Out & About: the Summer Holidays

The school summer holidays have now finished here and that means I am properly back in the studio.  I had intended to make loads of work over the summer – all beautifully photographed and blogged of course – but the reality was I really needed a break.  So I had one.  This doesn’t mean I didn’t do anything creative, but it was nice not to feel pressured into working with deadlines looming and to spend time with the family camping and chilling.

 

Bags of collected PomPoms

All the PomPoms were taken down in the few days leading up to the school holidays and every time we thought we had them all, more seemed to appear.  They are now being stored in my loft, waiting until 12 September, when they are going on an outing to Baker St Gardens in Stirling as part of the Stirling Fringe Festival.  It will be really good to see them all again.

 

The moment the kids finished school, we whisked them away on our annual camping holiday.  We went to France, this time to Brittany and then again to Ile de Ré.  The weather was fantastic and I made sure I got my annual aquarium photography session as we went to Océanopolis at Brest.  I love photographing fishes in aquariums and this one is a real goodie.  It also has a fabulous penguin tank where you can see them swimming under the water.  I am always slightly queasy about the ethics of zoos, aquariums etc, but I seem able to put that to one side when I see the amazing creatures and especially the gorgeous coral.

Fish (don't know the type - do you?)

Coral

 

Paint bombing

The weather this summer in Scotland has been stunning – by far the best since we

moved back up north eight years ago.  So we were able to spend time doing outdoor things.  In my case this was feet painting and paint bombing with the children.  I think I ended up with the most paint on myself, despite being the only one who was vaguely trying to remain clean.  I also had a very unsuccessful attempt at sun-printing.  It has worked well in the past, so I’m not quite sure what I did wrong this time.  I’ll be able to use the fabric for something though.



feet painting



Attempts at sun-printing

 

Felt monster face by Harry

Apart from running an afternoon felting workshop at the Tolbooth in Stirling, I didn’t have any formal work commitments, which was lovely.  It is also lovely now to be getting back into work and I’m starting to sketch and draw new work, whilst trying to finish off some of these pieces which were put to one side in the PomPom frenzy.  I also have a number of articles to write for Popular Patchwork, which I am enjoying researching.

 

Did you do any fun things over the summer?