Misty trip to the car boot

The mist was really thick in pockets. It was the coldest morning for ages!

I know I shouldn't moan....

I am a lucky person who has a million things to be grateful for.

But I am struggling with this ongoing, wintery lack of daylight and the abrupt temperature change. For weeks in the UK, we have all been saying "Isn't this mild weather amazing!" We have even sat outside having a coffee in JANUARY! That changed this week and the temperature dropped and a bitter wind appeared. So I have spent the past week walking around, feeling as if the skin was going to curl off my face and fantasising about whether it would ever be acceptable to wear a balaclava around town? Have concluded no, but do so wish it was yes, though as a full time spectacles wearer, I appreciate that extra element would make the look even more unsettling.

So to cheer me out of this state of moaning and groaning, I bought these bunches of daffs at the car boot for ONE POUND! They have filled the whole basement of the house with a sunny scent for days. I can almost imagine the clocks have changed.....

The drawings are as brash as the flowers and I like them even more for that. The daffs have to be the bargain of the week! Hurray for daffodils! Slices of sunshine in the Winter gloom!

Outside Cafe Coho, Brighton

If you like coffee and haven't yet discovered Cafe Coho in Brighton, would definitely recommend it. Fantastic coffee and a friendly cafe.

We have been so lucky with all this mild weather, so have been enjoying sitting outside much longer than usual. This is the view from one of the Coho's outdoor tables.

Mr Fitness

Sunday morning started with a flat tyre, so went to the car boot on the bus. While we were waiting for the bus back, spotted this fella and called him Mr Fitness. Lets just say, I would be surprised if I saw him competing in next year's Olympics.

Drawing messy cupboards

Have been bit frustrated by my lack of discipline in carving out drawing time recently. So one evening, in a fit of pique, sat down on the kitchen floor and drew 1 shelf of a very messy kitchen cupboard.

Am sure it will shock some people, iron crammed in with packets of rice and lentils. But cupboard space is at a premium in our kitchen...my excuse anyway.

I did this pencil drawing with a Staedtler 780 lead holder, which I am absolutely loving using. Am not sure whether it's the actual lead or the holder, but finding it much more friendly to use than my regular pencils.Came across it via Gabi Campanario, over on Urban Sketchers, when he blogged about these amazing drawings! Hoping a little of the lead holder magic will rub off on me :)

Drawing at the bus stop

Have been trying to sharpen my people observation skills and have found trying to capture people very quickly as they wait for their bus is ideal.

Has also been fun drawing with coloured pencils. Got a set of these Staedtler pencils given to me me recently and they are great. Don't break when sharpened and just the right softness for a very quick sketch.

Hopefully, if the weather is OK, may be some more bus stop drawing over the weekend. Is amazing what makes us happy!

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!

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!