I spent last weekend at the Guild of Enamellers Conference. Had a great time meeting over 80 professional and amateur enamellers. There were a number of great talks including those by David Bainbridge of Milton Bridge Enamels and professional enameller Ruth Ball. It was all very interesting and inspirational. On the Saturday I attended a workshop with artist Dale Devereaux Barker which was all about designing and thinking outside the box and I produced lots of collages that I was very pleased with. The image below shows the workshop in full swing.

It’s always nice to be asked to design something new. A client requested a clock with a dandelion clock on it because it would have a special meaning to the recipient. I find designing for someone else very different to designing just for the sake of it as designs go to and fro between the client and myself. I don’t know whether the client will be happy with the final design yet, whether it will be as she imagined it, but I’m very happy to add it to my growing range of mantel clocks.

Last month, as I was driving home through Somerset, the sun was setting and I saw this incredible scene with the tops of the trees dipped in a golden copper colour – it was dazzling and though I couldn’t stop where it was best, this photograph does capture some of it’s beauty.

Just a few minutes later the sun had dipped further and it looked like the sky was on fire. I loved the silhouette of the bare tree against it.

I do love the way the sky changes in the blink of an eye.