Sunshine After Rain is a limited edition pack of six greetings cards. Click the image above to see the cards in more detail.
In support of The Ticker Club at Wythenshawe Hospital I have produced this limited edition pack of greetings cards featuring six of my original watercolour sketches. I have experienced first-hand the outstanding work these people offer and I hope you are able to help me say a big thank you by purchasing this limited edition pack.
Each pack is £14.99 including P&P in the UK. International postage to be confirmed. 25% from the sale of each pack will be donated to The Ticker Club. Cards are blank inside for your message.
Why is the Ticker Club so important?
The Ticker Club is an association of ex-patients who have undergone some form of open-heart surgery or other cardiac procedure at Wythenshawe Hospital, home to one of the country’s leading cardiac centres. The Ticker Club, founded in 1987, offers invaluable support and comfort throughout the North West to those who are themselves experiencing heart or vascular problems and most importantly, to their families when they need it most.
You can find out more about the fantastic work this voluntary organisation offers here: https://thetickerclub.co.uk
Card 1 - Summer morning mist on the Standedge above Diggle
I painted this quick sketch at 06:30 on a beautiful summer’s morning just as the rising sun was burning the mist off Standedge. Ward Lane heads out of Diggle and takes you up to Running Hill Lane and onto the ridge overlooking Dovestones and the three reservoirs above Greenfield.
Card 2 - Storm clearing over Pots & Pans
I drew this watercolour sketch from under my brolly just as the clouds were breaking from the West over Manchester. For miles around, the cenotaph towers over the Saddleworth valleys and villages and the war memorial is often referred to as Pots & Pans. However, the name refers specifically to the Pots & Pans Stones which are found there.
Card 3 - Autumn light, Greenfield Reservoir and Holme Moss
Built in 1880, Greenfield Reservoir is fed by the Greenfield Brook and is above the Yeoman Hey Reservoir, which in turn feeds into Dovestone Reservoir. Lying within the historic boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire and above the village of Greenfield, it is on the edge of the Peak District National Park. The mast on the high moorland is Holme Moss, the highest transmitting station in England at 1,719 feet. I painted this sketch from a spot near Sugar Loaf rocks overlooking the reservoir.
Card 4 - Moorland heather, Alderman’s Hill over Dovestones
Looking along the ridge of Board Hill and Dick Hill towards Alderman’s Hill. Dovestone Clough is on the left of where I was sitting. The ridge in the distance leads to Indian Head. I painted this watercolour sketch in late summer just as the heather was losing its colour. I wondered how many more days we would get like this? Bring on those snow clouds!
Card 5 - Heading up to the Pennine Way after the deluge
This is one of my favourite walks, especially in the rain! The track leads from Broad Lane over Delph Heights and meanders past Wood Farm at Castleshaw and up onto The Pennine Way. Anyone remember the Jackson Browne song - Before The Deluge?
Card 6 - Dirty weather over Castleshaw
I set out early one wet morning to paint a watercolour sketch of this copse of trees surrounding the drain at Castleshaw Upper Reservoir. The rain was coming down and it was quite relaxing sitting there under my fisherman’s brolly. This is one of my favourite views and I have been drawing it throughout the seasons. Low Gate Lane becomes a river when it rains and in the winter it can be treacherous, like the Cresta Run. The lane leads down to Castleshaw Top Bank and then onto Dirty Lane, up to Bleak Hey Nook. A dirty lane for dirty weather!