Scots Pine

Every year I spot something new, despite always having loved walking in the woods, working in the woods over the last 12 years and being outdoors generally!

Here is a female flower on a bit of Scots Pine and a new cone. 

Drawing every day

Happy New Year!

I've decided to keep up my Drawing A Day challenge for another year, but this time with even more of a focus on a botanical study a day - we'll see how it pans out! Here are a few so far - I have done one every day but haven't always been able to photograph them due to poor light and being out at work in daylight hours.

First up some Cedar - a bit collected from a car park following the windy weather, red dead nettle that was adding some nice colour in a stubble field, an old hazel nut with a promising new bud found in the hedgerow, and some ivy.

Summer sketching

I'm thoroughly enjoying my drawing a day at the moment - I'm focusing on sketching the seasons, trying to do botanical studies of the lovely things in the garden / in the woods / out and about at this time of year. It's making my sketchbook very pleasing. 

I've also done some Sweet Pea studies straight onto watercolour paper which are now available in the shop as original illustrations. Just follow the shop links to find them.

Sunday seasonal studies

Yesterday I collected a range of Beech leaves in their Autumn rainbow. Then I painted them, back home at the kitchen table, listening to the radio and drinking tea - just lovely. 

As I finished the sun came out- just in time for a photoshoot - voila. I don't think I'm done with these leaves yet... we'll see where they end up.

Rosehips

Another great red/orange lurking in the hedges. These are from my garden - I've been looking at them for a while meaning to draw them, and now I have!

September!

Sorry for the silence here on the blog - I've been having a lovely little holiday! I continued to draw however, but couldn't upload due to lack of signal - which was quite nice to not being able to think about it. 

I'm back now however and have been working away on ... brace yourself... Christmas printing. My Christmas cards are currently at the printers and I have everything crossed that they will come out just as I hope. Now might be a good moment to sign up for my newsletter (link somewhere on the left there...). 

But before we go Christmas crazy - would you look at the Autumn colours that have crept into the palette all about us.. as demonstrated by my good friends; Hawthorn, Blackthorn, the Blackberries, Beech masts and cases and conkers.

I don't really have a favourite season... but do have a soft spot for Autumn... 

Customers

A day late due to lack of Internet but...

Day 31 | #MarchMeetTheMaker is #customers

I'm working on these spring studies at present, soon to turn them into products for customers to buy. 

It'll be a watch this space I'm afraid as quite what these will be is work in progress!

I've really enjoyed this challenge, thank you @joannehawker for devising it. Lovely to meet so many makers this way!

Helper

Day 19 | #MarchMeetTheMaker is #Helper

As it's such early stages for me I don't yet have the need for an official helper.

However many of my friends and family have been helping by providing encouragement in my illustration adventure...

...and patience as I stop to look at yet another tree !

You can see the dip pen in action on the Facebook page ...just click here!

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...