Ted

 

I can't believe we're at the end of May already. This year is whizzing by so quickly. Since our move to the country side we've been so busy. So many nice places to explore.

 

 The fields behind our house have a fantastic view.

The skies can be spectacular.

 The biggest change has been adopting a little rescue pup - Ted. He's a lively but daft character and over the past couple of months he's fitted into our home perfectly. He sleeps under my desk when I'm working and reminds me to take a break if I've been there for too long.

We go for fantastic long walks (in all weathers).

 

We took him to Devon for a holiday:

 

His sleeping habits can be a little strange...

 

And he wasn't impressed with his trip to the vets.

Overall, we can't really imagine not having him around.

Baby it's cold outside

Well it certainly is a winter wonderland here in the countryside. Everything looks beautiful, clean and white and people are rosy cheeked and bright eyed.

I've rambled about the hills admiring it all but now I'm tucked up by the fire with a sketch book. I sort of hope it stays around as it slows everything down and enforces a certain level of hermitdom.

 

January Dreams

 I treated myself to a Rob Ryan calendar with the idea of staying inspired all year to be organised and create images that make me smile. It hangs in the corner of my studio so I can stare at it and day dream.

January is the time of year everyone makes big plans and resolutions and I admit that I am no different. However, there is still one thing outstanding from last year. The plan was to move to countryside (tick) and get a dog (I'd love a sausage dog, but we'll have to wait and see). I now find myself living in a gorgeous country cottage with a bug garden but so far - no dog.

I've been working away from home every week since moving here, and it would not have been fair to get a pet and leave it on its own all day, but after this month that ends. So now my calendar is used for a different purpose - counting down the days until I might get a dog. There is one other hurdle and that is getting the landlord's permission - fingers crossed.

New year, new home

I realise it has been six months or so since I last posted anything, and looking back I'm not surprised - a lot has happened.

We waved goodbye to our little flat in Weybridge and moved out to the Berkshire countryside. I now find myself living in a cosy little cottage in a village with no shops. My home is a little warm hobbit hole with beamed walls and ceilings, an open fire and a garden. I live amongst rivers, farms and rolling hills and recently some very impressive flooding:

This is very different to the cities and towns I've always lived in but I truly love my new home. I find myself planning what is going to go in the vegetable patch, going on long winding walks in wellies and considering getting a dog.

So it is a fresh new year in a new house, with evenings snuggled up by the fire, there is a lot of plotting and scheming still to do, I wonder what 2013 will bring.

Happy New Year

Box Hill Surrey, a little bit of Olympics

The Olympics finish today, and to be honest I will bee sad to see them go. Not because I'm particularly sporty, although I have found myself following all kinds of events I never had an interest in before, but because I will miss the atmosphere.

I spent a couple of sunny hours roaming round Box Hill they was the main stage for the road cycle races, and was delighted after a long climb to find the Olympic rings on display at the summit. You can just about see the view from the hill, looking out over a vast green and pleasant landscape. It was breathtaking (not just because it's a vey steep climb) but also that the effort was put in to build the rings there at that spot.