The Growing Season

The Good Life series ran in the 1970’s and 1980’s inspiring series where by a couple decide to give up the rate race and grow there own veg , keep hens etc . Give up work and become self sufficient. Totally loved the series and now I have an allotment, grow veg around my house and work as a supply teacher in order to live the good life without being tied to the day to day city life I previously had,living in the countryside and living that simple laid back life style.

Set in Surbiton Surrey, even lived in Surbiton in the 1980’s great place loved the series.

 
My attempt at self sufficient life style, considering the current cost of living crisis, I’m not doing to badly, currently harvesting french beans, cucumbers, swish chard, lettuce and peas. I have plenty of tomatoe plants flowering, lots of runner beans and other french beans, leeks, broccoli, potatoes, corn, courgettes, aubergines, chillies and peppers still growing. I hope it all harvests well.

Allotment News.

Inside my poly tunnel. I have been growing cucumbers , tomatoes, peppers, chillies, aubergines , lettuce and beans. Really happy with how fast veg grows inside rather than outside. I have enough space for another poly tunnel.

Cucumbers growing in quantity inside of poly tunnel with new irrigation set up so I don’t need to go every day to water. Working great. The good life is a reality.



Aubergines starting to grow.

Chillies

Large tomatoes.




Purple tomatoes.





Tomatoes are starting to grow 

Plenty of flowers should fruit into tomatoes, grew different varieties , sizes and colours from seed. 
Finding some holes in poly tunnel so will need to buy specialist tape of eBay.



Recently potted aubergines into tubs from grow bags as they looked like they had stopped growing. I have a couple of very small aubergine fruits and plenty of flowers coming through.

Planting out new crops inside new poly tunnel. Will add some shelves so I can have a couple of layers of grow bags.

The new poly tunnel

Needing to add bricks. or old reclaimed roof photo, needing to strim and rotovate plot. I will be growing a lot this year due to the price of food . Planting potatoes, some mixed coloured potatoes from last year(not sure if they will grow?

Growing from seed and will be buying plants. I have added more strawberry plants to strawberry patch, will need more raspberry’s ( will get some orange and red x 20.

I am growing multi coloured tomatoe plants, different colours and sizes in poly tunnel.

Planting leeks, spinach, runner beans, french beans, broad beans, lettuce, courgettes green and yellow. Pumpkins, chillie peppers ang broccoli.

I am going to buy some fabric raised beds to plant carrots , lettuce and herbs like coriander and fresh basil etc. These will cost about £20 plus compost put will save on digging plus the soil isn’t that great so buying compost is a sure way of getting a better crop. I will also buy some big hoops to protect from damage and new netting.

The early days of planting doesn’t look like much but has now grown into a good grop level.

The before photo early in Jan 2023

The up to date image

Early growing image

Early Feb image.

The Real Reasons for growing your own veg connected to climate change and healthy life style choices . I found the following link

Growing veg to reduce climate change facts

Reducing my carbon footprint by drying my own home grown produce

Purchased online takes 4-6 hours to dry fruit, different options in terms of temperature , doesn’t use much electricity.

Stored dried apples in glass jars.

The season has been particularly compelling due to the corona virus, food shortages, limited stocks and the problem of shopping generally under lockdown.

Therefore I choice to grow veg at home in home made planters as well as on my allotment. Due to schools being shut down and my job role as a teacher, I have had the time to develop my crops.

Runner beans are ready to pick and they tend to produce more the more you pick.

Home grown runner beans.

Tomatoes grown outside take longer to ripen then in a green house. I may buy a green house next year , it’s a big outlay of money and I have tried to spend as little as possible.Growing from seed and buying discounted small plants. 

Recent veg crop from my allotment.Courgettes, purple pea pods, Swiss Chard and Marrow.

Marrow plant similar to a courgette. 

The late Harvest

Collected fruit and veg at the end of August 





Apple cordial made from my little apple tree. I have recently ordered a fruit dryer so will be trying to dry some of my apples. 

I grew a lot of courgettes and marrow which where great to roast and make super soups which I have eaten and frozen. The courgettes are great turned into spaghetti using a veg Cutting machine.



Since returning from my holiday the grass has gotten longer on my allotment. I’m using an electric strummer and a petrol generator. I will be paying a solar panel generator next year. They are less noisy and a lot more greener.

Re-wild your garden

Reducing climate change seems a big ask, how can we process baby steps to collectively make a difference. Letting your lawn grow for natures environment to grow.













awn grow wild for part of the year is one way to help the environment

Zintangle Art Project

 Using templates that can be drawn via tracing through cartridge page in sketch books, create a Zintangle animal in the style of an Artist. Using thick marker pen draw around line drawing sketch templates to enable students to trace through page or allow pupils to either trace using tracing paper. If pupils are advanced at their skills then drawing free hand would be applicable. Using these different techniques with learners helps differentiation of different skills sets of pupils. Those who are developing skills could use a template and work on top adding their own interpretation of Zintangle. Another method of adding Zintangle designs is to use small A7 tracing paper and use tracing repeatedly increasing soles an accuracy to the art work.

Portrait drawing task

Pencil drawing ripped photograph in black and white

                                Ripped photo

 Using a high definition photograph print out in black and white. Rip part of it off glue down onto cartridge paper. Grid method the piece that is not glued down into 3cm x 3cm squares or 3cm x 4cm depending out what you prefer . Add a grid using very light pencil pressure onto your cartridge paper and copy each square accurately onto your page. Add tone to your drawing. I used a hb pencil for the grid and a B 4 pencil for portrait

Creating Art Resources

 Creating personalized resources for education is something I have been developing for some time, interested in showing a path way for learning I have started to photograph resources and will be adding them to my blog as a library of my resources for current and future use:

Final piece in pencil.

Tracings taken from resources.

Resources to trace.

Resources for tracing.

Trace images onto page, adding a good composition.

Lettering to add interest and added Cubism style.


Add a grid style abstract cubist element.

Angular sectioning layer.

A step in the process.


Added lettering to image.

Tradition mark making palette.


Unique style mark making.

Cubism as been an inspirational choice of mine throughout my design career and has influenced modern society ever since Pablo Picasso and Braque started it initial direction.

Step by step processes to make a similar Art pieces has been a subject I have taught many times. Whether it is cutting and di-secting a page into squares or using a ruler and creating diagonal sections and drawing different angles and perspectives of still life imagery. 

The process I am showing below includes adding imagery in a layered and overlapping way, then adding geometric structures over the top and then using the sections created to add tone and unique mark making techniques to create an interesting Art piece that links closely the Cubism Art Movement. 

Double Exposure Photoshop

 Link to tutorial

The following tutorial is a very easy way of creating a double exposure effect using photoshop essentials.