Xmas Day At The High Dependency Unit

An elderly relative went into hospital for heart surgery a few days ago and after a night in Intensive Care, he was transferred to the High Dependency Unit for intensive nursing. He’s doing well and will hopefully be transferred to a general ward in a couple of days but we’ve been back and fro visitingContinue reading “Xmas Day At The High Dependency Unit”

Wherever I Lay My Hat

  I try to sketch every day – don’t always succeed unfortunately but carrying a sketchbook and a packet of drawing pens in my bag helps to motivate me. I think it’s important to just get on with it and not worry too much about what it is you’re drawing. It may not be theContinue reading “Wherever I Lay My Hat”

A Load Of Mangy Scribblings.

When I was in Art College, back in the days of the dinosaurs 😉 we were told to keep a sketchbook and to put something in it everyday. What fascinated me at the time was the diversity of sketchbook styles and approaches amongst my fellow students. Some put as much effort into their sketchbook asContinue reading “A Load Of Mangy Scribblings.”

A Ghost In Charcoal.

Just came back from another Xmas curry. What is it about Xmas and curry houses? I’m going to be barrel-shaped at the end of the holidays at this rate 🙂 I’ve been clearing out my studio because I’m moving to a new, bigger studio over the road and I’m finding loads of work I’d forgottenContinue reading “A Ghost In Charcoal.”

The Big Apple Crumbled!

Some people think that The Big Apple is a nickname for New York City but we in Swansea know that it’s the name of a tiny little green concrete kiosk on the cliff above the sea in the Welsh fishing village of Mumbles. It was one of a hundred or so specially built in theContinue reading “The Big Apple Crumbled!”

Sheep Staring At Me!

  Someone asked me today what ‘continuous line drawing’ is. I use the technique a lot. What you do is draw with a good quality pen or pencil, one that gives a nice flowing line, and you try not to: a) lift your pen off the surface of the paper and b) look at yourContinue reading “Sheep Staring At Me!”

More Left Handed Shenanigans

I’m busy clearing out my studio at the moment to move to a new, bigger studio across the road and I’m using the opportunity to sort through and catalogue my work and also to be ruthless and bin stuff that doesn’t come up to scratch. I found this study and it’s more of the leftContinue reading “More Left Handed Shenanigans”

Curry, Conversation And A Missed Blog!

  Didn’t do my daily drawing blog yesterday!!!!! I went out for the annual Life Drawing Group curry, to the rather excellent Vojon Restaurant in Swansea and by the time I got home it was way too late to blog. I thought I would have had enough time as we met at the curry houseContinue reading “Curry, Conversation And A Missed Blog!”

In The Life Drawing Studio [2]

One of the things I love about being an artist is that it’s a life-long pursuit. I know little tiny budding artists only a few years old and I work with veteran artists in their seventies and eighties and all ages in between. I remember Bill Turnbull interviewing Howard Hodgkinson on BBC Breakfast a coupleContinue reading “In The Life Drawing Studio [2]”

A Left Leaning Lady Scribbled Leftily

I think I’ve mentioned before that it’s good practice to draw with the ‘other’ hand, in my case, the left. It engages the other side of your brain and makes you look at the subject and drawing in a different way. I find that I’m more analytical and the drawing is in some ways moreContinue reading “A Left Leaning Lady Scribbled Leftily”