Dark nights

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Hannah

It’s a really dark night tonight. Often the stars are bright enough that I can walk down the lane to bring the bin back and see my way quite clearly. Tonight I needed our big torch that sits by the back door. I love the incredible stars here, especially when it’s frosty. But I do also love these dark nights, a proper pitch black full of countryside nocturnal noises.

Here is a character I have been drawing for my latest project at college. He’s proud because he’s just made his own piece of paper.

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Nesting

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Hannah

The guttering around our house is a popular spot for a variety of little birds to build their nests. This year a pair of Blue Tits have taken a liking to the guttering above Little Owl’s window. We have been watching them flying in with nesting material and there is quite a collection now hanging over the outer edge of the gutter. We can see their tails bobbing about as they arrange the latest find to their liking. A quick flick and they turn a full 180 so that we can see their toes gripping the plastic and two beady eyes surveying the lie of the land. The organisational details must be complex too because they chatter and chatter and chatter.

Above is a picture I have been working on for quite a while and is now finished. It was commissioned by SummerCloud, a small company who make personalised baby blankets and various other items. SummerCloud wanted to start selling a range of prints and posters that could be personalised for a child’s bedroom. Karen, who runs SummerCloud, wanted there to be lots of little hidden things for the child to find, so look closely! It has been a great experience because through it I have found a new friend in Karen and I’ve learnt tonnes. SummerCloud have just released it on their website, which you can get to by clicking here.

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Henry Tomkins

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Hannah

If you’re wondering why I keep blogging about my birthday presents it’s because I received a few special ones this year as this birthday was a significant one. So no, I’m not just showing off how many presents I got (I know you thought it!). For this significant birthday a few of my family clubbed together to buy me a handbag made by the amazing Henry Tomkins. Today it finally arrived and it is beautiful. It even has a special paintbrush pocket. I love the way Henry describes how the bag needs ‘feeding’ with shoe cream, as thought it’s a real live creature. It’s lovely to think of it in that way, a new pal for all my projects and plans.

Just in case you happen to be around I’ll be at a coffee morning at Middleton village hall in the Borders in aid of the local school on Saturday. I’ll have all my usual bits and pieces plus a bit more so drop in and say hello.

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Flat Cat Gallery

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Hannah

I don’t know where I’d be without kind people…almost certainly in a ditch somewhere. Since I have started on my illustration journey so many people have shared knowledge, experience, contacts and tea with me. Today was no exception. This morning Little Owl and I went along to meet Jacquie and Annette at the Flat Cat Gallery in Lauder. I was supposed to be selling them my cards and prints. In reality they took me in hand, restructured my pricing system (I didn’t have one) and told me what to charge them for my cards. They were within their rights to laugh me out of the place for my naivety but instead were gracious and encouraging. I’ve come along way but there’s still so much to learn. Little Owl surveyed the scene from her pint-sized chair as she built stickle brick towers and supped her complimentary hot chocolate. Here is a photo of the Flat Cat Gallery taken from another one of their artist’s websites (sorry Stephen – I forgot my camera!). Anyway, just to let you know Flat Cat will be stocking framed versions of my exotic animal series, as well as my cards, so go and have look. Little Owl recommends the hot chocolate.

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Snow stops play

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Hannah

Here is an editorial illustration I did this week for Edinburgh University’s Insight Magazine. The illustration accompanies an article about how humans are more than a mathematical equation.

Big Dreamer and I were surprised to look out of the window this morning to see it was snowing. Little Owl is appalled. She’s just got a brand new swing and it’s covered in snow. Aled Jones reported a listener’s comment on Radio 2 this morning, that you can tell when spring is here because the postman starts wearing shorts. Big Dreamer said that you can tell when spring’s arrived in Scotland because the snow doesn’t stick.

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Wheeeeee!

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Hannah

We bought Little Owl a swing for her birthday. It isn’t actually her birthday for a little while but Big Dreamer and I are rubbish at keeping secrets. Big Dreamer put it together today and Little Owl is pleased as pie with it. She hasn’t been off it yet. As you can see from the picture she’s also becoming a real expert at putting her own wellies on.

The window ledges in our house are slowly filling up with our garden hopefuls. Added to the egg cartons of chitting potatoes there are now newspaper pots filled with broad beans, sweet peas and an annual called Cosmos.

 

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World Book Day

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Hannah

This morning I spoke to an incredibly nice lady and about her stocking my cards in her exceptionally beautiful shop and gallery. The whole conversation was pleasant and positive but I still semi-died of nerves in the middle of the floor on putting the phone down. Despite having the attention span of a particularly flighty flea, Little Owl is my saviour in these situations. I can always be brave with her around. I’m Mum and as we all know, there is nothing Mum can’t do. Plus Mum is the source of all the most exciting and wonderful adventures (for now at least). Whether she’s handing me sellotape for a parcel or bringing along her plastic pink till to a craft fair, we’re only playing shops really. So, picking up her World Book Day book for her today was the least I could do. I took along her token to our local Waterstones (our independent book store has closed down) and chose What the Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson. She’ll love it, it has a song at the back! Oh, and happy St David’s Day too.

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Making cheese

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Hannah

 

Look! We made cheese! Actual, real cheese! We were given a wonderful kit from Urban Cheesecraft for our birthdays and tried it out this week. The kit comes with instructions, a thermometer, rennet, salt, and citric acid. I especially enjoyed the part where you had to stretch and knead the cheese. I suppose what we made was household cheese, the kind that many homes would have made from their own milk in this country historically, and many people throughout the world still do. Although it couldn’t ever claim to be Wensleydale it tasted great and we were very proud of ourselves.

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Oyster catchers

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Hannah

Walking down to the river yesterday I heard a familiar pee-ee-ep and then over our heads flew a flock of black and white, orange-tipped, arrows. These are the Oyster catchers who come to our valley to mate and raise young before returning to the coast. This seems to be a trait of northern Oyster catchers but less so in the south. Their call carries far across the landscape. I grew up near the sea and was used to this famous call. It’s funny that there it seemed such an eerie sound, a chilling lament across the sand bars. In the pastoral setting of our valley it feels a much friendlier cry and we are glad to see them as another signifier of the coming of spring.

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Pancake Day

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Hannah

Here is Big Dreamer flipping pancakes. We had to save our pancake day celebrations for Friday as this week has been jam-packed. I know that pretty much undermines the whole point of pancake day: the idea of intentionally pausing to remember what makes us who we are when all the ‘stuff’ is stripped away. Anyway, Big Dreamer is an expert pancake flipper and I’m pleased to announce I did my first successful flip ever this year!

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