A last minute sighting

At the very end of my walk yesterday I heard a small commotion in the top of a lime tree... I was thrilled to see that it was some #LongTailedTits

They have a lovely shape, fluffy little ball with a long thin tail.

They are really interesting nest builders too- I couldn't cram enough on here so do look it up!

It's such a surprise to see what crosses my path each day, I'm wondering what I'll see for last 4 days of #AlicesAprilAviary

Also starting to ponder about a May challenge...

Mr Mallard

Yesterday's drawing for #AlicesAprilAviary is the mallard.

More precisely it is Mr Mallard who was on the River Dee in Chester yesterday, posing while I has a picnic lunch.

It would have been rude not to draw him.

Sketchbook

Day 20 | #MarchMeetTheMaker is #Sketchbook (See also Day 5- my 'can't live without'!).

 

I do a drawing a day ...everyday. Mostly these are directly observed.

 

Here are some of the archives. As today is also the first day of spring I've opened a couple of books to pages featuring daffodils or sheep / lambs.

 

Drawing everyday means I am 'Sketching The Seasons', something I plan to focus even more heavily on in the future. These are in effect diaries- I sketch where I go, or what I see, and always have a sketchbook with me.

 

People seen here are people walking down my road, a band at a bluegrass festival and a quick sketch from Good Life Experience last year. Eagle eyed will also spot the food and drink...

 

This is my comfort zone (rather than technology), moving these to the product and the shop is my next focus.

 

Alice in Action!

Here are links to two short clips of me drawing some Blackthorn this afternoon (both on Instagram)...

Blackthorn Part 1

and...

Blackthorn Part 2 

And this is the end result...

Raw Materials

Day 6 already of #MarchMeetTheMaker and we are looking at Raw Materials.

Here is a picture of the table the other day when I was working on drawing buds. I had been collecting them from different species as I saw them and keeping them in water at home to draw. 

The initial drawings are done straight into the drawing a day book, as a study, drawn in pen and coloured with watercolour. I can then scan them and use them all together is designs using the computer. I'm also working on a couple of bigger pieces and am collecting seasonal studies to work into the final composition of these. 

Can't live without...

Day 5 of #MarchMeetTheMaker...

Can't live without - I think I'd be really lost without my Drawing A Day book now. I first did my Drawing A Day challenge in 2008. I filled two books during that year. I then had a 5 year break and in 2013 I started it again and have continued since. Last year I used 4 books - it was fun to experiment with different size and shape of book every few months. 

I try and take my sketchbook with me when I venture anywhere, with the aim of sketching whenever and wherever. If I don't manage to sketch when I'm out I like to try and collect something from wherever I am to draw with a cup of tea when I return. The challenge of drawing something there and then is one I'm trying to embrace and do more of.

Pistachio!

I have to confess, I'm not sure where many of these National Days come from, but today is 'National Pistachio Day'! ... and here are a few to help us celebrate!

Spring is Springing

I love this time of year as everything slowly turns green and comes into leaf. 

For my Drawing A Day this week I've been looking at different tree species - drawing their buds as a sketchbook study. I'm a bit of a tree geek and love how you can play detective and work out which trees are which. At this time of year the buds are one of the ways to identify the species (as well as the bark, remaining seeds and silhouette). I'm hoping to draw a few more this week and build up my collection. 

I also really like being able to tell what time of year it is in my Drawing a Day book when I flick through - maybe one year I'll manage to do a whole year as a nature journal...

Here is the process...

These studies are the starting point for another project I'm working on... but that's for another day!

National Breakfast Week

In honour of #NationalBreakfastWeek this week (24th-30th January), here are some breakfast-y drawings. All of these are from my Drawing a Day books. 

First up, an oldie... boiled egg and soldiers

And next we have another favourite drawing (and breakfast), Pain au Chocolate (I know two is very greedy, but they are fairly small...)

And lastly, the drawing I did on Tuesday to celebrate #AustraliaDay, some Vegemite, delicious on toast for breakfast (or any time!).

Joining the dots

I can vividly remember sitting in the careers room at school, being asked what job I'd like when I was older. I wasn't sure. I was told to have a look at the helpful A-Z of Careers poster on the wall above the desk and say which ones appealed...

I looked through them all and read out three that interested me. The careers man asked me to go away and have another think.

After A'Levels I did an Art Foundation course, I loved Art and it gave me some thinking time before making a career commitment in the guise of a University course. At the end of this great year my tutor decided I was destined for Mixed Media Illustration... I decided Education was where I was heading, and that I'd keep Art as a hobby (although I was very tempted by a degree in Calligraphy, my favourite wild card at the time).

I'm now 11 years into my career in Education, more specifically working with children, young people and adults in woods through Forest School. I love it. Being outside is part of me. It doesn't feel quite right if I haven't had my daily dose of fresh air. Checking in on what is happening outside, where we are in the year, what is growing, blossoming, coming into leaf or going over. 

Illustration has remained a hobby throughout. I have done a Drawing a Day for several years now as regular blog readers will be all too familiar with! Now however, with a change in my hours at work, I've decided to see where the illustration can go. 

So, I'm going to join the dots and combine the two... here goes!

And finally... I'm braving the world of Facebook, do 'like' my page 

On your marks, get set... MAKE!

I had a wonderful long weekend with one of my best friends and chief motivator- Louise of  Louise Mary Designs ... a talented Jeweller and Silversmith based in South Derbyshire.

We spent a lovely long time in her fab studio (that she runs Jewellery making workshops in, which is the best fun!). We were both busy making, she in beautiful silver and gold and I with pen and ink. Often we were both silent and engrossed, but so nice to have each other's company. 

Louise has taken some fantastic product photos for me that you can see in my shop!

It seemed only right that I should do one of my Drawing A Day sketches of her hard at work at her desk, from sitting at mine! 

Louise Mary Designs working on her beautiful Love Grows collection

Happy New Year!

The drawing a day will continue! I missed two days in 2015 and filled 4 sketchbooks which I'm looking forward to looking through again as a reminder of what I did last year, where I went and who I saw.

Here is a little bit of New Year fun (link below) from one of my Christmas card designs from this year. Next year there will be cards for sale so do watch this space!

Happy New Year!

Exciting times

Here are some of my 'Twist and Sprout' Christmas cards before they danced into the post last week.

Drawing at the Good Life Experience

I'm slowly getting braver at drawing in public. This weekend was the perfect type of set up for this, relaxed crowds, places to sit and sketch, out of the way or sitting in a talk, in lovely company at The Good Life Experience. 

The picture on the left was done quickly of another member of the large crowd that were listening to Ben Fogle talk. On the right I had to draw Charlie Gladstone (one of the founders of the Good Life Experience) super quickly as he introduced Tristan Gooley and his talk on Natural Navigation as he was only there for a matter of seconds. I rushed to paint Tristan and so the ink ran a bit but learnt my lesson and managed to let the ink dry before painting next time...

It then seemed only right that I should try and draw Jennie Maizels as she did her talk about sketching and her sketchbook club.

Such a fun weekend.

Phone sketch

It very rarely happens but I recently found myself out and about without my sketchbook! A band were playing and I wanted to sketch them and so had a go at drawing on my phone. They were done very quickly but I quite liked the effect and decided it wasn't a bad backup should I find myself sans-sketchbook again.

I did it!

Happy New Year!

Well, I'm thrilled to be able to say that last year, 2014 I did a Drawing A Day, every single day! There are four books in total, each a different size and shape (which added to the fun I think). Some entries were very poor indeed - short of time and inspiration but many others I'm really pleased with.

My favourite thing about the books is that I can (for the vast majority) remember where I was, who I was with (if anyone), the time of day and sometimes even what I was listening to, what the weather was like or what it smelt like where I was sketching. Occasionally there is a feeling with a picture too - excitement or happiness for example. The picture sometimes represents the occasion for me, particularly if someone has shared some special news. Other times it might work the other way, and the wave of worry that I felt when I was drawing something sweeps back over me... but then I just have to turn to a happy page and smile again. It's just a different type of diary.

Here is a quick flick through book 3.

Beans on toast!

Speedy sketching

Sometimes it's the speediest sketches I like most.  When I think I've run out of time or just want to be quick, I'm sometimes pleasantly surprised at the result.  This one was done while eating two slices of toast.  Not very accurate but it'll do nicely for its page in the book.

Holiday breakfast

I celebrated having a day off last month by having these for breakfast... Such a treat.  Sadly I got a bit carried away with the sketching so they weren't very warm by the time they were eaten! Still delicious though!

Florence

Yup, more Italy! Florence this time. I was very excited to be a the fountain that features in 'A Room With a View' and so thought it only right that it should feature in the Drawing a Day book.