Welcome to the Cotymog Shed Blog
Colourful words along artful lines. Welcome to my blog, where I'll be sharing news, stories, and insights into the world of Cotymog Shed. Here you'll find updates straight from the studio and garden, tales from the past, and a peek into the inspiration behind my art.
WARNING: As the editor is a bit of a muggins, ie not very techie, you may find some repetition and deviation, but little hesitation, on these pages…
Fresh News from the Studio
I plan to bring you fresh news here, straight from the studio, the garden, and my suppliers, as well as stories from the past, ancient and modern... in fact, anything I think you might be interested in.
On Saturday Sep 20th, for example, we were invited to Rogue Open Studios with some close friends. As always we did the rounds of our friends’ studios: check out Margaret Cahill, painter Michelle Leigh (whose one-person show is on at the Salford Museum and Art Gallery until early Feb 2026), and we met some new faces, such as Jo Clements and her beautiful plates.
You can check them all out on Instagram if I don’t get to them first!
For now, though, I am off into the studio….
Wow! Apparently over 100 of you, my dear readers, have visited this site since it opened at the beginning of August! Thank you so much for your support. 🤗
And if you know anyone who might enjoy it too, please pass its details on.
The first Cotymogs interview with Vanessa has been much enjoyed by you.
A new interview will be posted this week - with my hand mulling paint designers, Reg and Emma.
i think you may be very interested in what they do!
Meanwhile, as this is birthday week for MfH, we shall mostly be entertaining family…
Art, Books, and stuff
I mentioned Art, Books, and stuff. Well, for us, stuff encompasses other things, including food and film.
The Roses is the funniest and most brutal of films so far this year - no holds barred, and in the same category as 4 Weddings…
The Last Night at the Proms was a real treat too this year. Such a colourful, fun, funky, and moving finale. Made me really happy to be British.
We are determined not to be put off by later angry anti- immigration protests, with all their dark and menacing over-and under-tones. Aren’t we? Let us concentrate on Light and Love, for a change!
STUFF also includes science. You thought we were all about Art? There are strong connections between art and the sciences, and none stronger than between me and my son by step, Dr Kit Yates, whose first article at www.livescience.com appeared this week.
Kit, maths in biology professor, is very much aware of the use of fraud, fake, and plagiarism in academic publications, and how important it is, now in the AI Age , to be vigilant and rigorous enough to call a halt to such practices.
His article is titled ‘citation, cartels, ghost writing, and fake peer reviews’, and is a real eye-opener to what goes on behind some so-called ‘academic’ work, worldwide.
Do check it out. His is a voice of reason in our mad wilderness…
Share Your Thoughts and Experiences
A World of Artful Themes
I hope to draw you into my world, where we can explore together some of the themes which concern me, as artist, crime and historical fiction lover, ceramics collector, knitter, cook, sewer( as in someone who sews…), but speaking of food - we’ve found a new eatery on the Moor,. Called Cure Bistro , we visited for the very 1st time the day before yesterday , and are going again today, for Sunday Lunch. This Cure is a real panacea for sadness, jaded palate, and general news overload. If you are in the Manchester area, please don’t mention it to anyone. We want to keep it to ourselves!
It would be so good to hear about your similar loves/experiences, so please leave comments on the blog content as well as on my gallery pages.
Feel free to share this blog on your favourite social media.
And if any of my work grabs you, and you'd like to purchase, please let me know and we can discuss.