At the Sculpture Kitchen

We went to David Cook's Sculpture Kitchen a few weeks ago and saw his work in progress alongside finished pieces that were for sale. I love peoples workshops. I always want to pick up their tools and have a go myself.

I especially liked the raw claws and feet of animals with the wire still being visible. There's something special about seeing peoples unfinished work.

Some brushes

waiting on the windowsill in my sudio.

Black Russian Terrier Bag

A couple of weeks ago I did some screen printing to make a christmas/birthday present for my brother and his girlfriend. The original drawing is based on photographs of their award winning dogs. 

I used a cotton fabric that I found at IKEA to sew a tote bag. I like the bright green as it makes the black stand out. 

Please contact me if you'd like a bag.

If you'd like a Black Russian Terrier, contact my brother Bastian and his girl friend Annina at Zarski Podarok.

Little dancer

Beautiful drawing by John Coombes.
Would love to do more life drawing with John.

Little Red Riding Hood and Bouncy Boy

Little Jacob, bouncing.

Little feet.

Little Red Riding Hood Johanna, dressing up.

Little red nails

Still snowing

Yorkshire, you have been particularily beautiful today, with that fine coat of snow, covering your hills, crowned with colourful skies.

Castle Hill and Yorkshire skies.

♪♫ Du du du, looking out my back door window. ♫

Visual notes and textile samples

Birds on a tree.

Textile sample on my daughters drawing. 

Crochet stainless steel and paper thread. 

A glimpse, a spark... a dead flower

Some dead flowers in the snow. Somehow inspiring to me. Beautiful colors and contrast. I just like the  way the stalks give direction and dynamic.

Weldon's Guide to Fancy Work

Getting inspired to do some "fancy work". Thanks John, for this great Christmas present.

Whilst making resolutions

I thought of things I read recently, some good advice, some fun suggestions and even a pinch of wisdom:

A 90 year old shares "42 lessons life told me".

My all time favourite:  "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young" by Mary Schmich. It became know as  "Wear Sunscreen" when Australian film director Baz Lurman used the lyrics for a song.

And last but not least I enjoyed reading all the comments on this blogpost on Cup Of Jo. Awesome.

I hope you'll BE HAPPY in 2013.

Gute Vorsätze - New Year's Resolutions

are not always a good thing. As they only seem to last as long as the year is new. And soon, instead of improving your life, you feel guilty and a failure, as you cannot even achieve the simplest thing.

So this year I ended up making a (long) list and then picked the three most important things. And I'll stick to those. (I chose things I love doing anyway!)

Everything else that was on the initial list will still be important to me and if I manage to do some of these things occasionally it'll be a bonus.

So here's one: Do more sketches and care less. Sketches don't need to be perfect.

This lonely flower is growing just outside the Old Printworks.
I was able to combine the sketching with another thing from the long list: Spend more time outside with my kids.

The Frog

Found this frog outside The Old Printworks, chased by a cat. John rescued it by placing it in our neighbours pond. It was last seen swimming towards a water lily.

For years we had a toad living in the vaulted cellar at my parents farm. Always looking ancient and wise, guarding the barrels of our homemade organic cider. 

Epiphany - Dreikönigstag

Bye bye, little bird. See you again next christmas.

I hope you had a wonderful christmas and a good start into the New Year.