Author Archives: kathrynhockey

Starter for Ten (out of Ten)

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alquimia, watercolour, watercolor, sketch, fine dining, starter, asparagus, duck egg, poached egg, sour dough bread, jamon iberico de bellota

Those who read my last blog about the mini cup cakes will know that I set myself the challenge of drawing the food at last night’s Alquimia food fest.

The food was indeed divine and the company sublime; my favourite dish was the starter, a delicious concoction of grilled asparagus on sour dough bread topped with a poached duck yolk and jamon Iberico de bellota, which in English means Iberian cured ham from free-range, acorn eating pigs.

The rest of the dishes were wonderful to look at as well, but not so my sketches! Blame fatigue, over excitement, self consciousness…whatever…I attempted two more and then decided to concentrate on eating my dinner while it was hot!

Thank you and congratulations to Alquimia, can’t wait for the next event.

Who can resist a Mini Cup Cake?

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eat me, cake, cup cake, lemon icing, vanilla sponge, alquimia, watercolour, watercolor, sketch, chocolate, fine dining

alqumia, logo, graphic design, full moon, gran baba, costa de la luz, el palmar, fine dining, tasting menu, mystery, magic, entertainment

 

Q: What could be luckier than having a friend who brings homemade mini cup cakes round for tea?

A: Having a friend whose mini cup cake is the invitation for a whole evening of fabulous Alquimia fine dining!

 

So having painted its portrait in watercolours I happily followed the chocolate icing instructions…and delicious it was…(OK, I admit it, I ate more than one).

Really looking forward to this Saturday’s sold out Mar y Bellota event when I plan to sketch some more culinary delights before I eat them.

Valentine’s Sketch

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wings, love, tin heart, illustration, heart, valentine, valentines day, drawing, water colour, sketch, pen and watercolour,

To mark Valentine’s Day I made this pen and watercolour sketch of a tin heart mirror I brought back from Mexico.

May your heart have wings today and everyday….

‘El Carnaval’ Group Exhibition

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andalucia, carnaval, carnival, group show, art, exhibition, vejer, arte vejer

Cádiz Carnaval is one of the best know carnivals in Spain. For two weeks every February the whole city is crazily vibrant with elaborately costumed groups, the most famous of which are the chirigotas, singing satirical and humurous songs they have taken all year to prepare.

Vejer Carnaval is a scaled down version and to celebrate it Arte Vejer are hosting a ‘Carnaval’ themed group art exhibition which opens today in their castle headquarters.

 

The exhibition space will be open on Saturdays and Sundays 12-2pm from 13th to 28th February 2016.

Click here to see photos of the event.

andalucia, carnaval, carnival, group show, art, exhibition, vejer, arte vejer, cadiz carnaval, drag queen, virgin, mask, music, streamers, wig, pastels, charcoal, music, singing

 

Carnaval is traditionally an opportunity to indulge in alcohol fueled mass revelry before the more austere Easter celebrations begin.

Masks and cross-dressing are typical so I went with a drag-queen inspired cartoon style character who is wearing a ‘Nuestra Señora‘ virgin inspired headdress (right).

 

 

andalucia, carnaval, carnival, group show, art, exhibition, vejer, arte vejer, cadiz carnaval, drag queen, virgin, mask, music, streamers, wig, pastels, charcoal, music, singing, eye

 

I decided to crack open my new pastel set and experiment with bright colours and blending techniques. I used charcoal for the background and crumbled pastel dust over it to achieve a glittery effect.

 

andalucia, carnaval, carnival, group show, art, exhibition, vejer, arte vejer, cadiz carnaval, drag queen, virgin, mask, music, streamers, wig, pastels, charcoal, music, singing

 

 

All in all quite a messy, dusty process, but fun nevertheless.

Sketch Workshop

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arte vejer, sketch, workshop, drawing, castle, vejer de la frontera, artSome time ago Arte Vejer invited me to run an art workshop in their castle headquarters.

With no previous teaching experience I wasn’t sure what I could offer, then I remembered all the people who’d told me that they’d like to come out and draw with the Vejer Sketchers but are out of practice or lack confidence or find drawing stressful…or all of the above.

It then occurred to me that as a regular sketcher I do have some tips and tricks to share that could make the whole experience more fun and relaxed.

arte vejer, sketch, workshop, drawing, castle, vejer de la frontera, art

 

So having listed my tips and tricks in English and translated them into Spanish I had my workshop plan, and here we are discussing them.

 

arte vejer, sketch, workshop, drawing, castle, vejer de la frontera, art

 

The group then dispersed to sketch whatever caught their imagination and put some of the ideas into practice.

 

 

Feedback was very positive and I might very well run another workshop in the not too distant future.

I do truly believe that anyone can draw; it’s a matter of confidence, regular practice and being relaxed enough to shelve your expectations, to revel in the experiments your materials offer and to willingly ‘ruin’ those pristine paper sheets.

Cushion Covers

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Here are my most recent home sewing projects: making cushion covers from light cotton canvas fabric that I’d had digitally printed with my illustrations.

digital printing, cotton canvas, surface illustration, rooster, cockerel, cock, fabric, cockerel fabric, textile design, surface illustration, digital collage, sewing, dress making, soft furnishing, envelope cushion

 

This one (left) features a white on black version of my extra large cockerel circle design.

The cushion cover has an ‘envelope’ style closure and measures 38 x 35 cm, comfortably accommodating a 40 x 40 cm cushion.
2cv, car pattern, digital printing, cotton canvas, fabric, textile design, surface illustration, digital collage, sewing, soft furnishing

 

 

The two covers on the right feature my Two-Tone 2CV design, measure 50 x 30cm and have a zip closure.

2cv, car pattern, digital printing, cotton canvas, fabric, textile design, surface illustration, digital collage, sewing, soft furnishing

 

 

 

 

Click here to contact me about prices and availability.

Life Drawing

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life drawing, model, sketching, vejer sketchers, charcoal, pastel

The Vejer Sketchers met today for the first life drawing session in the new Arte Vejer castle headquarters.

life drawing, model, sketching, vejer sketchers, charcoal, pastel

 

 

The model we’d booked to sit for us couldn’t get her car started but luckily found us a splendid last minute stand-in and all went well until our half time coffee break in a local bar…

 

life drawing, model, sketching, vejer sketchers, charcoal, pastel

 

 

We returned to the castle to find ourselves locked out with all our equipment still inside. It took a fair amount of door thumping and shouting to attract the attention of the key toting tour guide inside.

 

 

All in all a very enjoyable if slightly chaotic morning. It was the first outing for my pastels too, I love the intensity of the colours, the granular texture and the smooth way they go on…I’m looking forward to conducting more experiments with them soon…

Lemon and Ginger Sketch

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lemon, ginger, cold cure, fruit, food, drawing, water colour, sketch, pen and watercolour, juicy

Here’s another juicy pen and watercolour sketch inspired by my search for cold remedies.

Lemon and Ginger, I salute you!

Strawberry Sketch

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fruit, food, drawing, water colour, sketch, pen and watercolour, juicy, strawberries, strawberry

Strawberry season has started! And we’re not talking plastic packed supermarket type strawberries here…these are full-on super-strawberries that taste like the ones from my childhood ‘Pick Your Own’ days in the 1970s. Delightfully delicious.

 

Exposición Andante – Mobile Art Exhibition

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exhibition, poster, mobile exhibition, vejer, arte vejer, art, community art group, art promotion, visual arts

 

Click here to see photos and read more about Arte Vejer’s extraordinary mobile art exhibition.

Procession – Sunday 13th December

Static 13th Dec 2015 – 10th Jan 2016                Hotel Convento San Francisco