Doodling with Paint

Working from Jean Haines' book, I followed her instructions for negative space - not as pretty as hers, but it does what it says on the tin. I need more practice at painting directly on to the paper without drawing first. It takes some courage to just splatter paint on the white paper and hope that it will produce something.

Cornflowers - just playing with colour and paint.
And just for something to do .........

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 3

Was very lucky to be given this wonderful garlic all the way from France - huge bulb! Not enough garlic in my life!

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 1

I've started the Brenda Swanson 75 Day Sketch Challenge - this is my first sketch. All sketches must be drawn directly in ink and no colour - monochrome, which suits me down to the ground. Not sure I will post all 75 - this is belatedly the first one drawn on 17th June.

Learning to play

I've been trying to learn how to play again - how to let go and just let things happen. Its quite hard when you are so used to really focusing on detail to let the paint just do what it wants to do. In an effort to free myself up I am playing with watercolours - a medium that I had thought was totally uncontrollable but now learning that is not the case. So a little play with a lemon thanks to Jean Haines' new book "Atmospheric Watercolours". Sampler of my watercolour paint colours and those of the Derwent Watercolour pencils that just arrived.

Workday sketches

This week I have been trying to sketch for half an hour a day during my work day. These first two are from the bus ride - only about 10 minutes, and people have an annoying habit of getting off before I have finished with them!

A number of apartment buildings being built around the office - I love the cranes and watching them move across the sky, though the thought of having to be up in one horrifies me (vertigo!). I'd rather think of them as being remote controlled rather than someone sitting all the way up there!

Gammel Estrup

I was aware of generations of my family watching over my shoulder as I worked on this sketch. My family lived here since from when the castle was built until my great-grandfather was the last. My father played here as a boy. Coming here was like coming home, though I have been here only once before. Walking in the corridors I walked with the ghosts of my ancestors, I saw my features reflected in the portraits on the walls. One of the highlights of our visit to Denmark last summer. I plan to repaint this and other views of Gammel Estrup.

Denmark Retrospective

Finally getting into creating my Danish journal - Part of me wishes I had done this as soon as we had returned but its nice being able to revisit these memories and remember what a lovely time we had.

Randers shop

Randers Town Hall

Baking and sketching

I love to bake and what better excuse than to combine that with a sketch subject? Finding my feet with colour and trying to find a style I like.

A neighbourhood shop

The Tower

The road back from Landstuhl

Outside sketching

In fear and trembling I ventured out yesterday,armed with my sketchbook, camera and husband for protection. First stop was to sketch a spot that we pass on our way to work. Rather strange, very angular, striped building that has always caught my eye.

Yesterday's Every Day in May subject was "Something that blows in the wind."

I love dandelions and remember blowing them to tell the time as a child. I have ideas to maybe do this as a large drawing.

Daily Sketches

I've continued with the daily sketches this week from Every Day in May - so here they are! Not in the right order!

Something with Wings (it did have before it died!)

A spoon with memories (I plan to rewrite the poem in ink when I get to grips with calligraphy!)

An egg carton

A brown paper bag

An Apple

Buttons (button mushrooms)
Looking at these altogether there is a distinct lack of colour going on and as this rather challenges the idea that this was supposed to push me out of my comfort zone! So next week - colour!! My Lamy Safari fountain arrived along with Noodlers lexington Grey Ink and I hope to get out and try some Urban Sketching. I'm rather hoping it might free up my tendency to tight drawings.

Back to the Sketchbook!

It's been a long time since I have played with my sketchbooks but I have the bug again. I've been intrigued for a while with creating a visual journal. This idea was sparked a long time ago on reading "Five Quarters of the Orange" by Joanne Harris. It seems it is now quite the trend and I found my interest reawakened lately. So here are the first few entries in my sketchbook which are a mixture of personal items and pages from "Every day in May".

I always wanted to be a patissiere!

A sketch from a meeting at work with ballpoint pen.

From my sketchbook of our Danish Holiday that I have just started working on! I took my paints with me and didn't even open them - so this is a retrospective!

A postcard of an area dear to my heart, Glastonbury Tor. If I could anywhere home, it would be this corner of England.