Time for reflection, reset, trial and error

I haven't been painting much lately, busy with sketching and other distractions. It's really been a few months since I have painted anything I'm 100% happy with (apart from the big cloud over the beach, which I like a lot). Amazing how hard it is to get back to painting now.  

I'm taking it one step at a time, looking at my own works that I like, thinking about what I want to take from this reflection. Also refocusing on shift words and how they might express in design elements. Basically going back to process and play, rather than trying to paint a painting worthy of an exhibition. It will take a while!

No prizes for guessing which ones I'm happy with! I just have to listen to my inner voice and remember not to try so hard!!

Sketching people, silhouette first and limbs first

Practising drawing people using the 3 strategies taught by Jenny Jing Zhang on her Vivify class. Then I lost my Neocolor for flesh tones and had to use a Stabilo Woody - a bit chunky but good fun to use as it forces me to not be precious. I tested a few locations in town, and Trinity College is the best place, with lots of tourists who are too busy to notice me, as they are finding their way to the Book of Kells.

Drawing limbs first is not easy - one man ended up with 3 legs, as I realised that my original placement was not aligned with the body! And it's warm enough that people are wearing shorts and summer dresses. In a few weeks, the only bits of flesh we'll see will be heads and hands. Will try a different strategy then.

 

Sketch Hunt

We were inspired by Urban Sketchers Seattle, so we organised a sketch hunt of our own. We had 20 prompts and two hours to complete the hunt. And we even had prizes afterward! It was so much fun!

 

From Fear to Flow

Every so often, I feel the need for an online course, to explore a different approach to sketching or painting. The course I'm doing at the moment is From Fear to Flow, Drawing lively figures in the city, taught by Jenny Jing Zhang. I'm enjoying her approach and I look forward to practising more. 

Pencils4Tea 6 August 2026

It was weeks since I had logged in to the Pencils4Tea Zoom. I was a bit nervous. Yes, I have been drawing a lot, but portraits is a different matter. In my head anyway.

 

Fitzwilliam Square

I do like a good construction site. And I'm sketching a good bit these days, making the most of the summer, before things get busy again in September. And also you could say I'm in avoidance mode. I haven't painted much in the last few months. Fear obscures the path.

Clearly I was interested in the red of the side of the building and the steels. I didn't even notice the slight proportion issue compared to the building on the left! The light kept changing, between sunshine and a few drops of rain. I might change that sky. Some colour pencil maybe?

 

Rainy evening in Trinity College Dublin

Dublin Sketchers are running extra sketching evenings during the summer months. I was away a lot so this was my first time being able to join them. Trinity College is such a perfect location to sketch that it's become our base for Tuesday evening sketching, even when the weather doesn't cooperate. Yes, after weeks of drought, we got our first rain last Tuesday evening (4th August), and it felt so good, so full of joy, even if it ruined my sketch - ink and watercolour going everywhere - we were sitting under an umbrella at the Pav, but every so often, water would drop down from the umbrella. It was challenging. It felt good to be alive, though.

For the view in the distance, I did the pen drawing on location and added colour at home. It took so long for the other page to dry that I just had to wait.

Thank you Sara for the photo!

Starting over

Time to start painting again. I don't know where this is going. It feels heavy and awkward. This is how it's been feeling for quite a while now, but it's all part of the journey. The 2 larger pieces done on cartridge paper. The smaller one on watercolour paper. Then crops from one of the larger pieces.

Corner of Parliament and Dame Street

Parliament street was busy with a "Wellness" festival - which actually was just the usual activities for children, including loud yoga. So I escaped to the relative quiet of Dame Street on Barnardo Square. Had a lovely view of that corner building with all the beautiful brick work around the windows, so that's what I focused on. Then we had lots of great chats in the pub. Perfect afternoon.

Need to recenter

So I've been all over the place over the last few months. It will take me a while to get back to painting what my heart needs. I know where to start - colours, words, notes in my studio book, big thumbnails where I work out the feelings rather than composition.

 

Back to the landscape

Time to settle back into my creative practise. Just came across a photo with wonderful light over the mountains just outside Allihies, going toward Eyeries. It will take me a while to develop this idea into paintings. But I trust in the process. Watercolour, watersoluble graphite pencils and a few other bits and pieces.

At the hairdresser's

I used lots of mixed media in Toulouse, but now I'm interested in delving more into mostly watercolour. I used my orange palette from Roman Szmal, filled with various colours I have assembled from the last few symposiums. Love how these watercolours behave. Added a touch of Inktense pencils too. 45 minutes for my hair colour to cook. A hairdresser who loves art. Plenty of time for experimentation! At Eddie Doyle's, Blackrock.

Blind contour drawing while waiting

I was sorry I hadn't brought my sketchbook, but I had my little notebook and a pen. I love blind drawing. No expectation, just my eye really looking and my hand following.

Layering

I didn't take a photo of all the muddy layers of gouache, watercolours, acrylic markers. It's like I'm trying to test how much this watercolour paper can take. A lot it seems. Gesso obliterates everything. I'm back to the same question as a month ago. Should I just leave this behind and go back to pure watercolour? Am I going around in circles? Time to pause.