This is where I am considering taking with the templates work. I made these paintings on wood veneers in the last week of February 2015 - exactly 5 years ago. Last May I was gifted a large box of veneers in a variety of woods, and I have been wondering what to do with them since; now, I see something suggestive in the quality of the templates work which is pointing the work in this direction.

I wrote a post about these particular veneers last April.

After another week of howling storms, sleet, hailstones, thunder I am actually sitting here today posting this is dazzling bright sunshine.
I don't title all of these templates works, but as on the week ending 2 February this week was another when titles suggested themselves. Reading left to right:

1.  Planetary Model 1
2.  Pisces (B's star sign)
3.  Lute
4.  Clockwork
5.  Planetary Model 2
6.  Taurus (my star sign)

Here is an amusing thing about titles in the diary: the working titles going around in my head often sound like pub names when you read the facing pages together, e.g. the Lute and Swan, or on other pages the Pot and Puzzle and the Harp and Arrow. I don't know what that says about me ...

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I cut out templates from paper this week and pasted them into the diary. Looking at them now, I think they look like tumbling clouds; which is no surprise considering Storm Dennis has taken over from storm Ciara this week. I have three old wood sash windows in my work room, which face north west, also a chimney which was sealed off in my room but is still functional in the lounge below. There is no escaping the wind rattling the glass panes and booming in the chimney, nor trees revelling outside - and I love it. The weather always seems to sneak into my work, no matter what the work is.

Thanks for visiting, see you next week!

Having spent a while getting to know the templates by drawing around them or filling the shapes, I got into making new forms from curved templates (which I think is closer to their purpose) and loved the cool line. Six drawings, and six great things about this week:

1. I have been listening to Upstart Crow on the BBC iPlayer while I work. A favourite episode is Wild Laughter in the Throat of Death, in which Shakespeare’s Hamlet is interpreted as a comedy by his household.
2. I heard the first blackbird sing its full song on Tuesday at dawn, such a promise of spring.
3. B went out west for the day on Wednesday, and made a video of our friend Dan and his mad spaniel on his smallholding - it was great to see them again, set against to backdrop of snowy mountains.
4. We have a mystery grey bin. Thursday week was cardboard recycling day, and after the bin lorry had been and everyone had taken their bins back in one grey bin remained - nobody knows where it came from. It’s still standing unclaimed on the corner of the street. Big news in our tight-knit community, everyone is talking about it!
5. At last, we advertised a pallet truck on Gumtree, and sold it to a local fisherman with a boat yard - we have had it hanging around unused since 2006. I’m glad it went to an exciting home where it will be put to good use after 14 years of sitting around bored and forgotten in a dark garage.
6. The weather has been wild and windy. I love the sound of the wind at night, booming down the chimney in our bedroom. It makes me feel so cosy tucked up in bed.

​Thanks for visiting, see you next week!

When I collect templates in my diary my interest is simply in revealing shapes. I never set out to drawing anything specific; however, as I work ideas suggest themselves which influence the progress of more detailed drawings. Here are six from this week, reading from left to right:

1.  Cactus garden
2.  Map of a park
3.  Morning sunshine surprise
4.  Satellite and space station
5.  Elton John's piano
6.  Map of a village with pond

I used Prismacolor Premier pencils in these drawings. Coloured pencils are not a medium I have really used before, but these are great for this work being surprisingly soft and luminous on Japanese tissue, and I am becoming a fan.
​Incidentally, I am coming to the end of my supply of Kozu Shi paper, which is no longer being made. I think I already have a replacement lined up, though: Lawrence Art Supplies stock a very good Imitation Japanese which I discovered a few years ago and kept in mind (I hope that's still in production!)

Thanks for visiting, see you next week!