Colegate, St Gregory's Church and Alysham Road

Another weekend, and thankfully another beautiful stretch of time to fill up with whatever I please (namely another post!)

A few lovely things have come about this week. I've (very) excitingly had offers of some mail art trades (not sure if that's the official term but pah never mind if it isn't!) So very much looking forward to getting some lovely objects in the post and even more excited for the challenge of coming up with something as equally lovely to send back. Here's hoping anyways! I'll keep you posted on that front and show you what I get and what I give.

Also I was very flattered and honoured to be featured on a beautiful blog Mathilde ♥ Manech. This was a first for me, to be spoken about on a blog. It's always so insightful to hear what others have to say about my drawings, and it got me thinking about all the ways in which this kind of feedback takes form. I have to admit that my secret favourite is to watch people's reactions to what I have on display from afar. I love floating around at an exhibition and sneaking glances over at where my drawings are to see people pondering and pointing at parts of the Illustrations. I love the anonymity of it all. I'm not on display...my work is and it's there to speak for me. Sitting at a stall and being aware of curious fingers rifling through my prints is lovely too. And sometimes I'm close enough to hear a nice comment. You can imagine how excited I get when I sell! I hope I am always this excited. I think its a good thing.

Finally, I have also been asked to draw a house as a keepsake, which I am more than thrilled about! I'll be making a start on that within the next few weeks and will show you when it's complete and in it's new home (so as to not spoil the surprise for the recipient!)

On to the drawings! I've covered all the long Illustrations now, and these are the smaller of the bunch (although still quite big)...(Oh and there are some words with the images for you to read or not read...whichever you wish!)

St Gregory's Church (Pottergate) Norwich - James Bishop and Susannah Filgate married here in 1816. My Great-Great-Great-Great Grandparents.
I drew this on location and couldn't believe how many people came over and spoke to me. This always happens whenever I draw on location. I must have a friendly face or perhaps people are wondering what on earth I'm doing doodling onto a fax roll. Either way I do love a spot of friendly chat with passers by!

The coloured version of this Illustration (shown above) was produced digitally, using the principle of applique. I just used scanned textiles rather then the traditional method of stitching pieces on.

This is one of the few remaining medieval buildings on Colegate (Norwich). So it would have been a daily sight for my ancestors who lived and worked on Colegate. In the early part of the 1700's.

On my explorations around Colegate I found some back Alleys littered with beautiful old buildings. Unfortunately I didn't have an exact address for where my family lived so I had to improvise a little. This Old Hall had a wall draped in Ivy and stunning stained glass windows. I did this drawing on location, and you can even see my foot poking in at the bottom of the Illustration. It took me a day and was one of my earlier drawings. I loved the end result and what I knew I could get out of not shying away from detail and spending long amounts of time on the drawings. So it certainly encouraged me to take on the longer street drawings.
















Another Old Building sandwiched between a Georgian House and a new build, On Colegate. The doomers added to the higher storeys are typical of the late 1600's and would have provided extra work space and light for the people who would have gone about their weaving and spinning in their homes. (As everyone did at that time). This was a textile piece and featured the pattern from an archived piece of pink and white glazed worsted damask. The maker is unknown but it's from Norwich and has been dated at around the 1750s. I found it as part of my research at the Norwich Costume and Textile Museum.

An Old Georgian House on Alysham Road. My Grandparents lived in a room here when they were first married in the 1930's. This old VW has been there ever since I can remember and I would alway skip past this little scene on trips to see my Grandparent's who still lived close by.

And so, I sit here with my sketchbook of drawings and research sat on my lap, and although I have always leafed through them every now and again I am still slightly shocked at just how much I have. Perhaps one day I'll get around to cataloguing it all online for people who are interested in the Norwich and it's history, and who knows perhaps even some very distant relatives!

It's funny how a family can live and grow over the generations floating about in the same areas. My three years at the Norwich School of Art were centered around St George's Street in Norwich which you may or may not know, is just off Colegate. So a part of me has been there for hundreds of years. I would urge anyone with even a vague interest in family history to have a little delve into their past. You never know what you might find!

See you next time :)