a new affair

Recently I've had this urge. An itch to scratch. I just cannot get enough of colour. Specifically watercolour. It coincided with the landscape stuff I've been doing (in my last couple of posts), and has pretty much taken over all of my work.

 I've always known that urge would come knocking on my door one day. My watercolour set has been patiently sat there, like a book that you're really excited to read, that's been in the pile of books by the side of your bed, just waiting for it's time to come.

 I'm not impatient about stuff like that. I totally believe that you shouldn't try something because it's the thing to do, or cos everyone else is doing it or because it's there. I wait.

 Until I really really want to do it. Until I have no choice in the matter.

 Now, you see, I LOVE ink. I am head over heels with it, but lets face it, ink is a pain in the ass. It's a pain to take out. It's high maintenance. I'm not talking about just taking out one colour, that's fine, but if you want a full palette it's just an impractical pain in the butt. And, believe me I tried to make it work.

 So, after a year of juggling dip pens and three or four bottles of ink on a street corner, or scrubbing the table at your regular café because you'd spilled the bulletproof black ink, again, the watercolour set caught my eye.

 Sure it isn't quite as dramatic as Mr Ink, he's more subtle, but, you know, more reliable. True, he's not as intense either, but, you get twelve colours in one set and he doesn't leak all over your bag. And, anyway, I'm kinda enjoying his subtle flatter tones. Plus, it doesn't show you up in your local café.

Yes, I have started falling for watercolours.

 I haven't got a clue what I'm doing yet, but I don't care. The fun bit is finding out where this new affair will go. And, if that turns out to be nowhere that's okay too. I'll have new stuff in my locker.

I've always loved monochrome drawings but it feels liberating to not be tied to that black line.

Prints of my new landscapes now in my Etsy shop

(sorry to be peddling my wares but I have bills to pay. Lots of bills).

how green is my valley

Okay, I'll stop with this soon, but I'm really enjoying this work right now. All of these recent landscape drawings were meant to include a signal box (you can see it in my last post). The white space, on the right hand side of this one, was left so that I could squeeze it in. Now I'm not even sure if I'll put it in at all. It's been a bit of an obsession for me that signal box. I think if anything could become my Monte Sainte-Victore (for those not in the know, Cezanne painted it over and over again, in every season) it would be that signal box. I love it and have done since I moved here. I've wanted to draw it for the longest time, but never got around to it. But the other day it was just calling me. I've been back each day since. So far, it's only made it into one drawing.

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.

On Henry Moore and stuff

A few weeks ago I visited the fabulous Yorkshire Sculpture Park with Urban Sketchers Yorkshire. I love this place, plus, even better, there was a Henry Moore exhibition. 

I came to Henry Moore later in life. In the last couple of years, actually, I'm pretty sure it was on my first ever trip out with the Urban Sketchers to the YSP. Anyway, wherever whenever, now I'm a big fan. 

It's just SO drawable.

Earlier this month, when I had a grip on #Inktober - before it ran off in all directions - and I was doing an ink drawing a day, I came across my Moleskine watercolour sketchbook.

It hadn't been used much at all. In fact I hadn't seen it for years. But when I opened it I found this wash (above). Now, I have no idea what I was thinking way back then when I put it on the page, but just looking at it with all that time between us, I could only see one thing. You're thinking the same, right?? You can see it too, yeah?

Yes, exactly. 

So I came up with my very own Henry Moore reclining nude. An Andrea Joseph inspired by Henry Moore for day nine of #inktober

10 years on and still drawing onions

I first posted this onion (above) some time ago, actually I think it was my first post, or at least my first EDM challenge. Back then I was just getting to grips with the scanner and so the picture was blurred and cropped far too close. I've just uploaded it for Flickr so I thought I'd post it here again. Also another little offering from just over 10 years ago. A decade of drawing onions!

happy accidents

Mostly I get really frustrated with scanning work. You can labour over a piece for ages; choosing the right shades and colours for your subject to find once scanned it has somehow changed.
With this picture, though, I am quite pleased with whatever happened during the whole scanning process. It was painted on a plain white board but hey! A 'happy accident' as dear old Bob Ross would have said.

incensed

These are the best incense that money can buy - from Onevillage.
I love it when you find a product that you really like, and these are just SO good. They are also a Fairtrade product (you can get them from Oxfam in this country) so you can feel good about yourself when you purchase them. What's even better about finding a great product is when the packaging is so good you feel the need to draw it!

(If I did this drawing again I would put the price sticker a little higher up - somewhere near the A or T)

kitchen table

Another one from the archives. I just needed a bit of colour.

a melody in your name

Today I decided to draw something completely different. Something that I'd never attempted to draw before. I have taken some creative license with these. I found some insect shapes, played around with them and added some bright colours with ink. I think they look quite jewel-like. The names were also made up. Actually, they were not so much made up but totally robbed from, erm, Joni Mitchell. Don't tell her though. I hear she has quite a temper.