A big thank you to Kingfishers Bridge Nature Reserve for showcasing our little River Friend Books in their shop. It is a wonderful place to visit and the scenery and wildlife are stunning.
I am hoping to publish the seventh little book in our River Friend Series within the next couple of months. With many other projects going on, it has taken some time to push through this particular book entitled “Water: Clean and Dirty”. Here are three little illustrations which are destined to be in it (only photographs at this stage I am afraid; they will look much better once professionally scanned!). Originals were pen and ink only so I scanned them and printed them onto water colour paper and put in a colour wash (media = printers ink and water colour).
This little painting for Book 5 in the River Friend Series (REED: ON THE EDGE) is going along quite nicely. Lots of fiddly bits, which you come to expect with my work, but great fun. It is just so annoying that I take so long to paint something!
Here is the latest progress picture:
Just started the illustrations for the next River Friend book: “REED: ON THE EDGE”, number five in the series. There are lots of nice things to say about reeds, both from a commercial and a leisure point of view. If you think a reed is dull, then this little book will enlighten you and broaden your mind. Not sure how long it will take to do all the drawings and paintings, but it should be out in the next couple of months. I will post when it is available.
Here are a few progress pictures of Figure 1: The Almighty Reed and Reedlings (Artist Code 2012) in the book. Note the first picture (pencil sketch on Aquarelle Arches 140lb water colour paper 14″ x 10″) is enhanced otherwise you would be unable to see it! So apologies for the uneven/thick lines.
I have just completed typesetting (I hope for the last time before publishing) the fourth book in the River Friend Series I am co-authoring with Sylvia Haslam.
The first page in this book shows the famous poem by William Henry Davies (1871-1940) “Leisure” surrounded by an illuminary border which I composed and outlined with pen and ink. This version is currently in the final typeset.
However, last week I purchased some new paints. Daniel Smith Iridescent water colours and over the weekend I decided to try them out by colouring up the original ink drawing illumination. The colours are: Electric Blue, Ruby, Copper, Topaz, White, Aussie Red Gold, Aztec Gold, as well as Imperial Purple (which is not iridescent but a gorgeous vivid purple – quite royal!).
The paints were beautiful to use and I mixed them with ordinary water colour to see what other effects I could achieve. The results are a lovely luminescent painting; a screen view here does not do them justice. I can’t wait to try them out on botanical work (I recently purchased some strong all-black water colour paper), and a Golden pheasant painting I am currently working on will probably receive a bit of iridescent treatment!
Which would you prefer to see as the starter page in the fourth book: “INTERPRET: What Do Plants Tell Us?”. Other titles in the series are listed on our River Friend website.
COLOURED VERSION:
EXISTING VERSION IN THE BOOK TO BE PUBLISHED:
I shall have a stand in the Craft Marquee at Gransden on Saturday 28th September 2019 and look forward to welcoming everyone to the event. It is a splendid day out for all the family and there is much variety of events and items for sale. Do come along and enjoy the whole day and I look forward to seeing old and new friends and anybody else who wishes to speak with me and view my wares. All welcome.
For full show details, visit: Gransden Show Website
BRAND NEW PUBLISHED THIS WEEK: two paperback books about rivers under the umbrella name of River Friend. A5 small books co-authored by Sylvia M. Haslam and Tina Bone, and illustrated by Tina Bone.
2020 Leap Year Calendars: A4/A5 Hanging, CD Desk Calendar (in plastic case)
Diaries: Handcrafted Midback-laminate 2020 Leap Year Diary Limited Edition (20) A5 size, wire ringbound
Notebooks: Hare/Pasqueflower. 160 lined pages (back-to-back) – just like the old wire ringbound Shorthand notebooks!!
AND THE USUAL…
Notelets
Coasters
Greetings Cards: NEW 120mm square [see below] and C6, DL, A5
Whimsy Jigsaw puzzles 250 piece
Traditional 500 piece jigsaw puzzles
Cambridge ceramic mugs
Originals
Prints
Box Canvases
