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The IOMNJ Scavenger Hunt
I’ve been working hard this week to bring the first IOMNJ for Education lesson to life and have now added an inspiration section to the website, with free photos that people can use if they can’t get outside to find…
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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…