Wanderlust 2026 - weeks fourteen to twenty-six - Paper Alchemy (part one)

 I was really looking forward to the Paper Alchemy theme for the art journaling course, as I really enjoy working with paper and was eager to see what we would be creating.  It didn't disappoint as these were some of my favourite weeks so far.

Making journals has featured several times in this theme and this journal has pages made using calico, cotton and tracing paper.  The pages sometimes have various layers on them, including gesso mixed with plaster of paris and texture paste, as well as collage.

We worked on the pages, poking through them with an awl and burning through them (this shows one of the tracing paper pages on the right).

We also put items behind the pages and then sanded off the gesso/plaster of paris mix, leaving the image - in this case, paperclips.  The journal is small and introduced me to lots of different techniques, including the binding, where the pages are sewn together, the covers placed over the top and the pages are folded back and glued over the spine. I loved making this!

Another journal made using a masterboard.  The black squiggles represent ancient writing and we had to run the page under a tap before the writing was dry so that the writing was faded and blurred, which worried me initially but which worked well, as the paper had been layered with collage and acrylic paint first and been left to dry.

Collage decorations were added to the pages.

The words on this page were taken from the scrap of book page I used and they jumped out at me.  I love serendipity!

Collaging a scene was enjoyable too, and we added details to our collaged paper. I have a large collection of painted pages, so it was good to be able to use a few of them.

Another journal, but as my main art journal was getting rather bulky, I decided to recreate smaller pages on the page.  (I have since decided to make the extra journal but not add it to my main journal, so this may feature in another post).

Top left is a pop-out/exploding/flower page with stamped art words. 

Behind the starry door is a stamped eye.

The collaged book page door reveals a fold out.

Finally, a gel plate printed door reveals a spinner (with some of my favourite bought tissue paper on the left, echoing some of the colours).

More to come in part two. 

Early July delights in the garden

I spent a while in the garden today and enjoyed seeing what is in flower.  Watering does give an opportunity to look at the plants closely and I find it a meditative activity, although as I have a lot of pots, I have to stagger the watering schedule.  I was also doing a bit of repotting. Above is Clematis Princess Kate.

Clematis Perle D'Azur is flowering now on the metal arch.

Here it is from the other side, with the Buddleia.

Various phloxes are flowering too and their honey scent is lovely.   They seem to prefer a bit of shade. 

Hydrangea Annabelle is flowering although she is not enjoying how dry things are.  

Always a joy every year is Hibsicus Oiseau Bleu. Exotic-looking flowers, hardy and tough, this one always makes an appearance or two on my blog. I think this is quite an early appearance.

Clematis Arabella, scrambling through the border with her purply/lilac flowers.

Bringing me so much joy has been this goldfinch, which was on a TV aerial in the next street, so I had to use my zoom.  It has been singing most of the morning and afternoon and had a beautiful song. What a lovely little bird it is!

Spamalot at the theatre

Yes, it has been hot in the UK.  Not hot compared to Europe, but hot for us here.  Definitely too hot for me.  Sleeping at night was the worst as the temperatures didn't fall enough to give a comfortable night.  I am so grateful that temperatures have fallen (although I think we are in for more heatwaves as the summer progresses).  I don't want to wish the time away, but I will be glad when the cooler autumn temperatures are here. OK, enough moaning!

Last Friday, we went to see a local amateur production of Spamalot, which was great fun. The show was slick and the time went quickly.  There was some great casting too, especially King Arthur and Patsy and all the cast had to work hard, especially those with multiple roles and quick changes.  Based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, it has all the Monty Python silliness and some fun songs.  It also featured a film of Eric Idle as God.  The company last performed it 10 years ago and I enjoyed it then too.  The audience really enjoyed it and there was a standing ovation for the company.  A bit of silliness is what we all need to relieve the tension being caused in the World.  (The venue was air conditioned too, so that was a huge added bonus.)

Altogether now, "Always look on the bright side of life...*whistles*"

Roses, Clematis and Cosmos and a visitor

 We are bracing ourselves for another heatwave.  I do not like the heat, so am not looking forward to the next week.  So far, the garden appears to be coping although I will need to be very careful with my watering.

The rest of the roses have now started to flower.  Above is Ferdinand Pichard who has a lovely perfume.

Emily Bronte, with her pink and creamy yellow flower.

Blush Noisette, with its sprays of smaller flowers.

The clematis are also doing well.  I used to have many more but over the years, they have come and gone.  Above is Venosa Violacea, whch is sprawling over the winter flowering honeysuckle.

This is Prince Charles, making his way over the trellis.

Arabella is a herbaceaous clematis who doesn't cling.  She is tied in to an obelisk.

Blue Angel is draping itself along the fence and wall.

Neptune is a smaller variety in a pot.

I have been growing different varieties of cosmos and this one is Cosmos sulphureus Polidor.  I haven't seen an orange cosmos before, but I like it!  I need to get these into larger pots.

Finally, I saw this amazing dragonfly (edited to add: a female Emperor, we think) in the garden.  These are not usual visitors and luckily, this one posed for me beautifully while I rushed to get my camera. Isn't it wonderful?

A Walk round the City (part two)

Continuing my walk around the city to find interesting patterns and architecture, I was up by the Cathedral, where there are lots of patterns in the stonework.

Leaves made some lovely shadow patterns on the paving.

More granite setts caught my eye.

As did the brickwork and the grill on this window.

A stone archway with its crenellations.

Looking down some steps through another arch.  I do like an arch!

Lots of lovely patterns of more arches, windows, panes of glass, brickwork, and mouldings.

This dome is on a very run-down, but architecturally interesting building.

This pattern of fallen plaster against the brick caught my eye too.

As did this Art Deco inspired decoration.

These small mosaic tiles were in a very unprepossessing doorway.

I liked the rounded bay windows and the griffin/gryphon decoration on this building.  The more I looked at this one, the more I noticed, like the little stone canopy under the round window.  

This fabulous stone work was above a bank doorway.

Even the railway lines have some interesting curved and straight lines and patterns.  I was quite surprised by how many things caught my eye and these two posts are just a fraction of the photos I took.  I really enjoyed seeing bits of the city in a new way! 

A walk round the City (part one)

 I was watching an art journal workshop the other day and the teacher said that they made their own collage papers from photographs they took in their home town of things like wires, architecture etc.  This prompted me to take a walk around the city and look for interesting patterns, architecture or anything which caught my eye.  I thought I would share some of the photos I took.

This is just outside in the street. I like all the lines. 

Here it is in black and white. I can also crop the images further if I want just a small part of the image.

The decorated arch from a medieval building on the High Street.

Lovely statues on an arch in the High Street.

I think they represent the Annunciation.

Looking up is important and I noticed the columns on the window surround.

Another doorway on an ancient building.

Looking down resulted in some interesting patterns too.

I like the different patterns made by the different materials.

A very beautiful timber framed building.

The Cathedral to finish this part.  The front has been cleaned over the last few years and it does look very beautiful in the honey-coloured stone. There are patterns galore here! 

The rest of the walk to follow in the next post.