Edward Worth library

We were invited to sketch in the Edward Worth Library. A very interesting place. Here are my impressions of it. I struggle with presenting a coherent view of indoor spaces. But these vignettes show what caught my eye.

New Tulips

I was also given some beautiful tulips. I don't draw flowers very often. Flowers are hard. Plus there is an urgency, because I know they won't last. And I might be in flow with something else. But I abandoned every art thread I was following, just for these!

The last donut

 The last donut. Before I finished it. It had to be done.

Tea and Sketch

I don't do this very often, but on occasion, I invite a few sketchers to my house, and we spend an afternoon sketching, chatting, playing with colour pencils and eating whatever has been brought over.  It's perfect for me, not too many people, an environment I'm comfortable with and no pressure for me to make conversation. Urban Sketchers entertain themselves. There was even an acrylic monoprint demo done at some stage, and a lesson on how to draw hands (after I was finished drawing, clearly). I didn't get to sketch everyone, nor all the food. But I will hold the memory of that lovely afternoon in my heart. And those donuts were delicious.

Play with Poscas

I do have a stash of Poscas. Rarely used, to be honest. So it was good to be inspired by Liz Steel and experiment with them. I had never really thought of using them for drawing as such. Some of the darker colours are great fun. And that light blue exploded on the page. That's Poscas for you!

Dublin airport without the stress of travelling

Last Sunday in March. Xavier invited us to sketch in Dublin Airport. The sun was shining. And we found out that the old terminal is accessible to the public. It was such a treat. Even though what I drew looks nothing like what everybody else saw. Maybe I was too excited by the hour and a half on tram and bus to get there? Or my brain can't process the big picture (I blame it on being autistic)? Anyways, it was fun. And yes, it took an hour and a half to get home too. But it was worth it!

Round 4

Round 4. This time, I wanted to work on smoother paper, so my ink mark would catch the grain of the paper so much. And I experimented with splattering by hitting the brush on my finger. It hurt at first until I figured out that if I turned my finger so I hit the fleshy part, it wasn't so bad.  You would think I would know these things at my age! I had to add a layer of gansai tambi towards the bottom to make the colours more vibrant. Thinking of the Milky Way. 

I felt I was able to direct what I wanted to express by writing the words that were coming to me in watercolour pencil on the dry paper before I started painting. It's a form of ephemeral mind-mapping. I can't remember the exact words, but I can feel their energy through the painting.

 

Travel sketching (not much) and sketching while waiting

Bits and pieces from my March trip to Belgium (as you can see I didn't do much - I only brought an A6 sketchbook and a brushpen and a few pencils. Made life harder for myself. Next time, I am bringing my favourite tools).  And a few sketches done while waiting.

 

Round 3

Round 3 of this exploration of the energy I am feeling and welcoming. Managed to keep the quiet space large. Softened edges. Made the ink section stronger. And enjoyed squiggles in oil pastels.  

Dun Laoghaire

Starting a new sketchbook. Stillman & Birn Alpha paper. And back to watercolour! It felt good. A bit rusty, but as the weather improves (one hopes), it will become easier to sketch in watercolour. This is done from the side of the DLR Lexicon library. I was in the sun when I started, then I was in the shadow of the church spire, and it was cold! It took a hot tea to warm my hands afterwards. This is end of March in Ireland. And I'm still practising filling the page to the edges, a theme set by Liz Steel in her Patreon group. The April theme will definitely be more challenging!

From anxiety to calm - maybe not quite

After the previous versions that were full of strong energy, I wanted to explore the quieter corners of what I had painted. But I got triggered by a small thing just before I started painting. (I was trying to unlock an old phone, and things were not going according to plan.). So I had a lot of anxiety that I needed to disperse first. Lots of shaking, grounding and aaarghing. And also writing the words that were coming to mind directly on the paper (in watercolour pencil). Here is the result. Both quarter sheet.

I can still see the connection with the previous full-on energy pieces. I need to look at these for a little while now to see where they will lead me.

 

Drawing is free - 24 March 2025

I knew I wouldn't be able to attend Pencils4Tea this week, so I decided to try Drawing is Free. Essentially the same format, but with over 400 people online, it didn't feel quite so personal. I do enjoy these portrait sessions, though. I'm learning hands, bit by bit. 

Different day, different energy

They probably all look the same to you, but to me, each is a different feeling, a different energy. And each is a jumping point for the next exploration. The element I really like in both of these is the tiny little quiet corner in the top right, so I'm going to see where that leads me.

 

Sean McDermott Street

Not all my experiments work out. Fountain pen, tempera stick, neocolor, colour pencil and grey markers. Should probably have tried to sketch the whole street rather than just this building, the imposing Magdalene Laundry on Sean McDermott Street. Maybe I did manage to catch the dark history behind those walls?

 

Energy - back painting

I still want to paint clouds, but right now, I have a lot of energy I need to express. So spring vegetation emerging from the ground is my inspiration for this abstract exploration. It doesn't matter what I paint. Just that I paint. And I had been avoiding painting in the last 4 weeks. Did plenty of sketching and other things that needed to be done. So I read through my notes from Creative Shift (look up Sally-Ann Ashley), and wrote down a few words that came to mind and started to explore these and how I could express them in my marks. And used lots of tools, gansai tambi, ink, tempera sticks, oil pastels and bamboo fork from Brussels airport even.

 

Did a version on heavy cartridge paper (A2) first, then on half sheet Bockingford watercolour paper, then on quarter sheet on the back of an old practice piece. By the time I got to the 3rd piece, the energy had shifted.

Camden Street

I do love a good crane! And layers of old and new in the city. Camden street is a great location for that jumble of shapes. I haven't used watercolour in my sketches in quite a while, as I'm using a Stillman & Birn Epsilon sketchbook - great for line work and tempera stick, but buckles too much with water.

 

Magnolias

I never get to sketch magnolias in real life. They come and go so quickly. Plus, it's still bloody freezing here in mid-March. Always feel sorry for the Texas majorettes at the St Patrick's day parade here in Dublin!

But Suhita had lovely photos for us to work from during one of her monthly sessions. Like everyone else in the group, I feel I'm getting bolder with my materials. Tempera sticks and Stabilo Woodies. Can't go wrong with these! 

Plus I'm still exploring working to the edge of the page, as part of Liz Steel's Patreon group. 

Reminded of how quickly paint dries in a warm house!

Three weeks back from Cill Rialaig, and this is my first time going back to watercolour and to the many photos I took. It's like my brain is needing time to process the experience before I can translate it into paintings. And also, I've been busy since. Ranelagh Arts Exhibition for Dublin Sketchers, One Week 100 People, visiting my mother, catching up with videos from Geoff Allen's class on Vivify, and everyday life of course. I went too dark again in my clouds. And, although I thought the paper was still damp enough for me to add more paint, it dried unevenly. It was quite warm in my little studio. More practice needed!

Pencils4Tea 13 March

Each portrait is the time of a song. I'm loving pencils and crayons these days. As the days get warmer, I will get back to watercolour. Soon.