A Columbia Road Sunday

Well I had simply the loveliest Sunday morning today, with a trip on my bicycle to Columbia Road flower market in East London. It was a beautiful sunny day and the flowers looked so pretty that I couldn't help but get carried away with my camera. Here are just a few - enjoy!

         

 

Source drawings for patterns

Have been meaning to post these for a while. I made these from natural foliage in my family's garden in Bath. I think they might well make for the basis of some pretty patterns should I be able to get the knack for fiddling in photoshop! Mostly a knarled old apple tree and some now out-rooted lavender bushes, with thanks to my mama and her green fingers for cultivating the other pretty plants..

 

Leighton House lino prints

I saw this done on one of my favourite blogs Mangle Prints, and thought it was a great idea to track the printing process through from the initial drawings through to the final print. In this case, I think I likes the painting on lino better than the final thing, so maybe more work next time with details.

The initial idea for the print came from the Leighton House drawings and another I did a couple of weeks earlier..

 

From initial drawings I transcribed to tracing paper, then straight onto the lino. From there I worked out the light and dark areas by painting onto the lino with white acrylic. This gives you more of an idea of how the final print will look - and finally carved the block.

    The final carved blocks, ready for printing..  

Leighton House drawings

Drawings from the ceramic patterned tiles at Leighton House Museum, stored and to be used at a later date for prints. Wish I could have stayed in there and used some colour, simply dreamy place..

  

   

      

A day of delicious museums

So I took some time off work and went in search of inspiration. First stop was the Geffrye Museum of the English Interior, an interesting museum with period rooms and a fantastic online catalogue: Geffrye's online textile sample catalogue

  

1780 replica wallpaper from the 1970's Parlour Room             Sample from the online collection Manchester 1887 - 1894

Next- on to the gorgeous Leighton House Museum - one of the most extraordinary places i've found in London! About Leighton House Museum. I couldn't stop drawing (to follow), but nothing could could a candle to the amazing collection of tiles, objects and paintings.

Finally back to the V&A ceramics department, and sigh, just to admire the wonderful objects. Here are just a few that took my fancy this time around.

  

Not to forget India and the Orient..