Q., this maybe because they've not actually crashed any particles into one another as yet or perhaps the probability of them creating a real black hole inside the 'gizmo' has been greatly exaggerated. We read somewhere that someone actually has a lawsuit pending in the event of all life as we know it being wiped out, that certainly would infringe quite a few human's rights. From my limited knowledge of black holes the gravitational pull would be far to great for even the most tenacious solicitor.



They might be giants, crikey this takes me back.

Tuesday 9 September 2008

September Is Here...



Well it hasn't half rained hasn't it...what's more we may all disappear into a black hole tomorrow morning around 8.30 am.

Friday 5 September 2008

Rain, Rain, Rain



Veiw from the studio today.

Wednesday 3 September 2008

Spontaneous Book Purchases


We were all very busy today in the Colchester branch of the Art Cafe corporation, in fact by the time I looked up from the coffee machine to see the Tartist putting the finishing touch to yet another cream tea it was already 3.30 pm. It was then we decided to leave the others to tidy up and nip out to Waterstones just around the corner for a browse. Our browse turned into three spontaneous purchases, not exactly a spending frenzy but quite gratifying just the same.
Our first book was 'Breakfast at the Wolseley' by A.A. Gill restaurant critic with The Times, a unanimous decision and a beautiful little hardback that stylishly exemplifies why breakfast is the artist's and tartist's favourite meal of the day...to quote Mr. Gill "Breakfast is everything. The beginning, the first thing. It is the mouthfull that is the commitment to a new day, a continuing life."
The book contains sections on eggs, viennoiserie, the English breakfast, fruit and cereals, tea, coffee and hot chocolate all with accompanying recipes.
How many of us really know how to make the perfect omelette? or milk before or after in your cup of tea?



You can find The Wolseley at 160 Picadilly in London occupying a grand old showroom of the Wolseley Car Company.

Next purchase was a neat little book, 500 Cupcakes and Muffins, 500 recipes of cupcakes and muffins. We both share a disdain for those cellophane wrapped puffballs offered by the big high street cafe chains (you know who you are!) and this book has quite a few homemade alternatives. Maybe we'll feature one or two in the Artcafe this Autumn.





Last but certainly not least the artist found this title amongst all the arty farty books, Artist's Little Book of Colour by Simon Jennings. The tartist said 'don't you already know all that stuff?', well, some of it I can recall from my dim, distant past at art school, ultramarine being the blue obtained by grinding the rare and expensive lapis lazuli seems to have stuck in my memory from some or other history of art lecture. What I didn't know however is that Indian Yellow was once made by precpitating the urine of cows that had been force-fed with mango leaves!, this little book is full of this sort of facinating stuff as well as some really practical information for the artist.



...mmm we just need a bit of spare time now to try some of the recipes out and have a good read over breakfast.