Tonight I am ignoring

...the washing up.

Instead I am going to for a coffee, then I am going to watch Danny Boyle's Frankenstein.

Better than my average Thursday evening!

Nearly a whole 2 months without blogging

Shameful....

In the background have been doing plenty - drawing, visiting London and entertaining lots of visitors. Plan to do some scanning soon of most recent pencil drawings. In the meantime, these are the gorgeous pussy willow branches I bought at Columbia Road market last weekend.

Is a brilliant place to visit on a Sunday morning in London. Huge selection of cheap flowers and plants and a whole street full of small, independent quirky shops. I didn't have much time, but am going back very soon and hope to be able to stop and draw, as well as explore.

Sketchbooks and musing

Some final pages from this sketchbook, which I finished on the weekend.

 On the train

Farm Cafe, Brighton

Had a great time on the Brighton Sketchcrawl last weekend - was the 3rd one I've attended, but the first one where I don't have any drawings to show. In retrospect I joined it too late, as there were only 2 stops left. However had the fantastic opportunity to try life drawing at Brighton Life Drawing, run by Jake Spicer. Was the first time I have ever done life drawing and was great to do it with such a fun, supportive group of people. And I will be going back to do more!

I has a quick chat with Jake in the pub afterwards, that has really got me thinking. It was whether the process of drawing was more important to me or the outcome. And I think it is probably the process. It's the calming effect of drawing, the sitting quietly and really looking and appreciating that I get the most value from. Is like meditating. Sure, am as delighted as anyone when I have a drawing I am pleased with, but is more about the process and marking that moment.

As the others were looking through my sketchbook, one of the sketchcrawlers remarked on the visual diary quality of my sketchbook. I think this is partly because I do tend to draw small domestic moments and scenes, so they naturally form a narrative of your days. But I do also like the idea of paying attention to your days and celebrating them.

I think there will be more to come on this train of thought...in the new sketchbook.

Pencil and brush pens

I rarely sketch in pencil. I like the permanence of pen. I like that I have to live with the lines and just draw over them if I want to correct anything. Bold seems like a good thing to me! Pencil seems to make me hesitant and tentative and prone to erasing. But have seen and been inspired by some lovely pencil drawings recently, so have started to do a few myself. This one was done in a very dimly lit room, so couldn't get carried away with any detail.

The next drawing was drawn looking out of a coffee shop window, desperately wishing the rain would stop. We seem to have had an endless amount of rain and lots of gloomy days where you wonder whether it actually every got light! I read that we are at the halfway point between the clocks changing - good news.

Was trying out my new Pentel brush pen. Have still got to get used to it. So far most attempts seem to be very clumsy and ugly or just plain odd! Can't say am delighted with this drawing either, but is a start. Am going to take the brush pen along to Brighton Sketchcrawl this weekend, and hope that one of the sketchers I met last time is there. Richard used a brush pen almost exclusively, so am hoping he'll give me a few tips.

Do come along to the Brighton Sketchcrawl if you are in Brighton this weekend. All abilities are welcome and is always a very friendly group. Is not at all competitive and is lovely to sit with other people drawing. The link will take you to the timetable and map for the day, so you can come for the day or just an hour. I will post up my drawings!

Braving the London sales

Took my daughter to London for the New Year sales.

I love going to London: buying a newspaper and coffee, settling in at a window seat and gazing out of the window as the train travels along. Is even better when I have a model that doesn't mind being blatantly stared at.

Then off the train and there is London itself. I do enjoy living in Brighton, but sometimes I really yearn for the largeness, the grandness, the relentless bustle of London.

I wanted to go to John Lewis to look at their yarn sale and go to Muji to pick up some pens and pads. Clearly my daughter had much more expansive plans, and I soon found myself standing outside a seemingly endless number of changing rooms...

Managed to do the quick drawing below

and then had a great chat with a number of different women, who were standing in the long changing room queue, about drawing: how long have I been sketching, was I self conscious, am I happy to show people my work, did I think anyone could learn to draw...loads of questions! Obviously seeing someone drawing in public is more unusual than I realised!

Christmas

Most of our Christmas visitors have left now, and I am pleased to have my computer and scanner back in action. Here are some more Christmas snippets - as ever, had planned (hoped!) to do WAY more drawing. But impossible with all the Christmas bustle and cooking and general carousing that went on.

But am always pleased to have some record.

Off to London tomorrow. Hear there are dreadful problems on the train line, but looking on bright side, that will give me some more time to draw the commuters and lucky folk off to the airport on hols.

Used my Flip video camera over Christmas. That has got to be one of the best Christmas presents I ever received - so brilliantly small and easy to use. Keep looking at iphones and wondering whether I would as much fun and value out of one of those? Still unconvinced, but hoping to have a go on daughter's new itouch, so I can suss out whether I really would use the iphone apps. I do love a new gadget though - can't beat it!

Christmas Snippets

Have managed to do some drawing, amongst all the Christmas rushing around.

This year the house is full of planted bulbs, amaryllis, hyacinths and narcissi - all gorgeous! Some were bought as presents for relatives, but as the weather has been so rotten and we haven't been able to make some visits, I have adopted them for myself. Lucky!

Our Christmas tree is absolutely laden down with ornaments. There is NOTHING minimalist or colour coordinated about our tree! Is full of mainly vintage, glass ornaments, some from my grandmother and mother and others I have bought at car boots.

Today I am off to see the black and white classic 'It's A Wonderful Life' at the cinema with my family. Very nostalgic and traditional and possibly the 6th time I have seen it. Watching that film seems to have become one of our Christmas eve traditions. For me, Christmas starts in earnest then.

Hope you all enjoy a lovely time.

My fantastic wreath

My mum brought this up as a pre Christmas gift. Her friend made it, to hang on the door. But as we live in the city centre, our door wreaths have a habit of regularly disappearing. So this one is staying safely inside, laid flat, as a table decoration.
Until the Christmas visitors leave, will be photos only, as have had to disconnect my scanner to make more room for them.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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Hyacinth bulbs and drawing

Behind our Victorian terraced house, we have a tiny little garden, only approx 24ft by 12 ft, but I do love it and miss sitting out in that patch green when it gets to Winter. When the weather becomes cold, I do start buying more cut flowers and planted bulbs, to recreate that sense of 'green'. I love every stage of potted bulbs - from the unassuming, mossy bulge before anything appears, to the sudden, almost shocking, burst of colour and scent. And they are cheap and so easy to grow and seem to make a tangible difference to my mood. So this blog post is in homage to the humble hyacinth bulb.

For lots of mainly boring reasons, I have had less drawing time and energy lately. But as the bulbs sit on my kitchen table and there are the inevitable domestic minutes waiting for washing, cooking, baking to finish, I have done a couple of drawings in those idle moments.

And these funny little drawings have made me happier than a lot of other things this week. I think it is partially the simple act of drawing, getting still and concentrating. But there is also a small, quiet sense of achievement. Often, it matters less whether I am happy with the end result and more I made the time, I looked and really saw something clearly and was creative.

Anyway, I remain for the foreseeable future (with all this UK snow) a happily committed hyacinth bulb grower.

Pixie Lott in Brighton

Took my daughter and friend along to see Pixie Lott singing at the Brighton Centre this weekend. While they were looking at the merchandise and chatting to friends, I got a chance to draw some people.

We were right on the top balcony, at the very back, so great view of the stage, but a lot of people's backs.

One group of girls had pink neon bunny ears on which flashed their way through the whole performance. Quite hypnotising...

Judging by the audience, most of Pixie's Brighton fans seemed to be female and under 16. There was a lot of screaming, singing and dancing, which I guess is what a good teenage concert is all about!

What a blue sky

Still plenty of snow in Brighton today. Had a very careful walk into the office this morning, trying to avoid all the ice and slush.But the sky was a fantastic blue and sun so bright reflecting off the snow. Beautiful!

Snowy back garden

For us to get this much snowfall, being right on the coast, and all falling during one evening is amazing! Does not happen in Sussex all that often.

Garden table looks like an iced cake

Fabulous! Am going to head outdoors again later and take more photos and enjoy it all. Do relish the way even the most mundane urban landscape becomes quieter, calmer and more beautiful. Did briefly contemplate doing some drawings, but just too cold to stand still drawing. Will have to be photos today unless I can find a great spot near a cafe window. Have a feeling those will be at a premium though today.

On the way home

Spotted this on my dash home last night. Great drawing, but did find a bit creepy.

Wear more orange, please!

Was so pleased when this guy came in and sat right in front of me, in this fantastic tangerine coloured hoody. Before he arrived, was scanning around the cafe and everyone was wearing such drab colours! The coffee shop was a sea of understated black and grey neutrals, which may be easy to match, but that monochrome mob was so visually monotonous.

I find that lack of colour so depressing, particularly in the winter when we're all battling with lack of daylight too. Am becoming more convinced that a splash of colour does elevate your mood. No science here, just purely personal observation. When winter arrives I can guarantee I'll watching films like Frida and searching out books based in hot countries.

And then, after Mr Orange... an absolute gift! One of the most amazing quiffs AND a rockabilly jacket. Life is sweet after all....

Dark evenings = knitting evenings in our house

The one saving grace of the dark winter evenings, for me, is my knitting and crochet emerge again.

I have only learnt to do both fairly recently, but my mother is a master knitter, who can read newspapers or watch telly without every looking at her needles or knitting. I have to check off every row completed, whereas decades of knitting seem to have left her with a natural ability to keep track of the most complicated pattern repeats without even trying. I can only aspire to that!

Drawing in the rain

Well...actually mainly drawing in a range of cafes in Brighton and Hove, as the weather has been so wet. Have also had a visitor staying, so that is an even better excuse to visit more cafes!

I loved her specs, like Thelma off Scooby Do

"I am trying to read the paper...."

This couple were from a band, I think. They were wearing the most fantastic 40s/50s vintage clothes and were absolutely engrossed in animated chat, while sipping their huge teapot full of lapsang souchong tea.

This is the same couple. The chap's head and hat are rather strange in this drawing, but I love it more for that. May use as the basis for another idea I have brewing.

 This traditional tea shop with the bunting and plates on the wall is in Hove and is called Ethel's Kitchen, on Blatchington Road. Looked like they made fantastic breakfasts and packed with locals, as well as being near the several charity shops on George Street, which are always great for poking around. Managed to pick up some lovely fine wool for 50p a ball.

This final drawing was this was done in the office where I work part time. All the systems were down, so had a few mins for a quick sketch . You can just see my co-worker, Fi's head over the top of the partition.

More hot chocolate please!

Have been carrying on with my little and often drawing (inspired by Michael Nobbs fun ebook that you can see in the background) whenever I have a free mo. This one was while I was waiting for a friend - fun to see all the different legs and footwear queuing up for hot drinks. Was hoping for some patterned wellies, but none came in, despite the lashing rain that day.

If the weather is bad this weekend, may repeat the process. Particularly as the hot chocolate in this Brighton cafe, Red Roaster on St James Street, is spectacular. Is thick, velvety, gooey chocolatey gorgeousness in a cup!

Personally, has been a tricky week. Like an ill wind blew through our house and while nothing major has gone wrong (fingers crossed), we've had a steady series of disasters everyday. Some include my computer and scanner, so hope to resolve this weekend and post more drawings next week.

Hope you enjoy a great weekend!

Moving furniture

We have been busy clearing a relative's house of furniture and belongings. Has been a strange process to go through. All those cherished items that have been regularly polished and protected for years, are suddenly without a purpose and they change almost overnight, into being a burden rather than a prized asset. If we had an enormous rambling house, we would have kept more, but as it is, most of it has now found new homes.

Drew this while I was squashed in the back of the car, between a chair and trunk, hoping we wouldn't be stopped for overloading.

And as time has been rather skinny, I have just being doing odd drawings here and there, still working on the basis that doing a little regularly is worthwhile. So no overall theme to the next drawings, just pieces done over last few days.

Kitchen table (I do love a tablecloth, even though am sure that is horrifically old fashioned)

Sitting on the sofa, hiding behind a scarf

Coffee shop lady talking seriously about plastic surgery.

The train is very bumpy and the sky very blue

When I was commuting everyday, I didn't particularly enjoy the train journey of 2 hours + everyday. Now the train is more of a treat - bit of time to read, draw, listen to a podcast, gaze out the window.

I like these small moleskine drawings for their bumpy wiggliness and their skewed perspective. More genuine to the Southern trains experience!

Looking up

As the short days have arrived here with the change in hour, I am making a point of looking up. Particularly when I am usually on autopilot. It makes me feel more energised and I notice and appreciate all sorts of everyday details I have missed for months, things like the tiles on a building and the fallen autumn leaves.

The first drawing is a street corner on my walk to work. I never noticed just how many chimney pots there were before. Dozens! And they are mainly the original, tall Victorian ones.

The next drawing is a small terraced street which has the most spectacular telegraph pole, with loads of telephone wires spiralling out to all the houses, slicing the sky into segments. Fantastic!

And I have passed both of these places for months without really seeing them properly before. A good case for looking up a more, I think.