Illuminated boats in Ramsgate harbour.

I managed a visit to the harbour at Ramsgate to see the illuminated boats.

The wind was very chilly but it was great to see lots of people walking around to see the boats, many like me taking photographs.

I didn't see any real trees on the boats this year bu I might have missed them.

I think it's a lovely tradition which raises money for the RLNI.

Margate Photography

I have been working on my photographs, selecting and re filing digitally with the aim of using more of them in my mixed media works in the coming year.

So I have also been looking at digital processes in order to see some with fresh eyes and to see further potential in some images.

I do enjoy turning an image into something quite different or changed to a degree, some of these images will have more work done to them. Using digital programs and by physically painting or collaging on top of them.


 

Margate Seascapes and Sketches

 

I've been down to the sea front and harbour, taking photographs and doing some sketches.
The colours in the sea have been beautiful this week.

I've been using up paint from my palette to cover some of my sketchbook pages with tones of blue and using white pen to draw on top of it. I've also been following the contours of the waves in my drawings and water colour sketches.

I like the effect of this and will paint a few more sheets with different shades of blue to work on.

Exhibition at the Show Off Gallery Whitstable and photos of Whitstable.

I've been over to Whitstable to see friends of mine, Marcus Browne and Matthew Usmar Lauder's show. It was held in the Show Off Gallery in the town near the harbour.

A really good show of work including landscapes, fish still lives and icon type portraits and figures, some in decorated boxes.Matthew's website here

I really enjoyed seeing the work and meeting up with them, the work is also on display online.Check out Matthew's facebook page.

Walking around the harbour I took a few photographs and did a bit of beachcombing, one of my favourite activities and justifiable living near the coast now. Some of the shells and stones will be used in future projects.

I was interested to see that there were piles of oyster shells for recycling back to the oyster beds(.Whitstable is famous for its oysters)
  Apparantly it helps the young  oysters, who find the shells one of the best surfaces to attatch themselves to. And it stops the erosion of the oyster beds.

Lyme Regis

Ruth and I went down to Lyme Regis for a few days, the weather was a mixture of strong winds, sun and clouds. We went on one of the fossil walks and found lots of fossils, mostly pieces but one good dinosaur vertibrae too. There was a tiny aquarium on in the harbour and these pipe fish moving in a graceful dance.

I love the sea air and the expanse of sea and sky, the sea is a real turqouise colour too.There is a great little harbour and boats and the cobb, which we walked along out in the sea. We took photos, did some sketching and enjoyed the fresh salty air.

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