Progress is slow but I have been carrying on in my little studio playing with watercolour. I am deliberately not looking at tutorials in how to use watercolour paint as I am interested in finding out what I can do […]
It might be very chilly out there but I have been wonderfully ensconced in my little studio quite a bit. I have managed to fracture my toe quite badly which meant my plans to work at the theatre over December […]
Review: 02/11/21: I have done some digging, so that I am able to create a botanical label for this plant, and its name is Echinopsis candicans. It is native to Argentina and is of least concern to conservationists, with a stable population. The above image […]
I haven’t finished my watercolour yet, but I wanted to do an update post about how far I have got with it. I have progressed a lot since I last posted a photo of it, and have come to the […]
It was always my plan to learn watercolour botanical illustration in addition to pen and ink illustration – as it has the advantage of conveying the living majesty and details of a plant – for example, it’s colours and small […]
I am delighted to announce my first gallery show – see below or events for details!!! I am a botanical artist, which means I paint plants… for exhibition, and also for scientific journals and for commission. In 2019 I put […]
When we first went into lockdown, it prompted me to paint the outside wall that I’d been meaning to paint since I moved here in 2013. I took a photo of the wall this weekend and I was struck by […]
I’ve just read a very interesting article in the New York Times by Michael Pollan called Weeds Are Us. In a way, it develops the point I was making last week about having empathy for non-human species – namely, weeds. […]
So another 3 weeks at least for the general population and another 7 weeks at least for me. I am missing the studio and want to get back in there as soon as I can, apart from anything to give […]
I was clearing out the bindweed from my garden this weekend when it occured to me that, in a way, it is like a virus. By that I mean that it is a form of nature which, in seeking to […]
In this time of crisis, when normal life has been so uprooted, it’s important to be able to adapt to the changing situation. The same is true for us artists as anyone. For example, when the Williamson Art Gallery’s Open […]
Here in the UK, we are enduring the second week of self-isolation (aka lockdown). I struggle with anxiety and depression even in normal life and this pandemic has just made it so much worse. I really miss my freedom of […]
In this time of the coronavirus crisis, we’re being asked to regularly wash our hands to curb infection. If people are anything like me, this will increase our water usage just when we’re meant to be preserving it to save […]
It is entirely impossible for me to ignore the coronavirus crisis this week… As I type, I’m self-isolating, as advised by the UK government, due to having flu symptoms. I don’t know what it was but it passed on Sunday […]
Last week I began to follow the eco trail of my Winsor & Newton watercolours. As I don’t wish to single Winsor & Newton out, this week I’ve decided to follow the eco trail of my Royal & Langnickel brushes […]
Following on from last week, when I started to follow the eco trail of my art materials, this week I’m going to talk about the packaging they arrive in… Recently, I bought a half pan of Winsor & Newton watercolour […]
In last week’s blog, I wrote about becoming more atune to the ecology I’m part of. This inspired me to look closer at the eco trail of my art supplies. My watercolour paints are supplied my Winsor & Newton. Their […]
As I’ve previously mentioned, I’m collecting rainwater in a bucket to use for my painting and, to stop the wind blowing the bucket away, I’ve placed a brick in it. Well, this weekend, I was surprised to find a snail […]
Talking about walking last week reminded me that being environmentally friendly often saves me money. So why pay for a bus ticket when I can walk? Or pay for tap water when I can collect rainwater? Or buy paint when […]
Last week, I came to the conclusion that no matter what I do, I’ll end up hurting someone. This left me feeling stuck; I felt I had to do something but I also felt I could do nothing that helped. […]
It struck me last week that, whatever way I look at it, I will derive pleasure from hurting others. On the one hand, as I have already acknowledged, my art practice – which I rely on for good mental health […]
Following on from last week when I was beginning to appreciate how precious rainwater is, it dawned on me that all my materials are precious – I can’t just carry on consuming as though it has no consequences. Creating art […]
My endeavours to reduce my carbon footprint
