Another catchup post full of my daily sketches from the last few days – with a few insights into how I use my sketchbook.

The opening sketch is, of course, another teacup sketch – and this one with cake and my cosied pot. I had a birthday on the weekend and don’t really make much of a fuss about the day itself. Rather than a ‘special’ day with cakes and presents,  it is more a time for reflection. A day to think about all the blessings in the past year, where I should be and who I should be. (notice I am not  thinking ‘where I am heading’ – although I do have plans and goals I am very conscious that the future is in God’s hands and we never know what a day may bring forth… my goal is to be faithful today!)

As a family, we never did much for birthdays growing up so no big celebrations …. however yesterday I did see a cute little cake in Thomas Dux and I bought it – more to sketch than to eat. But yes, I did eat it.
Cake is more enjoyable to sketch than to eat for me – honestly! A whole individual cake like this is too much. Sharing a cake and sketching it (all I need is a few mouthfuls) is the best option.

Friday – Saturday: A working page.
An incomplete skyline sketch which was a 1-on-1 demo during last weeks workshop (for some reason I didn’t have my class sketchbook handy at this moment.
On the right we have some colour mixes. Sodalite is back in my palette for a few weeks. I will admit it – I am a control freak – I have to draw boxes to control my mixes (even though the mixes do not stay within the lines)

Saturday evening: Earlier sketch extended into a double page spread.
I added a green background onto the right side matching what I had done on the left. I intended to write my Sunday notes over the top… however I liked it as it was!
I was quite taken with those textures – but it would have been ‘wasteful’ not to use it at all –  so I just wrote one text that was important to me during the weekend just above the green zone. I like the balance of this spread now. Finally I went back and added lines over the background on the left page to tie to two green areas together.
Aside: I love the way pages develop like this in my sketchbook. Sometimes I might over work and destroy the purity of my initial sketch but I love the process of  playing with composition. I think it is the architect in me still longing for a bit of design!

Sunday – Monday: My notes from Sunday with flowers added on Monday morning.
These flowers were my “creative juices warmup” for the week. More composition challenges – I am always trying to contain my text within blocks and like to try different combinations and layouts.
I do these type of pages every week but only occasionally share them. I just love playing with pigment and water and watercolour pencil on the paper…. (but you know that)

Monday – Tuesday: Preparing from Paraty workshop and a relevant object
A different palette (a bit too much pink lately – quite out of character?) Picking up Cad Orange from my ‘paint wall unit’.I decided to be radical and write my morning notes write in the middle of the spread – fun!
Another right handed (other hand) sketch on the left and then a morning warmup sketch with my left hand.
Yes, I am having some treatment on my left hand these days so some days right handed it just has to be. Other days I am applying a bit of Voltaren cream!

 
Wednesday: Todays cake sketch… And a birthday present 
One of the things I LOVE about watercolour is that if you get the ‘right’ pigments/mixes, the right water & pigment ratio and you have a degree of confidence, you can sketch something in seconds. That is all I did for the spoon… well I think I did it in under 60 seconds.