Urges

After a period of inconsolable sickness, my laptop is well again. It was this time last year that I started my “diary without words”, a record of my (almost) daily pochades. The arrival of Titus brought an abrupt halt to progress, but the sale of 3 this week has reignited an urge to start again. The commission I was working on has been completed, posted and appreciated but, before I could get going on the next one, or dig out my pochade box, I had to suppress the urge to paint in order to focus on a build-up of paperwork and a heap of forward planning. That done, I am now so organised and planned-out that I have reached a state of complete inertia today, so Titus is in luck until the urge returns.

Number 47
after puppy training & before everything stopped in October
SOLD

Number 42
just before puppy collection in September
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Number 35
one of my favourites - "hello sunshine"
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Number 38
a blissful afternoon at Lamigo Bay in August
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Number 14
camping trip to Skye in July
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Number 10
trying out my new brushes in July
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The promise of wildlife

Unfortunately the otters remained in hiding, the eagles emerged but at such a distance that they appear too small on the photos. I also have indecipherable images of a dolphin and some porpoises. Perhaps the best wildlife I can show you is this strange pair and their pet wolf.

I am very busy on the artistic front, but the commission I am working on is a secret present so can’t be shared with you just yet!

Enticing wolf on to the beach

Wolf enjoying the sunset  - and the sight of his pack alone on the beach

Working with a tetrad #3

Visitors from deepest Suffolk have brought a welcomed drop in pace this weekend, and we even enjoyed a cup of tea in bed this morning whilst Titus slept off a day of new experiences. I had hoped that our walks would have brought you fantastic photos of otters and eagles – but the wildlife has been elusive so far (probably scared off by a large bouncy dog crashing about after sticks). So, instead I’ll share the third of my lamb quartet – Nigel & Neighbours, and bring you wildlife next weekend!

Sketching Workshop

And yet another mad busy week, culminating in the second of my local workshops. A good day was had by all – sketching outside in the sunshine, watching the light change on Castle Varrich. We looked at the value of sketching and finding the right “kit” to help us fit more sketching into our busy lives. My latest appendage is an overgrown bumbag (in a lovely lime green!) which holds everything I need for a long walk with Titus, including a sketchbook. Finding the right tools and having them to hand is the key to doing more sketching – but finding what is right for you can take a little while. As an illustration, I chose to draw the same view several times using different dry materials and paper sizes. Sketching is a very personal thing, an emotional response captured on paper in just a few minutes – sometimes a photograph is simply not enough.

The happy sketchers finding their own style

from the top:
4B, 8B, charcoal, conte in small moleskine sketchbook
 pen with conte on larger mid tone paper

sepia pen with cream conte on mid tone paper