d c stained glass :: debbie's shed

Just a few short weeks ago an offer dropped in to my ‘inbox’.

Would I like to submit artwork for an exhibition to celebrate what would have been Eric Morecambe’s 90th year? This came from The Morecambe Artist Colony (MAC), a dynamic wee group of artists and makers from, yes you’ve guessed it – Morecambe!

Well it lit a spark in me – the Eric Morecambe statue never fails to illicit a response whenever I pass it….a smile…a salute…or the full on one-legged dance – yee-hah!

(I spent a very happy lunch-time once with my Mam and Dad at ‘Eric’s Cafe’ which is just across the road from Eric’ statue. The laugh we had watching passing folks strike a pose…Eric definitely “brings me sunshine!”)

So here is what I came up with for my submission…even the birds getting in on the act!

You can see that Eric also brought me sunshine whilst i was photographing my artwork. …He also brought a high tide though and me, out on the sands at Silverdale, trying to capture Eric and co’ against a bright wide horizon and big sky; I almost got caught by the ‘bore’ (and I am not referring to a particularly un-interesting local character!!)

The ‘bore’ is the first wave of each tide and in the estuary at Silverdale you can spot it twice daily if you’re watching. It is quite a sight. Most usually it is a gentle shallow little wave. First filling up all the riverlets but quickly following up with gobbling up all the sand. On particularly high tides it comes in especially quickly and will have a white wake behind it. (I have spotted the bore from the top of the Knott before – a line of water creeping up the Bay).

So yesterday was one of those high tides. It was also very sunny so I was out on the sand-bar photographing Eric. Happy days…. Till I heard a toot-toot from Tony on the shore. Lucky for me I heeded his warning and headed back; just managing to skip across the ever widening stream and onto the land. Phew! What a numpty.

Lucky for me Tony was there…another couple of minutes and I wouldn’t have fancied my chances surfing in…..Silly me. And me a local too. (Lesson to self – always always check the tides)

If you would like to take a look at the exhibition then pop across to Morecambe Library. The exhibition is on until the middle of July.

(Can you spot the real statue!!??)

How did I start?

Well this one is a love story…………..

To celebrate a special birthday and even more special memories……

A boy growing up with Roy Rogers as his hero. That golden era …….

When the stars of the silver screen were what filled our imaginations and drove our dreams.

A surprise wedding in a small chapel in Arizona………

‘Happy Trails’ being their wedding march…..

(You might want to type ‘Happy Trails – Roy Rogers into youtube)

(play it…play it…..you’ll be taken to the wild west)

Colours from that golden era…..

Treasures from a collectors stash….

 “It must have Roy Rogers and Trigger in classic pose……”

 “It has to be drop dead gorgeous with impact…”

It seems I hit on a nice memory with the tumble weeds too…..funny that

Every now and then         one comes along………..

And this was one…….Thanks Linda and Mike

Happy Trails to you

Until we meet again……..

small custodians of the bay

seers of the mudflats

sharp tailed birds

sort of same

but not same

linearly facing

complicated glassy gusts

static

but not

not quite

A friend wrote those words in response to pictures I sent……………Lovely. Not much more I need to say really……..

Well. I guess I can explain how I came to make them….

First efforts were made using an opalescent streaky glass I favoured at the time…

I next had a go with sand-blasting on a scrap of expensive hand-made glass. Beautiful but, sadly, weak.

But now, ha-ha, I have my kiln. (How did I manage without it?)

So, I love how these birds flock on the bay. Scurrying along the waters edge…rapidly reversing when a wave breaks. Quite comical really. And then all huddled together in that beautiful roosting pose. And when they’re in flight, well that is another story again. Wonderful sweeping waves and patterns ……(big head-scratch to capture that bit…….but I will. ………..)

I looked at lots of images and footage on youtube……….

I decided to go with two strong outlines on a white whispy glass and paint on the markings using layers of black and brown paints. Experimental – but hey, I’m game.

Then the grubby bits of leading and grouting and endless polishing….

Now I just need to find some stonking bits of wood on which I can mount a flock.

I’d quite like to incorporate a bit of wiring too…

But in the meantime………..just quite beautiful.

What a beautiful cottage!  …..and the image I had to capture for a Ladies special Birthday.

First up I visited the second hand shops in search of some chintzy pottery to imitate the blooming rose. Then drafted up a line drawing of the building for my cutting template. I decided upon copper foiling as my construction method with details to be added in paint.

I wanted to capture all the light and shade in the picture so applied the paint in layers. You can see it building up in the images…..

For some of the subtle detail I worked while the paint was still wet to create softer edges.

Scratched in the detail…then more paint applied in thinner layers…careful not to smudge what has been laid down.

Once happy, it was into the kiln.

Then the jigsawing of putting it all together…lots of lovely solder.

A lovely bit of wood selected and job done. Pretty as a picture!

The north west has just been battered by some of the worst rain storms in history. Roads are mangled, bridges are buckled and hundreds and thousands of people are flooded out of the their homes.

We are lucky here in Silverdale. We escaped pretty unscathed and even maintain our power.

I was witness to some of the damage though. …Washed out at the Hawkshead Christmas Fair at the weekend, the Saturday evening saw us virtually swimming through huge puddles in my trusty red berlingo submarine to return home. It was only on our return on the Sunday in Ju’s truck that we realized the full extent of the flooding. Many roads were shut and we had to perform one or two slightly irregular manouvres to keep us on the right road. The Lyth Valley was awash. Poor homes with water up to the window sills……woodpiles, deck-chairs and garden toys floating across the A590 where there should not be a high water mark.

Such sad scenes.

There was angry water at Newby Bridge and boats in odd locations. But we made it back to Hawkshead. The sun came out rather weirdly and locals ventured out to do the annual carol sing and parade.

What an horrendous weekend. As I said on facebook, ‘twould be nice to see friendly faces coming to say ‘hi’ to cheer us up but no-one, no-one should try. What a relief to get home but horrible to see the devastation left behind.

Our house in Scotland flooded 10 years ago so I know what it feels like and I really want to do something to help.

So this is just to let you know, ‘Debbie’s Shed is open for business and that I intend to donate 50% of all my sales between now and Christmas to a local flood charity. Just drop by. I am working hard fulfilling my Christmas orders at the mo’ so am usually in and have lots of other bits and bobs for sale.

Please come along, shop local and handmade and help me do my bit for the flood victims.

All the best folks, Debbie

Eddie is the cutest black scribble of a dog that you ever could meet. So when Sue asked me to make panel for Sal, (her sister and my oldest bestest pal), well……

Eddie is a will o’ the wisp ….he’s a black floppy flash ….he’s cocky and cute and crazy…..…….and he can’t fail to raise a smile. So it was clear to me from the start; the only way to capture the essence of Eddie would be in cartoon strip.

With National Poetry day upon us I set Sue the challenge of writing a wee poem which I could then illustrate. (I’d have had a go myself but what I’ve failed to mentioned so far is that Eddie is also the randiest little dog that I ever did meet (see post ‘When Pepper met Eddie, August 2014….stomach muscles still protest now!!) And so, bearing in mind the image that springs to my mind when I think of Eddie – then my poem would have been x-rated!)

So with images lifted from Sal’s facebook page and a copy of ‘Hairy Maclairy’ I set to. Sue’s poem was edited to 6 lines. (She had got quite carried away and I had to remind her this wasn’t a Cathedral window we were creating!!) And I drew up the draft; a simple 3-piece panel with painted detail.

I hoped to achieve it all in one firing so my layers had to be carefully worked out. The trickiest thing about the layers is making sure you don’t destroy what you have laid down before…but I planned well (good girl scout) and it all worked out, phew!

My sisters had a sneaky squint at it them when they visited and Heidi suggested the addition of Eddie’ name to be included so I tweaked a bit and ‘Eddie’ was added. (Heidi would like to take full credit for this important detail, which she thinks, would be very important to Sal!)

Once fired and with the pieces perched in my window I also made the decision to keep the three panels separate so that Sal could dot them around or assemble as she wished. To me they seemed to work well as individual panels and Sal, like me, likes stuff dotted about.

And now she has it – and she tells me she is thrilled.

Well they make you smile. Just like Eddie x