Japanese Jenga’s

When I started making these little original art works taking inspiration from my love of Japan, collage and pen and ink I stacked them up to show someone and they said “Japanese Jenga like the game, and it stuck. So from then on that’s what I’ve called them.

Japanese Jenga

Sometimes I use a rotring pen for crisp black lines. I also like Sakura pigma micron pens (yes of course Japanese) or locally produced Derwent products like graphik line makers.

Small original artwork

Japanese Jenga

Another favourite are the Signo uni ball 153 white and metallic pens which again I can get locally at the wonderful Heaton Cooper Studio in Grasmere. https://www.heatoncooper.co.uk/

AmblesideArt

Watercolours I enjoy using are Kuratake gansai in metallics etc. Again Derwent produce metallics and also a new favourite tinted charcoal watercolours.

Metallics on black paper

Sometimes I use white paper but I do have a tendency to love black papers.

Working on black paper

I like the thought someone can buy a piece of art which is original not a print or copy at an inexpensive price.

Watercolour

Japanese Jenga

Patterns

Anyone that follows my Twitter account @AmblesideArt will see that I regularly post patterns but I hadn’t realised until recently that people didn’t realise that these are all taken from art work I have done and not completely computer generated.

Original work

Pattern design

Original Work

Pattern

Original Work

Pattern

To see more patterns feel free to follow me on Twitter @AmblesideArt

Kendal Quaker Tapestry

I am lucky to currently have my work on display at the Kendal Quaker Tapestry Garden Cafe. A lovely Vegan cafe in the centre of Kendal.

AmblesideArt at Kendal Garden Cafe

The Quaker Tapestry is an amazing museum which can often be overlooked. it is a fascinating exhibition and one that always leaves you thinking you need to revisit as there is so much to take in.

Art work at Kendal Garden Cafe

The needlework is amazing and there are over 40 panels to look at, a real journey through social history.
https://www.Quaker-tapestry.co.uk will tell you about the fascinating history behind it.
Follow your visit with delicious coffee and cake or lunch and you have the perfect day out

Kendal Garden Cafe

Art at last!

After a rather long break (literally) I can finally draw again. I managed to fracture my hand making badges. One of these things that seems like a good idea at the time but ended up a disaster. My hand literally hit the floor and hey presto ended up in a cast.

AmblesideArt Badges

At the time I had thought it would be good to have an inexpensive but unique gift. The badges were either hand painted or taken from one of my printed designs.

Badge sets

However doing them put paid to anything else art wise, so frustrating. I did catch up on a lot of reading design books I’d been meaning to catch up on but I had been in the middle of a large (for me) design which kept mocking me from the drawing board.

Underwater Fantasy

It was so annoying at first as I could finally draw but couldn’t get the tops off pens! Well finally I’ve finished it. Using metallic watercolours from Derwent and Kuritake Fudebiyori metallic pens on black paper. “Underwater Fantasy” is now finished and framed, and……. I’ve finally managed to finish the badges too. Don’t think I will be in a hurry to make more soon though!

AmblesideArt badges

Japanese Postage Stamps

Japanese Postage Stamp with Pen and Ink

I was lucky to find a large collection of Japanese Postage stamps recently. A fascinating insight in to the country and customs. Works of art in their own right. I decided to incorporate them into my artwork.

A Variety of Japanese Postage Stamps

Working with pen and ink and also the new Derwent Metallic Watercolours it was interesting to see how they could be worked in to a design.

Japanese Postage Stamp Art

I used collage techniques with watercolour paints and ink pens.

Work in Progress

The most difficult bit was choosing which to use, I had 300 stamps which I am still working through. I have sorted them in to colours as this seemed to be the easiest way to separate them.

Art Work using Japanese Stamps

Just for fun I also collaged a bell jar

Collaged Bell Jar

Also made some patterns from the artwork

Japanese Stamp Fabric

Japanese Stamp Artwork

This work is currently on sale at Beck Steps Gallery in Grasmere http://www.beckstepsgallery.co.uk