A Garden, Yes - But Plants?

This garden we inherited when we bought this house eighteen months ago is soul-less as well as plantless - and - although we have done stuff to both the garden and the house - it has involved taking down that random fence and removing a skip load - literally - of hard standing and brickwork - lots of bricks.

We have had to cut back virtually the only plants - a buddleia and that ivy from the end of the brick shed, for being in the wrong places. 

Yesterday I was tidying up me documents and photos on the computer when I came across a folder full of images I had snapped with the camera in the garden of the house we left for this one.....

Oh me, oh my, I had forgotten just how splendiforous it was!

Brace yourself - there are quite a few handsome beauties here:

We brought lots of things in pots with us but - two winters in - they're looking a bit sorry for themselves... The first thing I want to plant in the garden is a couple of fruit trees - apples please! Then all the rest after we've sorted the lawn and improved the soil and drainage. Meanwhile - we can feast our eyes on these - enjoy

Valentine Ending

I was looking through the pictures on my phone today and found these of a lovely walk I took with the dog on a beautiful bright day in early Autumn. The quality is not great on my phone - but the shapes and light were captured well enough. 

Not being a fan of dark and grim January and February, it is lovely to be reminded of the joy that is bright but soft English light - I can't wait to see and feel it again, once the warmth of Spring breaks through!

Oh and - just couldn't resist posting the delightful winged heart card I received from my dear firstborn this morning, as he left for school. Through my half asleep and generally worsening eyes, the wings looked like jellyfish, but I didn't say anything - it was only when I opened the blinds that I saw the feathers! 

Lucky me - being the mum of two of the most darlingest boys in the world.

What Do They Get Up To...?

My students have just started the research for my favourite project theme today - and so far I think it will the most popular with them too - until they do Advertising after that - some of them just excel at the ideas generating!
They have to research into various aspects of narrative image making - sequential imagery; illustrators, animators, cartoonists, games designers are all covered in this one.
There are always one or two key students I don't forget and thinking about this project made me look up Alex Searle - who is doing really well since leaving our course to go to NUA Norwich University of the Arts. Here's his inspired short film exploring what animation actually IS:

What is animation from alex searle on Vimeo.

Another ex-student who springs to mind is Toby Rampton who went on to study illustration at Cambridge.

His Flickr pages show what he gets up to and how his delightful drawing style is unfolding.

Prickly Little Fella

I had a couple of hours free today to work on developing a little 'cook' of a hedgehog.
He / she - I don't know yet... - became a bit less cute over the course of the morning:

From rough first sketch:

To this:

Mmmmm...