Garden View - Explorations With Media

One of my new themes for this year is gardens and allotments ranging from the more beautifully manicured to the wilder and neglected .  I live in a row of old Terraced houses which have a row of back gardens separated by a path that leads to our back gates. Behind all the gardens is an allotment that some of my neighbours have had for over 30 years. There is major new housing development taking place in the area and the allotments are still vulnerable even after a fight to keep them by local people. As its been very cold I have started to make experimental explorations with a range of media of the view of my neighbours garden from my back window. These are some of the outcomes from the past few weeks . I started of tight and then loosed up as time went on.I plan to keep going even venturing into paint,collage and printmaking. 

Series One - water based marker pens, colour pencil, fine liner and brush pens

No.1

No.2

No.3

Series 2 - Expressive Ink Experiments  

No.1

No.2

No.3

Series 3 - Experiments with Kuretake Japanese watercolours

No.1

No.2

no.3

No.4

Drawing with Urban Sketchers London - Wellcome Collection Euston Road

I had a great time sketching at the Welcome collection museum last Saturday and catching up with Urban Sketching friends I hadn’t seen for a while. It was my first time to experience this fantastic collection of medical curios on display and in the Ayurvedic Man: Encounters with Indian Medicine exhibition.  I spent the morning sketching and appreciating the aesthetics of a wide range of medical instruments like obstetrical forceps and amputation saws.

My favourite sketch of the day though was the one below of a human body with all its internal organs beautifully carved from wood. It reminded me of the game Operation I used to play as a child.

USK Norwich - First sketches of 2018 Marzano's Cafe and Bar Norwich

Urban sketchers met at Mazzano's cafe and Bar at the Forum in Norwich yesterday. Some people braved the bitter wind to sketch outside. I decided to keep warm and capture life in the cafe which is used as a meeting place for business people and groups,  people seeking warmth from shopping or a place of thought. I used a panoramic format which has worked well to capture the atmosphere,  I think this is something I will continue over the year documenting stories from different cafes I visit throughout the year. I would like to incorporate text in the form of overheard conversations or my own narratives that I pick up from the characters I depict.

Christmas Market at Eaton Park Bicycle Shop Cafe.

My second Christmas Market

 On the 18th december Eaton park were holding a carol singing concert in the bandstand along with a Christmas market at the Bicycle Shop Cafe who now have a cafe at the park as well as on St Benedict Street. It was a great evening made me feel very festive drinking mulled wine. Lots of chatting about Norwich and selling which was good.With the success of the two markets I hope to do more markets in 2018 as well as hopefully open an online shop.

Bandstand at Eaton Park

This above illustration is one of my first ever Urban sketches I did in 2012 and is my most popular image. A great cafe.

Mini Book card depicting life in the bicycle shop cafe St Benedict Street

 Photos of my stall at the Bicycle shop cafe Eaton park

My First go at selling at Christmas Makers Markets - Cards,calendars prints.... - Take a look!

On the 28th November I had a stall at my first Norwich Makers Market Held at St Thomas's Church Norwich. Here are some of the items I was selling. They all tell a story of Norwich and depict well known iconic landmarks as well as hidden and lesser known parts. My Mini Book cards and calendars also capture life in Norwich from local green party demonstrations to well known stall holders on the market. I had a great time at the fair and did really well for my first go with lots of positive comments. What I enjoyed the most was chatting to local Norwich folk about memories and the places that they were especially fond of which has given me lots of ideas for places to sketch next year. I think I will continue with the series of Mini book cards in 2018.

USK Norwich - Sketching the Cathedral - Sunday 17th November

It was bitterly cold day in November so most of us took refuge inside the warmth of the cathedral. I decided to work on a different format vertical panoramic which meant zooming in and studying the amazing architectural structures and wonderful nave vaulting, arches, decorative details and people pausing to rest in this peaceful and magnificent setting.

 

Sketching Assembly House - Norwich

Urban Sketchers Norwich October Sketch Crawl

Really into my detailed pen work after my trip to Venice. Spent the whole afternoon sketching this very English Georgian house designed by Sir Thomas Ivory in 1754. It is grade I listed. Inside it is very luxurious and serves a delicious hot chocolate and cream tea. It was a hot afternoon for October so nice to bask in the sun whilst sketching. Never actually realised that the word Norwich is toparied in the front of the wrought iron railings.