Hedgie's Sketchbook

This blog has moved...

2010-08-23T02:24:00.000-07:00

...to http://thegiftshed.wordpress.com

I got tired of having different blogs for different things, so everything is now on one single blog. I hope to see you there!

La Dolce Vita

2010-03-12T12:03:00.001-08:00

Some random sketches

2010-03-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

My first works on canvas

2010-03-06T04:05:00.000-08:00

Something a bit more involved than my usual sketches. Each of these took a full day to complete. Gouache on canvas. 12.5cm x 12.5cm

The first is a view of a client's conservatory (she has a wonderful eye for design and I fell in love with that set of shelves), and the second is a display I snapped a quick photo of at the Chelsea Flower show 2009.

SketchCrawl #26

2010-02-27T07:07:00.000-08:00

Well, had to go to work this morning but made the most of it. A little sketch at work, then headed to the canal on the way home, but was driven back into the van by more bloody rain after only ten minutes. Gave up and went home!

Leaving on a jet plane...

2010-02-26T01:22:00.001-08:00

Matt left for his sponsored cycle ride (Vietnam to Cambodia) on Thursday, so I took the opportunity to fill up the last two pages of my book with sketches done at the airport and on the tube.

Faces on the Underground

2010-02-20T10:13:00.001-08:00

I haven't done many sketches of people this past year, so I thought I would try some more quick sketches on my way to and from the football today. My favourite is the lady on the bottom left.

The end and the beginning

2010-02-15T04:41:00.000-08:00

I'm nearly at the end of my sketchbook - so it seemed like a good time to do a little housekeeping. I removed the block of pages from the old book and put those to the side while I worked out how best to repair the vintage cover; as you can see, it had become even more worn and tatty over the course of the past year. In the end I decided upon a simple strip of leather to reinforce the spine. This should make it more durable and give it a new lease of life for the coming year. A block of new pages was bound in, and it's now ready to go!

The old block of pages presented me with a puzzle: how best to bind them? I opted for a very simple look, with tan leather covers. I thought that the sketches should speak for themselves and not be overshadowed by a flamboyant cover.

People and lunch

2010-02-15T04:39:00.000-08:00

My local garden centre sent me a voucher which entitled me to a free meal (buy one lunch, get the second free) - so it would have been foolish not to use it! Matt and I went and had a pleasant time (the food was delicious), and I got the chance to do a couple of very quick sketches before we ate.

My desk...

2010-02-15T04:36:00.000-08:00

I fancied a break on Friday, so I decided to draw my desk at the studio. As you can see, I was midway through binding a book, and if you note the pile of books to the left you can also see that I'd done quite a number of other ones already!

I bloody hate Stoke

2010-01-31T01:01:00.000-08:00

FA Cup Fourth Round. Stoke-v-Arsenal. My first away game in this country. Not a great day, the highlight was the Bovril.

It comes but once a year...

2010-01-31T00:59:00.000-08:00

... and thank goodness for that. MOT time is stressful, especially when you drive a beaten up old van, the parts for which are astronomical in price. Thankfully little Vik (the van, in case you were wondering) passed this time. The garage I use is a colourful building, so I thought I'd capture it on paper while I was waiting.

T'was the night before Christmas...

2009-12-24T14:31:00.001-08:00

...when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The house hippo was on the prowl though, and it looks like he fancied a bath in the dog's water bowl this time.

Coffee and a mince pie

2009-12-03T23:12:00.000-08:00

A little bit of me-time. My local garden centre sent me a voucher for a cup of coffee and a mince pie. So I popped in and enjoyed my free snack while sketching.

Sadly I was having a ditzy morning, as I'd remembered to pack my sketchbook and watercolours... but sadly not my pencil case (which has my pen, waterpen and good pencils in). All I had in my handbag were a couple of biros and a very blunt HB pencil. I like this sketch, but really wish I'd had a proper pen with me! I'd have loved to add some colour to it too, as the restaurant in the garden centre was quite colourful. Never mind, there's always next time!

Please mind the gap

2009-11-24T14:51:00.001-08:00

Some very quick sketches done on the way to the football this evening. You might be pleased to know that the legs with the heels don't belong to the guy with the beanie hat - it was just unfortunate placement on the page!

Biscotti

2009-11-22T15:02:00.001-08:00

Today hell froze over. It must have done, because in a rare act of domestic goddessery I was in the kitchen baking. Scared yet?

Sketchcrawl #25

2009-11-21T05:56:00.001-08:00

Well, today was more exciting than expected! I had to work this morning, and thus didn't sort out to go and join in the London sketchcrawl group. I was a bit grumpy about this as I've NEVER managed to make it to a crawl. So, finished work early and thought I'd drive down to Portobello instead and do a bit of sketching on my own, and then call into the supermarket for groceries on the way home.

Sketched a little, then started sketching the paella stall (which has always fascinated me, even though I've never tried paella - it always smells so good!). The men running the stall smiled and winked, then one of them asked if I was writing a book (my sketchbook is a revamped vintage book - looks like a proper book from the outside). Nope, I'm sketching. He then asked if I would scan it and e-mail it to him when I was done, and then offered me lunch!

I was polite and said no to the food at first, but by the time I had finished the smell had made me ravenous so I shyly accepted some chicken paella. It was DELICIOUS.

Clearly I didn't get anything else drawn after that, but what an exciting day!

The lovely paella stall is run by www.jamonjamon.co.uk

An afternoon in London

2009-11-20T09:30:00.001-08:00

The Wellcome Collection

2009-11-07T00:10:00.000-08:00

A day out in East London

2009-10-31T01:37:00.001-07:00

Recent sketches...

2009-10-29T12:11:00.001-07:00

A random couple drinking coffee in Kew Gardens; Richmond Green; Westfield shopping centre.

Bonsai hippo

2009-10-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

Metasequoia glyptostroboides

2009-08-22T03:50:00.001-07:00

Went to Isabella Plantation with my sin-laws yesterday and tried to capture a tree that had caught my eye on my previous visit. It's come out ok, but I think I'd like to have another shot at it when I'm not in company!

Banksy-vs-Bristol Museum

2009-08-08T23:20:00.000-07:00

I finally got to see this exhibition yesterday, and it was awesome. I had hoped to do some sketching whilst in there, but given the extraordinarily long queues outside (4 hours +) it felt a bit selfish to stand around sketching while there were so many people waiting to come in. So this is the only sketch of the day, a view of the outside of the museum taken while drinking hot chocolate at a cafe across the road.

Isabella Plantation 16/07/2009

2009-07-19T04:55:00.000-07:00

Went for a walk in Isabella Plantation on Thursday evening with Matt. It was lovely, so peaceful. There are a lot of deer in Richmond Park, but we were very lucky to see one so close up - it was grazing not far from the entrance to the Plantation and we ended up creeping closer and closer until we were only a couple of metres away. These sketches were done from photos when I got home.

Tree surgeon ahoy!

2009-07-13T10:43:00.001-07:00

A quick sketch of a tree surgeon in action pollarding a tree.

Kew Gardens 09-07-2009

2009-07-09T09:29:00.001-07:00

I only had one short job booked in this morning, so popped into Kew Gardens on the way home as I'm still feeling very sketchy. I'm having some problems with my feet at the moment (great, as you can imagine, for someone who is on her feet all day at work!) so didn't venture as far into the gardens as I would have liked (I usually do a full circuit when I walk there). I visited the Princess of Wales Conservatory and captured an orchid that I liked, then wandered out to find what is possibly my favourite sight in Kew - the Japanese Pagoda tree (planted aroudn 1760) which is partially supported by bricks and iron struts, but is remarkably healthy nonetheless. I then wandered down to the Palm House and started sketching in there, but the pain from my feet and the incessant noise of children (lots of school groups were around today) drove me home before I was really done. I'm aiming to go back again in a few weeks.

8th July 2009

2009-07-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

I didn't go to work today, because it was raining. So I started sketching indoors - the image of a flower inset on the first sketch is a copy of the photo on the bookmark I'm using at the moment. Then the weather cleared up so I went for a walk down the road to Twickenham Cemetary. It's a terrible thing to admit, but I was a bit disappointed with it - my local cemetary is Kensal Green, which has some really beautiful old areas, and sadly Twickenham isn't as picturesque. I sketched for a bit, then as I finished the inkwork for the chapel I had a sudden feeling I should go home, even though I wasn't done.

I got halfway home and it started to rain. When I got in the front door the shower turned into a deluge. Ten out of ten for listening to my instincts there!

Still desperately wanting to sketch I settled down and did a view of Matt's bookshelf - which I'm particularly pleased with. It also satisfied my craving for bold colours.

Hill House 6th & 7th June 2009

2009-07-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

Well the road to hell is paved with good intentions, isn't it? I've been kept busy with other projects and my sketching has gone to pot. I did a couple while we were away for the weekend at Hill House (www.thehowlinghillhouse.com). The first is a view of the room we stayed in, and the second is a random sketch done at How Capel Court Gardens to which we paid an impromptu visit.

Isabella Plantation

2009-05-01T23:51:00.000-07:00

On Thursday (30th April) I went to Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park, for the first time on the recommendation of a client. It was absolutely beautiful. The rhododendrons and azaleas were in full bloom, and it was a vibrant mass of colour.

On Friday (1st May) I went back, taking my father with me as he needed a day out and I thought he'd love it - he did. I didn't have as much time to sit and sketch, so the one I did of the Still Pool that day wasn't as good as the one of the stream from Thursday, but I think it's ok, albeit a little bit Monet (looks better the further away you get from the page!)

...and to finish off that page

2009-04-26T02:36:00.000-07:00

The weather is glorious again today, so I popped down to my garden to finish off the page that I started at work on Friday. Euphorbia and sempervivum.

A quick sketch after work

2009-04-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

The weather was glorious today; warm and sunny but with a bit of a breeze so it wasn't too hot (although it's still much warmer than I would expect for April). As such I knocked off work early so that I could sit around in my client's garden for half an hour and try and sketch some more flowers. Tulip 'Raspberry Ripple' (good name, eh?), bluebells, and a random cornus leaf.

Oh garden of mine...

2009-04-21T11:28:00.001-07:00

I haven't sat down in my own garden for MONTHS. Literally. That's the trouble with being a gardener, you spend all your time in gardens for other people, and when you get home you're too tired to spend time in your own.

This evening I was no less tired than usual, but the weather was beautiful and I suddenly felt the desperate need to just go and sit outside. So I did.

I ended up with a pretty random composition consisting of apple blossom, a hosta, and a tulip (because I thought the page needed some colour). They've come out pretty well I think. The blossom and hosta were sketched with pencil, then ink, then the colour added. The tulip was a brave (!) attempt at painting straight away, then inking in some definition afterwards. I say 'brave'... but really I was just too lazy to walk to the other end of the garden to fetch my pencil...

Cakes and cookies

2009-04-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

The friend I went to stay with over the weekend had baked a delicious selection of cakes and cookies. Unfortunately I'm lactose intolerant, and they all had chocolate in - so I could have them, but only in limited doses! She packed a box full of goodies for me to take away, and when I popped some on a plate today they looked so good I thought they ought to be immortalised... so here they are!

A week in sketches

2009-04-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

A lovely bank holiday (part 3)

2009-04-13T14:25:00.001-07:00

My handbag weighs a tonne (in fact, technically, it weighs just under a stone!). It's full of all sorts of things that I might need on a day-to-day basis. I went through my bag the other week and it contained all sorts, from tissues to painkillers to scissors to spare decking screws to perfume to a keyring torch shaped like a cow (which moos when it lights up).

Like I said, it contains pretty much everything I *might* need. So I wondered what I could get away with as a bare minimum. This sketch shows the extremely whittled down list. It's pretty comprehensive I think, as long as i don't get a headache, or have an asthma attack, or want to floss my teeth, or need to see in the dark... ;)

A lovely bank holiday (Part 2)

2009-04-13T08:53:00.001-07:00

A wee sketch of the paintbox and brush I'm using.

A lovely bank holiday (Part 1)

2009-04-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

I had to work today, which is fine because I do love my job (although I could have done without the rain this morning!), but I was pleased to finish just after lunch so that I could have the afternoon to myself.

Last night while I was tidying I found an old A6 sketchpad that only has half a dozen or so pages left. I've had this pad for about ten years (seriously!) and I thought that it was about time I blooming well finished it! So, this morning before work I decided to use the remaining pages to make random sketches that illustrate my everyday life.

This first sketch was actually done before I left for work - it's an almost perfect snapshot of my morning routine.

A colourful end to the week

2009-04-12T01:44:00.000-07:00

I managed to get up early as planned and went for a short drive down to Ladbroke Grove, where the streets full of cream-coloured houses are punctuated by the odd few in vibrant colours. I chose these two houses as they're ones I pass regularly, being just around the corner from my local art supply shop.

I would have liked to stay out longer, but have learned the important lesson that one really ought to have breakfast before heading out as the growling of my stomach was awfully distracting!

Some random sketches

2009-04-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I started a page of random sketches. I did two late at night while I was sat in bed - one was a pendant I'd just been given, and one was a curious bottle - both were chosen because they caught my eye whilst I was in bed. The rest of that page has remained blank for a while because nothing else appealed to me (and I've been so exhausted lately that I've gone straight to sleep each night!).

Today I was at work and we found a toad. He was rather lovely, so I snapped a quick photo with my phone before we moved him to a safe spot behind the shed. Mr. Toad became the missing piece for that page of random sketches, and as it's the 22nd World Wide SketchCrawl (http://www.sketchcrawl.com/) today it would have been a shame not to do at least one sketch!

I'm a bit sad that I was too disorganised to participate in this SketchCrawl, and I had been hoping to make it my first. Never mind, there's always the next time, and I think to make up for it I'm going to try and get up early tomorrow and go for a drive to find something funky and local to sketch.

Sketch dated 06-04-2009

2009-04-06T13:45:00.001-07:00

This brings us up to date! This is another sketch done from a photograph, as it's one of those lovely cottages I pass on my way to the garden we're working on in Hertfordshire. One of the things I love about the route to that job is the names of the little country roads - this house is in Bottom Lane!

Sketch dated 31/03/2009

2009-04-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

I'm really pleased with the way this came out, as I had to use a photograph for reference. I'd been so busy at work in this garden that I ran out of time on my parking meter, so had to leave very abruptly when I'd finished. I snapped a pic though, and did the sketch that evening. I love this garden, and have only recently re-started the maintenance for it after a break of a year whilst the client maintained it.

Sketch dated 27/03/2009

2009-04-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

We spent this week working on a garden out in the wilds of Hertfordshire, and as a result I had to drive through a lot of winding country lanes and cute villages. I passed any number of lovely looking cottages on my way, but there was generally nowhere suitable to pull over (plus I was usually rushing either to or from work!). We finished work a little early on the Friday so I took the opportunity to pull over and capture a view of a house on the village green.

Sketch dated 19/03/2009

2009-04-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

This is a view within one of my favourite gardens. The sketch was done in its entirety on site.

Sketch dated 13/03/2009

2009-04-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

The first sketch in my book! This sketch is of a pond that my colleague Tracey and I had been renovating (rebuilding the waterfall etc.), and we were really happy with the way the job had gone. The sketch was done on site and the colour added at home later.

2009-04-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

So... let's start with my sketchbook. I removed the textblock from a somewhat tatty-looking vintage book on art and replaced them with pages of watercolour paper. The paper I used was leftover from when I did art at A-level, so it's about ten years old and I haven't the foggiest what sort it is!

Some extra motivation never hurt!

2009-04-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

Having been inspired to start sketching, using watercolours for the first time, I thought I'd start a blog to record my efforts in a place I can access from anywhere. I'm aiming to complete a sketch each week, and that keeping my memories as sketches will prove more interesting than simply taking endless photos that I just keep stored on the computer and never look at again.