4th April

A Small Bunny Fantasy

I started this piece by recycling some strips of a previous picture that really didn't work for me, and it kind of evolved as I went along. I once attended a workshop where we were asked what kind of animal we would be that expressed who we were, and this great hulking, muscle-y bloke declared he would be a fluffy rabbit. I have never seen rabbits in the same light since! Anyhow, we have rabbits and plum blossom, and an Alice-ish person, all in honour of it being Easter Sunday, and despite our autumn-y surroundings I feel it is an appropriate wee fantasy for my inner child - she deserves a little outing today!

28th March

Last of the Autumn Flowers

I went around my garden this morning looking at the last little splashes of colourful flowers as the leaves are starting to fall from the trees. A handful of nasturtiums, a lace cap hydrangea, and a couple of harebells was pretty much it. I always mourn the end of the paintbox coloured nasturtiums once the first frost arrives, they seem such childlike flowers, full of optimism as their vines climb about the garden, and seeding in the most unlikely places. This year a couple of ambitious plants climbed up the fence and through a rosebush by the clothesline and amused me by nodding at me against the blue sky as I hung out the washing. Flowering where they find themselves, and bringing a brightened moment to whoever notices.

21st March

On Just Sitting

Autumn seems to be the most meditative season of the year for me. Golden light, still days, the slightly melancholy feeling as leaves slowly change colour and start littering the ground. Things feel a bit slower, as the earth puts on her leafy cloak and all the creatures store as much as possible for the coming winter. I find myself staring into space more, and dwelling on where I am heading and where I have been. A bit of planting in the flower garden, putting in a few more daffodil bulbs and some soft yellow tulips so I have something to look forward in the spring, and a check on the camellias to guess how many buds are forming for their flowering in the winter are all part of this time of year. A reminder that things are still ticking along despite the bare earth once winter reaches us.

27th February

Beautiful Flowers

I have an enormous bunch of gorgeous hydrangeas on the kitchen table which just cried out to be drawn this morning. They are like insane, old ladies hats(the hats not the ladies!), and I love them. Exuberant blues and purples and big, curly leaves that remind me of my grandmother's garden, and my mother's garden when they lived at Chertsey and had a row of hydrangeas down the shady side of the house. These come from my friend's back door where they almost take over the footpath! Beautiful.

19th February

Steve's Lilies


Gorgeous flowers with a beautiful scent. Nutmeggy and sweet all at once and making beautiful patterns against the light on the kitchen table. A quick sketch to capture a moment hardly does them justice and my skills aren't what I'd like them to be, but then if I wanted photo-realism I would take a photo! The lilies remind me of my great grandmother's garden where she grew tiger lilies taller than I was at the time. Spotted orange flowers in multiples on each stem, and their pointy leaves all the way round for what seemed feet at a time. Beautiful.

6th February

Wear some Flowers!

Ways to cheer yourself up. I wish I could do this with my hair, I have to make do with a flower or two pinned to my shirt. Perhaps I just haven't quite got the technique right. Speaking of which, I am struggling with my materials, I think the paper I am using isn't helping, but I am also doing battle with getting the structure of my drawings to work properly. I think more time would help - I seem to be rushing about getting other things done and am really rather nervous about managing a picture every day once I get back to school next week. Planning is going to be tricky. I did say some of these pictures might end up being design scrawls for my jewellery, and/or doodles as I think around my ideas. Perfectionist tendencies begone! Give some room to yourself for playfulness, fun even.

13th January 2010

In The Pink


Despite foul weather last night and lots of rain and wind, all be it with patches of sunshine, today and waking up with a nasty migraine, I am actually feeling pretty perky! Not only feeling good but I have also rediscovered a box of inks on my shelf, and have given the pink a bit of a whirl. It is VERY pink, probably will have to take a break from pink tomorrow - great in small doses but you can have too much of a good thing!!