Some olde sketches of tea and coffee
Sunday, 27 September 2020
Saturday, 11 April 2020
Covid19 urbansketching at home
Here are some of my urban sketches at home (#uskathome) during the time spent at home. We started working from home a week or so before the lockdown and decided to stick with our two week pre-planned staycation after a bit of consideration. Am glad we took some time off and after doing lots of art, finally found the energy to set up a very lo-fi effort Urban sketching at home session with @Rdgsketchers next Tues https://twitter.com/RdgSketchers/status/1248961119038963712?s=19
These sketches follow the urban sketching manifesto so I haven't included ones I have drawn live but don't give a sense of time and place...eg coffee pots and vases etc with no context of the setting
These sketches follow the urban sketching manifesto so I haven't included ones I have drawn live but don't give a sense of time and place...eg coffee pots and vases etc with no context of the setting
Thursday, 2 April 2020
Doing stuff
READ ME FIRST
Purpose: to collate links that focus on the doing aspect first (so you can do an activity as you watch) as doing passive things (also some in this list) for a long time can also cause stress. Do add yours.
Though the following links can be overwhelming, try and browse. Pick something. Try it for 20 mins (pomodoro method) - if you enjoy it, stay. If not, walk away (no effort needed to go there, no need to have screen on/dress up, no effort needed to walk away). Most things are free or pay-what-you-want to support them. It’s right to support.
CRAFTS and Mainly drawing links to DO
Indoor sketching challenge - tips and a hashtag/join to follow for urbansketching at home - http://urbansketchers-london.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-thirty-day-indoor-sketching.html
Urban sketchers Reading (@Rdgsketchers on Twitter and Instagram) are also doing some urban sketching in their FB group.
Urban sketchers Reading (@Rdgsketchers on Twitter and Instagram) are also doing some urban sketching in their FB group.
Draw-alongs (free on youtube)
1pm BST on Instagram with Koosje and 12pm ET (5pm BST) on Facebook with Danny weekday draw-alongs called live drawing parties on this youtube channel playlist SketchbookSkool (also FB live but actually youtube) - you can catch up whenever and note that the actual drawing session itself is about 20-30 mins I think. You can skip if not in the live feed. Covers some fun daily drawing exercise.
Rebecca Vincent Art Club - Sunday 5pm, about 30 minutes, on instagram TV (https://www.instagram.com/rebecca_vincent_tattoo). Each week she shows you how to draw a different thing in her style - a friend sent me this and I tried the one on drawing mushrooms.
Carla Sonheim 5 short,FUN exercises (max 5 mins) available for free here
https://www.carlasonheim.com/online-classes/drawing-blast-5-fun-exercises/
Carla Sonheim 5 short,FUN exercises (max 5 mins) available for free here
https://www.carlasonheim.com/online-classes/drawing-blast-5-fun-exercises/
Creative sessions ( (currently Mindful Still Life:, Keep Creating- Creative sessions in drawing and simple making with themes and artist hosts) - I think this is zoom based
http://londondrawing.com/online-creative-sessions/) on various days and times (see link) - All sessions are pay as you feel- please make any contributions to the London Drawing Crowd Fund
Costumed LIVE drawing daily - zoom based https://drawingamerica.com/daily-live-costumed-model-drawing/ $10
Life-drawing class (on crowdcast) ( it is nude life drawing) -
http://atyn.co.uk/#dropin - this was really good -Monday eve 7-9pm - 4 quid - may go to 5 quid to cover their production costs.
"Projects, lessons and tips by artists to help people get creative while housebound during Covid19 crisis" Isolation art school (Instagram) - a link sent to me via a friend.
Link to links from Craft council on all sorts of crafts (not just drawing)
There are also courses on SkillsMatter etc.
Kids (and young-at-heart folks)
Daily doodling workshop by a kid's writer called Mo Willems which are fun w kids apparently
The kid should see this videos - may have some experiments to try at home as well https://thekidshouldseethis.com/collections
Skype a scientist - https://www.skypeascientist.com/
Audible stories - free audio books for kids of all ages (no account necessary just click and play) - https://stories.audible.com/start-listen
More ideas in this blog...at http://www.nicoladunkinson.com/2020/04/04/things-to-do-with-kids-during-self-isolation/
More ideas in this blog...at http://www.nicoladunkinson.com/2020/04/04/things-to-do-with-kids-during-self-isolation/
Arty series to watch and play along with maybe
Grayson’s Art Club will air weekly on Channel 4 at 8pm from Thursday 16th April.
Grayson Perry will be doing an Arts club show for Channel 4 for lockin. You can sign up for an art at home activity pack https://firstsite.uk/art-is-where-the-home-is/
A fab series on outsider artists https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pEyeZhXOUw that I watched when it came out - wonder how it aged.
Waldy has links to arts documentaries that he gives free access to for a week (note: some of them are two hour long!) e.g. https://twitter.com/JANUSZCZAK/status/1243999428165406721 but that’s a watch only
LOCAL THINGS TO take part in online
Check your local groups ,services, meetup groups etc.
General
Bear in mind, local libraries are often signed up to magazine and book apps (and language learning apps , driving test apps ) as well so you can check what facilities there are. (See below for link to Reading Berks libraries)
Eventbrite, meetup etc. will link you to local groups - what is local anyway when it’s online - but it may be a chance for you to find others outside your usual group
Reading, Berks
Reading Library online Ours has magazines (free through RBDigital) and cloudLibrary app to offer free books and audio books and have just added BorrowBox (for more audio books. Login with your library card and enjoy. Driving theory tests, language learning etc are also options. You can register with the library online if you don'thave a card as yet). You can also donate money to help the library buy more books. https://www.reading.gov.uk/libraries for all the links.
What's on Reading also has some links for cultural options
Reading Library online Ours has magazines (free through RBDigital) and cloudLibrary app to offer free books and audio books and have just added BorrowBox (for more audio books. Login with your library card and enjoy. Driving theory tests, language learning etc are also options. You can register with the library online if you don'thave a card as yet). You can also donate money to help the library buy more books. https://www.reading.gov.uk/libraries for all the links.
What's on Reading also has some links for cultural options
Rabble theatre are doing online drama school https://www.whitleypump.net/2020/03/30/rabble-theatre-offers-free-online-courses-from-1-apri/)
Reading rep have created lockdown education packs - https://www.readingrep.com/education-pack/
"We have created fun educational packs that allow children and young people to be creative at home. They have been written by the tutors that run our Monday and Saturday Youth theatres and are full of games, exercises and fun videos."
Jelly arts group are running knit/craft and natter nights (zoom) and some events including an instagram story on Jelly Tots (takes inspiration from a known artist and has a small activity for little ones)
LISTS of all the things
Tips (via mail from Guardian Guide - entertainment guide) https://www.theguardian.com/info/2020/mar/25/the-guide-staying-in-sign-up-for-our-home-entertainment-tips
Theatre front seats links from Guardian Culture
Time out/Timein guide
This is an exhausting link of things -good links to online streaming of Northern lights (our day time), aquariums, and botanical gardens green houses included in this long list of ideas (including theatre, ballet, opera and other etc. links) https://www.timeout.com/things-to-do/best-things-to-do-at-home-stuck-inside-bored
Their main guide:
COSMIC SHAMBLES - Stay at Home festival
https://cosmicshambles.com/stayathome (various times and themes) - supporting the loss of revenue to performers as a result of COVID (saw a really good one on marine biology)
HistFest Lockdown - a mini free history festival 1pm 3 April onwards (Youtube) http://histfest.org/events/
HistFest Lockdown - a mini free history festival 1pm 3 April onwards (Youtube) http://histfest.org/events/
READ ME AGAIN
Pick something. Try it for 20 mins (pomodoro method) - if you enjoy it, stay.
If not, walk away
Saturday, 21 December 2019
2019 in sketches
I thought I'd pick some of my favourite sketches from the year - I lost my photos for the first part of the year and wasn't bothered enough to sift through old sketchbooks and take the photos again or do proper scans - yet these photos serve as a wonderful reminder of this year.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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
The 'after' picture of another bunch of flowers.
On a crowded train - I really like this inktense sketch.
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.
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.
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
A lady at the opening of the Pantry in the Museum - my first 'press release' type do. Very nerve-racking.
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
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.
I liked this sketch of another commuter and felt that as commuting on the train is a big part of my life I should end with a sketch of one of my fellow travellers.
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).
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