Techno help

Hi wonder if anyone as had this problem too on dashboard ! Looking back on older posts all the photo's are marked with a cross instead of the image, ahhhhh tried lots' of help sites but no help yet, would really appreciate any techno help, I've just had my dashboard for 2 years and wonder if this is a birthday pressie!

Otherwise the world of Lakeland art is busy and feeling inspired to get the pastels out! But paper work and accounts need working on!! My exhibition went well at Moot Hall and it was great meeting everyone and hearing lot's of positive remarks. It really does help.

A High Street with no shops!

A glorious sunny day in the Lakes and you forget 2 weeks of rain, walking footwear on and up the fells for a day of 'wainwright bagging' Started in the tiny hamlet of Hartsop, passing waterfalls gushing down from Hayswater a beautiful solitary tarn.The high street is above!

The high street was once a Roman road, the mountain bikers leg supports reminded me of Soldiers, marching up the fells, this bike ride was not for me!! I was puffing without the aid of a bike on my back!

Hawswater from Kidsy Pike the 3rd top of the day.

No Soldiers or Shops in sight along the Roman road to High Street, the forth of Six tops we did.

Love the Blues of the distant mountains, warm Yellow Ochres of the fell and the texture in the grasses.

All the way down back to the car from Gray Crag a glimpse of Brothers water on your left.

Think this would make a nice painting, sat for a while studying it, well that was the excuse for a well earned rest! The barn roof was growing a lovely lawn of grass.

I never saw an ice cream van or shop all day! Deffinitly not on the High Street!

Derwentwater Watercolour

Derwentwater

Watercolour

by Jane Ward

Just a quick blog today, we had beautiful sunshine for approx five glorious hours yesterday, it really felt like Summer was coming back! But no today is chilly,cloudy and looks like it's going to rain any moment.Hard to believe we have a hose pipe ban, when Tuesday the campsite flooded! But it's being great getting into a painting, I really enjoyed painting 'Derwentwater' watercolour, it was mostly painted from memory, as it's a walk I often go on down to the lake. I've an exhibition at Moot hall, Keswick from Mon 26th to Wed 28th July so if anyone is nearby come and say hello.

Perfect painting bag

Hey I did it, the Le Tour de Staveley 29 miles!
http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/photo5612828.html check out the photo!!!

Stood at the starting line in pouring rain quite excited and  pleased to see lots of age groups and obviously even more Lycra. The first section was wet and slippy on the roads even more so when it started to Hail. But then the wind got up and naturally blow dried, goodness knows what the hair was doing under the helmet!
The sun then came out, all the roads dried and made cycling along quiet undulating lanes more pleasurable. Seeing the refreshment stop at the top of the hill after 20 miles was a big welcome. The Boost bar helped give my tired legs a zap for the hilly last 9 miles. It was great cycling along hearing others struggling  up the accents giving breathlessly words of encouragement of ' keep going, don't get off ' Nigel was a star and kept me positive! Met a lovely chap that makes bags, he's called them all after his male friends we cycled along with Harry and Les who have named bags. I've got my eye on either 'Stewart or Mark' bags think they will make fab bags for taking the painting gear out on location. Here's the web site, Millican

le tour Staveley

I can't believe how naive I've been, For some unknown reason I said I would take part in a 25 miles FUN bike ride, FUN been the the reason why I said yes!
So with the FUN ride approaching in 3 1/2 hours I now find out it's 28.5 miles and it's a Race, lucky or unlucky for me I checked the website this morning, you can imagine the look on my face when I read

Tow Top is back! This is a super steep and technical climb which will have you pumping the bars. This is followed by a new 'Tour of the Rusland' section which is a bit of a leg burner with some short but challenging climbs and then on to the infamous 'Bianchi Starda'



The LE TOUR DE STAVELEY is RIDDEN ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. The event is run on OPEN ROADS and WHEELBASE.co.uk/Cannondale/Gore Bike Wear will not accept responsibility for personal injury, death or damage to equipment while riding the course.

So what preperation have I done!!
Had Pasta for tea last night
Bought two BOOST chocolate bars
I've not been on the bike for two weeks
And I don't like wearing my cycling shorts 'Because my bum looks big'

Do you think I'm going to be ok.

Les and Liz our riding partneres who run http://www.greystones.co.uk/ are the ones I blame, well it's mainly Les, I wonder if Liz is aware of the sprint start!! and goodness only knows what 'Tow top' is??

I'm just an artist, who likes the colour Pink, Not Lance Armstrong
I will report back fingers crossed tomorrow.

Outdoor painting in July

Rydal Water

Just a quick blog today, I'm in Grasmere taking a four day course, we've been lucky with the weather Monday and Tuesday but STORMS are forecast tomorrow!! So much for 'outdoor painting in July' but fingers crossed and always the optimist

There's always Someone who wants to have a look at the artists work!

Love the texture

This was the quick demo I did in 1/2 hour, I think the strong coffee helped beforehand!

Rush Hour Venice

One of the things I loved about Venice were the gondolier's! Talk about Cool! I didn't get to ride in one unfortunately, overhearing the price for 50 minutes per person of 80 euros was the decider! I also never heard any of them singing the cornetto song, I would surely want that for my 80 euros. So instead I photographed them and did a couple of quick sketches, I think they will make a interesting painting

Love this photo, you can just imagine all their thoughts!!Notice the Older chap rubbing his chin, I reckon he's just been told the price, and the man in Blue leaned in and said' that is for all day?' The Lady then thinks ' it's another new bag or Gondola ride!

Seen as though it's Friday thought I would show rush hour in Venice

Italian Ice Cream

This photo shows just how I've been feeling since returning! Maybe it's Italian Blues! Decided to have an ice cream today, thought that may help, only to find ice cream shop closed, so an ice lolly had to do! Made the Blues worse! I've got used to having Italian Ice cream in a little tub with 2 gusti (flavours) choosing from up to 25 varieties served with a big smile. Not waiting 5 minutes in local spar shop while ice lolly turns to slush. Will keep you posted on how to turn Blues into Pinks!

The pink Jersey

Back in Keswick now, a few grey clouds about but not too grey, I think those wonderful Italian colours helped inspire. Thought I would share a few more photo's of Cannobio. Love the Purple Canopy against the yellow wall.

Fancyed one of these for Home!

Who says you need to go to the Caribbean for palm trees and white sands?

A great place to cycle, we started at the Lake edge and went up what felt like the mountain section of the 'Tour de France' The Italians have a 'Pink' jersey not a Yellow one!

A pretty Church beside a stunning gauge.

 Again Palm trees! this village was at 666 metres high, quite high enough, think I can buy a pink jersey now!  Notice the tidy veg patch, everywhere you go in Italy there is a little veg patch on tiny strips of land, that would otherwise but used for nothing.

It's amazing where a blog can take you.

After a few days in Venice, the crowds and Mosquito's started to agrivate us, so back to the glorious Mountains, Lakes and peacful Piazza's. I've been following a fellow blogger 'Carmine Superior' and have been quite enhanted by the scenery and way of life. So staying beside  Lake Maggiore in the beautiful town of Cannobio with the camper van positioned next to the Lake, much nices than the crowds of Venice! We made our way up the mountain side to see this beautiful little Hamlet and boy was it special! This part of Lake Maggiore is so lush with all varieties of plants and flowers, old villages clinging to mountain side and high mountain tops with slither's of snow. We did have a very lucky escape mind on Monday night when the most amazing thunder and lightening storm struck a tree not 15 feet from the van, I shot out of the van, only to fly off the step of the van and head straight into a wet puddle of water. Nigel  up to that point was watching quietly the magical storm!