Grumpy Jack and Happy Holly

 

This afternoon I took Holly and Jack for a walk (they needed it-cabin fever and all that). It started to rain as usual and Holly decided to go on the swing with her brolly. She looks very lady like. Holly is looking over my shoulder and has just remarked she looks 'very British'. Jack was in a right grump and really did not want to cooperate. I decided to sketch them both since their body language and moods could not have been further apart!

 

 



I sketched this in the tent on the morning of Aug 17th. We had just experienced the night from hell. Winds were so extreme; JB reckoned they were a force gale 8. There was a tent down the hill from us with its roof totally ripped off. The camp manager, Brian said they had to clear away loads of collapsed tents; he said one tent had blown over from the neighboring campsite. My notes with this sketch read, ' Sitting in the tent all morning. Its gale force winds and hammering down with rain. Many tents have collapsed and people are going home. But not us. It's pretty scary so I'm drawing the corner of the tent to take my mind off the weather'.

Note: Both sketches did not scan so well but I thought I could take advantage of darker areas and make them part of the artwork by photoshopping a little!

 

The day after going to Barnstaple we managed to make it on to Woolacombe beach, but it was cold and started to rain. JB and I sat huddled under waterproof coats watching Sam and Jack dig, oblivious to weather conditions.  It was also interesting to watch this chap wriggling out of his wetsuit.

 

 



It's bed time and all I can hear is Jack playing his electric guitar. I go up. 'Listen to this Mum', he says.  I watch him standing in his grubby socks amongst a mass of wires which take up most of his bedroom floor .  A quick sketch captures the moment of my youngest pretending he really is a rock star performing to a large admiring audience- although I am admiring and proud. But now it's definitely time for bed!

Seagulls in Devon and Chickens in Hartley Wintney

 

 

This very quick sketch was drawn when we went to Barnstaple. The weather was very wet but did clear up by the afternoon. We were able to eat our sandwiches in a small garden just beside the church in the middle of the town. There was another one of those crafty seagulls on the lookout for a tasty snack, namely from us down below. He was pretending not to look at us but we knew better.

With birds on my mind I couldn't resist sketching another 'cheeky chicken'.  I used a dip pen which is why you can achieve the thick and thin line in one stroke.