Lazibyrd

I’ve been so busy since the Front Room Art Trail a week ago, I haven’t had much chance to look at the sketching I did there.

One of the highlights at my venue, Totterdown Baptist Church, was Somerset folk duo Lazibyrd, who I believe had just won the folk category of the South West music awards. I thought they were great. But I’m not qualified to comment on folk music, I just draw it.

And there was this wonderful little girl, who held the splits long enough for me to draw her:
 

My mum makes a speech

This Sunday, the 27th October, my sister Wendy married Paul Costa. I couldn’t concentrate on sketching all that much, with so many people to talk to, but here’s one of my mum giving her speech. Wendy really was the best surprise ever; at the age of 13 I was so horrified to discover that my mother was expecting a baby that I couldn’t tell my friends; at 14, I wrote of her in my diary with adolescent drama, ‘now I know what love is’. Aahh.

 

Everybody’s friend, nobody’s leader

In Bristol we’ve just completed five sessions of the 7 Deadly Sins of Women in Leadership course led by Kate Coleman, Cham Kaur Mann and Grace Owen. Some of the team had seen my Greenbelt Sketchbook and asked if I’d sketch during Saturday, our last day. I filled a 40 page A5 sketchbook – here is a selection of pages from that book, only very slightly tampered with in photoshop.

Some people on the course said they’d buy a book generated from these sketches. If you’re genuinely interested, then please comment below or get in touch!

Any more tech-savvy suggestions for the best way to present them would be gratefully received.

A couple of comments about the course so far…

Each month there has been worship led by the Bristol team (ie the volunteers who invited Next Leadership to run the course) Most of the worship sessions have been beautifully led by Shayla Merivale, but she was away this time, so Rachel Haig stepped in and surprised us all by starting with a picture of Reepicheep, Narnia’s most daring and faithful mouse. I’d never thought of him as a model of discipleship before. But I’m not sure why I hadn’t now. Here Reepicheep invites us into the beautiful landscape that is Aslan’s land.

Kate Coleman introduces the theme for the day, which is all about relationships and leadership. Are we in danger of being everybody’s friend, but nobody’s leader?

Throughout the course we’ve been blessed by the glorious and generous catering gifts of Lesley, Maureen, and their team from St Marks Community Cafe.

After lunch Cham Kaur Mann presents us with the retold stories of a couple of Bible characters who tackled the day’s deadly sin. This time we had Eli, who gets it wrong when he hears Hannah praying – and even more wrong when he’s managing his sons, Miriam, who allows jealousy to mess things up for the whole group, and then Jesus, who keeps God’s will and his friendship with Martha the right way around.

There’s a bit of anticipation as we start the coaching session which is usually led by Grace Owen. We break into pairs and get to talk at length about one of the situations that’s emerged for us during the day.

It’s the last day, so Kate sums up the journey so far.

Closing worship – everyone quietly makes their way to the front where there are beads and cords. Each bead represents something we’ve learned, but we make a bracelet as a gift for someone else. We sing, and we don’t want to leave, but Reepicheep is there reminding us that it’s about being ready for what comes next.
You can find out more about the 7 Deadly Sins of Women in Leadership course at www.nextleadership.org

Art on the Hill 2013

The first day of Art on the Hill has just ended. From the moment you think ‘my house still looks so grubby’ to the moment you close the door, time goes so quickly. Lots of people interested in wedding sketches this year, thanks to a commission from Kate and Simon Jay (detail below).

Now to Victoria Park for Mexican food from Otomi, and music from the two great SMR parent bands, Small  and Parents of Soul. Art on the Hill is always wonderful, drawing many together like the lifesize collage figures at the front of St. Michael’s church this weekend. If you can, come by tomorrow.

La Mer

Another quick sketch from our Brittany trip. Maybe the Bretagne has been refurbished recently, or maybe there are just a lot of miserable people on Tripadvisor, but I found our ferry absolutely delightful. I must be one of those people who feel more alive at sea.

Brittany

We finally took our children to France, for four days on four bicycles. (You’ve no idea, until you do it, how exciting it is to ride a bicycle up to a large ship.) Here are just a couple of the sketches I did in Brittany. And while I’m here, you are invited to join me for the Private View of New Visions III at the Grant Bradley Gallery in Bedminster this Friday (7th June). I have one picture on show, which you haven’t seen, because I finished it a day before the submission deadline. Come on down and have a glass of wine.

Dinard

Victoria Park Revisited

Had a request today from someone wanting to choose an image of Victoria Park, so here are all the ones I can find – for you and for anyone else who is enjoying the park and its cafe coming back to life this March.

Can’t post the Parents of Soul print this week without especially remembering Adrian, centre stage in the black hat.

Parents of Soul

Nutgrove Avenue

Hula Hoops at Mrs Brown’s

End of the Fun Day

     
Victoria Park Bonfire          

         
Easter Trail

Mrs. Brown makes more mulled wine