What ‘Thinking of You Week’ means to me
Happy Thinking of You Week! Thinking of You Week is organised by the Greetings Card Association with the goal of highlighting the the emotional impact that sending a handwritten card can have. The emotional significance of the written word during lockdown has
The Drygrange Chestnuts Pt.6: July, August, and the last of the Greens
[This year I have decided to study two big Horse Chestnut trees near our house. This is Part 5 of my sketchbook-learnings.] These are the last few weeks of the dense, dark, green canopies. Slowly, slowly the golds will creep in
Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside
We are just back from a much needed few days by the sea. I've always been of the opinion that the closer you are to the ocean, the better you feel. I've just googled "why is being by the sea
Great Spotted Woodpeckers: How to Tell Male, Female and Juvenile Apart
Over the past month we have been enjoying watching a family of Great Spotted Woodpeckers on the feeders in the garden. I usually think of woodpeckers as quite aggressive birds but it has been so nice to see them tenderly
The Drygrange Chestnuts Pt.5: May, June, Flowers and Environmental Justice
[This year I have decided to study two big Horse Chestnut trees near our house. This is Part 5 of my sketchbook-learnings.] In my last update I was celebrating the new green leaves that had burst forth all over the two
Pencil Drawing: Techniques
This is the third post in my mini series about pencil drawing. The first post covered materials and the second post covered inspiration and how to collect it. The act of drawing is basically just making marks on a surface.
Woodland Wildflowers: A Lock-Down Diary
I've been absolutely fascinated by the woodland in spring this year. I missed three months of the woodland last year with being either too heavily pregnant to walk very far or stuck in the house recovering with the new-born. Whereas
Pencil Drawing: Collecting Inspiration
This is part two of my mini series on pencil drawing. Part one was about the materials I use. You can read it here. In this post I'm going to talk about the inspiration for my drawings and how I record
The Drygrange Chestnuts Pt.4: April, Nests and Buds Bursting
[This year I have decided to study two big Horse Chestnut trees near our house. This is Part 4 of my sketchbook-learnings.] In my March update on the Drygrange Chestnuts, it was all about the sticky hard buds that had been
Pencil Drawing: Materials
I've been asked a few times recently about my materials and the techniques I use for my pencil drawings. I thought I'd break it down into a couple of short posts so you don't have to wade through to find