233 entry

 

It is October 2023 the world is in quite a turmoil. 

I have feel more in my confidence my art. This is due to commissions really.

Still doing my Wednesday class after 12 years and what wonderful people.

 We have wilded our garden and seeing the development of wild life increase is a delight.

Therefore update of my garden blog is a joy.

Below are some of my achievements over the months. Some I enjoy some not so...

My niece is 40 this week. I did her a card of her family. 

watercolour and pencil.

I was given two commissions to be achieved in Monochrome. 

I enjoyed the tonal aspect so much that I did my own painting. 

Tethering Drove entrance to the Purlieu.

(2) This is Lady Mile Hale Purlieu

monochrome watercolour 

(1) Woodgreen Common

Monochrome watercolour

Just playing...

My friend and I walk on a Monday. We sit in the church and chat..

This is at Florence Nightingale's grave in Wellow.

I used my black pentel brush pen for the marks. Quite pleased with it.

My girlie and lovely boy hugging. part of my 'swatch' diary.

My lovely Dads is in with my beautiful Mums now. 

We went to Sibford Quacker Meeting house where there now are.

My sister and brother in law have been married for 50years in September

The painting is for them of their whole family. I did enjoy painting it.

This is the church that they got married in in Ealing London

Pencil and watercolour

This is Charlie 

He is in one of my books

'Philip the Pheasant'

This is Sid

I love Sid and Charlie even though I 'made' them 

An anniversary card...

A painting for a 70 year olds birthday.

The view from our cabin at Lower Tresmorn - we love that place!

I did a workshop with Karen Welsh. 

This is my completed work.

I do rather like it but shall not be using acrylics again  through choice!

I enjoyed minimalising the subject and the pastel shades..

My ninth book. 

'Daft Donkeys'

£8

Absolutely love it. Worth buying as it epitomises 

the donkeys on the New Forest!

A couple of the iPad illustrations from the book. Ideal for chi;ldren and adults alike.

It is written in rhyme ...

 232 entry

Nearly a year has passed since I last updated this blog.

I have spent a lot of time with my 'swatch' (8) - daily diary; walking log (3) and Random Garden log (1)

I love to record, in my walk log, flora and fauna over the years; to see the variation of life on the Purlieu (New Forest) 

In my swatch I record important days in my life - again over the years.

Just playing...carbon pencil & watercolours

A visit to Wendy Lady's house resulted in this little illustration.

My beautiful girlie chose two little kittens. Brother and Sister... SO gorgeous!

They are now a year old and still a delight!

Coach House Studio for the 9th year I believe.

Woodgreen

Fabulous!

My oldest niece got married. 💕

I have been walking with a local friend and her fabulous wonderful dog for nearly two years now...

This is a sketch in charcoal and watercolours; done as a memory.

Christmas card - 2021

My lovely friends birthday present. Framed painting in charcoal and watercolours.

A windy day on the Purlieu...

I'm out walking again! 😍

Valentine  2022

To my wonderful lovely boy of 43 valentines...

Cornwall 2022 

We made it!

💓What a great week we all had celebrating the life of my lovely Dads 💓 

26 family member went for the week.

Michael Ernest Bond 

1928 - 2021

In memory of our wonderful father, father-in-law, grandfather and great Grandfather

231 entry

A synopsis update from October 2019 to date 30 July 2021.

Over a year of COVID-19 (worldwide) with lockdown, isolation, social distancing and MASKS!; many people struggling in one way or another over the time! 

We are now coming out of it - slowly!

We have missed our family Cornwall 2019 and 2020. First in 55 years!

From this came my fifth book  'A baby comes to Cornwall' 

I wrote it to connect the family together, sending them a page a day, with my daughter adding photos. Thank heavens for WhatsApp groups with 26 of us....!

 

The little book is a log of each day we spend together each Easter week.

What we do and our love for each other! 

Copies are for sale

sarahorchard1@icloud.com

I started walking on the Purlieu nearly every day and recording the flora and fauna plus the weather, in an A6 landscape moleskin book. For me they are the best....

My platinum pen went with me and when home I added my watercolours.

I am still logging and love the fact that I have seen the seasons pass. Looking forward to seeing the variation next year!

I have made two fabulous new friends. I walk with one on Mondays and the other on Fridays.

I feel very honoured to have them in my life. We have shared sadness and pain and laughter.

Christmases and birthdays have passed with distant contact from family and friends. 

My beautiful son had his 30th birthday ... 

We had a quiet Christmas ,home alone. My lovely Dads had been transferred to a care home as the Alzheimers took hold! So demoralising for such a beautiful man, as with so many others. You wouldn't allow your dog to live like that! So cruel....

(Close up)

I made this board game (above) for my son as my secret Santa'

It depicts the route of one of our family Cornish walks. 

I think nicely appreciated.

Valentine 2021 came and went, isolated in our properties....

My boy and I have been together for forty-one years and I feel closer to him now more than ever. We had fabulous times together in lockdown although he was also working 'saving the world...'

 

My lovely Dads died on 15th February 2021. It was relatively peaceful, with seven of us around his bed. No masks, no social distancing. A happy time as we laughed, cried  and exchanged memories of him.  

He was out of that humiliating time in his wonderful life. Adored by everyone he met!

I painted and framed eleven of these watercolour and charcoal sketches below, for all of my family to put in their homes and feel Dads with them. 

I spent five days in hospital from 19th February - our thirty-eighth wedding anniversary 

- with a perforated bowel.

We then both had a week, for a well needed holiday, in Bude Cornwall the first week in May, to make up for missing our Easter Cornwall again and just life really!

As you can read, I needed to see the sea... it was very emotional and a fabulous week together.

I spend a lot of my time playing with pen and wash but different pen 

👏

My lovely son got married and I now have a beautiful daughter in law!

The wedding was SO full of love. They both did a magic job organising it!

We have revamped our garden and now have most of the lawn as 'meadow' to be more environmentally friendly!

Above is my wildflower log. 

Each month I am recording the wildflowers that appear, with 

flowering time; habitat; folklore or history 

I absolutely love doing things like this!

Its just for me but hey!

And finally for now, we have Hampshire Open Studio at Coach House Studio

Woodgreen New Forest

Do visit!

21st August to 30th August 2021