New image Wilbraham Road

New image of Wilbraham Road shops, Chorlton, now available at the fab new Make It Shop (ltd ed prints, just 20). Includes Out of the Blue fishmongers, Simon Dunn Chocolatier, the Make It shop, Little Angels, Bar 4 Eighty and Oxfam shop.

More mugs, some with pink!

Pink versions of Beech Road available from The Make It Shop on Wilbraham Rd and Hurricane on Beech Road. Also new block of shops on Wilbraham Road, including Out of the Blue fishmongers, Simon Dunn Chocolatiere and fab new Make It shop.

Orkney sketches

Spent a week based in Stromness (Orkney mainland) last month with plenty of sunshine. Here are some of my quick sketches.

Berridale, island of Hoy

diving boat

ferry boat to Hoy

Scara Brae

Stromness

view south towards Hoy fromabove Scara Brae

Exhibition at Grumpy

I've just helped to hang an exhibition at Grumpy pop up shop in Manchester, with many thanks to Lydia Meiying.
https://www.facebook.com/events/413293455475761/
It will run from 6th Aug-5th Sept at Grumpy in the City, Brasenoze Street, open Wed-Fri 12-5pm.
Please call in if you're in town wed-fri over August.
Manchester City (football) Parade 2014 mugs and prints available too.

SCBWI Illustrators Showcase at Seven Stories

Thrilled that the SCBWI Illustrators travelling exhibition has moved to Seven Stories (National Centre for Children's Stories  http://www.sevenstories.org.uk/) in Newcastle.
It will be up until 14th September.
My hedgehog and mouse print is now hanging on the wall there, along with the other showcase entries. http://www.scbwishowcase.org/

A townie's trip to the Cheshire Show

I had a townie's trip to the Cheshire Show last week. 

Middle-whites & Saddleback pigs, Shirehorses

I was fascinated by the judging of the farm animal breeds. The shire horses looked magnificent with their rosettes, plaited manes and well-groomed hair, while the shire foals were all legs and tiny curls. The Jersey cows were surprisingly bony, but their udders were very full. The Saddleback pigs and Middle-whites were being guided around a small ring with the curved end of a walking stick, and a big board was  used to block them from going the wrong way. Suddenly, it was all action in the neighbouring ring, when a large male duroc pig reared up against its handlers! This breed has long legs and looks quite fearsome. Afterwards, the judge made hand gestures suggesting the pig was only fit for slaughter, so no rosettes for him.

Suffolk & Jacobs sheep, Jersey cows

It was very calm in comparison in the sheep rings. The black-faced Suffolk and Jacob's sheep were waiting patiently while they were examined by the judges. They looked very neat and chunky with their close-textured wool. But it was the black and white Alpine English dairy kids that I fell in love with, with their way of half-climbing up the bars to get a better look at each other and any passers by.

Here are some of my sketches of my favourite characters.

Alpine English

Exhibition at Arison Gallery

An exhibition of my work starts tomorrow at Arison Gallery in Chorlton (512 Wilbraham Rd) and runs until 19th July. It is a joint exhibition with Sue L Scott, who is also exhibiting local scenes.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arison-Gallery/152090104813571
The Meet the Artists evening is on 7th July, 6-8pm.
https://www.facebook.com/events/808950559123042/

Arison Gallery in shop window at Arison Gallery

exhibition

Beech Road original above arch

images by Sue Scott above table

I have a new batch of mugs with local scenes for sale in the gallery, too.
http://annavioletillustration.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/more-mugs.html
Hope you can visit!