First February Garden Sketches

This week I have been thinking about my up and coming Workshops and preparing some ideas and samples.

I will be at Barnesdale Gardens on Sunday 17th Feb to advertise the Illustrated Garden workshops and I am putting together some materials, (while still getting in the daily practice).

Sometimes a plan is nice to start with. There are a million different ways of doing it.  I quite like to play with perspective so here is a rough sketch of the back garden as it was in January. I am thinking I should have made it snowy.

 

And  some small  images for a  series of “What I saw in the Garden in Feb” booklets which will have some text and some sort of cover.

Trees, sometimes dark sometimes light and flocks of chaffinches

Hellebores with spiky leaves and magnolia buds

The thrush eating a snail outside my window and aconites in a dark border

In the pond, signs of life. The curious backswimmers

They are only 3 x 8.25 inches and are a nice size to work on quite quickly. The next 7 will be about simpler recording techniques.

I made a couple of rough zigzag books which are another possibility and fun to do. More of these when they are finished.

Meanwhile today I noticed that despite some frost and snow flurries, things in the Garden are really beginning to grow! Vinca, first snowdrops, hydrangea shoots and of course many weeds. How lovely!

Next week is dedicated to prints..Yea!

Garden Record Week 2

Week two of my half hour garden sketches. The Foot is making very slow progress so I am stuck indoors. I must admit that at the beginning of the week I was thinking I would never walk again. It’s like walking on knives right now, but it’s just a matter of time and there is plenty to do..It’s just that I really, really want to get out for a walk..

However, looking at the sketches before I post them I see they are a bit of a mixed bag..not a beautifully designed set as such but just some daily drawing discipline.

 

Tues Jan 8th: I am still drawing out of the window. This is the cherry tree which is just outside.  Its new shoots are deep red. The tracery of branches is beautiful and  I could have done with a few hours not just 30 mins. I did it in stages as (annoyingly) I had to keep waiting for the paint to dry.

Wed Jan 9th: The squash heap: A heap of soil to the right of the cherry tree The soil came out of the pond and in the late summer the patti pan squashes and courgettes ran wild. Now nothing remains except some torn black plastic, a few bricks and, of course, weeds. It’s not exactly picturesque but some nice shapes in there. This is the HP paper again which I am definitely preferring for this size. The paint also dries quicker :)

Thurs Jan 10th: Grey and cold outside with very cold weather forecast. I have a few leaves on the table from my little ginkgo tree. I collected almost all the leaves. They are so interesting.. all different.

Fri Jan 11th: Early dusky morning light, reflected branches in the plastic carry-all which is full to the brim with water. It is a scrappy sketch but I may try to develop this. I do love reflections.

Sat Jan 12th I was a bit stuck this morning so drew some plant labels in a glass jar. They are Dads old labels. One says “Wallflowers Aida 2003” . There is crumpled up seed packet at the back.  This is drawn on rough paper so has a softer look.

 

Sunday 13th: There are a few sage leaves in the herb bed to the left of the window. I made this sketch while listening to Martin Carthy on Desert Island Discs. It was very cold and frost this morning.

Monday 14th: It’s snowing. Fairly pretty but not as inspiring in the Garden as it would be in a sweeping landscape. I might try something snowy tomorrow as I think it is here to stay for a day or two. 
But today I drew this old artichoke head.  
It seems to me that randomly found compositions work much better than ones you carefully organise and I had put this artichoke head on top of a paintcan to dry. I had raised the handle of the paintcan to prop up the artichoke. So that’s what I have drawn.

I am really hoping the good Foot fairy will come and visit this week :)