Before the International Urban Sketchers Symposium

Traveling and spending a night in Toulouse . If you want to see sketchbook flipthrough, go to my YouTube channel.

Brussels and The Hague

I never sketch much on my trips to Belgium - they are emotionally charged. I know that sketching would help, but somehow I find it hard to motivate myself, even at the airport.

On this occasion, I was also in The Hague, and I did get to sketch a bit on my train journey there. I had to change trains twice, as there was a problem in Rotterdam, and the trains were busy, so I gave up at some stage on the way!

 

Colour swatching

Rearranged my Roman Szmal watercolour pans into the 3 little palettes I have. I went for 2 yellows, 2 reds, 2 blues, a green and some darks for 2 of them, and mostly darks for the third one. Now I feel I can work with them. And I have a record of the colours in one place instead of several sketchbooks.

 

Sketch with Suhita - July

 

I was tired, and this view was so ambitious for half an hour, but we all did it. I ignored the top of the Cologne cathedral - there was enough to be doing with the people, doors, windows and arches! I would probably tackle this differently if I was there in person, but then again maybe I would be so overwhelmed that I would walk away!!

A few photos from the opening of Carrying the Songs exhibition

It was such an honour to have one of my paintings, A Thread Runs Through, selected for the exhibition Carrying the Songs in the Pulchri gallery in The Hague, organised by the Hamilton Gallery in Sligo in association with the Irish embassy in The Netherlands.

And a great opportunity to catch up with my friend Marina who now lives in The Netherlands.

 

Video - sketchbook flipthrough from our trip to Toulouse

Much easier to post a video that edit and crop all my photos of sketches done over the two weeks we were in France - Toulouse, Castelnaudary, Carcassonne, Toulouse - International Urban Sketchers Symposium.

Plus I am super busy and I don't know when I'll get a chance to post over the next week or so!

 

Circles and sound waves

Lots of things to explore, mind full of ideas. Spent the day reading about sound waves, but also thinking of how ripples form in water when you throw a pebble in. Watercolour and Artgraf. Read lots of about sound waves produced by a cello. I'm really interested in Bach Cello Solo #1 and I love this representation of it (I don't read music so this was helpful). So, yes, mind going in all sorts of directions. And I'm travelling to Belgium and The Hague next. So it will be a while before I get a chance to fully explore this.

Two days exploring abstract art with Nuala Clarke

I attended a workshop about abstract art with the wonderful Nuala Clarke. Loved it. So much to think about. I've written it all in my studio book and now I need to think about it all. Funny how the last doodle I did in my little sketchbook on the 2nd day is what's pulling me in now.

 

On the way to the beach

Hard to believe that this painting is inspired by the same road I have been working on for the last few weeks. I was looking at the heavy version, then the cloud came to me. I love those big clouds over the sea. This version looks like a path to the beach on a beautiful summer's day. But it also reminds me of the amazing clouds I was privileged to see in Cill Rialaig 18 months ago. Where all you see is light bouncing between sea and sky. It feels like heaven.

 

Potters Pink

That's it, it's decided, I'm bringing a tube of Potters Pink with me to Toulouse. It mixes so well with everything in my palette, Naples Yellow, Monte Amiata Natural Sienna, Hansa Yellow Medium, Quin Rose, Buff Titanium.

Pencils4Tea 25 June 2026

Tried a different brand of watercolours for this Pencils4Tea. I have a set of portrait colours from Kremer. They're an interesting texture, quite grainy, completely different from what I'm used to. Used a few extra colours from an old set. Graphite pencil over the watercolour. And Stabilo Woody for lips. In Stillman & Birn and Seawhite of Brighton A4 sketchbooks. 

Too much

I don't know if I'm at a crossroads or an impasse. Either way, it's uncomfortable. But I feel pulled to keep on trying.

I added more white acrylic paint, more watercolour, more gouache. It's a bloody mess, but has an energy. Then I decide to cover all of that with white gesso. What to do next? Part of me feels I went too far, and how will watercolour work on top of that? I could add some watercolour ground? Would I have been better off starting from scratch? But then I'll never know.