Elements of Nature

 A lovely challenge from SPAB Ireland - 

In celebration of the current autumnal landscape and inspired by last week’s Craft Value talk from Eoin Madigan @vernacon.ltd , we would like to raise awareness of our relationship with nature and the built heritage.

In protecting our built heritage we have a responsibility to make decisions on techniques, materials and technologies that can be part of a creative solution on how climate change affects heritage.

As nature plays a key role in many of our built heritage we would like you to join us this weekend to sketch elements of nature you find in our built heritage; whether it be iron work, plaster work, timber carvings or if historical features are not available to you, please send us your sketches of leaves, trees and any other element of nature’s decoration!

Please share with us either tagging @spabireland or sending photos of your sketches! We will be delighted to fill our social media platforms with your lovely sketches reminding us how precious our nature is 🥰

I'm not able to go into areas of the city where some of our most beautiful built heritage is adorned by elements of nature - I'm thinking the Museum Building in Trinity or the Alliance Française nearby. So I found inspiration closer to home, dried out poppy seed pods (from a pot at the back of the house, amongst the weeds) and lavender (which I'm in the process of cutting at the front of the house).

I drew them with an extended fountain pen (just a bit of masking tape to attach the pen to a stick or an old marker - a good way to hold the pen further back and loosen up - a technique I've been practising since discovering the Sketching PlayLab). Added a touch of watercolour. A few splashes. A border. And random thoughts. Done!

And in case I didn't like the finished pages, I took photos at the different stages! From an artistic point of view, this is my favourite, but I can't leave the pages of my sketchbooks that bare. I have to write in them, in my own hand, with my own thoughts!