Marshes in the Fog ~ Daily Sketch 04/01/2015

Marshes in the Fog - Watercolour + Pencil

Today's effort in the freezing fog, I could see almost nothing and lasted a wimpy 10 minutes but at least made some marks on paper.

01/01/2015 New Year's Day. 'View Towards the Packing Shed' ~ DailySketch

First day of the new year brings damp, windy, grey conditions to our island, however I start as I mean to go on with a watercolour sketch. From the window of my studio I can see the choppy, cold creek emptying but there is an almost complete absence of colour.

A New Year Begins

Daily Sketch 01/01/2014 'A Cup of Beach Finds'

A new year began today, with continuing blustery showers. I had a few hours to myself in my studio and the chance to think a bit about how to proceed creatively into 2014. Not too keen to venture out I stayed inside and sketched a cup of shells on the window sill for my daily sketch. 

To me the new year represents among thousands of other things a peculiar new challenge since deciding to sketch daily. It's a funny thing really, looking forward into the next 365 days as if down the wrong end of a telescope, with December 31st 2014 a mere dot on the horizon. But that's what we do isn't it, in an effort to make some sense of where we are in time and space? We have our calendar more or less shoehorned into the various rotations and perturbations of our solar system and it works and makes sense for us most of the time. However when I see the 365 neat little blank squares on my planner I can easily go from feeling a huge sense of opportunity to make and do good 'stuff' to feeling an equal sense of responsibility not to waste a single square! 

Happy new year friends.

The Sound Of 2012

So a new year lurches forward already one week old, as the old one recedes rapidly in my rearview mirror. Many questions and some resolutions too, for both me and thetartist. Who will be the sound of 2012? that's a good question, well according to the BBC it's soul singer Michael Kiwanuka who tops their Sound of 2012 list, he really reminds me of Bill Withers. My hope is that perhaps this young man may be in the vanguard of a bunch of emerging songwriters, singers & music makers who will be making music for us that is not 'pasteurised' or 'X-Factored' into a bland stodge.



He's in good company, previous winners include Jessie J, Adele, Mika, Ellie Goulding, Corinne Bailey Rae and Keane.

A New Decade 2011

So friends a new year begins, and a new decade for that matter. We're entering 2011 with our artistandtartist glass half full as is our wont and would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and peaceful new year. What has 2011 in store I wonder, adventure? intrigue? excitement? in order to find out I thought I'd consult that tried and tested oracle into events yet to come, from the mystical far east via my Christmas cracker, the 'Fortune Teller' ~ Miracle fish.





So I placed the little red cellophane visionary upon my open palm and would you believe its head and tail began to move.



These particular movements according to the guide on the reverse side of its packet indicate 'In Love'. What a result! I hope you will all be entering 2011 with hearts that are full.