a touch of colour

Hyacinth sketch with a touch of colour ...

this weekend ...

This weekend I did some sketching of some of the little plants I have around in pots, here are some of the results:

A pot of Hyacinths that we have growing in the bathroom, one that isn't open and showing flowers at all, and another that is fairly well underway - from the side and above ...


Viola odorata (sweet violet) details - I also painted these in watercolour, which I'll add to a post when I can get it scanned.


I had fun doing these, it took my mind off all sorts of worries ;)

let it snow ... let it snow ... let it snow ...

Yeah, it's actually snowing in Devon and has been most of the morning, although it ain't settling. It's great to sit in the warm of the office and watch th flakes whizzing by the window ...

the ginger cat ...

It was too cold outside to go sketching during my lunch break so I've been in the office playing in photoshop with the scan I did of the cat in the basket - just to get an idea of which colours to use. Here's what I came up with as a starting point ...



It's a little pale, but I'll bear that in mind when I work it up further in watercolour (when I have the time).

I've also got some ideas in mind for Mother's Day cards - I've said I'll do one for my boyfriend's Mum too ... I want to make a start on those at the weekend, as I have to send the one to my Mum to South Africa (that can take a while!), so hopefully I'll have something to post here next week ...

a rough idea ...

I've been working on some rough ideas, this is the one I've taken the furthest:

I hope to take this a little further over the weekend, in watercolour etc.

following your deepest instinct

I just found this quote ...

"It is only by following your deepest instinct that you can lead a rich life, and if you let your fear of consequence prevent you from following your deepest instinct, then your life will be safe, expedient and thin."
Katharine Butler Hathaway

It says a lot don't you think ...

snail mail ...

Last night I did a quick envelope for a decorated envelope / calligraphy thingy, today's the last day to get it posted, but before it goes I decided to scan it and post it here:

I've blurred the address on purpose to protect the recipient's privacy.

Here's a detail of my favourite bit - the snail ...


I'll find out what everyone else has done at the Plymouth Calligrapher's meeting on Saturday ...

today's sketch ...

I don't think today's sketching session was as successful as the last, but at least it got me out of the office and in to the fresh air and sunshine for a bit ...

Here's some of the results:



I've decided to try and share things here for feedback rather than hide everything away in a sketch book and never get any feedback from anyone ... ;) I guess it also makes it worth while for people to come and read my blog.

Don't worry, it won't always be seagulls - promise ;)

It's feeling a little warmer ...

Yesterday was feeling a little warmer so I managed to get a little sketching done during my lunch hour.

Here's some quick sketches of black headed gulls on the Kingsbridge estuary.



I try to go out and sketch during my lunch hour at least twice a week, but it's been a while with it being sooooo coooold! I often sketch the gulls, they can be really comical ...

it's sooooo coooooold

I just went out with a thought of doing some sketching, but I gave up - it's too difficult to sketch with numb fingers ... ;)

cyclamen sketch

This is a quick sketch I did last week of one of the cyclamen we bought at the garden centre last weekend - it's now happily planted in a pot in the garden ...

head hung in shame ...

Oops! It seems that when I changed the template on my blog I checked the "moderate comments" thingy, and then forgot about it. I was really wondering what was the best way to get people back to my blog, and in the end it was all my fault.
Sorry guys and thanks for still commenting ... and thanks Lorna for flagging this up!
- Gail (head hung in shame ...) ;)

just a quick doodle

Here's a quick doodle I did earlier ...

plymouth calligraphers

On Saturday I went to the monthly meeting of Plymouth Calligraphers. It was an interesting meeting about the use of Botanical Illustration in calligraphy, we had 2 members talking about what they've learnt over the past 2 to 3 years. This is an area I'm really interested in so I found it particularly interesting.
I also had a chat with Celia Lister, a calligrapher who I really admire, she's just had a web site built, so I've added that to my links opposite>

the past weekend ...

We've decided to make a big effort with the garden this year, so on Sunday we made a trip to a Nursery, it was really good taking those first steps.
At the moment the plants are indoors as there has been a forcast for frost midweek, but I'm looking forward to seeing things outside and beginning to grow. I have some cyclamen in flower in doors that I want to have a go at painting this week.
The garden isn't barren, I had a little go last year, but this is going to take things a lot further.
I'd like to have a large garden with lots of green and seasonal colour, but we've only got a small patch which is in the shade most of the time, despite this I want to make a real effort.

it's kind've dull

It's kind've dull when no-one adds any comments to my posts, oh well, I guess I'll just go in on isolation. Maybe it's my own fault for taking a while to get into this thing, and then no posting everyday ...
The thing is I work full time and snatch blogging time when I can.
I find it a little disheartening when I come back and it's all the same as when I left - no comments! :(

SORRY GUYS - I NOW KNOW IT WAS MY FAULT - THANKS FOR CONTINUING TO COMMENT - Gail xx

new characters

I've started working on some new animal characters for children, they're all going to be British animals.

The first is a hare ...

He's still in development, but it's a start ...

He was inspired by a Bill Oddie programme I saw the other evening on BBC2, about animals in the Scottish Highlands.

red sky at night ...

There's a lovely red unset outside, sitting at my desk wishing I could capture it somehow ...


Thank goodness for digital cameras - I just took this photo it shows more or less what I saw, but, well, I guess you had to be there!

friday 13th

So far, so good, no Firday 13th horror stories from me.

I've got a deadline looming for a Calligraphy exhibition - Saturday the 21st - so if I'm going to do anything I need to get it done this weekend! I've loads of ideas, it's just getting them done, but this weekend there will be no procrastination and loads of work!

Wish me luck ..... ;) He He ...

watching the weather

Last night I was clicking through the photos on my digi camera that I took over the Christmas break. We were staying in Bridlington on the East Yorkshire coast and from the bedroom we had an almost uninterrupted view over the bay - to me, who has only a street view from the bedroom at home, such things are a luxury!

It's so relaxing and calming to be able to open the curtains in the morning and see the day unfolding, the clouds caught by the sun or even a developing blue sky ... it seems to give you a sense of what the day holds.

It was great walking and watching the weather develope across the bay. I've got some lovely shots of the snow moving across the water from Flamborough head, as well as some really atmospheric shots taken on Reighton beach a little further north looking towards Bempton Cliffs. (Note to self: I really must find the time to post some of these here.)

I dream of one day living somewhere with that kind of view and to be able to record it's changing moods everyday in paintings ...