Liverpool 2017

If you remember, last year, the Bee and I embarked on a camera club coach trip to London for a photowalk. Well, this year we visited Liverpool!

This year, we remembered to bring a camera for Mr Bee, but we didn't really end up taking too many photos. We had a lovely lunch with one of our friends (we introduced him to Dobble, hilarious!) then spent the remainder of our time in the Tate and the Maritime Museum. Just what we wanted.

A Day in the City

Today we took a trip into our local city. Having moved out to the sticks, we don't have much time to pop to Leicester as it isn't as convenient as it used to be so today, we thought we would make the most of it.

We visited the Highcross Shopping Centre to spend some of our Christmas/Birthday money. A book for me, a weather experiment kit for the Bee.

We nipped in to Bru for a delicious hot chocolate, and someone insisted on having his photo taken 'laying' against this wall with New Walk in the background...

We walked to the other side of town to New Walk Museum, seeing the sights of Leicester on the way. We studied photographs of India, marveled over the Picasso face plates and had fun making our own art for the childrens exhibition.

At 4pm, we had a date at Peter Pizzeria for a school friends birthday party.

And of course, we didn't want to be left out, so we brought two pizzas home for supper!

Jubilee Diamond

We had rather a surprise today at Sudbury Hall. As we entered the courtyard we were confronted by a huge diamond. From a distance it looked like honeycomb, but on closer inspection (and looking at the board!) we saw that it was in fact a 2.5 metre molecular structure of a diamond.

To celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee last June, the people of Uttoxeter created a record breaking model of a diamond. 35990 transparent balls represent each atom of carbon.

The sculpture was displayed in Uttoxeter town centre and is now having a turn at Derbyshire's Sudbury Hall.

Mr Bee and Isaac had lots of fun peering into the model and pulling funny faces!

De Montfort University Art and Design Degree Show

Last night, Becka and I got all dressed up ready for the opening night of the DMU Art and Design Degree Show. As you will probably know, Becka is studying Footwear Design in her second year so she invited me along for an evening out to look at some fabulous works of art.

Footwear Design

Fine Art

 Assorted Other Courses

I so enjoyed seeing the wonderful talent across the board, and I know that Becka gained a lot of ideas ready for when she will be doing her degree show next year! 

All work photographed is copyright De Montfort University

Inspired

I know I am not the first person (or the last) to be so creatively inspired by beautiful Cornwall. I will admit, it has been a very long time since I put pencil to paper, but we had scarcely been in the county 5 minutes before I was itching to sketch. 

Recently my creative outlets have been focused in textiles and photography, but I can't deny my fine art background.

Being the daughter of an artist who's life revolved around art, and also my childhood, I knew that it was always going to be a huge part of my life. Art school wasn't for me, but the passion never went away. It certainly has taken a massive backseat in recent years, due to a small person, but I do not blame him in any way.

I want Lou to grow up creative, like I did. Watching his parents sketch and paint, and take random trips out just to admire the scenery with a pencil or brush. 

It was a bit of a treasure hunt to find a decent sketchbook and pencils, but lucky the Tate helped me, which means that hopefully we will have a nice book of drawings to look back on in years to come, to help us  spark memories of the first holiday that Mr Bee will remember.

Louie, 02/11