Couldn't resist a bunch of home-grown beetroot that someone was selling at their garden gate. Ink and watercolour sketch of one, before they all got turned into beetroot houmous...

Lamy Safari fountain pen with Platinum Carbon ink, watercolour, on Saunders Waterford CP watercolour paper, 9 by 12"

Indian running ducks

Ink and watercolour sketch, Indian runner ducks.

Fun to draw, with just a splash of colour too...

Cherries and a bullfinch

More ink and watercolour sketching. There are a couple of cherry trees on the green area near our house, but the birds usually get to the cherries first. Our next door neighbour managed to pick a bagful and gave some to us. And while I was sketching these ones (and before I ate them) a bullfinch was calling from the top of the rowan tree at the end of the driveway. I could hear him, but took a while to spot him!

Lamy Safari pen with Platinum carbon ink and watercolour, Stillman & Birn alpha sketchbook.

Kestrel study

I was out cycling the other day when I noticed this unfortunate juvenile kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) dead at the side of the road, presumably a victim of a collision with a vehicle. As soon as I got home I grabbed a plastic bag, jumped in the car and went back to retrieve it. What a beautiful bird. Don't feel like I've done it justice really.

Watercolour and pencil, in a Stillman & Birn zeta sketchbook.

Urban sketchers Cambridge at Downing College

Sunday was a beautiful hot and sunny day, perfect for a couple of hours of sketching with the Urban Sketchers Cambridge at Downing College.

Jackdaw

I thought I'd try an ink and acrylic combination for this, rather than the ink and watercolour that I normally go with. I quite enjoyed it!

Nice weather for ducks?

Nice weather for ducks? Even the duck sat on the front lawn the other day couldn't take the torrential thundery downpour that suddenly appeared - she got up and waddled to the shelter of the shrubs... I took a photo of these guys a while back and enjoyed sketching them the other day. Platinum carbon ink with a Lamy Safari pen, watercolour, Seawhite sketchbook (square format, which I'm quite enjoying :-))