An arty sort of day

Hiya, I've enjoyed my Saturday, I hope you have too. Another glorious day, lots of sunshine, aren't we lucky. I found out by chance the other day, that it is the Insight Open Studios this weekend, where artists open their doors and invite the general public to come on in and view them at work in their workshops. There are fifty two taking part, and they are scattered all over North Lincolnshire. Some work from home and some work from galleries. There are plenty of places to visit if you want to make a weekend of it, but I tend to stick to the Ropewallk, a gallery in Barton upon Humber.

I missed it last year because I was busy doing something else, I really ought to put it on my calendar at the beginning of the year. Maybe I will remember for 2014. Here is a link to The Ropewalk web site. And a link to The Insight web site.  

My first port of call was to see Michael Scrimshaw, I first met him two years ago, or was it three, not sure, anyway, he is my kind of artist because he creates his artworks from rubbish. He works mainly with metals, but incorporates any other media which is appropriate to the piece he is creating. He is also a very good artist as in painting, from transforming a large brick wall into a Victorian street scene, to customising the petrol tank of a Harley Davidson.

A fascinating person to talk to, he has plenty of stories to tell about his work. He has been commissioned to make a massive sculpture for the front of the Art Centre Church here in town, depicting two workers from the steel works. The small model which he will be working from looks amazing, it will be a great addition to Church Square.

Anyway, I'll cut the waffle, here is Michael. 

He is talking to some visitors. Don't you just love his amazing dreadlocks.

And a look around his studio, pieces of wire and drawings adorn the walls.

After an hour of so I had to come home. I must go back tomorrow because I didn't have time to visit the other artists, this little fella was waiting to go walkies. This is Bailey, his owner had gone out for the day and asked if I could call in and take him out. He is a lovely little chap, so cute, and very friendly with other dogs. He keeps stopping to look behind him, probably wondering where his mummy is, ha ha. He knows me anyway, and is happy to come with me.

I've dug this picture out of the archives, to show the before and after of the sunflowers. I put three plants in each plastic storage box, probably would have been better with two in each. This is the sunniest spot in the garden, and I don't have anywhere else with the same amount of sun where I could have planted them into the ground. All my borders are full with bushes. I was rather hoping that they would just reach the roof level, to make a nice covering of foliage for the tumbledown garage.  

But they have shot well above that and only the stalks are screening the garage wall.

Every time I look there seems to be more and more flowers. They are attracting a lot of bees, there is one on the big flower on the left, if you can squint to see it. I will be leaving the seeds for the birds, but not sure if they would be able to hang on to the heads to peck them out. Perhaps I should remove them with about a foot of stalk and lay them on the garage roof. I will watch and see what happens. Will have to watch that my cats don't scare them off as well. Easier said than done, they are naughty girls.

Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip