April Showers, (of Leaves)

April is such an unpredictable month, and I found it really difficult to think of a theme for the next sketchbook in the exchange. Looking out into the garden, it suddenly dawned on me just how green everything was beginning to look. The leaves where coming back at a rapid pace with their vibrant shades and many shapes. So, for this springy month, leaves were just the thing.

My predecessor in the sketchbook (Sarah), had placed a rather gorgeous Magnolia stellata leaf skeleton, which was almost perfect. Having some fine blue tissue paper, I set about making a rubbing of the leaf, using gentle movements with a very soft graphite pencil. it came out quite well, but where there was little gap where the pencil couldn't reach. To get round this and make it more of a feature, I added the name of the plant in calligraphy.

A rubbing really picks out the fine details of a leaf skeleton

Adding some calligraphy fills a gap in the rubbing

I also wanted to add some studies of individual leaves, but where the page was a bit bumpy, I decided to add studies that had been done on watercolour paper. Cotoneaster, basil, clematis, ivy and a little clover leaf made for a nice group, with a good selection of greens. Matching in nicely with the colour used for the month heading.
   

A selection of leaves and a chicken.

Knowing that the recipient keeps chickens, I thought it would be rather fun to add something personal to them. So, although a rather sketchy little affair, I am quite chuffed with Clucky there in the corner.

Clucky.

And with April being what it is and also having a penchant for the whimsical, this little ditty from Bambi just had to get in somewhere. Complete with it's own rain cloud.

The tune is stuck in my head now.

Beach-combing

It was so wonderful to receive the next book, wonderful to see another's sketches and read beautiful poetry; this exchange had now really begun. 

 I decided on a beach-combing theme for Doreen; I have a large collection of beach finds as I live close to Cardigan bay on the west coast of Wales. Every time I walk on the shore I collect more shells and other things. 

 So here are the drawings; they are painted in watercolours, with quite a dry brush technique as the paper is best for this. The little Thrift flower was collected in January and sketched; they were still flowering then as our winter had been so mild. I'm not sure what kind of bird the feather is from. 

Above is Tan y Bwlch showing Aberystwyth castle in the background.

 Above is Tan y Bwlch again.

This is Ynyslas NNR, a beautiful place with a sand dune system. 

Now what to do for the next book!

Doreens first page

Quite an unusual choice for my first page ,but it wasn't really my choice I dreamt it and  felt compelled to do it .
Its  100 years this year since the start of the Great War  . So many young men died .
 Here on Anglesey in North Wales  . Then there were  just tiny villages  of maybe less than 100 people . But the memorials to the fallen young men between the ages of 17 and  30 are vast nearly every young man who went to war did not return . They should not be forgotten .
 Ralph Weaver was my Grand Father   he died at age  34 and is buried out side Callas .I have always said  that I would go and find him. So my first page is dedicated to him for with out him and the sacrifice he made I would not be here ,and yes I am planning a trip to Callas at the end of the year to keep my promise to visit his grave.