In Barbara Hepworth's Garden...

Last month, Mini Goth and I visited the beautiful sculpture garden of Barbara Hepworth in St.Ives.

When the streets are just a bit too bustling it's a wonderful place to go, it's always so tranquil and quiet.

I love peeking into her studio, (apologies for the unintentional selfie there!)

I remember when Mini Goth was a toddler and she banged her head on one of the sculptures.

She had the most striking Hepworth- esque bruise on her forehead!

We sat in this beautiful conservatory and sketched very happily for an hour or so...

It was the perfect day...

Summer does seem so long ago now, (I do love Autumn though, don't you!)

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A Wonderful Day...

When we were on holiday in Cornwall last month, we visited the Jackson Foundation Gallery in St Just.

I'm a huge fan of Kurt Jackson's work and so I was very excited about visiting this new gallery.

The space is stunning, the sculpture, painting, mixed media and sketchbooks were absolutely beautiful, the staff were really kind and helpful, and they welcomed dogs too, so Middie was very happy!

I was incredibly fortunate to be able to go to a workshop, organised by the Woodland Trust, where we would be able to sketch alongside Kurt Jackson himself!

(He also drove the bus! Please excuse the out-of-focus-extremely-giddy photo!)

We sat in the 'top field' and I just couldn't believe that I was actually there, meeting my art hero!

We all started to draw the Hawthorne tree that has been the focus for many of Kurt Jackson's paintings.

I was so happy that Mini Goth could come along too.

Here's one of the sketches, and some of the hastily scribbled notes that I took.

It was a day I will never forget, and I really look forward to visiting St Just again next year.

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Summer Time Sketching...

One of my favourite times out of the whole of my holiday in Cornwall was actually a pretty wet and miserable afternoon.

When the weather lets you down it gives you the perfect excuse to go to a cafe, get out your sketchbook and people- watch.

And that's just what me and my lass did.

They do a mean chai latte at The Exchange Gallery in Penzance, (the art is rather impressive too!)

The weather was so bad I managed to drink two massive mug fulls!

Would you like to see some of the other sketches I scribbled during the summer?

After I have sketched something,whenever I look back in my sketchbook, it takes me straight back there.

Perhaps sketching and observing makes you switch off your brain, I suppose it's a visual form of mindfulness in a way.

It is one of the things that makes me completely happy and relaxed.

We also visited the beautiful museum and sculpture garden of Barbara Hepworth in St.Ives, we managed to find a lovely sunny corner in the summer house to sketch...

(My lass didn't know that I was sketching her!)

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Creative Prompt For September: