shopping list sketches

I've decided it's time to revive my shopping list hunt.

I found this list Ben made in our recycling box this morning and realised how long it has been since I've done any drawing. I thought this might make a nice weekly drawing challenge to try and keep up over the coming months.

To get me started I drew the very minuscule butternut squash that has been winding it's way across our patio. We planted it a bit late so unfortunately it's never going to reach it's full potential. I love the way squashes grow though.

Tangles of tendrils.

Orangutan

Some more drawing practice.

Ben and I have been watching the new Planet of the Apes films and I've fallen in love with Maurice the orangutan.

Black bear

Some drawing practice from the weekend.

I like bears.

watercolour

Here's a shoal of watercolour fish I painted the other day.

I've decided I need to make a determined effort to make some more time for drawing and image-making, and as a start I have signed up to the 'Birds of Prey' wildlife drawing session in Brighton next month.

I'm pretty excited about meeting some falcons and hawks.

double sketchbooks

We did it.
A drawing a day until the sketchbooks were full.



It's very satisfying to see all the images laid out together like that.

There were a few wobbly/slapdash/drawing under the influence pictures (a couple were drawn on an aeroplane in near darkness), but I think we did pretty well to manage one every day. It has definitely made me want to keep drawing more often, and Ben has already started a second book.

Maybe he'll let me share some more pictures?

Here's a flickr set of slightly larger images if you'd like a closer look.

digitalis

I've been spending a lot of time thinking back about nice trips recently.

Exactly one year ago tonight I landed in Melbourne for 3 week dream holiday - it doesn't seem that long ago at all.

In July we went and stayed in an old romany caravan surrounded by poppies and foxgloves in a very sweet garden in Cornwall. It was a perfect summer weekend.

Although we could have done with a tiny bit more leg room.



I do love to holiday.

a drawing a day

Ben & I started some sketchbooks on Friday to practice our drawing.
50 sheets of paper each. 50 days. 100 drawings.
Let's see how it goes...

floral

There are flowers everywhere at the moment. Everything has bloomed all at once.

I'm finding it hard to resist bringing some home with me every day.
Not so great for the hayfever...

Cape

Some more very quick drawings.

Border fancy canary

sahara

My new favourite activity is drawing while watching Africa. It's a challenge to draw so quickly.
Luckily less animals live in the Sahara than other parts.

mess

I seem to spend a substantial part of my evenings at home tidying up after myself.

sunday

Today: Sampling some festive treats.
Tonight: Testing out new pencils.
Tomorrow: Back to being a career woman.

fishing on a friday

Last Friday I went fishing with my friend Steve. December isn't traditionally the best month for a pursuit like this, but it was a long term resolution of mine to catch a fish and I was determined to complete it before the end of the year. And now I have!

And I caught four! Two whiting and two rockling. Success!

It was very cold, but we had the sun on our faces, and some mince pies to snack on, and it turned out to be a lovely day (after it was almost abandoned due to early morning rain clouds).

Now I have to get thinking about next year. Maybe a BIG art attack? That would be a challenge.

the festive season

It's the first of December - YEAH!

no more november

Today is the last day of November.
Ben told me about this poem, which seems like a pretty good reflection on this time of year.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

No! by Thomas Hood (Abridged)

No sun - no moon!

No morn - no noon -

No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day.

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,

No comfortable feel in any member -

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds -

November!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This November has seemed a bit better than the norm though. I have actually ended up being far more productive than usual, and have started drawing on a daily basis.

I will try to keep it up.

dendrology

When talking to my friend Steve on a walk the other day I realised that I have a very limited knowledge about trees and how to identify them.

This is something I aim to correct over the coming months.

Maybe I'll try a foraging course too.

 

a green woodpecker

I saw a woodpecker in the woods yesterday (a greater spotted one I think).
I also put the batteries back in my clock last week.
The 12 o'clock owl is scary.

all the colours

Tonight I did some drawing, whilst listening to John Grant.
And eating chocolate coins...

signs of summer

There are colours everywhere.

I found one of the blue envelopes from give mondays today. It was a really sweet surprise - I'm going to keep it in my bag until a worthy cause presents itself.