The Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb

Yesterday I heard that Harper Collins were going to use my cover design for City of Dragons for Robin Hobb's US book, and also that they wanted the artwork for Blood of Dragons, so this morning I settled to go through the text to try and refine the images that had been in my head for a few months. Trying to get them out of my head and onto paper always looks easier than it is when the sketches are finished. It has been a slow day of scribbling and thinking and reading, but a fast turn around from the designer at Harper Collins who sent back sketches with type. Waiting to hear now, from US and UK and hoping that they and Robin all like the same one. This is the final book in the series. More than that it is very good I can't say.

 

The Cat and the Fiddle, Solva Mill and the Chinese Dragons.

Yesterday was the first of a series of launches for The Cat and the Fiddle, a selection of nursery rhymes. The Mill at Solva looked beautiful and Anna had dressed it to fit, with collections and gatherings of things that went with different pages in the book.

In keeping with the theme Rosie came too. She is such a star of the book and she was a star of the book launch too and enjoyed making sure that the floor was clean of crumbs.

So many people came, the Mill looked wonderful and there was a lovely buzz to the event. It is still possible to buy signed books from Anna from their website, and she will be ordering more copies of The Cat and the Fiddle as we sold all of them and more last night.  

Today is a day of sunshine and showers. I have walked to the sea and watched seals embracing, new pups on the beach and a rainbow. 





On coming home I found a parcel and in the parcel, dragons. Chinese dragons. The pages are so very elegant with the beautiful Chinese script, and it is always a thrill to see my words written in languages other than English, and so very wonderful to see such elegant script.

The next launch for The Cat and the Fiddle will be in Norfolk at The Centre for the Children's Book, on 6th October, then at The Imagine Gallery in Long Melford on 8th October. Meanwhile I have plans to run away with wolves next year.

A small piece with gold

The best kind of protest is always creative.

A link to this article was sent to me yesterday on facebook. It is just beautiful and so full of skill and wit. Please follow the link and take a look. Heart warming.

Tamsin and Mike: or The longest blog post I have ever done with the most links in it.

I phoned Tamsin to let her know that I had been detained by stonework, wandered around Kilpeck, laughing at the wonder of it all and then drove on.

When I found Tamsin and Mike's house she had soup ready in beautiful wooden bowls. We talked, ate and then I wandered up the garden path to their two workshops and Tamsin told me about German journeymen and we looked at the walls and the trees heavy with fruit ( and I forgot to take any damsons!)

Love the window here which is coloured glass and sandblasted. There were so many lovely things, including the view, I didn't know which way to look.

 

Then we drove to the woods, and I wasn't really prepared for what I found there.

For more of Tamsin's work she has a website and a facebook page, and she can also be found at The Sisterhood of Ruralists.

Along a road, past the bow topped gypsy caravans with horses and chickens outside, up a hill, into the woods, out of time as the air changed and the light too. 

 Workshop 

 Kitchen

 Evening campfire place

 Tamsin

 Everyone with their chairs

 Beautiful Sophie and her chair

 Barn the Spoon, licenced peddler of spoons

 Me and Barn

 One of the camping places on site

  Another of the camping places on site

 The washroom

Some places have such a magic about them and the atmosphere at this camp was just beautiful. I find myself wanting to go back there, to sit by the fire and listen to music in the evenings and eat together and have stories told, or to sit above the trees and watch the stars and go to sleep in one of the huts to the sounds of fox song and owl hoot.

Tom enjoyed it. When I asked him about it one of the things he said was  'I learned a lot more than just how to make a chair'.

For more about Mike Abbott and his courses and books he also has a website.

An added bonus for me was meeting the wonderful man of spoons, Barney. He is the only person I have met who is a licensed peddler, a maker of wonderful greenwood spoons.  Barn also has a blog.

Kevin from Trellyn Woodland Camping and Mike are plotting and planning a possible workshop or two in Pembrokeshire next year. There will be chairs, spoons (especialy if Barn is up for being lured to the seaside) and good food, possibly music, camp fires, great food (did I mention that already?) and maybe even the odd story or tale by campfire and starlight. Places will be limited so if you are interested get in touch with Kevin at Trellyn.

Kilpeck Church, Herefordshire.

On Sunday I drove dragons across Wales and into England to go and collect Tom from a wood in Worcestershire where he had spent the last few days living and learning. First I was to go to Tamsin Abbott's for lunch, then on to the wood. I was at college in Hereford many years, about 30, ago and all the time I was there I wanted to go to Kilpeck to see the church. As I drove along there was a sign. Dragons slowed and turned, and just off the road we came to the church. Astonishing, strange, out of time, with such curious carvings from the 12 century.

The hare and hound are my favorites and make you wonder how someone from the 12th century had the vision to see something the way that 20th century cartoonist do. Kilpeck is a curious mixture of cultures. Just wonderful.

 

Robin Hobb, City of Dragons cover art.

Watercolour and red gold leaf.

Working late

When the wash is put on, and the sizing for the gold leaf I find the picture so ugly, before the gold is applied.

Meanwhile I am also working on a small commission, no something I would normally do, but this one appealed to my romantic nature. 

A long journey and some beautiful things.

At home, a dragon waited. Meanwhile I went on an adventure. More later....

 

 Kilpeck

 Mike Abbott's workshop

 Tamsin

 In the woods

People with their chairs