-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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,…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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.…
-
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…
-
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…