January

Hello,

So, January is almost at an end.  The month which I know many think is the worst of the year.  I've actually enjoyed mine, even the cold, (I think this week was the first real cold snap for me).  So, as (in the UK at least) it's a time to be warm and toasty I'm sharing a winter vegetable illustration.  I love root veggies, super easy to cook and very healthy too.  They also have these beautiful rich colours.

Whilst on a healthy theme it's also the time of year when a lot of people get to the gym and go on a bit of a health kick.  I wanted to draw more objects so I decided to draw my trainers (these ones are only a few weeks old so they still look decent).  I wanted to draw them simply using only ink and pen, just as a challenge for myself really. 

Last weekend I also took a trip to the William Morris Gallery it was a beautiful albeit cold day and as the sun was setting I took a quick walk around the gardens.  It's so nice and peaceful there and of course the gallery has a beautiful collection.  

I also visited the Royal Academy to see the Klimt/Schiele drawings.  I really wanted to see these drawings close up.  I think it closes this weekend so if you get the chance go.  

Ok that's it for now.  Have a wonderful weekend!  

Museum doodling

Hello,

I hope you've had a good week.  It's pouring with rain here at the moment which is actually making me feel really nice and cosy, until I have to go out in it.
Last week I visited the Museum of London to sketch.  This is something I would love to do more of so I'm definitely going to find the time to make Museum drawing something I do more often.  It always gives me new ideas and colour combinations and just a fresh approach to my work.  I didn't go with a plan of what to draw I just decided to go with what attracted my attention whilst I was there.  Also, sometimes Museums can be so busy in certain areas it's simply impossible to draw in a relaxed way.  I became obsessed with a cabinet of Mediterranean pots, vases and tiles, they were a joy to draw.  Such beautiful patterns that looked so contemporary.

I only had pencils and pens with me.  I took a selection of colours and then hoped for the best colourwise!  I like working like this, having to make the best of limited supplies.  Then when I came home I worked up the initial sketches with inks, pens and more pencil.  I really enjoyed this process and definitely want to do more.  I've also added these to my website in a new sketchbook section of my portfolio.

I hope you've got a good weekend planned.  I need to do some Christmas shopping and I'm hoping to squeeze in a gallery visit too.  Enjoy your week, and get cosy!

Autumn time in the country

Hello,

I've just come back from a little break in Norfolk/Suffolk visiting my family.  Very nice it was too.  I was lucky to have some lovely sunny days (along with one rainy one but luckily I was inside for that).  I love those crisp autumn days and I really enjoy having a good stomp around in the fresh air.  I've come back full of ideas from my trip.
Before I went I finished this illustration of a blackberry and apple crumble, something which is definitely missing in my life, I can't remember when I last ate one :(.  It's one of those perfect colder day puddings, yum.

A few pictures from my days away.  I always like to go and visit the sea.

I love the light at this time of year in the late afternoon and the long shadows it casts.

I do have a berry obsession, I don't know what ones these are but they have the most gorgeous colour.

 This was the late afternoon sunshine, perfect.

Autumn, :).  I hope you have a lovely weekend (and get to eat some crumble!) 

Autumn loveliness

Hello,

There's been a bit of a gap since my last post, whoops!  It's been a busy time but now I'm finally getting back to it.  I've been working on some festive illustrations which I'll show when they've been published, and just recently it's been all about Autumn for me.  I absolutely love the wonderful warm colours that are around at this time of year, and I do like this cosy time of year even if it is sad to wave summer goodbye.
Today is a totally gorgeous sunny day and I'm looking out onto some lovely golden trees in the garden :).  These two illustrations are inspired by this, (what always feels very brief) time of the year, full of rich colour.

I also (as with every Autumn) have been taking lots of leaf photos :).

I love the colour combination below.

Ok, that's it for now, I'm just finishing a lovely cup of tea, then I must take a walk in this sunshine before heading off for dinner tonight with friends :).  Have a great weekend!

Golders Hill Park

Hello,

This week I'm sharing an illustrated map of Golders Hill Park, a lovely park not too far from where I live.  It's attached to Hampstead Heath which (if you're not aware) is a huge heath in London.  I wanted to illustrate Golders Hill Park because it has so many different elements to draw and it's the perfect time of year to be outdoors.
I always enjoy projects like this where I can research a place and pick out aspects of it that I think are important and that will be of interest to the viewer.  I loved drawing all the animals especially.  I visited a couple of times and was completely spoiled because the weather was so lovely!

I also took loads of photos, so here's a selection.

Today I'm back at my desk working on some nature themed illustrations so hopefully it will be a lovely drawing/painting day (well that's the plan anyway).  I hope you have a lovely weekend and it's sunny where you are :).

Exhibition and food illustrations

Hello,

Wow, it's been another lovely hot hot week here.  I can't believe the weather this summer, it's been amazing!  I've got so used to leaving the house without having to worry about taking layers in case it gets cold, it's lovely.
So this week I've been working on some lovely food illustrations for an editorial commission.  I can't wait to show the images as I loved creating them.  I also got out to the Royal Academy to see the Summer Exhibition.  I often miss this but was determined to go this year as Grayson Perry is the curator so I thought I would enjoy it, and it feels like an age since I last went to an exhibition.  I wasn't disappointed.  I took loads of photos so I'll share some here.  My absolute favourite was the incredible knitted and crocheted sculpture Royal Valkyrie by Joana Vasconcelos which fills the octagonal space as you enter.  It's so colourful and delicious, it was a wonderful start to the exhibition.

I also wanted to share a recent iced coffee illustration.  I do love a good coffee, who doesn't?  I drew a load of coffee pots so I thought I'd share those also (I also have a whole bunch of coffee glasses).  I limited myself to only brown rich coffee shades for this illustration.  I really enjoyed drawing the beans and leaves.

After my Royal Academy visit yesterday I also popped to Burlington Arcade and snapped this lovely installation, lots of lovely hanging paper flowers.  Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures, they don't do it justice.

So, that's it for now.  I'm off to Bodycombat this morning then back to edit the food illustrations and work on some nature themed work.  I hope you have a lovely weekend whatever you get up to :).

Summery delights

Hello,

I thought I'd share some recent summer inspired food I've illustrated.  This year in the UK we are having a proper summer, which is very exciting!  So everyday has been warm and sunny for weeks which is lovely (although today is cloudy, but hopefully that's a one off, it's still warm!).  My flat gets very hot as it's on the top floor and gets the sunshine in the afternoon and evening, so it means I can't be cooking and creating more heat, so there's been a lot of yummy salads.  One particular favourite has been courgette with pine nuts and basil or my version of pesto (minus the cheese) which I have to say has been delicious.  It's super light, fresh and yummy.  I've been having it with another cannellini bean salad which I'm going to draw up soon, and sometimes potato salad.  Maybe that sounds like quite a lot of food.....hmm, eating is good.

I loved working on these in the sunshine (with the fan going obviously).  I really hope this weather lasts, it's just a joy to feel the sun on your skin and not worry about taking layers wherever you go.  I'm really enjoying it.  Today I'm working on another coffee illustration and then I'm hoping to get to a local park researching for some new work.  Have a lovely weekend :).

Birds and summer sun

Good morning,

Another lovely sunny day, I love being able to sit with the doors and windows open and just listen to the birds all around :).  It's also officially summertime here, woohoo!
This is a nature illustration I completed a few weeks ago.  The leaf pattern was a perfect opportunity to combine lots of different media and create a variety of marks and textures.  There is so much green around at the moment, it's just a lovely time of year.

Right, I think it's time for a coffee, then to work on a food illustration, and I may have a visit to the sunshine later :).

Ice cream? I think so

Hello,

I hope you've had a great week.  I'm loving having bright late evenings, it really seems to lengthen the days, and it's so nice to have the doors and windows open and feel the fresh air :).
On a summery theme, I'm sharing the illustration I completed below following a coastal visit.  I really loved working on this and I'm very happy with how it turned out.  I'm pretty addicted to inks at the moment, both those that are water soluble and those that are not.  They create such wonderful colours and textures and I think they work really well with the more detailed line work.  To be honest I just love combining all different mediums, I really get stuck into the textures.

I must admit, I did have a few ice creams that looked a bit like this one the week I was away (not all on the same day I will add!)  There's nothing like an ice cream when it's a hot day at the seaside and in the UK if you are lucky enough to have a lovely warm day at the coast ice cream is essential, because lets face it those days need to be grabbed!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  I have a lot of drawing/painting I'm hoping to get done, hooray!  I'll be back soon :)

A little break - part two

Hello,

If you saw my post from last week you will know I'd been on a few days break out of London.  As soon as I came back I knew I wanted to make some work inspired by what I visited there when I can. One of the places I visited was Sutton Hoo in Suffolk.  It's a place I'd been wanting to visit for years and it was great to go during the week, on a beautiful day, where I could have a good walk around in the sunshine :).  It's fascinating to think a lot of the objects found here lay dormant for so long (minus the rabbit disturbance!) and it must have been so exciting when the finds were revealed.  There was so much detailed patterning on a lot of the items, it's incredible to think how they were made at that time.
For me, making work in this way means I can choose exactly what elements really stood out to me on my visit, and I wanted to make sure I incorporated the earthy feel of the dig all those years ago.  This also meant I was able to use all the gorgeous brown inks I have keeping the feel of the earth very loose in contrast to the lined work of the rabbits.  I was lucky that at this time of year bluebells were out, and after days of visiting places where the bluebell displays weren't quite as anticipated I walked into an area of woodland here and they were everywhere.  It was a real treat!

It really was lovely to have a break, get out into the countryside and just walk.  I think I really needed it.
So, back to work.  I have a lot I want to get done today.  It's a gorgeous day so a great way to spend a day of drawing looking out at some lovely sunny weather :).  See you soon!

A little break

Hello,

I've had a lovely week.  I finally took a proper few days off and incredibly picked the week with the best weather so far :D!  I went to visit my family back in Norfolk and spent time in the countryside, and by the coast, in what was permanent sunshine, I really could not believe my luck.  As the weather was so good it was also the perfect excuse to try several varieties of delicious ice cream, yum.  Below are some pictures of my time there.

I really enjoyed getting away, I've come back full of new ideas, and got to work on some new illustrations inspired by my travels.  I love creating work in this way.
In honour of the sun (which is not with me today :(, it has been a day of rain) here's a recent sunny Illustration I created all about bees.  I wanted a really limited sunny warm toned palette for this one.

I hope you've had a great week and enjoyed the sunshine if it was around where you were :).