Summer dreams and Inspiring India

Hello folks!  How are you all?

It's been over a month now since my fiance Chris and I moved away from London, and at last things are beginning to fall into place.  We just got the keys to our new home (a beautiful little Victorian terraced house on the south-eastern edge of Leicester) and are currently organising getting our affects and some furniture in there.  I can't wait to get settled in!  It will take a while before it feels truly ours, but once it's looking presentable I shall certainly share some pictures with you on here.  Both our sets of parents have been fantastic, rallying round offering support, advice, and furniture.  We're already sorted for a sofa, bed and mattress, and my folks have gifted us my great-grandmother's walnut sideboard so we should be very well set up!

Just a week ago we were having a BBQ at a friends house, sipping wine in the afternoon sunshine... just look at it now!  So grey and cold outside - it seems that summer is finally over.  I've been wistfully looking over these photos today, which were taken in June, on my birthday.  Me and Chris decided to celebrate by having ourselves a day out at Hampton Court Palace, and it was so roasting outside that we were relieved to escape inside the cool stone buildings to view the rooms and galleries.  The gardens soon tempted us back out again though; I was very impressed by the abundant, colourful blooms (and besides, there's nothing as wonderful as a rose garden in June!)

The white greyhound of Richmond

The Chapel Court Gardens

Eating ice-cream in the sun

The rose garden

Roses

Snap dragons and lavender

That day was so perfect, if I had a time-machine I would revisit it!

I had planned on taking it easy work-wise during my move, but as we all know time stands still for no man... and I'm not one to pass up a good opportunity!  As ever, I've been busy doing illustrations for Making Magazine (you can see all the projects so far on my facebook page) and I have also agreed to take part in an art challenge for creative bloggers called Inspiring India.  The project has been organised by travel company Cox & Kings, who specialise in providing luxury holidays and group holidays.  They challenge the bloggers that they have invited to create pieces of art inspired by the exotic destination of India, which will then be displayed in an exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 10th October this year.  I've been doodling some ideas and am looking forward to getting stuck into the illustration properly - wish me luck!

Thank you for reading, hope to see you next time!

Emma xxx

P.S. If you would like to come along to the Inspiring India exhibition, you can purchase tickets for the event here.  It's only £15.00 and includes a lecture by India expert Sir Mark Tully, an exhibition of Indian artefacts and of course, some amazing artwork!  Hope to see you there!