Feeling It

Just back from life drawing at Swansea Print Workshop. I started with a piece of charcoal but I wasn’t in a charcoal mood tonight and it didn’t feel right on the paper (Daler Rowney A3 sketch pad). So I switched to a lump of graphite and scribbled away. If felt better, it just felt rightContinue reading “Feeling It”

Scribbling Iceland

I spent a few days in Iceland recently and although I took a sketchbook and some pastels with me, it was too cold to draw. Even just 30 seconds or so without my gloves and my fingers stopped working. So now I’m back home and back in the swing of all the arty shenanigans goingContinue reading “Scribbling Iceland”

Pulling The Columbian

I had a very busy Sunday pulling some woodcut prints down at Swansea Print Workshop. I used the beautiful old Columbian press, an antique dating from the 1850s, when Queen Victoria was on the British throne. How many prints have been pulled off this press? How many hands have pulled the lever? It’s not onlyContinue reading “Pulling The Columbian”

Three Male Nudes

  Just back from life drawing at Swansea Print Workshop. It’s late now and I’m tired. I did three versions of the same pose in an hour. The first, a straightforward scribbly line with a Faber Castell Pitt drawing pen, size F, into a Daler Rowney A3 cartridge sketchpad.   Then I did another lineContinue reading “Three Male Nudes”

The Dawn Road From Reykjavik

The last few photos from my recent trip to Iceland, the road back to Keflavik airport at sunrise. It’s so far north that the dawn is about 9.30 am which is very civilised. Once we were out of the city there were little isolated farms or homesteads dotted across the lava landscape. The movement ofContinue reading “The Dawn Road From Reykjavik”

I Have Seen The Lights!

I have finally seen The Northern Lights and it was a truly awesome experience, in the real sense of the word. It inspired awe and wonder. Extraordinary. That was at the end of a long day, beginning with a walk around the fantastic Harpa opera house on the seafront, with a view of snow cappedContinue reading “I Have Seen The Lights!”

Quick Kitty Scribbles

A couple of quick kitty scribbles done in Faber Castell Pitt drawing pens and charcoal into a little A6 sketchbook. Ming The Merciless is one of my favourite models. She’s an elderly one-eyed rescued cat who is nice as pie until she sees the cat basket because that only means one thing, a visit toContinue reading “Quick Kitty Scribbles”

Paper Geekery

I spent a happy hour fondling beautiful papers and sniffing oil pigments and pulling on my favourite antique printing press. I was doing some trials on four lovely Japanese papers. This is an Atsukushi White, just 39 gsm. Above is the back of the paper on the woodcut block just after I’d put it throughContinue reading “Paper Geekery”