A MOOC kestrel

I've been enjoying doing a MOOC - a Massive Open Online Course - in Natural History Illustration, hosted by the University of Newcastle, Australia. This was my submission for the final assessment.

An afternoon out at Wicken Fen

I had an unexpected free afternoon last week, so  popped off down to Wicken Fen with sketchbook and camera in hand...

It's a unique landscape and is stunning at any tie of the year! Watercolour and ink in my Stillman & Birn beta sketchbook. More over on my other blog, Cambridgeshire Nature Notes.

birds in the rowan tree

Some ink and marker pen sketches of visitors to the rowan tree at the end of the drive.

More at Cambridgeshire Nature Notes!

Peaches in the wood pile

Watercolour and coloured pencil studies of Wrinkled Peach mushrooms (Rhodotus palmatus)

More pics and info over on on Cambridgeshire nature notes!

Dunnock post-mortem study

Dunnock post-mortem study, pencil and coloured pencils in my Stillman & Birn zeta sketchbook. More about this bird over on my other blog Cambridgeshire nature notes!

A new blog!

I've started a new blog for my nature journalling/photography/general ramblings - pop over and have a look. Not much on there at the mo, just a 'hello' post and some nice piccies!

http://cambsnaturenotes.blogspot.com/

Wood mouse studies

I had another opportunity, via the cat, to study some local wildlife - this is a wood mouse.

Pencil and watercolour in the Stillman & Birn zeta journal, which is slowly but surely being filled up!

Scrumptious succulents

A couple of months ago I had a lovely afternoon with a couple of pals, visiting gardens in an 'Open Garden' event (Moseley in Bloom, in Birmingham UK). The gardens were, of course, just beautiful, and a common theme seemed to be succulents - people had them planted in pots, planters, kitchen sinks, and all sorts of places. They looked fab, and inspired me to try a reduction linocut, and this is how it turned out...

This was the first chance I've had to use the Ternes-Burton registration system (available here in the UK) - suffice it to say I will be using it forever more, it's that good!

I started off with some sketchbook research. On the left-hand page I have made cut-out shapes which I played around with until I found a composition I liked.

Some in-progress pics...

There's now a gap where I didn't take any pics. We did have a few weeks of hot and humid weather when the ink was taking forever to dry, so I think this was the reason...

I printed an edition of 6, on Hosho paper, and for one of the prints I tried the reverse, slightly rough side of the paper. You can see how the ink coverage is patchy (I don't have a relief press, these are printed using a baren and/or wooden spoon). Always useful to know!

Coverage was much better on the smoother side of the paper.

Finished print: Scrumptious succulents, reduction linocut, edition of 6 on Hosho paper with Caligo Safewash inks.

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 :-))

Chaffinch study

Here's a couple of pencil and watercolour studies of a female chaffinch.

Sketching starlings

Well, the starlings are fledging here et the moment and they are very noisy! I thought I'd do some ink sketches, based on photos I've taken over the past couple of years. Such characters!

And here's a starling dad, looking a bit overwhelmed!

Sketchbook mash-up

From pics I took while wandering around my local nature reserve...

Click the image to see it a little bigger!

Sketchcrawl video: sketching condensed!

Here's a video clip of me sketching at the Institute of Metabolic Science in Cambridge, part of the Creative Reactions/Pint of Science art/science festival...

Creative Reactions sketchcrawl with Cambridge Urban Sketchers


#‎CreativeReactions‬ @pintofscience ‪#‎pint16‬

Thanks to Creative Reactions for the opportunity for some sketching, and to Dr Jacek Mokrosinski for hosting.

Pygmy shrew watercolour studies

Yet another gift from the cat has provided a subject for some studies. This is a pygmy shrew, common across northern Europe. Tiny!

Pygmy shrew studies

Sketching in the lab

I thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon of sketching yesterday at the Institute of Metabolic Science in Cambridge, organised by Creative Reactions and Pint of Science. Thank you very much Jacek for hosting!
‪#‎CreativeReactions‬ @pintofscience ‪#‎pint16‬

Hedgerow gold

A reduction linocut

'Hedgerow gold' is a reduction linocut inspired by bright crab apples in a dark hedgerow; sometimes I spot a blackbird amongst the branches...

And here are some of the sketches and prep for the print. The idea was swimming around in my head for quite a while...

Field vole study

Well, the cat brought me a non-too-delightful present in the form of a field vole, so I took the opportunity to do a few pencil/watercolour studies.

Daffs in the sketchbook

A lovely splash of colour in this grey and dreary winter...