Photo vs. Sketchbook

I almost always carry my camera, and I definitely always have my phone on me. If I can't take a quick snap of something then I feel very lost indeed. I also generally have a sketchbook with me even if I don't have my full watercolour set. What I don't generally have is the time to sketch on the spot, especially if we are in the middle of a walk somewhere. I've been dithering a bit over putting sketches from photos in my journal, because it sort of feels like I'm not doing it 'properly'. Thankfully, I seem to have got myself over that now and I am enjoying transferring some of my favourite photos into my sketchbook.

Like anything, it takes practice. I don't want my pieces to be photo-realistic because I don't have the time for that, but I guess I'm aiming for a certain amount of realism. Working in the comfort of home means I can also take the time to sketch in pencil first without adding ink, and I'm enjoying this new challenge.

Tea and scones

The trouble with sketching is that I need to sit down to do it. And I haven't yet got to the point where I feel comfortable enough to whip out a folding stool and leave Chris standing there while I do a quick sketch. Inevitably, this means that there is a fairly large number of food and drinks recorded in my sketchbook - mostly tea and cake. 

Sometimes I feel self-conscious about it: "Oh no, I don't want to look as though all I do is eat." But hey, if it's good enough for this lady then it's good enough for me. 

This page at Dimbola was an experiment in working straight in with a paintbrush rather than sketching first. I found it very difficult and the blue pattern nearly drove me potty. Looking back with the benefit of a couple of month's hindsight, though, I can see things about this sketch that I really like - the shape of that vase at the back, and the shading on the cup which was an interesting shape. I should probably make the effort to work without a pen more often.

Fitting it all in somehow

I can't believe these sketchbook pages are from March and we are already midway through May. How did that happen? Time is whizzing past at the moment, and we are very very busy with all things allotment and bee related. At times like this I think keeping a sketchbook, and scrapbooking, are more important than ever. It would be easy to feel as though we are so rushed off our feet that there is no time to relax or enjoy anything. But the act of sitting down and sketching - whether it's from life or a photograph later - or putting together a scrapbook page, helps me to remember all the wonderful moments that make up our days. Reflecting on life likes this helps me to make sense of my worries and treasure all my joys. 

Anyway, I am slowly catching up with scanning all my pages to share them here and on my Flickr page. These are the last few from my landscape format journal. I was struggling with the paper in this one - much rougher than I am used to and too absorbent for me to work happily on. I tried persevering with it but I seem to have abandoned it now and moved on to a portrait format, smooth-paged journal. I do envy people who seem to have found 'the journal' for them and have stacks of them beautifully ordered. My OCD does not enjoy having books of all size and shape lined up on the shelf. Still I guess it would be very dull if I didn't experiment a little bit.

There is so much to be grateful for. I am a very lucky girl indeed.

Making a habit of it

One of the habits I am trying to embrace this year is to keep a sketchbook with me at all times, and to sketch wherever I may be. This is all well and good, but sometimes it gets really cold. Other times people start talking to me. I like people talking, I really do, but not when I'm sketching.

I've also noticed that I have a habit of drawing churches. It's not from any particular religious sentiment, mostly it's just that they are interesting buildings. It does occasionally involve freezing in a churchyard though. 

I am way behind posting my sketches on here, partly due to laziness because I can't be bothered to scan them, and partly because I do like to have one or two 'in hand' just in case anything happens and I can't sketch for weeks on end. No-one said this had to make sense, right?

In any case, it's probably safe to post these which I did in early March. We had an afternoon of terrific fog, a thick blanket that covered everything. Fog isn't particularly fun to sketch but it did make for some interesting skies, like this sunset behind the church. This sketchbook is the lightweight one I keep in my bag - it's not designed for watercolour but it takes it really well, and because it's a cheapo sketchbook I don't feel bad about drawing loose and fast and with lots of interesting lines. When I use my 'good' sketchbook I find myself trying to make my sketches much neater and more precise.

The lychgate. Done in about five minutes just as I was leaving. Isn't traditional English architecture wonderful? I love the slightly wonky roofs and pointed Gothic arches. Once upon a time I wanted to be an architect, but you can't build that sense of history. I'll settle for sketching instead.

Mandalas in my sketchbook

Often when I am sitting and waiting, or in front of the TV when there's nothing much on, I get my sketchbook out. I don't always feel like doing a figurative drawing but just moving a pen to make repetitive patterns is very soothing. These pages live in my sketchbook and I go back and add to them over time.

After I've done my doodling, I will go back with my watercolours and add extra detail. Sometimes the page takes on a whole new life once I start adding colour.

Other times, I paint a watercolour background on some random pages in my sketchbook and wait until I have a doodle to fill them. Flowers and curves are very much my 'go-to' shapes, and pink/purple/blue is my colour palette of choice at the moment. Sometimes these doodle pages are where new ideas start to emerge and sometimes they are a 'comfort zone' where I don't really think about anything much. They're more about the process than the finished result, but somehow that makes me like them even more.

Thanks for sharing my sketchbook!

A whole other language

When I was a little girl, I read a lot of books. I knew lots of words and I wasn't afraid to use them. I can remember teachers being very impressed by 'the range of my vocabulary'. These days, the language I am interested in is the language of art. If you read this post  you'll see what I mean. How do I say what I want through my painting? Roz Stendahl, the artist whose blog I linked to, is constantly looking for new ways to say what she wants to on the page. If this is a language, I am still learning the alphabet. Quick brushstrokes to indicate sea or rocks. Soft, cool shadows to show land in the distance. Layering colour and creating forms.

The thing is, like with any language I have to practice to get more fluent. And so I keep drawing, keep painting, and sometimes it clicks and everything falls in to place. Like when you manage to order your meal in a foreign restaurant without the waiter laughing at you. 

These sketches are just from a couple of afternoons out last month. One done on location, and one from a photograph. I do enjoy sketching from life but sometimes it just isn't possible (especially when you're on a muddy walk). Either way, fresh greens and spring flowers make for much more interesting pages.

Life in line drawings

2013 was the year I made sketching a habit. My book comes with me almost everywhere, and Chris has learnt to amuse himself while I sketch away.

Even after just a year, I can see the development in my work and (though I say so myself) definite improvement. More importantly, I enjoy it. And I enjoy looking back through my sketchbooks to re-visit the memories.


2014 will be my year of sharing artwork - I'm a member of lots of groups on Facebook and Flickr but I rarely post my work there. I'd like that to change. One of my favourite things last year was discovering other artists' blogs and webpages, and I'd like to return the favour. Even with sketches that are wonky and imperfect. It's still fun to share.

Long time no blog

Oh dear, my friends. I am rather rubbish at this blogging thing, aren't I? That's a rhetorical question, by the way. No need to answer and make me feel worse. In my defence, if there can be such a thing, I managed to blog more in 2013 than 2012. By one post. That's something, I suppose.

The last months of 2013 were a whirlwind of activity, and there was a definite sense of trying to reach the end of the year 'intact' - physically, mentally and emotionally. It wasn't easy, and I'm forever grateful to the people who held me together while times were tough.

The decision to go on holiday wasn't that difficult, really. Spend new year somewhere warm and sunny, with the chance to see amazing wildlife and scenery? See - not difficult at all. And so we flew off just after Christmas and spent two and a half weeks in South Africa. My first time on the other side of the equator, and I loved every minute of it.

2013 was the year of the sketchbook for me. I drew more and documented more days than I have ever done in my life. In some ways I can't believe it took me till I was 30 to discover how to do this, but like everything it needed the right time and the right circumstances. Something clicked last year, and my collection of books and journals is proof of that. Our holiday was the perfect way to end a creative year, travelling with my sketchbook and using it to help me record some magical moments.

I know better than to make resolutions for 2014. Making lists of things I want to achieve and rushing headlong into a million activities is a sure-fire way to give myself a meltdown by Spring. Instead, I have learned to take things easy and be kind to myself, and be open to opportunities as they come up. I want to keep sketching, and scrapbooking, and generally being creative. By the end of the year I'd like some more sketchbooks on my shelf, each one filled with stories of the adventures and everyday moments that make our lives special. I'll blog when I feel like it, and I hope you pop in every now and then too. Thank you.

Whoops, I did it again

I hadn't realised it had been so long since I updated here...sorry! Strange to look back at my last few posts and see what a scrapbooking kick I was on. Since then, it has mostly been my watercolour journal that's occupied my time.

I am trying to draw everything, everywhere. My art teacher once told me I should be filling sketchbooks, but I didn't know how. Now I realise that I can just draw what's in front of me.

Having a small journal (this is the Moleskine Watercolour Notebook which is about 13x21cm) makes it easier to fill a page fairly quickly, and I can experiment with different styles:

Don't worry, I am still scrapbooking. In fact I finished a page this morning. This journal is just a different way of recording life, and I am really enjoying it.

On a roll

Lately, sketching and painting have taken up almost every spare minute. In the mornings, on my lunchbreak, as soon as I get home in the evening. I have stopped worrying about being good enough and I am just drawing, drawing and drawing. It's an itch I have to scratch, a hunger I have to satisfy, and every other cliché you can think of. I don't have any grander aims in mind other than I must do this. And I will see where it leads me.

I don't worry about pages being perfect. It's just play.

Making a conscious effort to try something different, use different media, keep going when often I would stop.

While the inspiration keeps coming, I will keep filling the pages of my sketchbook. 

His & Hers

Sketching outdoors is incredibly intimidating. It's really hard to choose my subject, to place things on the paper, to get the proportions and perspective correct. I am working on it - taking my little sketchbook out and trying to do a few sneaky sketches when people aren't looking. It's quite tricky to avoid people looking at your work. I'm told I do a good 'stern face' though, so that will come in handy. In the meantime, I am working on drawing from life in the safety of my own home.

Chris and I have desks which are opposite each other, so we can work on our many hobbies while still being a little bit sociable. This is his side. Mine will be slightly harder to sketch because I will have to stand in the kitchen doorway to do it. It's a small house, but it's home.

Adventures in my sketchbook

Scrapbooking has taken a back seat recently as I rediscover my sketchbook. I am so inspired by blogs like this one, this one, and this one, that once again I have decided to stop just reading and create some art of my own. These phases come and go and I am never sure how long they will last for, so I am trying to make the most of it. There is something immensely enjoyable about sketching and colouring, looking at lines and shapes and tones. Sometimes I just doodle, and draw patterns that I will fill with colour later. It calms and soothes me, and nourishes my creative soul. I don't know where this adventure will lead but it is most enjoyable indeed.

Traditions at Christmas

As we grow up, families change, and somehow old traditions aren't quite the same any more. Christmas is a hard time for us all but this year we have been doing a few more things that I hope will become traditions - like baking.

Whoopsie

How could I forget? I know I am posting my pages way behind schedule, but I can't believe I left this one out.

I think I was saving it for a special post all of its own. Because I'm pretty pleased with this self-portrait illustration. Not a bad representation (and in fact it's exactly what I am wearing right now). Last year's self-portrait page was quite miserable, really, so it's lovely to do something positive.

Journalling Christmas

Behind the scenes, I've been working away on my Christmas journal. I've never done a book in this format before and I really love it. The space for writing is just about the right size, and I'm finding that as I go on, I'm getting more and more creative with the pages. It's also giving me the chance to practice a few techniques that I might not use on a normal scrapbook page.

Day 5: counting down. Mindy bought me an advent calendar! What a sweetie.

Day 6: I'm pretty sure that last year I moaned about moving house at this time of year, as well. It's not my fault! But every move I've ever made has been in either November, December or January. Last year felt like a real anti-Christmas because I couldn't be bothered to decorate a house I was leaving. This year, I feel much more 'at home' and have really enjoyed making my house beautiful for the season.

Day 7: Traditionally a day for creating a to-do list of all the things that still have to be done before the big day. But yes, this year I'm feeling pretty smug. Because I thought I was going to be either in hospital or recuperating from my surgery, I made sure that I had done almost everything before I went in (yes that was pretty stressful). So when the surgery turned out to be much easier than I was expecting, and the stay in hospital much shorter than I was dreading, it meant I got to come home and relax because pretty much everything is done.

I'm using a mix of hand lettering and stickers in this journal, whatever I feel like at the time. I used to do lots of calligraphy and hand-drawn letters (anyone who went to middle school with me will remember the lessons in how to draw perfect bubble letters). I think my discovery of scrapbooking products and the multitude of stamps, letter stickers and chipboard alphabets made me feel that my lettering wasn't quite up to scratch. I like how it works in this journal, though, and it's great to have a space to play.

More to say than I realised

This journal is just under 6x8 inches, and when I got it I wondered if I'd have enough to say to fill in each page.

To get me started (and because I hate a blank book) I went through and painted some borders and backgrounds on some of the pages. Not having a definite 'plan' makes me slightly nervous, so if I can just go for it and get something on the page it makes me feel better. Even if I cover it up with paper later.

We haven't had any snow this year - yet. This time last year everywhere was white, but we've had an unusually mild winter so far. The cold has kicked in now, though - I've even had to put the winter duvet on the bed.

Last year, I made my Christmas cards and everyone was suitably impressed. The thing with that was - I made them before I went back to work. This year, I knew I would be back at work full time (although I didn't know I would be going for surgery) so I went shopping in the January sales and bought some lovely cards to use instead. Then I volunteered to help with making the cards that Gran will be sending. Colouring, cuttting, sticking....card making is not my favourite thing to do. My friends will still be getting the shop-bought cards!

When I went slap-happy with the paint, I didn't do every page. This is one of the ones I left, and I just trimmed some paper to make a border top and bottom, and added one of the toppers I've used on Gran's cards. I don't think I need to worry about not having enough to write!

Catching up

How many years does it take before something becomes a tradition?

I first did Journal Your Christmas in 2007, and it's strange to look at all the changes in my life since then. Last year's album is pretty special, and is currently sitting on the table beside me. Fun to flick through.

I wasn't sure if I would manage it this year. The last few weeks have been quite hectic as I prepared for my fourth (and hopefully final) bout of surgery on 1 December. The surgery went really well, and I was home much quicker than I expected to be. I now have a few weeks off work to recover, so I guess I have no excuse for not doing another Christmas journal, right?

This year I decided to do a sort-of art journal - no photos, just writing and drawing and maybe some illustrations if I felt like it. I chose a simple sketchbook, grabbed a few scraps of Christmas paper, and now I'm catching up. It feels really special to be facing the season on my way to completely full health. It's been a long time coming.