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New Artwork on the Map
After putting out a call for artwork in last week’s blog post, I’ve spent some time revisiting my sketchbooks and digging through older posts to see if there was anything I hadn’t yet shared on the map. I found a…
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The Next Step and a Call for Art
The Isle of Man Nature Journal Map has grown into a fantastic resource for teachers. I’ve seen first-hand how inspired children are when they explore the many creative ways artists have captured the beauty of our island. We now have…
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The Isle of Man Cabbage
The only plant named after the Isle of Man, the Isle of Man cabbage (Coincya monensis ssp. monensis) is a member of the brassica family with 4-petalled yellow flowers and rocket-like leaves. Once abundant, this coastal species has now dwindled…
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Lilian May Watercolours
Just a quick post from me this week as I have a ton of projects on the go. Just before Christmas, I bought a tiny set of handmade watercolours and ceramic palette from a business called Lilian May, on Etsy.…
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Hellebores
I’ve recently been gifted a beautiful hellebore by a friend (thanks Jan) and it got me thinking about whether these interesting flowers occur in the wild on the Isle of Man. I know they’re part of the buttercup family of…
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Down the Rabbit Hole
I love researching things as I put together these blog posts, but sometimes I get lost in a web of tangents. Everything I read seems to lead to some other fascinating thing and before I know it, I’ve lost sight…
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Michael Harding Christmas Set
It’s Boxing Day and, having had a lovely day with family yesterday, I’m having a quiet time exploring some of my lovely arty presents. A particularly festive gift was the Michael Harding Christmas set of 4 watercolour paints, which I…
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Stormbreaker Triad
In the week that brought Storm Bram to the Isle of Man, it seems fitting that I review my recently purchased Stormbreaker Triad set of Daniel Smith paints. The set is designed to help artists ‘command the drama of the…
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Caput Mortuum
Caput mortuum (Latin for ‘dead head’) is a rich, muted violet-brown pigment with a long and somewhat macabre history. Its name comes from medieval alchemy, where it referred to the useless residue left behind in a retort after a substance…
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Desert Horizons Triad
Daniel Smith released several triad watercolour sets during the summer and I thought I’d take advantage of the November discounts to try some out. Although tempted by many, I settled on the ‘Stormbreaker’ and ‘Desert Horizons’ sets as they contained…