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 Nov 1st , I joined a group of Knitters on this year’s DementiaUKknitting Challenge. Scarf =
If you’d like to be sponsoring me, just look for the Challenge on Facebook.
Said garment now finished except for adornments in the form of applied tassels on the body of the scarf rather than at either end - as a little bit of frippery for those who prefer to remain quietly stylish 🤓 see image below…
You may have forgotten that in mid October we went up to Penrith for the Potfest in the Pens Pot extravaganza. A very fun atmos there, especially, as we met up with my friend Heidi and her amazing array of beautiful pots.
If you don’t know the area, it beats the Lakes for fine landscape and rugged good humour. Staying near the foot of Blencathra, we will surely return.
I also posted an interview I did with Heidi, last week. You’ll find it on here on the interviews page. And you can check out her Instagram feed@heidikt103
& her website:
The blackbirds especially are loving our golden crab apples this year, and giving me all sorts of ideas for new work. We are also honored and delighted by the arrival of green parakeets in our garden. We think they must migrate
up here daily from ponds on the Heaton Mersey common…
I am so happy to welcome a branch of my favourite bird family to our northern garden.
For now, though, I am off to check out our hedgehog house 🦔 … as we clocked a Fox int garden on Monday.
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 Cotymog interview with Vanessa has been much enjoyed by you.
A 2nd interview was posted in early October with my hand mulling paint designers, Reg and Emma.
And now I bring you Heidi…
I’m trying to work out how to archive the interviews.
If you have any hints on how I might achieve that, please don’t be shy!
Art, Books, and stuff
Scarf for Dementia UK, weighing in at 56”, to be laterally tassled.
I mentioned Art, Books, and stuff. Well, for us, stuff encompasses other things, including Food and Film.
As we’re concentrating on Light and Love, for a change, remember, we hope to have a truly JOYful arty piece for you next month!
Meanwhile, bear in mind that STUFF also includes science. You thought we were all about Art? Well, we spoke last month about Science and Maths in Science, with Prof Kit Yates, whose first article at www.livescience.com appeared last month.
Kit is the author of several books on Maths in everyday life. Available in bookshops and online, you’ll find his writing full of amazing info about ourselves, our bodies, and our lives.
Do check him out. Kit’s is a voice of reason in our mad wilderness…you can find his input on all social media, and especially on Substack. Hands up how many of you also read Substack? As well as Kit Yates, ex New York Times journalist, Anand Giridhiradas speaks Truth to US. You’ll find many other worthwhile contributors there too, as well as writers like Elif Shafak.
While we’re on the topic of books, I’ve just read Susie Dent’s GUILTY BY DEFINITION. If you love the history and beauty of words, you’ll surely enjoy this intricate piece of detective fiction, set in Oxford.
[ I’m still only halfway through RIDERS, Ilana and Sue! There’ll be plenty of time towards the end of Dec for a catch-up!]
As for Art, all I’ve managed to do this month is my tiny Christmas cards of garden animals, on sale at Bud Garden Centre in Burnage or from me here at CotymogShed.com
Priced at £5 for a pack of 5 (+ envelopes) they are just under 100 mm square, painted with Reg and Emma’s watercolours (@ArtScribe) and printed onto card by our local printer, Simon at logo2print.com
Not that I’ve been totally idle, reading, writing, cooking and stuff, always with you chaps in mind.
Share Your Thoughts and Experiences
A World of Artful Themes
I’d love 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’ve found it a soothing and happy place, kind to our pockets as well as to our stomachs!
We’re sad to see Juno go - times and tastes change and coffee shops seem to be easiest hit.
Perhaps small businesses will get a fillip in the new budget…
It would be really 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.