Derwentwater Arms Calver

More from our 13 month old grandson's illustrated diary. Ezra's local - we've already taken him out with us twice to this pub for an evening meal. Wonder if we'll still be around when he's 18 - very much doubt it! On our morning stroll with him we pass this view on the way back from our coffee at Palmer's Café.

Returning to Calver Village in colour

Watercolour added

Returning to Calver Village

Returning to Calver Village from the Curbar side off Kingsgate (the A623) onto Main Street...... the pen sketch. Ezra's asleep by this stage and we're on the way to Palmer's Café for our mid morning cappuccino and sausage roll/toasted teacake. That's G A Shepherd the bespoke tailor's shop straight ahead.

Doug's dog Spike

More from our travels around Calver with our grandson Ezra. We usually stop (when the weather's okay) to say hello to the old gentleman Spike. He's Doug's dog. Doug used to be landlord of the local Derwentwater Arms and they live on the corner of High Street and Lowside. Ezra likes Spike and likes pointing at him! 

Whitby boats

My latest boat painting - another from Whitby

Siena Cathedral doodle

My memory of our first view of Cattedrale Di Siena as we walked around the massive Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico to reveal this view across the valley.

'omage to Van Gogh & San Gimignano 02 - finished

'omage to Van Gogh & San Gimignano 02 - finished and ready for submission day. This is the central section - hopefully it'll all become visible at the Great Sheffield Art Show in July.

'omage to Van Gogh & San Gimignano 02 - stage 1

'omage to Van Gogh & San Gimignano 02 - stage 1 - the pencil sketch. It's A3 size and follows our visit to Tuscany last September and my lifelong liking for Vincent VG's paintings. This one is for the Great Sheffield Art Show Selection Day in April. I'll post the finished acrylic painting tomorrow.

Venice Rialto - stage 3 - finished

The finished work (part of). The complete work is ready for selection day for the Great Sheffield Art Show. I'm thinking of starting the Sheffield Colourists Movement!

Venice Rialto - stage 2

The collagey bit

Venice Rialto - stage 1

My next bit of artwork - Venice Rialto - stage 1 - the pencil drawing. It's going to be another over the top colourful acrylic/collagey painting! I suppose it should really be called "working boats at the Rialto Bridge".

Sheffield Canal Basin 2 - Finished

Excerpts of my finished work - ready for submission day - just 3 more paintings to complete before 13 April!

Canal Basin Sheffield - start

Canal Basin Sheffield - start of my mixed media/acrylic effort for the Great Sheffield Art Show - submission day April 13th - finished effort to follow.

Higger Tor from Burbage Edge

Oh... and Higger Tor looked especially gorgeous from Burbage Edge in the clear blue sky on a most beautiful Spring morning. We walked 4 miles from Ringinglow to Longshaw for our coffee and 4 miles back across t'moors via the Fox House. Good to be alive. Wonder if Wales won this afternoon? It's almost 5 o'clock and I'm about to find out - hope there won't be any tears in the next 5 minutes! 

Calver stone-with-a-hole

On our jaunts around Calver I keep seeing this beautifully re-furbished house on Main Street with a strange stone-with-a-hole built into the gable facing the road. Is it a megalithic sun-worshiper's sextant or perhaps a Roman carsie (they did a lot for us in the Derbyshire Lead Mines)... I wonder. Anyway, thought I'd draw it.

Downtown Calver - the Village Center

The Centre of Calver Village at the confluence of High Street, Main Street and Sough Lane. Our Ezra was unusually grumpy this morning - he napped for 2 hours so he must have been over-tired... bless. Gave me a bit more time to do the pen sketchette on the left., put the watercolour on at home. He made it to his nursery.

My 300th post - the Shard behind Tower Bridge

My 300th blog post. My latest version of the Shard - finished it a couple of nights ago. It's based on my "plein air" drawing from our visit to London last October. This one is A3 size and I'm saving it for the Great Sheffield Art Show in July (hence the grey and partially coloured low resolution images)  - hope it gets selected. We've booked tickets to see the view from the top in June - it's part of a re-union with fellow architectural students from the year of '67 - hope the clouds aren't too low and/or wet!

North from Palmers Cafe CALVER

Our Ezra had a bit of an eye problem (can't spell the medical word - if I could I would have become a Doctor!) so he couldn't attend his nursery today. Instead we attended Palmer's Café while he had his morning nap outside. Can recommend their sausage rolls. Rushed this sketchette off after my cappuccino - he didn't sleep for long.  

Bakewell Church

Another view on our Ezra's Bakewell tour after his first morning at nursery last Tuesday.

Bakewell Bridge over the Wye

Last Tuesday - our Ezra's first day at nursery in Bakewell. We picked him up at noon and after a quick nap he was ready for a tour along the Wye to point out the swans, cygnets, Canada geese, moorhens and a variety of ducks. Here he is - in his no. 2 pram with Grannie Liz. The bridge in the background is the main road from Sheffield into Bakewell.