Pencils4Tea 19 February 2026

Fun hour with Pencils4Tea. I always enjoy these weekly sessions - there's always a warm atmosphere, and lovely chats before we start sketching. Kirsty is a perfect host for these sessions, warm-hearted, funny and kind. 

I used some highlighters I found in a local shop. I had been dreaming about these for a long time, but didn't need to buy new art supplies. At least I didn't buy them on Amazon! Actually, I have been buying very little on Amazon lately. I am making a conscious effort to buy local, and also to buy less (I don't always succeed on that front - my trip to Cotton Cottage alone - in Mumbai - justified my bringing an empty wheelie as hand luggage with me)

Colours for Scim

Scim means haze, or mist. I'm thinking of a more fluid watercolour painting. I never know what they're going to look like. But I start with colours, and words. And a place. Although my paintings are not representational, they always start with a real place, at a particular moment.

Lots of blues in these test swatches. I'm running low on Cobalt blue and I wanted to see what else I have that would work for the painting I'm thinking of. I know I could just order some Cobalt blue, but I have so many other colours in my stash. I just want to use them.

Layers on a bigger sheet

Well, not that big a sheet, A4, but bigger than anything I've done in gouache before. Started with some writing, then circles, letters, lines, more squiggles and circles. And then did a few more layers, trying to vary shapes, colours and values. Including more writing. Photos of the finished version include a few close-ups at different angles so you can see the texture of the gouache.

 

Layered pattern

 Put on your sunglasses. Lots of Opera Rose in this little exercise in patterns in gouache.

Another sparkle

This one is a bit smaller, mayber 30x30cm. And a quieter version. 

Spréach

I'm kind of sorry I never learnt Irish. Maybe it's not too late to start? Though I really need to brush up on my Japanese first. 

Anyways, spréach means sparkle, and, amongst other things, spirit, life force. So I think it works well for this piece I have just finished.

I have taken some extra photos so you can look at it better. I should do this more, as it's really hard to imagine what a painting looks like unless you're standing in front of it.

And in case you're wondering about the last image, I often start a painting by writing some words that come to me. I write in my studio book, but also on the paper itself, with a watercolour pencil. It brings an extra dimension to the piece, and more importantly, it helps me focus on the energy I want to convey.

 

Around Grafton Street

We often seem to be lucky with the weather. And also, we know how to read those clouds and when to take shelter from the sudden downpours. We were sketching around the Grafton Street area. It was actually sunny, but very busy, so I chose to sit outside McDaids, and I had a good view down South Anne Street. I also sketched the statue of Phil Lynott, and the people taking pictures of it (not as many as for Molly Malone, sadly). Then it was time to take refuge in the new (renovated) hotel on Exchequer Street, and sketch what I could see through the window. The light hitting the red brick building across the way was gorgeous, in between showers. Lots of sketchers (old and new) to chat with. 

PS: I'm trying photos from different angles, as my photos are never as exciting as the sketches themselves. As you can see, the paper I'm using buckles quite a bit, with watercolour and my strong pencil lines. I personally think that it adds a three-dimensional quality to my sketches, but it's not easy to photograph, particularly with low winter sun. Hey, I'm not complaining, we have a sun in the sky, after what feels like 40 days of rain!

How the land breathes

I was on a roll. Same view, same colours. The feeling of the land breathing. Water, air, land. Waves, wind and rocks. Storms and land formation. A time before time. Interestingly, I like it better as a mirror image. What was that movie with the blond actress who was married to the guy from Coldplay, where time goes backwards. Literally put that in Google. It had to think for a second. Gwyneth Paltrow, Sliding Doors.

Crowded street, Sketch with Suhita

Always love these monthly online session with Suhita Shirodkar. They always energise me. It's not a taught session. It's simply sketching together as a group, from the one photo, all our energies combining.

Worked with Ecoline markers (yellow, magenta, turquoise, and orange), drew on top, added some pencil, then tried to retrieve some lights (failed at that, but I like the overall view). 

Breathing landscape

I hadn't painted in over a month. I was travelling, and sketching and exploring patterns. But still, the not painting was becoming a thing. So, I did what I always do when that happens. I took a full sheet of watercolour paper, and divided it in 6 with masking tape. And I had fun. Can you guess which are my two favourites?

 

Pencils 4 Tea 12 Feb 2026

It was such a long time since I had taken part in Pencils4Tea. Was so glad I turned up.