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