Author: Emma Butler
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Swatching for Spring
Spring is a perfect time to sort out and organise art supplies. The brighter days and spring flowers create colour that inspires creativity and makes me want to reacquaint myself with some of the art supplies that I’ve left languishing in palettes over the winter. I found the perfect swatch holders recently and so embarked…
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Open Studio Prep
It’s the Spring Open Studios at Grenaby tomorrow and as the base of the Isle of Man Nature Journal and the workplace for me as an artist, you can imagine there’s a bit of tidying and organisation to do! I’m sharing a quick look at some of the preparation and a couple of photos of…
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Trying a New Technique
I’ve been drawing for a while, so it’s pretty instinctive to move my pen in different ways to create the illusion of texture. Drawing in the same way each time isn’t necessarily best for our development as artists, though. It’s sometimes good to explore new ways to draw and to take a break from the…
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The Nunnery Estate
The Nunnery, just outside of Douglas, is a place I’ve often heard of and used as a landmark but never visited. Having recently attended a course there, I was impressed by the beautiful features of the building and the very peaceful, wooded grounds. The visit raised a few questions for me though. Why exactly is…
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Past ‘One Thing’ Walks
While I was drawing a daffodil as part of a ‘One Thing’ walk the other day, I started thinking about past walks in which I chose just one thing to draw. As a blogger, not only do I have my sketchbooks to refer to, but I also have this blog. I’ve had a look back…
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The Structure of Flowers
As we emerge from winter, it can be hard to remember the wonderful colours and forms of the summer garden. I felt like adding some colour to the blog this week, and so decided to focus on the flowers of summer. They really are the most amazing structures and, although sometimes a challenge to draw,…
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New Artwork on the Map
New artwork on the map is always exciting, but especially so when it helps to show the very different ways we can represent a place through art. Recently, Jan Kinrade sent in two of her ink sketches of Derbyhaven. I’m delighted to have some abstract work on the map and just love how she can…
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The Wonders of Ink and Water
Ink is a lovely medium to draw with and there are many ways to use it. One of my favourites is to use a watersoluble ink to draw the basics of the sketch and then to add water to the drawing. The water dilutes the ink and pulls it away from the original lines on…
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New Year, New Challenges
This is a big year for the Isle of Man Nature Journal. It’s the year in which we start to deliver workshops to schools and the full purpose of the journal takes shape. As a result, there will be some changes to the blog this year and a new sketching challenge. We need your help…
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Favourite Art Supplies of 2024
The post-Christmas sales are now really in swing and there are lots of good deals on art supplies in shops and across the internet. It’s a good time to take stock of what you already own, what you enjoy using and what you may need to get more of, especially if you’re lucky enough to…
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Robins
These friendly visitors to our gardens are such a welcome sight in winter. With their orange-red breasts and joyful song, they really lighten the darker days. Long associated with Christmas, it’s the perfect time to take a closer look at these birds and how they have featured in Manx culture over the years. The European…
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All 100 Luminance Pencils
After discovering that Caran D’Ache’s Luminance pencils were the perfect fit for my drawing style two years ago, I’ve been gradually building up my collection. Last week, I took delivery of the final pencils I needed to complete the full range of 100 colours. My old swatch sheet was a download from Caran D’Ache that…
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Saucer Sketches: Greens and Blues
Some of my favourite watercolours are in the green and blue range so I had great fun with this week’s quick sketch. I was going to draw another scene, but as I sketched the curves that I wanted the hills to take, I realised that I liked the curves as they were. When I added…
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Saucer Sketches: Muted Watercolours
This time of year is great for picking up some extra art supplies as there are so many offers for Black Friday week, the run up to Christmas and during the New Year sales. It can be difficult to know what’s worth investing in though, so I’ve decided to try out a few of my…
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The Greylag Goose in the Isle of Man
Several species of geese can be found in the wild in the Isle of Man. Some are migratory visitors, whereas others are present year round. The picture is often confused by feral, previously domesticated, birds being seen alongside those that are genuinely wild. I’m going to take a look at the main species that can…
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Travel Sketching and Christmas Fairs
I had a wonderful time away at a family wedding last weekend, and took my ‘Colours of Nature’ travel palette with me in case I had a chance to sketch during the trip. The weather was very grey but the autumn colours on the trees still looked fantastic! I managed a couple of sketches and…
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Colours of Nature: Palette Creation
Among the colours featured in the book ‘Nature’s Palette’ by Thames and Hudson, there are several that are described as ‘characteristic colours’ as they are used as reference points to describe other colours. As I’m going on a short trip to the UK soon, I thought it would be fun to create a travel palette…
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The Migrant Hawker
Dragonflies are the most mesmerising of insects. To me, they always seem too big, too beautiful and too alien to be real when seen flying or hovering nearby. I guess one of the reasons they look so alien to me is that I don’t often see them, but we do have several species here on…
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Corvid Celebration
With Hop-tu-Naa on the way and the WildTober drawing prompts this week featuring ‘corvid’, I just had to feature these wonderful birds on the blog. The Isle of Man is lucky enough to be home to a variety of corvid species and it’s hard to take a walk or a drive in the car without…
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Turning Autumn Leaves into Cards
With the Autumn Leaves in Ink workshop coming up, I’ve been creating lots of leaf ink drawings to show as examples and to test out different colour combinations of ink. While doing this, it occurred to me that these leaves would make lovely handmade greetings cards. As I had some card making supplies already, I…
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Autumn Leaves in Ink
Autumn is such a beautiful time of year, especially the wonderful warm colours of the leaves as they lose chlorophyll and fall from the trees. With the wind this year, there often seems to be more leaves in the air than on the ground, but I managed to catch a few to photograph and draw.…
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New Artwork on the Map
We’ve had a fantastic range of artwork to add to the Isle of Man Nature Journal map over the last couple of weeks. Before I start my ink-drawing adventures for Inktober, I thought I’d share all the new artwork in one go as a blog post this week. It was such a delight to open…
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Vintage Book Review: A Nature Diary
I recently discovered that Richard Adams, the author of the novel Watership Down, had lived on the Isle of Man and had written a nature diary during his time here. A quick search of online secondhand bookstores secured me a copy of this book, which was published in 1985. When it arrived, I found that…
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The Rowan Tree
The rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia), also known as the mountain ash or ‘Billey Keirn’ in Manx, is a deciduous tree native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Culturally, it has a deep connection with folklore and mythology, particularly in Celtic traditions, such as that of the Isle of Man. Rowan trees are glorious at this…
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Fenella Beach
I’ve been creating a series of pebble pictures from the North (Ramsey beach), East (Laxey beach) and South (Castletown beach) of the Island and needed a Western beach to finish off the quartet. Peel beach seemed like the obvious choice, but as it’s sandy, it wasn’t suitable. Then I remembered Fenella Beach with its beautiful…
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Winsor and Newton Revival Collection
I’m a sucker for a paint collection, especially if it includes heritage pigments or anything new. I was therefore quick to buy the ‘Revival Collection’ from Winsor and Newton as it contains new versions of heritage colours. Designed so they’re safer to use and with improved permanence, I was very keen to see how they…
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Onchan Community Wetlands
I was recently looking at the Manx Wildlife Trust website and noticed that they have a reserve in the centre of Onchan. I thought I’d take a look on my way home from Douglas and was amazed to find a mini wetland reserve tucked between the Onchan streets. I took a few photos while I…
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Drawing Coiled Ferns
The recent ‘Sketching Wildflowers in Ink’ workshops have got me thinking about other plants that can seem very complex to draw. Flowers, such as those from the dandelion family, often have so many petals that they seem impossible to tackle. Working out the pattern of the arrangement of petals, and then figuring out the guidelines…
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Supplies and Resources for Ink Drawing
Ink drawing is such a joy, and I was delighted to share my love of it with the wonderful participants of the ‘Sketching Wildflowers in Ink’ workshop that I taught this week. We explored some of the techniques involved in line-making, shading and creating texture using fineliners, dip pens and fountain pens. It’s such a…
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Works in Progress
As the residency at Studio Umami continues, I’ve not had much time to think about a blog post. I’ve been spending much of my time at the studio talking to people about the Isle of Man Nature Journal display and the idea behind the interactive map. It’s wonderful to see the positive response and genuine…
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Isle of Man Nature Journal comes to Studio Umami
As I started the ‘Uncaged’ artist residency at Studio Umami today, I’ve been busy constructing the Isle of Man Nature Journal display. Featuring my artwork from the IOMNJ map and blog, the display contains hanging pieces as well as sketchbooks, information on how to get involved and some ‘Draw a Wildflower’ sheets for people to…
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Colours of Nature: Swatches from Bramble Blossom
The Island’s brambles are in full bloom at the moment and some are starting to develop the first signs of berries. Blackberry bushes are a difficult and often unsightly plant when they take hold in the garden and yet their flowers are such a beautiful sight when seen in the hedges. The delicate colours of…
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Ramsey Hedgerow
Dodging showers has become a well-practised art form this spring and summer. Mark and I took the opportunity to get out for a walk during a dry spell to investigate the wildflowers that are currently blooming in the hedgerows just on the outskirts of Ramsey. I’m working on some ink-drawing tutorials and thought wildflowers would…
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Cushag: Controversial in Many Ways
It’s Tynwald Day, the National Day of the Isle of Man! Across the Island, celebrations are taking place and people are enjoying the Bank Holiday. Many people wear bollan bane (mugwort) as part of the celebrations but I thought I’d take a look at what I used to think was the official flower of the…
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Making Backgrounds that Pop!
One of the most amazing things about colour is the way different hues affect each other. The vibrancy that can be created by having the right colours next to each other is a powerful tool for artists to use when creating their work. It’s often said that colours occurring in nature tend to work well…
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Exploring the Forest Garden
A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be invited by Pat Kelly to visit her beautiful forest garden for a look around and a sketching session. It was such a delight to explore the many species which call this garden home, and Pat was so knowledgeable that I could have stayed all…
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The Colours of Nature: Greenish Blue
If someone says greenish blue to me I think of a vivid turquoise, like that found on the back of a kingfisher or the colour of the Mediterranean on a sunny day. The colour given in Nature’s Palette (the book based on Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours) however, is a much more muted tone. It’s almost…
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Fuchsias and the Isle of Man
Fuchsias are gorgeous with their striking and colourful blossoms, just coming into flower at this time of the year in all their magenta glory. Originating primarily from Central and South America, these plants have become popular worldwide for their ornamental beauty and have naturalised into several areas of the British Isles, including the Isle of…
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The Colours of Nature: Blackish Grey
The colour of clouds, heavily laden with rain, ‘Blackish Grey’ isn’t an uplifting colour. Colours such as this, however, are often found in nature and are visually important in providing a neutral backdrop for more vibrant colours. In the book Nature’s Palette, this colour is given the references of flint, the back of the nuthatch…
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How Do Artists Paint Foliage?
Leaves often take supporting roles in art. They give colour and structure to landscapes and floral works, but are often not depicted in detail or as the focal point of an artwork. There are good reasons for this and the decisions you make as an artist as to how leaves are represented can make or…
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The Colours of Nature: Emerald Green
A colour connected to nature and growth, green hues can evoke feelings of freshness and calm, but have also been connected to jealousy, poison and evil. ‘Emerald Green’, named after the gemstone, is a fresh mid-green, given the references of the Eurasian teal, ficus plant and (of course) emeralds in the Thames and Hudson Book,…
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Vintage Book Review: Keith Brockie’s Wildlife Sketchbook
I’m very lucky to have a friend who finds wonderful books for me. The latest find was Keith Brockie’s Wildlife Sketchbook, the first book to be written and illustrated by this talented Scottish Artist. Published in 1981, the book features over 100 sketches, drawings, watercolours and pastels of Scottish wildlife. A true nature lover, Keith…
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The Colours of Nature: Violet Purple
Complex and mysterious, purple is the colour of royalty and mysticism. Purples can be redder or bluer in tone and those that appear to have equal quantities of both can confuse our minds as our brains aren’t quite sure how to place them. The colour ‘Violet Purple’ as featured in the Thames and Hudson book,…
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New Horadam Naturals and Watercolour Palette
My main palette for PleinAirpril 2024 has consisted of watercolours and three of the new Horadam Natural paints, recently released by Schmincke. These paints are a new type of watercolour that Schmincke describes as having properties of both watercolour and gouache. They’re vegan and contain heritage and plant or earth derived pigments, so are a…
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The Colours of Nature: Scarlet Red
Red. The colour of passion, anger, post-boxes and ripe tomatoes. Red pigments have been used since the earliest cave paintings, but the colour is often problematic. Reds have often been poisonous or fade far too easily. The colour itself can overwhelm our senses and become too dominant if not used with care. The colour ‘Scarlet…
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The Wettest PleinAirpril?
I know I said I wanted to try watercolour, but this is ridiculous! I really didn’t expect so much water to be falling from the sky. I haven’t been out every single day but there has been some braving of the elements, along with a little drawing from my window. To find out how I’ve…
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The Colours of Nature: Gamboge Yellow
It’s been a bit grey lately on the Isle of Man, so to brighten things up we’ll focus on the cheerful shade of Gamboge Yellow in this instalment of ‘The Colours of Nature’. Gamboge is a yellow pigment obtained by extracting a gum resin from southeast Asian trees. It’s no longer used, due to being…
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PleinAirpril Plans
Just a quick blog post this week, as I’m busy spring-cleaning the studio and prepping for lots of new artwork. I’m also getting ready to take part in PleinAirpril, a challenge created by the US-based artist community, Warrior Painters, to encourage people to get out and paint en plein-air (outside), every day during the month…
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The Colours of Nature: Flax-Flower Blue
Butterflies, flowers and gorgeous blue! These things evoke impressions of spring and summer in my mind and are a balm to my soul on the many grey, cold days we’re getting lately. Luckily, the second in a series of posts about colours featured in the book Nature’s Palette, will concentrate on the colour ‘flax-flower blue’.…
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Buy Books and Support The Isle of Man Nature Journal
If you love books and have been interested by some of the ones featured on our blog, then check out our new page on Bookshop.org. Bookshop.org is an online bookseller that gives independent bookshops a percentage of each purchase. It also runs an affiliate scheme that the Isle of Man Nature Journal has recently signed up…
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The Colours of Nature: Greenish White
With the emergence of spring flowers bringing some welcome colour to the countryside, there’s an opportunity to use a wider colour palette in our drawings of nature. Having reviewed the book, Nature’s Palette, I wanted to find out more about the colours it features and the species referred to as exemplifying them. I hope to…
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Book Review: Nature’s Palette
Enjoying nature and appreciating colour often go hand in hand. For artists representing the natural world in their artworks, colour will almost certainly be central to the process. I wasn’t going to do another book review so soon, but this book is so wonderful I just couldn’t wait and with an upcoming series of blog…
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Sketches from Laxey Glen: Ink and Graphitint pencils
No matter the time of year, Laxey Glen is always incredibly beautiful and full of interest for the artist or natural historian. This glen has a rich history of ownership and cultivation, so there’s an interesting mix of tree species and a number of man-made structures such as paths, bridges and steps, as well as…
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Horses and the Isle of Man
From ancient times to the present day, horses have played a significant role in the Manx culture, economy, and way of life. In this week’s blog, I’ll be taking a look at some of the resources at the iMuseum and exploring the history of horses in the Isle of Man. People have lived on the…
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Vintage Book Review: The Naturalist in the Isle of Man
Last year, I was browsing the natural history section of the very impressive Leakey’s Bookshop in Inverness, when I spotted a copy of ‘The Naturalist in the Isle of Man’ by Larch S. Garrad. This 1972 publication details the flora, fauna and habitats of the Isle of Man and remains a fascinating read, despite it…
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Moss Hunt
One of the benefits of having an extremely untidy garden is the biodiversity that develops within it. At this time of year, it can seem that there’s not much of interest out there, but take a closer look and it’s amazing just how much variety and inspiration is present. This week, I set myself the…
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A Little Post About Little Egrets
The little egret, Egretta garzetta, is a small, slender heron with a predominantly white plumage. It has become an increasingly frequent visitor to the Isle of Man and, as it feeds on crustaceans and small fish, can be seen in places where it can wade and hunt for food. I recently photographed one doing just…
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Kingfishers and their Surprising Beauty
It’s hard not to be impressed by the striking beauty of kingfishers. The kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), with its orange, cyan and blue plumage, is easy to recognise and hard to forget. Seen each year on the Isle of Man, I decided to draw this beautiful bird and then looked into the reason it has such…
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Book Review – Spectrum: Heritage Patterns and Colours
Art books are fantastic sources of inspiration for creative work, and books about colour inspire us to use new colour palettes and push us out of our colour comfort zones. I recently received ‘Spectrum: Heritage Patterns and Colours’ as a gift and it’s already influencing the colours in my work. With large colour photos of…
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12 Days Wild
This year, I took part in the Manx Wildlife Trust’s nature challenge ’12 Days Wild’. The aim is to do one nature-based activity each day between the 25th of December and the 5th of January. I thought it would be fun, but I wasn’t expecting to get so much out of the simple push to…
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Experimenting with Watercolour and Coloured Pencil and the Final Inkvent Inks
To be fully creative, it’s necessary to try out new art supplies and new ways of working. The exploration of materials often sparks inspiration and is the point at which we become most childlike in our creativity (no bad thing). This week, I’ve been testing out some Khadi watercolour paper to see if it can…
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Winter Activities and Inkvent Christmas Tree
The week after Christmas can be a great time to wind down and spend time with family. It can also feel a little empty and like there’s not much to do, but on the Isle of Man there are lots of fantastic exhibitions and activities to see or get involved with. Join me, as I…
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Our Recent Waxwing Visitors and the Next 7 Inkvent Inks
We were recently lucky enough to have a visit from waxwings in Ramsey at the end of November. The European Waxwing is a distinctive bird species native to northern Europe, Scandinavia, and parts of Asia. Every so often, they visit the Isle of Man in autumn or winter in their search for food. Their arrival…
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Countdown to Christmas
Christmas is fast approaching and I’ve been busy preparing for the upcoming open studio day on Sunday the 10th. Among the preparations of artwork and Christmas cards, I’ve also been enjoying a daily treat from my Diamine Inkvent Advent calendar. Join me as I share the ink sketches from each day’s ink so far, and…
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Finding Inspiration in the Trees
Drawing trees has been a love of mine since my mum first showed me how to represent their dividing branches. There’s something in the ever decreasing, repeating pattern of their boughs that comforts me as I draw. Add to that, the colours of the leaves and the beautiful textures of the bark, moss and lichen…
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Getting Ready for December
It gets pretty crazy at this time of year and with a studio open day coming up, things are even more hectic than normal. This week’s blog post takes a sneak peek at the studio as Grenaby prepares for Christmas. There will certainly be cards in my studio! After the success of the raven drawing…
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A Walk Around Tholt-y-Will Glen
There’s nothing better than heading to a woodland in the autumn. The warm hues and crunch of leaves underfoot are a joy for the senses. The glen at Tholt-y-Will is a particularly good destination at this time of year, as the River Sulby cuts through the woodland and provides a number of waterfalls to contrast…
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Colours of Nature: Luminance Pencil Swatches
Of all the art supplies that fill my heart with joy, Luminance pencils must be right up there with the most uplifting. I wanted to dislike them, mainly because they’re so expensive, but using Payne’s Grey and Silver Grey over my ink sketches was just too good an experience to ignore and I had to…
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Vintage Book Review: Janet Marsh’s Nature Diary
I was delighted recently when a friend of mine surprised me with a present she had found in a second-hand bookshop. It was a nature diary, published in 1979, entitled ‘Janet Marsh’s Nature Diary’. In this blog post, I’ll share with you some thoughts on this remarkable work of art and love, created by the…
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The Value of Being Brave and New Additions to the Map
Inktober is the perfect excuse to explore ink as an artist’s material and develop your skills with this wonderful medium. This week, I’ll be sharing the drawings for the final two IOMNJ ink-drawing prompts, celebrating the value of being brave and making mistakes, and sharing some of the latest artwork to make its way onto…
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Ravens and the Isle of Man
With Hop tu Naa just around the corner and the spookiness of Halloween soon to be celebrated in many parts of the world, join me in taking a look at how the raven has gained a reputation as being supernatural and its links with Manx culture. The Raven Ravens (Corvus corax) are birds that nest…
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Sketching the Manx Hills: View from Cairn Gerjoil
From the rolling slopes of Snaefell to the dramatic cliffs of Bradda Head, the Manx hills offer a diverse range of natural forms that are a constant inspiration to artists and photographers. Focusing on the ‘hills’ ink drawing prompt this week, join me as I sketch the view from Cairn Gerjoil (the hill above Windy…
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The Isle of Man Nature Journal’s take on Inktober
Inktober, created by artist Jake Parker in 2009, is an annual October challenge motivating artists worldwide to create daily ink drawings. Drawing in ink is so much fun but it can be difficult to keep up with daily sketches and respond to all 31 prompts. Here at the Isle of Man Nature Journal, we’ve decided…
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How to Transform a Photograph into a Stunning Drawing
Artistic expression comes in many forms, but one of the foundations of many types of artwork is drawing. Using a photograph as a reference for your drawing can be a powerful tool to create stunning and lifelike artwork and is often much more convenient than drawing on location. In this blog post, I’ll explore the…
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Supplies for Outdoor Sketching
Sketching outdoors is a delightful and rewarding way to connect with nature, observe the world around you, and unleash your creativity. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just starting, the Manx countryside offers a wealth of inspiration just waiting to be captured on paper. To ensure a successful and enjoyable outdoor sketching experience, it’s essential…
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Unlocking Manx Beauty from Home: Creating Artwork if You Can’t Explore the Countryside
The Isle of Man, with its captivating and varied landscapes, has always been a haven for artists seeking inspiration. However, circumstances may sometimes keep you from exploring the Manx countryside in person. Fear not! In this blog post, I’ll show you how to harness the power of Unsplash, an incredible resource for free-to-use photos, to…
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Contribute to Our Isle of Man Nature Journal Map
Are you passionate about art and the breathtaking natural landscapes of the Isle of Man? We invite you to be a part of a unique and inspiring art project that celebrates the island’s natural beauty. Our interactive map of the Isle of Man is a canvas waiting to be filled with your artwork, capturing the…
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Hidden Gems in Tromode: Riverside Walk and a Glimpse into the History of Cronkbourne Village
While the Isle of Man is often associated with picturesque landscapes and heritage, I am frequently amazed at just how much of both I am unaware of as I go about my daily life. Recently, I took the opportunity to walk along the River Glass at Carr’s Lane Industrial Estate in Tromode. Not the obvious…
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Embracing contrast: Sketching with Ink and Focusing with Watercolours
Sketching is an often essential part of the artistic process, allowing artists to capture fleeting moments and concepts with lines and shades. The combination of ink and watercolours in a single artwork opens up a world of possibilities, enabling artists to create impactful pieces that are both dynamic and effective. In this blog post, I’ll…
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Inspiring the Young to Nature Journal
Encouraging children to take time to observe and record the natural world may spark a deep interest in nature that can last a lifetime. Not only is such an interest crucial if we are to have a world full of adults that want to take care of nature and understand our links with it, such…
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Open Days, Sharing Art and Ramsey Journal Joy!
Isle of Man Art Festival Open Days The studio was open last weekend as part of the Art Festival run by the Creative Network. It was such good fun to meet all of the lovely people who popped in and the response to the launch of the Isle of Man Nature Journal was overwhelmingly positive!…
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Welcome to the IOMNJ blog!
I’m writing this first blog post on the eve of my first Open Day at Grenaby Studios! It’s the weekend of the Isle of Man Art Festival and I’ll be opening up the studio to greet anyone who wants to take a look at the Isle of Man Nature Journal artwork and learn more about…