Katharine's 52 Week Illustration Challenge

Here is a link to some of my illustrations :)

My 52 week Illustration Challenge

The joy of being taught to paint!

I have always been intrigued, a little intimidated by acrylics and oils and now I have had a ten week series of lesson which I really enjoyed and where we mostly used acrylics, I am smitten!
I love their forgiving nature - there is no such thing as mistake that cannot be fixed!
I have no art training other than these 10 weeks and a weekly water colour class I attended for a few months about ten or eleven years ago - I would love to do more. Perhaps when I am very old I will get to do a GCSE or even an A Level in art.
Here are a few of my pictures from the class.

A shot in the Park, Tring

As part of the A shot in the Park photography competition run by the Woodland Trust, Tring Brewery, The Natural History Museum in Tring and Millicans, I went on a landscape photography course on Saturday in Tring Park.

I must admit to getting camera shy when all the other participants had amazing kit and were very knowledgable. I got some shots I am happy with, but there is definitely room for improvement! I picked up some tips though, and met some lovely people.

Below are a couple to whet your appetite and here is a link to more on Flickr: 
Tring Park Landscape Photography

Cygnets

I have been hunting down cygnets for weeks. I made several unsuccessful visits to various locations and sadly, a nest that was being watched for me was attacked by a minx the day after the cygnets hatched, but today I found some, by chance, in a park in St Albans.

Here are a couple, the rest can be found on flickr here:  St Albans cygnets

A rainy churchyard walk

I tried to go for a walk to the top of a hill for a wide view of the amazing clouds today. However those clouds emptied themselves on me when I had got no further than the churchyard.

Here are a couple of my photos before the downpour.
Follow the link to find more:  Rainy churchyard walk, on flickr

Ashridge Forest

After College Lake we had lunch and quick stroll around around Ashridge.

Here is a taster and there are more on flickr.

College Lake, Tring

I went to College Lake in Tring hoping to see cygnets and kingfishers - I saw neither, but it was beautiful and tranquil and I did enjoy snapping away with the sound of birds singing all around.

Here is a taster and more can be seen on flickr.

Garden Bluebells.

I have a patch of bluebells two feet square - who needs Ashridge anyway?
 - more garden bluebells on flickr

Bluebells

The bluebells in Ashridge are bursting open. They will be gorgeous in about three days!
Here are a couple and a link to more on Flickr Bluebells

Full Moon

The moon looked amazing over Hemel Hempstead tonight. 
Here are a couple, more on flickr: Full moon photo set

London Photo Day: Regents Park Lake

I had a photo day in London with virtual friends from a photo sharing group on facebook - 

I have uploaded them in sets onto flickr. Here are the pictures I took around the lake in Regents Park. There are flowers, herons, baby geese, a fountain sculpture and deckchairs.

Here's the link to my flickr stream: Regents Park Lake

And here are a couple to whet your appetite

London Photo Day: Regents Place Art

I had a photo day in London with virtual friends from a photo sharing group on facebook - 

I have uploaded them in sets onto flickr. Here are a few pictures from Regents place including work by Anthony Gormley and Julian Opie.

Here's the link to my flickr stream: Regents Place Art

And here are a couple to whet your appetite

London photo day: Harrods and V&A

I had a photo day in London with virtual friends from a photo sharing group on facebook - 

I have uploaded them in sets onto flickr. Here's my walk through the V&A and Harrods, including a Faberge exhibition in Harrods (well, it may as well be as I was only looking, not buying!) and lots of Easter treats. 

Plus, amazing glass installation sculpture in both 'museums' by the same artist, Dale Chihuly. A larger one is in Dubai Mall.

Here's the link to my flickr stream: Harrods and V&A photos

And here are a couple to whet your appetite

Spring daffodils

I believe these daffodils were planted by Marie Curie as a memorial garden.
It is in Gadebridge, Hemel Hempstead.
More photos can be found here.

Winter to Spring in five hours!

Today started very foggy and became lovely and sunny.
All the pictures are full colour.

Some more of my photos can be found on google + by clicking here

Repurpose a mens shirt

My bag was full of holes and worn out, but I love it, so I have lined it with one of my husband's shirts.
I spent less than an hour on it.

A drawing a day 2014 - January

More drawing a days can be found on a new blog - it's getting a bit crowded in here!
Katharine's A Drawing A Day (KatsADAD)

Day 2
Legs and feet / Rewan 
Stick and ink, sketch pad
10 minutes and 5 minutes

Day 1
Knitted Christmas tree
Pen, sketch book
20 minutes

Pre-amble 2: 

31st December 2013

Rain water splash - from a photograph.

Pen in sketch book, 2nd attempt. 20 mins.

Pre-amble

30th December 2013

Pen in small sketch book, 10 minutes