ARTICLES BY TRACEY MORGAN

Is there a massive gap opening up in the way we write On the one hand there are the scribbles we write from time to time, the shopping lists, the directions and the notes we make whilst on the phone

Tracing its history back to the first known wood block printing techniques used in China 2000 years ago, the lino print is a superb way of producing stark, high contrast images The results are every bit as effective as those produced by their wooden ancestors, but the work behind the modern technique is greatly reduced

For me, the name Staedtler on a piece of artist’s equipment immediately brings to mind quality and precision It definitely goes back to my school days in the 1980s, when my technical drawing board was only half complete without its set squares, compasses and pencils, many of which would have carried the famous German branding

Can Modern Art be created today On the one hand, any art created today is by its very definition modern; but on the other, the term “modern art” has a very specific meaning to art scholars and historians, namely the art of the century leading up to the early 1970s

Mention to people that you’ve been to the Lake District and visited the pencil museum and you’ll get a lot of funny looks Some people might think you’re kidding; others will wait for a punchline

Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, retirements … it seems there’s always a need to buy someone a gift And every so often you might get one back, too – so it’s not all bad

Whether you’re 99 or not even in double figures, many an hour can be passed indulging in a hobby or craft that you love Not only does a craft have therapeutic benefits, it keeps your mind and creativity active and might even lead to a career, a profitable part-time enterprise or just a way of always coming up with inventive and unique gifts for people

One of the ultimate ways to damn an artist with faint praise is to ignore the painting and comment of the quality of the frame That’s not to say that you should use a deliberately understated frame to draw attention away from it; a frame should be a tasteful border between the work of art and the real world, and it can be as simple or as grandiose as you see fit

Whether it’s the desire to send messages or communicate or just an reason to make a mess, all kids certainly love art, whether it's painting, sketching or making things And sometimes, adults can even work out what the drawings or paintings are supposed to be, too, which always make it easier to praise

Dressing up in military clothing is not just the preserve of young children, who like go all army in the garden or play pilots in great air battles in the playground The fashion of wearing vintage military clothing is also one seen in adult circles now, in fact it's a booming sector of the clothing market

Fairly often, a news story will appear about the auctioning of sketches by some notable artist, a Lowry or a Da Vinci, for example On the one hand, they’re frivolous small items, perhaps a donation to someone in a restaurant by way of a thank-you, or maybe a concept for a painting that ultimately went on to become very significant