Castle Combe, Wiltshire

An illustration of our favourite Norman knight popping his feet up on a little creature for eternity - what an amazing stone carver the artist was, it's such a fantastic sculpture.

My original sketch is here. The above has lost some of the latter's vagueness and impression of close observation. That's sort of good and bad at the same time. I'm not displeased with this version though.

Chirton, Wiltshire

B and I went to the Grayson Perry tapestry exhibition at the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath today. It was Amazing. This is not particularly the place to get carried away about it. But suffice to say we were thoroughly rejuvenated by his work. Such amazing colours and detail, and reflecting truths about modern society while being firmly rooted in art from previous eras. So much to think about.

The creative urge rubbed off and we went home to get on with something. What could we go and draw? (the family selling a car at the petrol station? another bit of Norman sculpture? NO. We ought to actually finish something and make a bit of art from one of our many many sketches.)

B is writing an article about Chirton for a local magazine, but it needs photos or illustrations. I made up my mind. I took my sketch here (which doesn't look much like that in the flesh) and the above is the result. It's cut mountboard (a long standing favourite technique of mine... maybe I even invented it :)... dark green really because that's the colour I had... and size A1.

I am very chuffed with it. I am currently in that glorious state of mind where I am very pleased with it and am enjoying looking at it. I know from previous experience that this will wear off and the anxiety and dissatisfaction with one's efforts will return :) but that is the curse of the creator of bits of art. In the meantime I'm going to enjoy it, and use my new-found positive energy to get on with some Moss-Dissertation-Related very necessary work tomorrow.

Hurrah for inspiration and getting on with something. And down with wasting time fiddling on the internet (oh the irony). More must be done. And to think this morning I was feeling particularly Januaryish and unable to see anything to look forward to.

You can see a photo of the font here, in fact the figure on the right could be the very figure (St Peter with his key to heaven) that I originally drew. It makes me realise that it's been quite a transformation! but I feel like I've remained true to the original carver's intentions in some way.