In the beginning

Today I am starting a new sketchbook.  I have finished my last sketchbook on leaves, (if you know me, you know I love leaves) and so am starting a new one.
I though perhaps to begin at the beginning, with a simple leaf to investigate, so I just grabbed some ivy from outside the door.


I had a large leaf and a little sprig.  I originally sketched both of them, but went back into the large leaf.
I started by drawing around the veins, which were paler than the leaf.  This was quite difficult,  so on one side I went back in with a black marker and filled it all in then redrew all the veins with a white out pen.

I was quite pleased with the large leaf and thought how the veins reminded me of the structure of beams in a cathedral.  I wonder if it was things like this that inspired the builders centuries ago?

Happy creating!

Sketchbook work

Ok, Ok, I took a week off for the holiday, I know. It was very naughty of me.
But I have been working every day.  So much so, that it has taken me over an hour to work out what I need to post and I can see it is likely to take a few days, lol

First, I have a fair bit of sketchbook work.  I do try to sketch every day, or to work on sketches every day and I find that my sketchbook is important to me because

• it keeps me from getting too rusty with drawing - and this makes it easy when composing new work or designing new work
• it serves as a repository of visual ideas that I can come back to again and again when I need an idea
• it also becomes a record of what I am doing as well.  A simple sketch can mean a thousand words - and you know you will forget that idea if you don't record it.

Enough preaching.

This first set of sketches is for a piece that I am currently working on which will be small thread paintings.  Ocean, Mountains, ferns and orchids.  These little sketches provide enough information for me to create my stitching canvases when I get to it.

This sketch and it's associated photo were one of my daily scribblings.  The photo is from the creekside not far from my home.

This is also a daily sketch, but there is no photo, because it is only a few steps from the back door and is so familiar, I could probably draw it in my sleep.

This sketch is a close up of the centre portion of the photo.  It is a perennial sweet pea which grows in our garden.  Another daily exercise.

Also from the garden, a native iris flower.

 The final sketch, of a nautilus, is an example of a memory technique.  After studying a picture for a while, I turn the picture over and set about sketching and at present I allow myself three glances.  Although this gives me sketching practice, it 8is not really about sketching, but about observing.  Perhaps one day I will be able to do it with out looking at the picture after the first observation - but if I get better, then I'll be happy enough.

Mostly, I work in this sketchbook with lead and coloured pencil.  With the exception of a watercolour pencil sketch now and then.  I keep my other media for my artbooks, which I will show sometime later in the week.

Be creative every day