that's where you'll find me

 I have this thirst for landscapes at the moment. I don't know where it has come from, I try not to question it.

 I adore the British landscape. It's so beautiful and green and lush.

 I've done quite a bit of travelling in the past, and been to some stunning places, but I think that the colours of the UK are my favourite. There has to be some pay off for all that rain. I always knew what an inspiration it was to me, even though I was drawing lots of man made stuff. I'd drive through these hills and imagine I was breathing in the beauty and that somehow, even though it wasn't obvious, it would come out in my work.

 I've a long way to go before I produce anything I'm really happy with as I'm playing around with a whole new medium in watercolour. My attempts are a bit dull and dirty looking, but that's because I'm a messy worker.

Anyway, I am just enjoying playing in the fields right now.

Ink on Kinder

Hello, it's me and I'm blogging and I'm still doing daily inky things for #inktober. Yesterday I did inky things up a mountain. Or a Peak. On Kinder Scout to be precise. 

Landscape probably wouldn't be my subject matter of choice, but I'd never rule any subject out. These days I love to tackle something I wouldn't normally tackle. 

But I don't really know how to approach landscapes, that's the problem. Or the challenge. 

So, I approached these rocks and this landscapes in the way I know how, by seeing them as a 1950s textile design. Did it work? I dunno. 

To be honest, I don't care. I had fun trying. And that's what #inktober is about for me. That's what drawing is about. 

i heard it in the wind last night

Recently I've been getting out and about drawing in my local area. Not just sketchcrawling or urban sketching but drawing local people doing their thing. If you love drawing there's no end of subject matter out there. No end of people filling their evenings or spare time with whatever floats their boats - whether that be knitting or skateboarding or singing. I love this kind of drawing and, I find, it's always a bonus when there's music involved.

 

Here's just a couple of the many sketches I made at the High Peak Orchestra rehearsals.

there's a lot to learn for wasting time

For the first time in a long time I haven't had a deadline looming - I cleared them this week. Yes, there's a book launch, an exhibition and two Dr Sketchy's to organise, but I had a free day yesterday not worrying about getting one or another job finished. So, I spent the afternoon doing what I love best; driving, eating and drawing.

I pride myself on knowing where to get the best cakes, sandwiches, breads, chips, etc, in the Peaks. Tearooms are my area of expertise. Rosie's is a fab little tearoom in the lovely Hayfield village and does THE best brownies around. And so it should as it is run by an American lady and her husband. I found this cute little video, about Rosies, whilst searching for their website.

There was also the added bonus of this cutie, below, waiting outside for her owner to finish their tea and cake.

How long are you going to be?

Are we going yet?

Oh, come on.

Thank gawd for that.

have you ever had it blue?

This is Foster's flower shop in the town of Chapel-en-le-Frith. It's another of those places I drive past often and think 'one day I'm going to stop and draw this'. Finally, I did.

Sometimes, actually most of the time, when I see a place like this, I imagine the drawing in my head. It's very brief, it's like I take a mental photograph of it, which I then store until I get around to making the drawing. When I take that 'mental photograph' I can see the colours, I know exactly which pens and what paper I should use.

This flower shop, well, I always saw it in bright primary colours. Just red, blue and yellow. But as I sat, in my car, drawing it I couldn't bring myself to add any other colour. Maybe it was just fear. Or maybe, it was just meant to be blue. Although, I would still like to splatter a load of red and yellow paint over it. Maybe I will. Or maybe I'll just leave it as it is. Or, maybe, perhaps, I'll just go back and draw it again. Who knows?

i'm only happy when it rains

I've been driving past this bike shop in Buxton quite a lot over the last couple of weeks. A group of bikes, like this, always, without fail, makes me want to draw. You don't actually see it enough in this country. I'm not talking about those freaky serious cycling enthusiasts (there are loads of them), I mean just normal people on normal bikes (I am, of course, joking). It's probably all the hills and because it rains continuously. I think that a gang of bikes is one of those drawing opportunities that, whilst being irresistible, is a real challenge. It's all those wheels.

on a magic carpet ride

I was out delivering some art work a couple of weeks back when I found this place; Eccles Pike. It's one of those places I've heard being talked about many a time. One of those places that is on your doorstep but you never get around to visiting. This is the view over Combs reservoir. from this spot, at the top of the Pike, I could easily have done a 360 and drawn the whole view. Maybe that's a project for another day. When it's less windy. This was not easy to draw.

It is one of those drawings that seems to be crying out for colour, though. I might just have to get the pencils out.

Update; I got the pencils out. But I still think it needs MORE.