I like things to link up

It all started with a visit to the Print Exhibition at Rheged - some wonderful work on show and it reminded me of when I did some lino cut printing a long while ago. I still have the tools etc. but I never really got to grips with the way it is kind of the reverse of drawing. At the same time we went to a talk in Keswick by Stephen Matthews about Bewick’s vignettes and how they told about life in the 18th century. We only went to this because we had Studio Day Passes and decided to go to all five talks, but we both found it fascinating. I remembered seeing Bewick’s work at the Laing Gallery in Newcastle. Then the family visit to Farfield Mill and the chance meeting with the wood cut artist https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2958488989754984026

We planned a visit to Bewick’s home, Cherryburn, not far away. Then I discovered that one of my favourite writers Jenny Uglow had written a biography of Thomas Bewick and I managed to get a used copy for £3. I am currently thoroughly enjoying this. I have read several of her biographies and love them. It is so interesting reading about the Tyne Valley and Newcastle, places I know well, during the 18th century. A fine set of links!

And a coincidence. Today I finished the 8th book out of 16 on the longlist of the Women’s Prize for fiction (see extra - the read just top the unread, although there is one missing on the unread pile) and decided to leave it at that until the announcement of the shortlist in two weeks. Now I’m setting about reading some of the non-fiction I have gathered recently. On this day last year I did the exact same thing! https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2830464376379542662