I've been back home for nearly a month now and I realised I hadn't posted my sketches from my trip to England at the end of April.
I started a new sketchbook and the first drawing was done while I was staying with Jo at Whitstable. The weather was perfect and we spent most of our time in the garden where we were able to admire their magnificent pear tree covered in white blossom.
I drew the tree first then started a stitch portrait of a sprig of the flowers, on some pretty sky printed fabric with a layer of organza under the image to make the whites stand out. As it was intended as a thank you card for Jo I had to hunt for some card to mount it on while she was at work and wrap it in plain paper as it's just too big for an envelope.
On one of my days at Whitstable I had the time to sit by the beach and draw Jo and James's favourite pub, the Neptune, that stands almost on the water's edge and where many a Friday night is celebrated.
Jo's cat Mac is getting very old now and spends most of his time asleep but he knows when I need him to keep still to be drawn and immediately moves. He lost his voice while I was there and it was very strange to see a normally very noisy cat opening his mouth but no sound coming out!
Jo has a willow tree as well and it was just coming into leaf and opening it's catkins and it also became my favourite place to sit in the shade and sew when I had the time.
After 6 days it was time to move on to Justine's and we met up at my mother-in-law's house to do 'the granny hostage exchange' as it's now called!
I spent 4 days with Justine and on one of them she had organised an outing with 2 other friends to a garden where we listened to a talk, had a delicious lunch and then a tour of the walled garden.
Later I sketched this view in Justine's garden of a pair of silver birches surrounded by colourful azaleas.
I decided to embroider it as a thank you card for her but didn't finish it till I was at Juliet's so I had to post it back to Justine before I left the country.
I spent a lovely 4 more days with Juliet and her family, feeling very cherished and relaxed. I drew this on Sunday afternoon after church and lunch while the family all rested.
Juliet goes to a friend every Tuesday for painting instruction and this time I was able to go to and meet Nan, a 91 year old lady living in a beautiful 17th century cottage. While they painted I drew the view through the window.
Well that's it so far as we're off on our travels in the camping car at the beginning of June to visit more of Brittany, keep your fingers crossed for some warm, dry weather otherwise we'll be coming back home too soon!
