-
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…
-
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,…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…