No longer waiting in the wings!

When I started this challenge (at the start of the month) I hadn't decided to publish it here. A week later I thought it would be a good plan (and motivates me to keep it up!). So I have some catching up to do in terms of sharing the pictures of the first week.

The idea came to me when I was on holiday on the Isle of Mull. We saw some fab birds there - a couple of my long time favourites - the Oyster Catcher with his splendid orangey legs and bill, and the Grey Heron - I love how gangly they are and how they move - those long legs stalking through the water, or their huge wings when they fly - and awkward neck they have to fold in! We also saw eagles which were very exciting - I still need to do a bit of research on these to find out what type they were.

First up was the Oyster Catcher. This was a sketch done on the 31st March, which gave me the idea for the challenge. I drew him again as a card - you can see me drawing it in this video.

Next up is the Hooded Crow - there were lots of these on Mull too...

Next up is the Greylag Goose - there were lots and lots of these on Mull too

The Heron was the last bird drawn from our holiday on Mull... or Mulliday as I like to refer to it.

The woodpecker was spotted on my cousin's bird feeder - the other side of Scotland, near Stonehaven. We were looking in a lovely bird guide that my cousin has that used to belong to our Grandmother's best friend - she had made a note of when and where she had seen each species on the list at the front of the book. For that reason I'm making a note of where I've seen each of these too.

The Lapwing was seen in a field and flying up from it on our drive back from Scotland. 

The Magpie was from the car the next day...

Next up is a blue tit - seen in my garden, hopping about on top of the hedge.

Next up was the Sparrow that is already online!

This swan was seen at Attingham Park, on a walk on Saturday.

And that fills in the gaps so far!

Alice's April Aviary ... so far-

1. Oyster Catcher

2. Hooded Crow

3. Grey Heron

4. Great Spotted Woodpecker

5. Lapwing

6. Magpie

7. Sparrow

8. Blue Tit

9. Mute Swan

10. Mallard

11. Blackbird

12. Green Woodpecker

...right, I'd better get away from the computer and see what I can see today!

Alice's April Aviary

I decided I needed another monthly challenge following last months March Meet The Maker... and so I've decided on #AlicesAprilAviary - a study of a different bird species each day this month. I'm hoping to draw a bird I've seen that day, ideally with a directly observed sketch to accompany the study, but so far is been studies only apart from this sparrow.

This was initially inspired by the birds seen on holiday last week on the Isle of Mull, Scotland.

I'll have to play catch up and share them here as there are already 10 waiting in the wings (...sorry I know that's dreadful!)

Milestone

Day 24 | MarchMeetTheMaker is Milestone

I wasn't sure what to put for today as it's still so early, but I think it might be my first commission as Alice Draws The Line. 

This is something I'm currently working on and triggered the spring modern botanical illustration studies I've been doing. I know most have appeared on here already but here's a short flick through the sketchbook to show them together.

Photography

Day 17 | #MarchMeetTheMaker is #photography

My fab friend Louise Mary Designs helped me photograph my first few items in my etsy shop.

Pictures were taken with her lovely camera in her equally lovely studio. Since then however I've been attempting to recreate the feel using my kitchen table and mobile phone camera... got to start somewhere! 

First Ever Sale

Day 12 of #MarchMeetTheMaker is #FirstEverSale

Although not my first sale as Alice Draws The Line, this was the first sale of my work. Sadly I only have a rather grainy image of it - a photo I've taken from a booklet that had a photo of it featured in - so excuse the quality. I drew it as part of my Art A'level but can't quite remember what the brief was. I later had it framed and entered it into an exhibition and sale and it sold - I was thrilled... but do wish I had taken another photo of it before it went.

I remember really enjoying doing the picture, in pen and ink... about 15 years ago. A friend mentioned this picture recently and said it was the style she always associated with me - and one that returned to feature on my 2015 Christmas Cards... Twist and Sprout (see here) and We Three Cones (see here). 

This was called 'Marching Vegetables' - a landscape piece featuring directly observed vegetables, given personalities and limbs. The runner bean was always my favourite - late and having to run to catch up with the procession. I'm quite tempted to revisit this.

I'm working on a bigger piece again at the moment which I'm enjoying. .. more about that soon! 

Goals

Day 9 of #MarchMeetTheMaker looks at 'Goals'.

I've given myself a year 'to try'... to see if the dream of earning enough through illustration and hand lettering to supplement my part time job can become a reality. Otherwise the reality is finding another part time job...

How and why...

Day 7 of #MarchMeetTheMaker is 'How and Why?' 

I draw because I enjoy it. I also love to draw so that others enjoy it. Usually this is in the form of a birthday card - I like thinking about where it is going and what the receiver might like. I particularly like trying to do something that is particular to them. Sadly it isn't always possible or I don't leave myself enough time to do this. 

This is a recent card for a fabulous five year old who really knows his sea creatures. I had to look up Angler Fish to draw it - this is another element I like - finding out about things through drawing them.

More recently I've been working on a couple of commissions - more about that soon!

Another 'why' is that due to a reduction in hours in my day job I'm now looking at whether my love of drawing can become more than a hobby - there is only one way to find out!

Tools

Day 4 of #MarchMeetTheMaker... today it's tools...

These are my current favourites (although this changes!). I love the colours in this mix. 

A closer look...

1 - 0.38 Pen from Muji (lovely thin, even line)

2 - Water brush - this comes everywhere with me in my pencil case

3 - Paintbrushes, a lovely thin one and a slightly thicker one

4 - Small watercolours - these fit in a handbag easily. I've topped these up with tubes of watercolour. there is a pink where a paintbrush should sit, and black and purple share a square too.

5 - Black India Ink. Waterproof. (Dr Ph. Martin's)

6 - Water pot - this was in a seconds box in a pottery I visited on holiday once. Sadly the label has washed off it and I can't quite remember where I got it. I often take this with me if I'm going away. 

7 - My Grandmother's watercolours. These mainly stay at home, partly because they are quite big, but mainly because they are special to me. I'm not a fan of cleaning this, I like to think there may be a colour that she mixed still on the palette somewhere.

8 - Two dip pens - the wooden one and the green nib holder. 

9 - A mechanical bic pencil - nice and soft to draw with but nice and dark when I want it to be 

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!

Nuts about You!

This design is now available as a card... perfect for Valentine's Day! or any Anniversary... or just because!

For sale in the shop - go straight there by clicking... Nuts About You! 

The original is there too, you can find that by clicking... Nuts About You!-Original

A new range

I've started working on a new range of cards that combine my love of trees with my love of illustration and hand lettering. At present I'm affectionately referring to them as my TreeGeek range. This is one I've been tinkering with today...

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 

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!

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.