January
This sketch reminded me to keep things very simple and is of my favourite model.
From time to time, I return to trying to sketch on an app on the phone. This one was in the Chinese takeaway up the road - and I dared to show it to the lady after I'd done it (and I had received my food). Turned out Sabrina is an artist and wasn't too upset at this attempt so we exchanged tips about arty groups in Reading.
I sew badly and swear a lot when I try. I lent my own sewing machine to the Curious Lounge but then spotted this one in the AgeConcern shop where I buy a lot of things I don't intend to use. I love it.
Matthew Farrell wrote about life in the Age Concern shop in a piece for the Whitley Pump.
I'm not great at keeping plants but Lynda La Plante is still with us though I don't know for how much longer. We bought her from the 7 flowers and tea shop in Reading that a tweetup person suggested as a venue for sketching.
Coffee!
February
A commuter on Valentine's Day
A page from the Sketchbook project book I did this year - you can see the rest of the book here and do peruse sketchbooks by others. It is lovely to receive a notification when someone leafs through your sketchbook.
March
Amazingly the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hexagon allowed Urban Sketchers Reading to sketch them (twice) during their rehearsals. This was such an amazing opportunity and privilege for us and it showed us a different side of concerts.
My favourite model - this time using a bamboo stick and watercolour
Visited the Cole Musuem for the first time (before it closed to move) - this creature was interesting and I sketched it but added so much water in the background that I tore the page which forced me to be creative with the other side. This is a page from the Sketchbookproject so was submitted and I couldn't just leave it be. The Ure Museum next door is also really fab and you realise how lucky we are in Reading to have so many hidden museums (ExploreReading wrote about them all).
My first attempt at urban sketching at an actual march in March.
At Pau Brasil.
My very first large sketch of Market Place - this one in A1 and I thought of submitting it for the Artist of the Month slot I got given by Jelly but in the end I submitted this one as it felt like that one would show up more in the setting.
April
The view from Fidget and Bob, Reading on a very sunny, lazy day for us after a lovely brunch.
Another charity shop "find" - this cigarbox guitar doesn't even 'work' but reminds me of the amazing busker in Broad Street.
I'm especially pleased with this sketch in the Meavy Street Allotments - this family arrived and the kids started drawing with me and then the mother joined in.
We took time off to spend in Reading and spent some of it *finally* playing with the laser cutter at rlab (Reading Hack and Maker Space) and learning from the best - I don't think that Tony will appreciate me saying playing because it's a dangerous machine but he's amazing.
I used my old sketches to try and etch them on to wood, paper and slate and learned so much along the way about what works and what type of things I could do with sketches like mine. The original sketch for this was used to accompany an ode to the Welly Arms (now Greggs)
May
We spent a few days in the gorgeous city of York and all I sketched was this rather grey picture because I love these masts and because the rest of the time I just wanted to take everything in (including an amazing cheese shop, the lovely gardens, the Terrys Choc Orange, rarebit muffins from Bettys, the best sweet shop and so much besides.)
The Blade - my favourite iconic building here. 0 degrees. Can be used as a compass guide.
June
Sketching at Reading Farmers' Market with Urban Sketchers Reading. The florist has gorgeous flowers and the dog lay sleeping long enough to get a hint of him before he moved on, no doubt attracted by sausages.
Gelli printing is another new skill we learned this year too - it was so much fun learning this with Janina Maher for Reading Guild of Artists workshops
Reading Guild of Artists hold Summer Painting days and they invited us to join them - this is from a lovely private garden and I was worried I wouldn't be able to draw this machinery but was pleased with my sketches there.
I started doing a colour pencils SketchbookSkool kourse and discovered so much about them. I'm usually inspired by flowers I get so decided to use my new found knowledge to do this. I think I also started an online botanical drawing course so I look at flowers differently now (though this may not be reflected in the output as I lack the patience).
The 'after' picture of another bunch of flowers.
Correcting a bad sketch at the barbershop and playing with inktense pencils which are ink pigments rather than watercolour ones and are amazing (I told you there's so much more to colour pencils than what I knew before!)
July
Two watercolour sketches for WorldWaterColorMonth (something I gave up as I tried to avoid any challenge months this year for a happier existence but knowing about these ongoing challenges can be inspiring as I long as I don't feel like I HAVE to do them.
The Guerrilla Gardening Reading folks work on this amazing garden by the road on the Caversham side of the station. It's a lovely garden and we went there for OpenForArt Reading with Urban Sketchers Reading.
After all that colour, I went back to a black and white sketch of a man on the train wearing a very loud, colourful shirt.
I liked mixing watercolours with inktense and the blotches from other sketches and inkpads add to this sketch.
I felt like using watercolours as well as colour pencils for this sketch of sugar almonds - loved them but now they strike fear as I broke a bit of my tooth on one.
Something about this maitre'd constantly checking his desk and standing about it really struck me.
I got complimented on this sketch by the amazing Emily Gillmor so I like it even more now.
Rather pleased with this return to the Fude pen and super quick sketch before the train moved off.
An experiment with holding two pencils and sketching the flowers in the house. Rather liked the effect but my hand hurts looking at it again.
August
This time after watching a video on how to use the app (Autodesk sketchbook pro) better, I tried to incorporate what I learned rather than just doing 'finger' painting which is really clumsy without a stylus.
One of my sketches for Clays this time for their Eid message. I had to have help to work out the moon shape so it wasn't very wrong.
A super quick sketch of the tree next to Queen Victoria Statue that apparently houses a lot of birds - we know this now thanks to the Reading Fringe Festival Birdsong walk
September
These sketches above were during a visit to Portugal (from Familicao, Guimares, Braga and a lady on the train to Vianha). If you visit Vianha you must eat the Bolos de Berlin and check out the artwork of Carolino Ramos which is stunning and so difficult to find).
The gorgeous gasworks - view from the Blake's Lock Museum.
A lady at the opening of the Pantry in the Museum - my first 'press release' type do. Very nerve-racking.
October
A sketch - reminding me of single line drawings and using them large scale (A1) as well.
Waiting for the crowds to gather on a rainy day for the Reading Gaol Hug
A lady at the British Friends' of Museum conference in Reading in October at the Reading Museum - first time sketching a conference.
Post-lunch resting captured in a couple of single line sketches.
We were privileged enough to be able to sketch the wonderful Aldworth Philharmornic Orchestra at their rehearsal - it was amazing (and scary) because we sat so close to them. It's such a wonderful insight into how orchestras work.
November
Rather pleased to return to a simple two inktense pencil sketch of a commuter.
Remembered that my Lamy Green pen existed and used it to draw the flowers.
December
I finally succumbed to signing up to a mixed media journaling course as it was on sale. I don't really have time, space or patience to journal but watching inspired me to play a bit more again - this time with inkpads - I thought I had come up with using them but in fact so have others (like all the best ideas).
