Sketchbook #5

I always have mixed feelings when I fill up the last page of a sketchbook. I feel content as I have completed something and can move on to the next thing, but also a bit sentimental as it marks the end of a journey, which in this case lasted about 7 years! I started this moleskine pocket size notebook back in 2008, when I had just started to get into outdoor sketching and it has been on and off in my bag since then. Oh so many places and so many memories!

Lately

I have been very busy lately jumping from one project to another, working day and night, whenever time and tiredness allow. I feel happy anytime I hold a pen or a brush in my hand, and life seems bright and colourful again.

Weekly art journal #1 // January to March

I started documenting my weeks this year through little watercolour illustrations. I didn't set any specific plans for it, just painting whatever comes to mind and adding some notes here and there. This is how the first three months look like. Enjoy!

NOTES

The notebook I'm using is homemade (read more about it here)    

I will keep sharing each week on Instagram (here)

Happy Easter

Wishing you a very Happy Easter. xxx

Piana del Fucino e Vallelonga

Piana del Fucino e Vallelonga - Abruzzo, Italy

It has been a while since I was able to do some outdoor sketching. The drawing was done on site and the colouring was added later at home using a photograph and some notes as reference. It was also the last page in my moleskine pocket notebook, which I had started back in 2008!

wild rose // botanical collection .01

Working on a new series of botanical subjects. I have chosen to step away from true botanical illustrations for a while, to see how it feels to tackle a painting without having to worry about correct proportions, colours and details.  I have found this new style liberating and the entire process a bit more enjoyable considering the limited time I have available for painting these days. And truly excited about having both flora and fauna in the same plate. What do you think?

Sketchbook #1 // Butterflies

I had a go at illustrating butterflies during the month of April, and it turned out more difficult than I thought. My mind wasn’t really there and I recognise I didn’t put much effort into it. The colour choice and composition are not my strong points, and it clearly shows in these pages.

Anyhow, I wanted to try some new watercolour pencils, but also I came across my old watercolour palette and thought I would give it a try.

Watercolour pencils are very easy to use and the results can be quite rewarding. Unfortunately I can’t say the same for non-professional watercolours! The ones that I used in these pages are Winsor & Newton Cotman, and I don’t know if it’s just me, but I can tell the difference between those and the artist’s range. Apparently, in the Cotman series, the more costly pigments are replaced with cheaper alternatives giving the paint a more uniform consistency, thus losing the wide spectrum of hues. However, I have seen well established artists using the Cotman range, with awesome results…so it must be just me then!

I haven’t picked any new subject for the month of May, yet. And although we are close to the end of the month, I’m still hoping I’ll be able to do some new illustrations.

Work in progress

A sneak peak at my sketchbook this month. Still very much a work in progress. I have been having fun using a new set of watersoluble pencils, thanks to Derwent Academy and their amazing monthly prizes (here if you want to play along). But also, a new subject for me to experiment with...butterflies!

Seasonal palette

Once in a while, more often than not, I get the so called creative block. I stare at a blank sheet of paper and just wonder.  I feel the urge to paint, don’t get me wrong, but the ideas just do not flow and my brain feels numb. Over the years I have learned to overcome this lack of inspiration in different ways, taking advice from fellow artists and discovering what really works for my brain to function again. 

One thing I like to do to get the creative flow back is to play with colours and create palettes. It is a nice and relaxing way to use paint; the urge to paint get satisfied and at the same time you are not committing to paint anything specific. Plus you can do this simple exercise while sitting on your couch (or at least this is what I did!). You can tackle this subject in several ways; making a chart of all your pans and tubes, mixing greens or browns, categorising all your paints by colour.

This time I went for a seasonal palette, trying to combine several colours to recreate the seasons and possibly use them in a landscape painting. I store all my palettes in one transparent sleeve, ready to be used when inspiration does strike!   

Sketchbook #1 // Blossoms

March has all been about blossoms! The trees are full of delicate flowers, whites, pinks and reds dominate over the greens of the new leaves and everything seems to be awakening from the long winter sleep. This is another of my favourite botanical subjects, but for this subject I went for a more illustrative technique using a black ink pen besides my watercolours. 

 

 

 

 

My main source of inspiration has been this book, but I also enjoyed flicking through my many botanical art books. And that is one of the reasons why I'm very tempted to tackle a proper botanical painting of a branch of cherry blossoms or prune for my April's project, but not sure I will have enough time to get it done!

Looking forward to illustrate birds or butterflies this month (I still haven't made a decision), either way it will be a real challenge.