Pencils4Tea 19 June 2025

I'm hoping to have a few weeks without too much travel, so I can draw weekly at Pencils4Tea. I felt a bit rusty at this session (19 June 2025). But felt so good afterwards!

 

Only the start of the journey

I have a lot to explore. But this is a good start for this journey. 

And yes, I turned one of them around again. 

Was inspired by Marc Folly for my paint application (basically press the brush between fingers to drop strongly-pigmented watercolour onto a damp section, and move the board in the direction I want the pigment to go. But these nothing like Marc Folly paintings. 

I never thought I would say this, but I do love oil pastel lines. These are Caran d'Ache Neopastels. Next, experiment with thicker lines?

I also like that these look like drone shots. I feel the call of the deep, but I'm too much of a chicken to walk to the edge of the rocks.

 

Quick sketches - why am I exhausted?

Really enjoyed my time sketching at the back of some offices near Hume Street, then in Stephen's Green. But I feel so exhausted now. And I know it's not the art making that's tiring me. It's such a dilemma. I know I would miss it if I gave it up, but it's taking too much of a toll on me, for too little sketching.

 

Another collage

It takes a while for PVA glue to dry, particularly in a studio book. It's testing my patience, I have to say.

Same day, same time, same place.

Following the nudge - work in progress

So here, I am working from my little squares in my studio book, and I'm painting in watercolour. These two are 29x29cm. I think I am staying too close to my original idea, so I turn the squares around. One I really like. The other, not so much. Next stage? Pencil lines? Or oil pastel maybe? The paper is rough Saunders Waterford, so I'm not the sure the oil pastel will do what I want. We'll see.

Two things I really love: the mix of turquoise blue and cobalt blue, and Quin Burnt Scarlet with Cobalt Blue.

Near the blue islands - collage

Same location, same process. You can find the original interpretation, done on location here. What I want is for each of these little pieces to create a certain feeling, but also have a connection to the specific place, even when it looks completely different. We'll see. Also, I'm working more in a square format (I know this one isn't quite square!), but I might return to the long panorama format I did earlier this year. It's just one of these "What if" questions I want to play with.

And for the really nerdy out there, my notes in my studio book.

Exploring the abstract landscape of the heart

This is still all about the land and sea near Allihies on the Beara Peninsula. Something is pulling at my heart there. I don't yet have the words to explain it. I took some of the abstract sketches I did on location that day that I got sunburnt. And I'm deconstructing and reconstructing until it feels right. This square is less than 20x20cm. The squiggles are Neocolor. I hope it will be a stepping stone to something larger. At each step, I'm hoping to let my intuition guide me. And also, I'm planning to do this in watercolour and maybe oil pastel. But I'm not going to work in Acrylic layers, so I'm maybe making life a bit more difficult for myself. But watercolour is what I love and I have to listen to that voice inside of me.

With this one, I have taken elements that were cropped out, and put them back in, where they felt right for the composition.

This was the original crop

Starting again, with little squares

The question is always - where to start after a few weeks of no painting? I've been sketching a lot, but it's so different from painting. My pursuits are so different in these two aspects of my art practice.  Start small, to fool the brain into relaxing and not taking things too seriously. 

Little squares, a limited palette, no plan in mind. I was originally thinking about elements of design, and how they would express my "shift words". Yes, I keep going back to Sally Ann Ashley and her "Creative Shift". Her process helps to anchor myself, even when I'm not painting. I had written down a few throughts. But on this occasion, I just enjoyed doing rather than thinking. I think that the shapes I ended up with express the three words I was thinking of. It was a good start.

The first two squares were done with markers, then the rest of that page with 4 Gansai Tambi colours I picked up in Lyon. It was nice to be able to purchase individual pans. The second page is all done with Tundra Violet. A colour I used a good bit in Cill Rialaig, and that I'm thinking about.

At the hairdresser's

My usual self-portraits while I'm at the hairdressers. Both done in the same session. Then I still had time, to look in the mirror and observe Eddie as he was cutting another customer's hair. Just vague gestures but good to practise. Next time, I need to tackle this subject in shape rather than line. 

 

At Sandycove

We were at Sandycove on the 15th, the day before Bloomsday. There was plenty of action at the Martello Tower. And at 40 Foot, which had nothing to do with the day. Interesting that there are life-guards at the beach, with a red flag and a notice to say that there might be bacteria in the water after the heavy rains (a nice way of not mentioning sewage overflow, I gather), but everyone at 40 Foot is happily jumping in and swimming - it's more open but I imagine that said bacteria can move in the water. 

I always love the view of the tower from the end of the road, looking back up towards it. The afternoon started grey and menacing, but brightened up nicely. I should have stayed longer to paint the water. Somehow I got absorbed by the rocks instead. So many colours. And yes, the little blob with a hat and a diagonal bag strap is Pat. He had found a great spot. But I was wearing my Bloomsday skirt and jacket, so I could barely manage the steps to the first floor of the James Joyce  Tower and definitely wasn't going to chance my luck on the rocks.

Big clouds over Lyon

I haven't painted painted in such a long time it feels. So I needed to ease myself into it. How do I do that? Take a full sheet of watercolour paper, tape it into 6 sections and paint the same scene over and over. Did it work out? Not really, but I got over the hang-up of "I haven't painted in so long that I'm not sure I remember how to". I spent less than 90 minutes on this. And I added the bridge cables with a white gel pen. Life is too short.

Next time, I will leave more whites in my sky.

 

 

Around Dublin Castle with CSULB students

On the day after we came back from Lyon, I had the privilege to spend a day with art students from CSULB (California State University Long Beach) and their lecturer, the wonderful Yulia, as part of their study abroad program. I gave them an introduction to urban sketching. I had such a great time that it might change my mind about teaching. I did some quick sketching to calm my nerves before they arrived, and also while they were working on the assignments I gave them throughout the day. Not my best work, but I had a great day. I hope they did too. Special thanks to Fionuala from OPW, who gave us access to sketch inside the State Apartments. Always a special treat!

Sketching Lyon - Day 5 (Monday)

Then on the Monday, it was up towards La Croix Rousse. Brendan and I decided to walk. Lots of steps.

Great viewing point. Again, I started at the end, where the throwdown was going to be. Suzanne from Montreal had the same idea. It was lovely to sketch the view together.

I was social for a bit then. Did a few street sketches, after a lovely bagel with cream cheese and jam. The guy behind the counter didn't bat an eyelid. It's good to be in a place where people don't think it's weird to eat cheese and jam together.

I had to go and see L'Escalier des Canuts (or something like that). There was a lot of chatting going on amongst the other sketchers who were there. I found it a bit irritating, as people live in the apartments above and the voices were carrying all around the courtyard. Got my angles completely wrong. But it was a direct watercolour, so that's my excuse. Had an interesting encounter with two ladies who showed me the passageways that led to a much lower level. Lots of conspiracy theories. Let's say no more about that.

I sketched a few of the people who were starting to gather at the throwdown location, but I was too tired for anything more. Then I met Clotilde - I happened to sit at the next table in the café, turned around, and had to ask, "sorry, are you Clotilde?" And she was! We took a photo together, then she incorporated Brendan into her sketch. Then it was time for the final throwdown.

I was exhausted that evening. Was asleep by 8:30pm.

The following morning, we explored a little more of the city, then it was time to go to the airport. We nearly got pickpocketed on the way. Thankfully Brendan copped on what was happening and hit the woman's arm and she dropped my wallet before vanishing into thin air. She had managed to take my wallet out of my bag - 2 zips, and I had felt nothing! We were shook, but safe, and wiser.

Sketching Lyon - Day 4 (Sunday)

On the Sunday, we finally got consistent sunshine without showers.

I started near our hotel, at Place des Jacobins, using my three new acrylic markers in crazy colours. Life is too short for all those windows, so it was very convenient to have these trees in front of me. And yes, everyone else was sketching the fountain. I turned my back to it.

I then went over to Place Bellecour and felt the need for some direct watercolour. I decided to omit most of the hill and the big cathedral on top. I'm probably the only sketcher who didn't draw that cathedral. I just wasn't interested in it

After a social tea break and lunch, I walked towards the big buildings of the city, la Bourse, l'Opéra, l'Hôtel de Ville, but I would have needed more time to do them justice. I just did a small part of this building from a side street. It was quiet. I was in the shade. I was happy.

Caught up with a few sketchers. I saw Le Patineur (à roulettes?) and decided that's what I wanted to sketch. The others went on.

Then it was time for the throwdown. Chatted with Anne Rose. Met wonderful Suzanne from Montreal. The Irish gang got all a bit dispersed. But it was great to catch up with everyone.