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Beached and Beautiful: La Malouine
When the La Malouine unexpectedly ran aground on a beach in Ramsey last week, it transformed the familiar stretch of coastline into a new and slightly surreal scene. I’ve enjoyed catching glimpses of her from the road on my way…
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Colours of Nature: Yellow Lake
Recently, when choosing extra colours from the Michael Harding range of watercolours, I decided I liked the hue of yellow lake – a paint with the not so common pigment of PY180. I’d always associated ‘lake’ colours with rather fugitive…
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A New Travel Palette
Travel palettes come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but it’s rare to find a palette this slim and lightweight that still feels genuinely practical. When I came across this one for under £10 from Etsy seller Woodwardswatercolour, curiosity…
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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…