Tag Archives: sanguine

The Bare Essentials

If you’ve been following my posts you’ll know that we’ve spent the last few months – in fact a year and a half – debating a home extension versus moving house and many other options, to find the space we need. A fair chunk of this fantasy was to include a studio.

I won’t traumatise you with the ins and outs of why we eventually opted to move.  But we’d made the decision and so our journey began.  Our home was particularly ‘busy’ (to put it nicely) and probably not too attractive to buyers. We had to completely rethink how we used the space and whittle our possessions down to the bare essentials.

So, with all my pastel drawing equipment safely hidden away in storage, our cramped cluttered home was transformed into a space that somebody could picture full of their own possessions and would actually want to buy. And eventually they did!

So here we are.

I absolutely love my sparkly new studio! It has everything I need. Walls, floor, light and SPACE! The only thing left to do is erect some shelving – next job after writing this blog!

And drawings? Well, I have been experimenting with all sorts. I conducted a secret ballot with members of my family to see which pictures were preferred – I didn’t want them influencing each other. I was particularly surprised to see how popular the rabbit is. I like it, but I wouldn’t have rated it compared to the others. However, this is a pleasing revelation as I had been thinking of drawing more wild animals, especially British wildlife. In fact my head is buzzing with all of sorts birds and mammals, I can barely make my mind up. If you have any ideas for animals you’d like me to draw, please let me know.

So, surrounded by boxes of paper and stacks of equipment, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I have my cup of Yorkshire tea with soya milk and my gluten free Hob Nob. My studio is feeling a lot like home.

Some of the People and Animals That Have Kept Me Busy Lately

Keep It Colour Stupid

Those familiar with my portrait drawings may be forgiven for thinking I only see in sanguine and white. This is something I am very aware of, and for a long time I have been working on incorporating colour into my portraits.

I am not an artist who avoids colour – if you’ve seen my Artfinder and Etsy pages then you’ll know that my problem is more about which medium to settle with! I have worked in oils, watercolour, pro-markers, pastels, coloured pencils… mixed media! There a pros to ALL these media. I would like to say each have their cons, but to be honest I’m not sure I could list them. I love them all!

Another thing the more observant of you will know – I’ve not been around for a while. Our house has been so hectic these last few months. First there was the extension which never materialised, time I’ve spent on other artistic projects, then the summer holidays (impossible to make any plans during this time!) and then we put all the ‘clutter’ into storage with a view to selling the house. Yes, I’m afraid that clutter includes my paints. Believe me, if you’d seen our house before this decluttering then you’d probably agree. Pencils and sketchbooks stayed out – I have to keep some grip on sanity – but even most of my sanguine pencils have been banished to a corrugated tin shed on the other side of town.

The good news is that we have now made some progress with the sale of the house and no longer need to live such a sparse existence. So the watercolours are back in the house!

Why watercolours? Well, they were the first medium I used when I started painting 24 years ago and I’ve always loved their freshness, versatility and personality. Also – they are easy to clean away! Until we move house, my studio is confined to the dining table, and as the kitchen table left in the big clear-out, we really do need that dining table for eating!

You have no idea how excited I am to be painting again. I hope to share some of my work with you soon, and soon after that I might let you see my coloured portraits!