Planet Ruby Starrs

We went for a lovely walk from Widdrington village to the coast and then along the beach for a scone and tea at the Drift cafe - my favourite cafe in Northumberland. It was fresh and muddy but wrapped up well with wellies on made it a nicer option then staying inside for another day... I'm craving hot sunshine, desperate to be in the garden and growing things - jealous of a friend who is about to travel round South America - I've got itchy feet!!! Fortunately we have an extended trip to Ireland planned for later this year so hopefully that will cure the itchy feet but I'm not sure about the sunshine!! On our walk yesterday we stopped at a small ruined chapel and pilgrims rest rather grandly  called Low Chibburn Preceptory of the Knights Hospitallers and The Dower House. persons travelling on pilgrimage to the Holy Island would stop there for rest.  http://www.fusilier.co.uk/widdrington_northumberland/low_chibburn_preceptory_dower_house.htm  There's not much le

Finally getting to grips with the very basics of photoshop although everything I do looks very very photoshopped and I think the skill here is to make it look like its never even been in the same room as a computer let alone inside one!!!  Using the same motifs I put together last week I have been experimenting with colour fills and I have to say a big thank you to Amy gingersnaptextiles. blogspot.co.uk for all her help at college... I would never have got anywhere without her patience... So another dropped repeat pattern featuring chrysanthemums - hopefully this will be the end of the flower power. with vague skills and confidence picking up I have been playing with some of my boat photos and drawings for the DM brief - a treat in store - watch this space ........

This nothing to do with my current brief - its more about inspiration and why I'm finally doing what I'm doing and why I've kept doing it for years and years... Inspiration comes from everywhere, its a little bit like recycling, I see something pretty or interesting and I  think how can I use that? - can I recreate my version?, what can I make that fires me up like that? how will it fit into my eclectic mix of things I have made or some how collected?.... and so on...  coat by Kaffe Fassett I am often inspired by colour and definitely by texture - I have always loved fabrics and tapestries or wall hangings - for many years I used quite alot of Kaffe Fassetts work for inspiration.  His beautiful knitwear inspired me to knit jumpers, cardigans, shawls and coats using a large and varied collection of different yarns, colour combinations and experimental patterns as well as some of Fassetts own.  Early in my knitting career I knit the star coat (pictur

There's nothing quite like an afternoon spent cutting, sticking, drawing and painting...  although I have to admit lobster pots take some drawing! My concept for my Dr Martens brief is taking some shape,  The photographs are all taken down at Amble Harbour and Marina.  Yesterday I focused on some of the detail looking at fishing nets, pots, moorings and the fantastic array of iron work built into the harbour structure. boats.. rust... I've cut and pasted the pictures and started to put together some work in progress concept pages - I've spent ages looking for the font DM's use for their logo to no avail.... ropes... fishing nets.. I've even knit a fishing net!!!!  Its all there to be added to and reflected on and jigged about thank someone clever for blutack ha ha ... but I think some sneaky ideas are emerging.......

I know this blog is currently more about my art course but here is little diversion - a quick book recommendation - The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell.  The Guardian reviewed this novel as ''recklessly ambitious'' - mad silly and a lot of fun.'' That really sums it up and its rather splendid, an excellent read with lots of different layers (easier then PhotoShop) going on and some very clever links as the story unfolds.  I'm not going into detail here as I'll post the link for the guardian review which sums it up nicely, if anything it over complicates the plot - just read it!!!  The novel has a definitive fantasy feel and I don't normally like fantasy books and its quite futuristic - spanning six decades and proposing a grim outlook for the world we live in if we don't pay heed and start considering global climate, warfare, sustainability... For me its in the same bracket as Margaret Atwood, well written, entertaining and a compelling read

Its a chilly windy day down at the Marina and harbour - a classic February day, the tide is almost fully in and the boats are bobbing about adding a bit of colour to a fairly grey sea..  Amble once a thriving fishing town now relies as much, if not more, on tourism and the Marina sports some fine looking boats, alongside less spectacular small functioning craft - Its a nice walk past the Yacht Club over the breakwater and down passed the newly built fish market next to the harbour where the few remaining fishing boats moor. There are boats of every size and shape from puffin cruise boats to dinghies, boats made from wood and fibre glass... posh boats, tatty boats - boats that look like they would never float again, boats full of water parodying their use, fishing boats, catamarans - boats everywhere... In the harbour there are the traditional Coble boats - flat bottomed and high bowed to deal with the constant swell of the ocean - with colourful awnings - a more recent add

I've been on Nana duty this week.  Lovely week spent with my daughter, her partner and two beautiful girls age 6 years and 4 months doing lots of exciting things - baking, painting, building, reading, lots of laughing and smiling and I haven't really had much time to consider my new brief. But now I have packed them back onto the coach home and reality, peace and relative normality resumes so time to to consider my next assignment. We are to explore design motifs for Dr Martens boots which could represent Newcastle or the North East. Apparently the Dr Marten central UK office is in Ouseburn hence the interest.  My partners father worked for many years in the shoe factories that manufactured Dr Martens before production moved to cheaper workforce in China and Asia.  I have always been a fan of Docs and have lost count of how many pairs I have had over the years.  Currently I'm wearing red or black boots tied up with ribbons, but I've had flowery, shocking pink patent l

I dont want to use this page for political statements - its not the place but I couldnt resist posting this link... hope it works. https://www.facebook.com/PigGateuk/videos/467880933383099/

Nothing ventured nothing learnt.. but at what cost?  To a complete novice Photoshop has its charms well hidden!  Fortunately I have insider help and after some private tuition I'm starting to make headway.  Today in college it was a day of playing with Photoshop - some good tips from my tutor, not just techniques but short cuts that make sense.  That said she still went too fast most of the time - what little I managed to write down is re doable the rest .. ah well I'm back tomorrow and I'll just have to ask again!  Its all about practise practise practise - its a new toy and good fun and probably very useful in the long run but I still feel that it can't really take the place of constructive textile give me a good weaving my time of the day... I know its not - but I cant help thinking its cheating and now when I look at lovely fabric I wonder how much is photoshoped..... I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this - its more about experimenting with what

After days of frustration over a very minor detail on Photoshop My wonderful firstborn child has done a telephone tutorial with me explained what felt like the inexplicable - made me practise it several times and hey presto I'm getting there Here are my first efforts a repeat pattern using three of my drawings which I have put together and coloured  - then being a little more adventurous - using the same design I have added more detail in and this is the next experiment result... its not quite as had imagine it sort of sends your eyes funny but its all part of the grand scheme of trial and error yes those of you familiar with Photoshop may well scorn my slight efforts but for me this is a major achievement and I am feeling pleased with myself...it seems one way or another Photoshop is driving me to drink!!! yesterday it was sheer frustration that I couldn't even isolate my images and today its to celebrate I can!!! Oh I just realised its only 2.00 - I'll ne

Had a really good day out yesterday - it managed to pretty much include all of my favourite things... Started out at Marsden Rocks down near South Shields - the tide was well out so Fred went climbing sea stacks and I sat drawing in the rocky cove - the sun was shining, the sky was almost completely blue - it was a very sheltered spot and I sat quietly in the warm sun studying the rocks and then a cormorant came and sat beside me.  It suddenly realised I was not an inanimate object and moved away to sit on a rock shelf about 3 metres away.  I spent the next 20 mins trying to capture it in a drawing none of which were particularly successful so I went back to contemplating the sea and waves and watching the clouds start to form over the sea.  Theres nothing quite like having a whole cove and surrounding vista shared only by a lone cormorant.. not another soul in sight - so restful. Its all very interesting to hear about the discovery of Gravitational waves - Dr Fred is very exci

A quick note to say thanks to those friends, family and others who may be looking at my blog and this is where it will live from now on... I will close the word press account I couldnt get on with word press any better then blogger but after trying both and some reflection I felt this site is more me.. what ever that is - and I will endeavour to master the inner workings of blog posts and the additions needed to make it work in a friendly and interesting manner - any hints or feedback please feel free to message me.  Cheers and enjoy my ramblings.

The last couple of weeks we have been learning to use Photoshop - a rather marvellous digital tool for assistance in tidying up, adding to and generally producing amazing art work.  I have to say as it is computer driven and I'm not - I'm finding it challenging - it does so much with just a single keyboard and a few of my scratty drawings...  Even my tutor is beginning to agree that maybe my mum was right - I have too much electricity in my body to work with anything powered.  Its a bit like magic and eventually I will get to grips with it - but I feel my age and lack of technical know how ha ha ... however its one of the areas I have been looking forward to doing on this course so onwards and upwards and I WILL master it. so far my transformations are as such turn into repeat pattern with coloured background and then a simple line drawing a half drop repeat pattern with a addition of colour... All at a touch of a few buttons and at this time a tiny bit

My lovely neighbour had a special birthday last week.  She is a wonderful person to live door to - she always has those things you need at the right or even wrong time - crochet hooks, mouse traps, compost bins... onions, yellow wool, soup - even an oven when i had accidentally switched mine of and thought it was broken... so far shes only let me down once - no clear wood varnish! so I wanted to make her something personal and special. She shares her home with two very lively border terriers who keep her on her toes and usually pinned tot eh sofa on a night time.  I made her a star book with a few sketches of Bailey and Flynn, some photographs  and a little story i wrote about when the naughty pups frightened us all near to death when they ran away. I think my neighbour liked her present.  I think it turned out rather well.

Liberty Floral I've been spending for too much time cruising the Internet researching inspiration for my college assignment.   As always it's hard to know when to stop but it's exciting to keep discovering new people see their work and read their blogs.  My brief is to look for floral surface pattern design - it's limitless and wonderfully inspiring and there is lots to choose from but I have to be honest and say I return every time to Liberty of London.   http://www.liberty.co.uk/blog/ I have loved Liberty for a long time - the shop itself is full of glorious goodies and the fabric department has always had a special place in my heart.   I remember many wonderful visits to the haberdashery floor spanning many years - from 1972 as a would be 15 year old rock chick - in town to see Led Zeppelin - wearing washed out patched and embroidered Levis (I still have them under the bed) desperately coveting all the fabrics on display, but knowing my scant finance might st

Yesterday I handed in my Contextual studies essay in - a satisfying feeling to have it finished with.  My subject matter was primarily about how Iconic textile designer Zandra Rhodes is trying to contribute towards championing sustainable fashion?  Ms Rhodes over the last few years has been working collaboratively with a company headed by Safia Minney called People Tree and they are designing and manufacturing affordable clothes made from organically grown cotton.   http:/www.peopletree.co.uk/ In recent years the move towards recycling and general awareness about global impacts re sustainability is growing.  But we definitely live in a disposable culture and today clothes, everyday household items and even furnishings can be purchased very cheaply and its considered quite normal to have overflowing wardrobes and to change furniture and decor on  a regular basis. But this has a cost and that cost may seem a long way off  in everyday matters but it is there - and the processes unde