Pastel Sausages And Scribbles.

I gave my new pastels from Florence Paintmakers a go today, on some black paper, just messing around to get the feel of them. Nice. Looks like a box of sausages though 😀 Then I had a go at sketching a head from a photo. Didn’t have time to do much today, but I’ll finishContinue reading “Pastel Sausages And Scribbles.”

Pastels And Pigments.

Husb and I went to the Lake District for a break a couple of weeks ago and took ourselves off to the gorgeous town of Keswick. On the Main Street there’s a lovely little gallery, The Graphite Gallery, where I was able to indulge my love of natural pigments and talk at length with aContinue reading “Pastels And Pigments.”

Scribbles And Scratchings

Here’s the last drawing from my recent trip to The Lake District. I went to see Castle Rigg, the ancient stone circle, but it was packed with visitors and I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to draw. So I walked the perimeter of the field and looked out into the countryside and this vistaContinue reading “Scribbles And Scratchings”

Fog From The Tower.

Husb and I spent a few days in The Lake District, on a little peninsula called Roa Island, in a house with a tower and fantastic scenery over Morecambe Bay and the Irish Sea. One day it was light but foggy so I decided to draw the view from one of the Tower windows. ItContinue reading “Fog From The Tower.”

Faces On The Train

Husb and I had a few days away in Cumbria, The Lake District, and booked a journey on the Cumbrian Coast Line all the way to the ancient city of Carlisle. It was a long journey because it meandered around the coast with loads of tiny local stops, but I enjoy train travel, especially asContinue reading “Faces On The Train”

Scribbling Sellafield

Went on the Cumbrian Coast Line train around The Lake District the other day, and passed Sellafield, the nuclear power station. The train stopped for a few minutes so I had a quick scribble. It’s a grim-looking pile in the middle of beautiful countryside, but that makes for an interesting contrast. I used a ballpointContinue reading “Scribbling Sellafield”

Along The Causeway.

Another quick sketch from my recent holiday in The Lake District. Husb and I went walking along the causeway at Roa Island, very different to the usual scenery in the Lakes. It’s very flat marshes either side of the narrow, very straight, road. I used conte crayons in black, white and sanguine into a brownContinue reading “Along The Causeway.”

View From Hawkshead

Had a few days away in the Lake District and scribbled away in my brown paper sketchbook with conte crayons in black, sanguine and white. Here’s the view from the top of the cemetery in the lovely town of Hawkshead. It was beautiful weather too. I did the sketch very quickly, focusing on getting theContinue reading “View From Hawkshead”

Giving It A Go

It’s almost half a century since I rocked up, in flares and platforms, at the Foundation Course in Swansea Art School, determined to be a painter. Then I did the module in printmaking and retired my paintbrushes. Until the pandemic lockdown started in Spring last year. We were only allowed out of the house forContinue reading “Giving It A Go”

Painting From A Drawing

I’m starting to paint my own work now, after 18 months of copying great artists with Ed Sumner’s Cheese and Wine Painting Club on Facebook. I did a pastel drawing when I was visiting the Lake District last week and I’m developing it into a painting. Here’s a section of it, using Liquitex Heavy BodyContinue reading “Painting From A Drawing”