Category Archives: Watercolour

My daughter’s 2017 stocking

It’s become my own personal tradition that each year, I draw my daughter’s Christmas stocking: a record of all those gifts of chocolate, stationery and small toys that Santa brings. He’s a clever man, that Santa: each year, his choices seem to accord directly with my daughter’s changing fads and preferences. In this, her 13thContinue reading “My daughter’s 2017 stocking”

2017 – a year in drawing

No matter how much time and energy I put in, I never feel like I’m doing quite enough drawing, so it’s always good to look back over the year and realise quite how much paper (and pixels) I’ve stacked up! Here’s a quick run-through of how 2017 looked. February On the 1st, I took theContinue reading “2017 – a year in drawing”

Florence sketch diary: last day in Florence, and thoughts about sketch diaries

This is the last part of the series. If you want to start from the beginning, page 1 is here. That’s it! I hope you enjoyed accompanying me on my trip to Florence. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be my last sketch diary for a while. While I love to make them, and amContinue reading “Florence sketch diary: last day in Florence, and thoughts about sketch diaries”

Florence sketch diary, days 8 & 9: busy busy conference

Here’s day 8 of the trip. If you want to start from the beginning, page 1 is here. Come back tomorrow for the very last day (and some thoughts about drawing this kind of sketch diary).

Florence sketch diary, day 7: you will not believe what we can do with balloons

Here’s day 7 of our trip. If you want to start from the beginning, page 1 is here. Come back tomorrow when the conference begins.

Florence sketch diary, day 6: switching to work mode

Here’s day 6 of our trip. If you want to start from the beginning, page 1 is here. (Apologies for the wavy text, here and elsewhere: it’s because these pages are photographed rather than scanned, and not always perfectly flat) (The usual apologies to my colleagues – and any other *real people* I might representContinue reading “Florence sketch diary, day 6: switching to work mode”

Florence sketch diary, day 5: the holy grail

Here’s day 5 of our trip. If you want to start from the beginning, page 1 is here. Read on to Day 6, when I switch over into ‘work trip’ mode.

Florence sketch diary, day 4: deluxe cakes, gardens and posh frocks

Here’s day 4 of our trip. If you want to start from the beginning, page 1 is here. Read the next entry for a big discovery, plus the only cat in Florence.

Florence sketch diary, part 1: the one-trouser strategy

In April 2016, I took a trip to Florence, Italy. This is my sketch diary. I hope you enjoy it. Intro page. In case you don’t recognise it(!), the dark lumpy thing that one of the cherubs is holding is supposed to be a truffle. Joe’s concern is very British: Now read part 2: aContinue reading “Florence sketch diary, part 1: the one-trouser strategy”

The Inking Woman

It’s quite an odd feeling to package a picture up and hope that it arrives at its destination safely, but I’m delighted to have been asked to loan a drawing to the forthcoming exhibition ‘The Inking Woman’, at the Cartoon Museum in London. Not least because of its excellent name: extra biscuits to whoever thoughtContinue reading “The Inking Woman”

Illustrated Women In History exhibition

I’m really pleased to say that I have a small illustration in the Illustrated Women in History exhibition and the accompanying zine. The exhibition is up in Swindon Central Library now, and runs until the end of April. You can buy the zine here. Its maker, Julie Gough, has for some time now been doingContinue reading “Illustrated Women In History exhibition”

My daughter’s stocking, 2016

This is the third year running that I have drawn everything my daughter received from that very generous old fellow, Santa Claus. It’s a great way to fill the days between Christmas and New Year, and while I know it’s not exactly Cézanne’s Mont Sainte-Victoire, it’s also the closest thing I’ve got to a recurringContinue reading “My daughter’s stocking, 2016”

Totnes & Lyme Regis holiday diary, part 6: in which we break everything and go home

This is the very final episode in our Totnes and Lyme Regis holiday. If this is the first page you’ve seen, you probably want to start at part 1, actually.   Ha! I only wrote that page (above) out a few days ago, and several new things have happened in politics. It’s as if someoneContinue reading “Totnes & Lyme Regis holiday diary, part 6: in which we break everything and go home”

Totnes and Lyme Regis holiday sketch diary, part 5: Beatrix Potter’s windswept hair

This is part 5 of our holiday in Totnes and Lyme Regis. If you haven’t seen prior episodes, you’ll want to begin from the beginning, so start here. We’re nearly at the end of the holiday now: just one more installment after this. As before, click on any image and then click again to seeContinue reading “Totnes and Lyme Regis holiday sketch diary, part 5: Beatrix Potter’s windswept hair”

Totnes and Lyme Regis holiday sketch diary, part 4: cows, worms, moles & other animals

The image at the top of this post is a happy accident which happened on Photoshop, as I was trying to clean up the picture of the bookshop that appears in the third page below. I like it better than the actual painting, so here it is as a header. Part 1 is here, partContinue reading “Totnes and Lyme Regis holiday sketch diary, part 4: cows, worms, moles & other animals”

Totnes and Lyme Regis holiday sketch diary, part 2: otters, steam trains and Ballardian dystopias

This is the second part of a holiday sketch diary in which we stayed in Totnes and Lyme Regis. Probably best not to start on day 2: you can read part 1 here. As ever, click on the images below, and then click again if you would like to see them at a larger size.Continue reading “Totnes and Lyme Regis holiday sketch diary, part 2: otters, steam trains and Ballardian dystopias”

Totnes and Lyme Regis holiday sketch diary, part 1: one man and his gluestick

So, here it is! Every time we go on holiday I swear I’m not going to bother with a sketch diary — and every time, I end up spending more time and attention on it. I suppose I have to admit that there’s no escape now. This is what I do. So here’s part 1Continue reading “Totnes and Lyme Regis holiday sketch diary, part 1: one man and his gluestick”