Painting the rooftops

It's going to be an ultra speedy post this week as I'm right in the middle of painting trees on the Thames map!

Here's a little peek of how the colours are going on so far. The green was by far the hardest, because to get a smooth colour with watercolour you can't let it dry in the middle when you're painting a large section. I had to work steadily from one side of the map to the other, painting around each obstacle as I went.

It took a solid five hours to paint all the green! Tonight I've been working on the red rooftops of the houses.

Last week we were in Cornwall and in the evenings it was lovely to relax and doodle something which didn't require any thought. I created a mandala which I shared in my last post, and since then have drawn another one in biro.

This time I used a compass to draw the rings and sketched out spokes underneath to give it a more symmetrical structure. You can just about see them in this photo.

I like the biro as it's possible to achieve different tones, but I think I prefer solid ink lines, like the very first one I did below.

I did this one completely freehand, starting in the middle and working outwards by eye, hence why the spacing is a little dodgy in places!

Finally I'll leave you with these photos from Newquay Zoo which we visited on Friday on our way back up from Cornwall.

These capybaras are actually a lot bigger than they look in the photo!

The zoo was really quiet and most of the animals were snuggled up inside - who can blame them really! These mongooses (mongeese?) were very inquisitive though and came out of their little hut to observe us watching them!

I remember the red panda's at Paignton Zoo being very elusive one time we went, but this little guy just sat around while I took his photo.

Last but not least, these were my favourite little critters of the day; the otters. They were playing tug of war with their straw bedding in their little hut, tumbling and squeaking. Then they went outside for a swim!

Thank you to all of you who voted for my blog in the UK Blog Awards, voting is now closed and you will be the first to know when I hear anything!

Today I'm linking up at Handmade Harbour and Paint Party Friday.

Cornwall, the Thames and mandalas

Right, I wrote this whole post out before remembering that tomorrow is the last day you can vote for my blog in the UK Blog Awards! For those of you who don't know, I've entered in the Arts and Crafts category. I have no idea what happens if you win and I don't expect to find out, but it would be lovely, if you enjoy reading my blog, if you could pop over and vote. Thanks peeps, now on with the post...

This week we're on our holidays in Cornwall, yippee! We're staying in a beautiful little cottage called Phillack in St Erth, close to Hayle on the West coast. It's welcoming and homely, and lovely and warm which is a real treat considering we spend most of our time at home layering jumpers to save on the heating bill!

It's part of a barn which has been newly converted into three cottages and is just the most peaceful and cosy little place. I ran around taking these photos when we'd just arrived, before we could make it untidy!

It was a beautifully sunny day yesterday, too hot for a coat, even, which is surely unheard of just a few days before December. First stop on Saturday morning was Gwithian to check out the waves - brace yourself for a very photo heavy post today!

Then we went into St Ives where I sat and painted overlooking the swathe of golden sand and turquoise water that is Porthmeor Beach while Sam went in for a surf.

If it wasn't for the long shadows, I think these photos look like they could have been taken in summer!

My painting still needs quite a bit of work and I'm not sure I'll ever get around to finishing it, but here's a peek.

When Sam finished surfing, there was just time to squeeze in a pasty stop before heading back for a cosy evening in the cottage.

This morning we got up early as Sam went off to check out the surf in Gwithian while I spent a couple of hours working on the Thames map. Yes, I did bring it along - there's no rest for the wicked! My workspace was a little different from normal!

I can now reveal that the client is Le Boat, a fantastic company which hire boats on the Thames and many other rivers across Europe. I have to say that working on this project has been very inspiring; there are so many lovely places to visit along the river. Before, I very naively thought of the Thames as just the section which runs through central London, but in reality it offers so much more, from peaceful countryside stretches to wonderful riverside attractions.

The part which I am illustrating is from Oxford right the way through to Teddington Locks, as this is the section navigable in the company's boats. I've finished outlining the whole map now, and am feeling excited about starting to paint, if a little nervous!

After a morning indoors, beavering away, it was nice to get out for a walk near Godrevy this afternoon. It was a little shorter than it could have been as dark grey clouds were threatening rain, so we thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

I always think 'people' photos are far more interesting than landscapes, so just to prove I was there, here are a few Sam took.

There are those clouds!

I'll end this post with a photo of a mandala I doodled last night. My Mum has been working on some gorgeous crochet mandalas in vibrant colours and I've seen quite a lot on Pinterest recently, so wanted to give drawing one a go.

Not as neat or precise as it could be, but I've started another one with some lines underneath as a guide, so hopefully I'll have that to share next week!

Have a lovely week everyone! Over and out...

I'm sharing this post on the following blogs:  Handmade Harbour, Paint Party Friday and Blue Chair Diary Illustrations!

Bank holiday biro pen drawings

In true lazy bank holiday fashion I've left it until now to write this week's post. It's going to be a short one as I'm exhausted from the weekend's antics!

The weather was amazing for our two night camping trip to Gwithian, Cornwall, even though it was a little cold in the evenings and in the wind.

As the waves were good on Friday, I sat on the beach and did a bit of drawing while Sam went surfing. The sun was shining so I found a sheltered spot next to some mussel-covered rocks which made for an interesting drawing subject. This is a biro sketch which took about 45 minutes.

This is the group of mussels I was drawing. Excuse the fuzziness, some numpty (erm...me) put a fingerprint on the lens right at the beginning of the weekend and made all the pictures cloudy.

The rock was covered from top to bottom with mussels making wet, squelchy noises the whole time I was drawing.

The beach itself was beautiful and only a five minute walk over the dunes from Gwithian Farm campsite where we were staying. Backed by grassy dunes, the golden sand stretches for as far as the eye can see. This photo really doesn't do it justice.

We went to St. Ives on Saturday which was really pretty, if a bit busy with tourists! It's not hard to see why everyone loves it though; numerous gorgeous beaches, lots of pretty boutiques and galleries and enough pasty shops and cafés to try a new one each day for weeks!

The wind came along with the sun on Saturday though, so instead of getting blown to bits on the beach after our trip to St. Ives, I stayed on the campsite to do some sketching while Sam surfed.

I didn't get too far with this ballpoint pen drawing, but you get the idea!

I had a play with paper when we got back. This is a silhouette I cut of Sam's head. Pretty good fit, eh?

I'm sharing today's post on the following blogs: Handmade Harbour, Sunny Simple Life and Manon Popje's Illustrations.

A new blog header and a lovely, sunny weekend - life is good!

Introducing my new blog header! It's taken me every evening after work this week to cut, so it was a time consuming piece but I think it was worth it! What are your thoughts? Should it stay?

Disaster nearly struck as I had forgotten to mirror the year (top left) when I drew it from the cutting side. Thanks to my Dad's eagle eyes, disaster was averted and the date is the correct way round!

Here are some more close-ups of the papercut.

I like the idea of having to look at it for a while to find all the little details hidden among the flowers. There are a whole variety of things to spot, from teapots (see below) to bees and butterflies.

There are also a few stars hidden in there too.

At the beginning of the week I also completed another heart commission to be given as a wedding present. I'll be able to reveal that one when the big day is over later this year!

My Mum and Dad came to stay on Friday night, and, as luck would have it, the weather has been absolutely stunning.

We took the opportunity to get out exploring the lovely North Devon coast, walking from the south end of Westward Ho! around the corner and along the South Devon Coast Path.

It's warmer than it has been in a long time and a sure sign that spring is in the air. It makes me feel very happy to be outside enjoying such incredible scenery, catching some rays and much needed vitamin D.

The colours at this time of year in England are so vibrant. There's something lovely about these tufts of springy grass on weather-worn mounds of earth.

Mum and Dad went home on Saturday evening, so Sam and I took advantage of a second day of sunshine for a little road trip to Bude, about 40 mins south and just over the border into Cornwall.

We took a little walk along the breakwater for a closer look at the crashing waves. The surf was amazing today - a little too big for most of the surfers braving the winter-chilled sea!

This photo shows the view from the end of the breakwater across the bay of Summerleaze Beach and back towards the town.

After an ice cream we set off north along the coast, past Crooklets and on to Northcott along the South West Coast Path. The views were beautiful across the sea and coast, and back across the fields.

A ladybird hitched a sneaky lift on Sam's shoulder!

After a brief pause to admire the view, we set off back to Bude for a well-deserved pasty from Tasty Pasties - and they are just that, yum!

When we got back it was still sunny in the garden, so the sun-worshipping continued, this time with a book and lounger.

As it got a little chilly, I came inside and finished a sleeveless top sewing project that I started on Saturday evening. I adapted it from a few patterns and the block that I made last week, which may explain why it's not quite right!

The little tucks in the neckline weren't originally intended, but when I tried it on the neck was a little baggy so I improvised.

It needs a good iron!

The back went a little wrong as I didn't line up the shoulder darts with the waist ones, so there was a baggy part between the points of the darts which I just pinched together and bodged so its still a bit lumpy.

Not bad for a first attempt though and it'll teach me to match my darts line up next time!

I'm sharing today's post at Handmade Harbour, Manon Popje's Illustrations, Be Different Act Normal, Lamb Around and Tatertots and Jello. 

'Pinspiration' - pen and ink drawings in ballpoint pen

Pinterest is one of my favourite ways to find new inspiration. When 'artist's block' strikes and you want to create something but don't know what, just a little browse through Pinterest will have you bursting with ideas and suddenly not enough time to try everything you want. I often look for craft inspiration, but it's also a great place to get painting and drawing ideas and tips.

I found the artist Andrea Joseph who draws incredible illustrations using just the humble ballpoint pen. Her Flickr page is a feast for the eyes, keep scrolling down to see examples of her biro work. I've done biro sketches before but seeing her work motivated me to pick up a trusty Bic again and get drawing.

Andrea incorporates little snippets of writing into her drawings, sometimes including tips for artists. One suggested trying to sketch yourself drawing in an imaginary room. This is what I came up with.

The sofa and me are the only 'things' which are real, the rest is from my imagination. (Not particularly imaginative, as you can see!)

I keep noticing (on Pinterest, where else!?) drawings on coloured paper which I've been meaning to try myself. It seems to give the picture more depth and warmth than if it were done on a plain white background.

This is the chest of drawers in our bedroom. As it's getting pretty chilly here now, every potential indoor hanging space has to be utilised! I didn't finish it, but I quite like the unfinished look.

On to a drawing I did finish. Last weekend we went to Bude in north Cornwall. It was freezing cold and overcast but I managed to brave it for an hour or so to do this sketch of this...winch thing...while Sam was surfing.

While I was drawing a man came to touch up the paint on his boat which I was sitting right next to. We got chatting and it turns out he's an artist and has a gallery in Bude! I checked out his website when I got home and he does lovely watercolour paintings of the coast and surf.

I've got a few unfinished projects on the go, which will probably remain in a state of half-doneness for a while because...drumroll please...we're moving house to North Devon next week! Bring on some more lovely scenery to draw and paint!

In other news, I have a shiny new cover picture for my Facebook page!

 

 Today I'm linking up to the following blogs: Cornerstone Confessions, Manon Popje's Illustrations and Thirty Handmade Days.