Before, during and after the block

There has been a hold up in the stream of sketchbooks. It was all my fault. At this point I have here 4 sketchbooks. But, no worries, they are all finished now and will be posted a.s.a.p.. The reason why I was so slow is because I was *hit* by a painter's block. It was not only the sketchbooks that suffered but the rest of my projects too. To start with I got Dianne's sketchbook. A bit late but that was fine. I got started on it and the painting went really well and relaxed.

The subjects were mostly special Fritillarias. I knew Dianne really loves Fritillaria so the period I got her sketchbook was perfectly timed. I had to paint some Fritillaria for an other project. The other plant I painted was a twig of a Spiketail shrub I have in my garden. Stachyurus praecox is the Latin name. 

So when that was done the next one had already arrived. It was Lorraine's. At the same time I had bought a Helleborus ericsmithii. Really nice and perfect for the sketchbook. I thought it would be wiser to finish it and then post the two books together since the costs are pretty high. So I started with the first flowers and all went well. But after a few days (I did about one flower a day) I got sick. Spring started and so did the flu season. When I got better I started a new flower and it went terrible. I really couldn't paint what I wanted and I felt so miserable.  Not only because it didn't go well but mostly because it felt like messing up a nice page in someone else's sketchbook. Next day I tried again and again I failed to paint something good. Like my paints and brushes had totally different ideas for this sketchbook. I guess that I also wasn't recovered totally from that flu and I felt so, so bad. So I put it aside and in the next weeks I had a big mental struggle to start painting again. I tried a couple of times on scrap pieces and in my own sketchbooks but it felt so wrong and unpleasant.

Finally one day I felt a bit better and made the decision to stop for now with the watercolours and do only graphite sketches. I first did a test on separate piece of Bristol board and it went well. So I took the next sketchbook that had arrived (Terri's). I still couldn't look again at Lorraine's screwed up pages. I picked several flowers from my garden and started to draw. 

Wow... it really went well!!! And finally after so many weeks I felt better about the project. It's one thing to suffer on your own from such a bad period but if it effects a project with 15 people it really is a high mountain to climb. It's all mental, I know, but once you get in that deep well it is a big struggle to get out of again. Anyway, Terri's got really pretty and I managed to paint in some bugs too to add some colour.

Dianne had asked me if she should keep Jarnie's sketchbook a little while longer but since it now felt better I thought I should hurry up now and get that one done as well. So, here's Jarnie's:

The Horntail was a nice surprise in the laundry room. My son Bertus picked a Cornflower to draw, so that's in it too. I just get so happy from the festive cornflower shapes.

So, that was that and almost ready to post FOUR sketchbook... Can you believe it???? FOUR!... Oh dear, dear... All that was left was the pages in Lorraine's book.... grrrrrrrrr.... but, I was determined to finish it well and not just send it off like it was. So today I picked a leaf of the Helleborus and made a graphite sketch of it. 

There, done! Hope all four ladies will like my entries. In the end I enjoyed all four of them... apart from that huge hiccup (forgive me for that)  ;)

Emergence

February is supposed to be the month of romance, what with Valentine's Day appearing like clockwork on the 14th. So for this month, I decided to work on some studies of buds and emerging blooms, using passionate pinks, purples and reds.

The emergence of spring.
watercolour, pen and ink.

It has been lovely to see the camellias, early irises, hellebores and bergenias coming into bud and bloom in the garden, despite the recent shocking weather. Nature is wonderful how it just does it's own thing regardless. Starting with the typography, I mixed a rich pink using Perylene Maroon and Permanent Rose with a touch of Carmine and carefully painted the opening title.  Choosing some deliciously plump buds from a Camellia Anticipation from the garden, I kept the little study quite simple with just one prominent leaf. The acidy greens of the buds looked so pretty against the emerging pink of the petals and the rich green of the leaf. It all came together really nicely. To offset all the pink and not to go too overboard with it, I added a purple blue bud of iris reticulata.

In the garden...

Hellebores under an old tree

And more Hellebores, creating a satisfying clump.

Bergenia or 'Elephant's Ears'.
These just 'popped up'. 

Garrya elliptica 'James Roof' 

Last year, I discovered the joys of Garrya elliptica 'James Roof'. Having never seen this unusual plant before, I was quite taken by the long dangling tassels that are actually the flowers. The Garrya is an evergreen shrub with the most gorgeous, large glossy green leaves. initially, I used a sprig (or should that be small branch) of this new delight in a mixed study last year, and having come by another piece (pinched from over the hedge up the road) it had to be done again. This time I used some pen work too, just to give the piece more a sketchbook feel.      

Just for a personal touch, I also added a couple of little studies I completed a few years ago.

Snow on a frozen pond,
and cloudspotting

Working Title

The new sketchbooks really are shaping up nicely and with so many talented contributors, I know each one is going to be a precious gem by the time we've all finished with them. It has been so interesting to see the different styles of each artist and how we approach our subjects with our own ideas. 

So, with the title page being the first thing needing some attention, I looked to the quintessential spring blooms of snowdrops to give a fresh, new start feel. Using watercolour in just a couple of washes, I found the sketchbook paper to take quite a bit of punishment with the watery mixes I tend to start with. Adding an image from an old book as a frontispiece and painting a couple of simple bee motifs into the composition added to the informal, ephemeral feel I was after.

A found image from an old book opens proceedings,
followed by my rather whimsical watercolour of snowdrops and bees  

Around the edge of the page I decided to go back to my typography days and added the group title with some calligraphy. It has been quite a while since the art pen has made an appearance, so I was a bit daunted at the prospect. Luckily the pens cover a multitude of writing sins and with just a few wobbles here and there, I am quite pleased with the finished page.

With this page dealt with it was onto the first double page. For inspiration, or just a bit of relaxed pondering, I headed towards two of my favourite published sketchbooks. In and Out of the Garden and Sketchbook from Southern France, both by Sara Midda are little works of art, (quite literally). Exquisite vignettes depicting all of life and nature sit happily beside Sara's beautiful, hand painted lettering. A lovely starting point.  

If my veg patch produced all this, I would be a happy bunny

Why don't we have signs like this in Britain?

January is a bit of a botanical drought month in our garden, especially after a battering. So, I decided to present a showcase of 'my favourite seasonal bits' from past works. Reworking has become a bit of a theme with me just now and I really enjoyed the little wallow in nostalgia as I headed back in time, with a mix of happy memories flooding back. Taking little pieces from my 'working' sketchbook and mixing with bits from finished works, I hoped to reflect something of the Primary School nature table, which I used to love. Even today, I am still quite chuffed to have been the one to bring in a tuft of sheep's wool for Teacher. (well. we were in a suburb of London, so goodness knows how it got into our school hedge!)

Hazel, Prunus berries, rose hips and snowberry

And in true over the top whimsy, (I was on a roll) a little painted vignette, this time on a small envelope will welcome my fellow 'Nature Trailers' to my sketchbook. Although, they'll have to wait to see what's in it, (I haven't finished it yet).

A window of opportunity and a cheery welcome