Seasonal Influences

I’m not sure if this happens with other artists but lately I have noticed that the seasons have a large impact upon my work. You can see this most clearly in my subject choices since I tend to draw plants in bloom when they are flowering or heavy with fruit, but I’ve also noticed it’s effect on me with the colours I feel drawn to use.

For example, last summer I was using lots of bright colours but when autumn rolled around I felt a strong pull towards more rusty tones. This winter has been a period of rest for me as well as most of the plant and wildlife, and now that we’re almost on the cusp on spring, I can feel myself being charmed by the colour of blossoms. Sweet pinks are very much in my heart right now and they are just starting to creep into my work, which I find thoroughly pleasing.

I’m really interested in whether you have noticed a similar seasonal pull in your work and in what form it takes. Let me know below!

Trying Linocut

I decided to try my hand at linocut printmaking! I’ve felt inspired by a bunch of super talented printmakers that I follow on Instagram and just couldn’t resist picking up some of the materials so I could try it too! I’ve been admiring the technique for a while, I particularly like the texture created in prints, and also how every print you make is slightly different.

For my first attempt I sketched out some rose hips that I found on a walk and then transferred it over to the lino block to start carving. I didn’t anticipate how much I would actually love the process of carving! It felt so meditative to sit there and mindfully cut away the pieces I didn’t need.

I’m really happy with how my first attempt of carving and printing with lino went, and I’ve already learnt so much! Now I know that I don’t have to be so heavy handed while carving, and that I can experiment with lighter and daintier lines. I really love how botanicals look in this medium so I’m already super excited to try carving some wildflowers, leaves, and other plants!

Recolouring Botanical Sketches

Today I stumbled upon some ink drawings in my sketchbook from a few months ago. I had forgotten about them and how much I really like them so I decided I would rework them a bit to fit my current body of work. I scanned the sketchbook pages, cleaned up the scans and then started experimenting. I really like the lines and ink washes of the original drawings so I decided I would recolour them from black to a rusty shade and then see if it still works. I’m really happy with how warm and cosy the illustrations are now! I hope I can offer prints of these illustrations soon!!