Nearly February 2016....where is time going?

Winter Solstice

Ok, I think you guys have got it....I am not the best at updating this blog, but with every New Year comes new intentions and this is one of them. New Years resolution..no 1 More updates!

But I do post alot on my FB page and the France Painting Holiday page too






This I did for United by Art FB page as a challenge and received 4th place out of 50+ entries which I have to say I was chuffed with. Good start to the new year! 




No 2 New Years resolution was to get more into sketching as I would love to own a "beautiful" sketch book.  So as a christmas present to myself I signed onto two online sketching courses with Craftsy and have found them to be one of the best things I have done.  These are the two that I have gone for.


Firstly, Travel Sketching in Mixed Media with Mark Taro Holmes, as he is a fantastic sketcher and one of the founders of Urban Sketching I believe and Travel Sketching really covers the type that I want to be doing. He also has a lovely relaxed and natural way of teaching
Travel-sketching-in-mixed-media

And then Perspective Sketchers with Stephanie Bower as again she is a stunning sketcher, architecture being her "thing" and her lessons in really seeing what you are looking at are great. 
Perspective-for-sketchers



This is pretty much my tool kit when I go out.  Dont normally need more other than kitchen roll and extra water maybe in case my water reservoir brush runs out.  Which incidentally has never happened!

Plein air kit!

Items from left to right are:- small paintbox (these are not necessarily the colours that I am using as I change them regularly), white gel pen, Waterreservoir brush, fountain pen, cut down flat brush, fine permanent pen, mechanical pencil and refills, brush pens in different tones.

So since joining I have done more than I normally do at this time of year.  The trick will be to keep going on a regular basis as practice makes perfect! And I am longing for the weather to improve so that I can go out and do more plein air. Here are a few from last week!

French shutters                        Coupling in Bressuire                Amailloux Church                     

Oh and little idea I played with today incorporating quick sketch with brayered paint left over from a gel plate run!!!

I think it works..do you?


I will leave it there for today and continue again in February!!! Oh is that tomorrow....Handy!  

Bx
PS and Arty is still with us and thriving!  x