TESCO CAFE, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

Pigment liner and watercolour in Canson Journal

TESCO CAFE, March,Cambridgeshire. UK

A couple of 60 second portraits while sipping latte in Tesco Cafe this morning.

MARCH POLICE STATION, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

Sketched from the truck this morning while waiting for the bank to open.

SPIKE & VIOLET, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

Arrived a little early for my hair appointment today, leaving me time to sketch another customer before taking the 'Hot Seat'.

TESCO, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

This is a page from my journal today, which includes another morning sketch session at Tesco.

TESCO CAFE, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

Another trip to Tesco today and a few quick figure studies while I sipped on a sweet latte, Mmmmm!

TESCO CAFE, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

Ink in Seawhite sketchbook

Popped along to Tesco with my sketchbook yesterday morning and, after a hearty breakfast and froth laden latte, I captured the man a few tables up from me in my Seawhite 6x6" sketchbook.

FLOODS FERRY, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

Noodler's red/black Ink & White Acrylic in large moleskin sketchbook.

Popped to the pet store straight from the school run this morning and had 15 minutes to kill before they opened so I sketched the workshop and van in front of me.
Floods Ferry runs from Doddington straight through to the March bypass, the pet store is at the March end of the road.

TESCO CAFE, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

A quick trip to Tesco this week presented the chance of a latte and a cafe sketch or two in my moleskin sketchbook!



Images created using Noodler's red/black ink and coloured pencils

RIVER NENE, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

Summer 2007 Journal

Met up with the girls in Town today for lunch at Panini's. After lunch we took a stroll along the River Nene before stopping to sit in the long, bank grass to chat and sketch for a while.
I sketched Joan sketching, full of concentration with the warm wind blowing through her hair.

GEORGE CAMPBELL LEISURE CENTRE, March, Cambridgeshire.

Summer 2007 journal

Today we took a trip into March to the George Campbell Leisure Centre and, while I sketched, my Mum took a dip with her Grandsons.

I've sketched people almost everywhere, cafe's, shops, parks and I thought those sketches were challenging but a pool full of crazy kids letting off steam in moving water provided some brand new difficulties. I had just seconds to capture the essence of the moment before my Sons, the perspective and the light moved again changing everything completely!

Summer 2007 journal

SPIKE AND VIOLET, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

CLICK TO ENLARGE

My hair is long and every time I decide to have it cut and the receptionist at the salon I am calling says 'Sorry, nothing today but I can fit you in next....' I tell them I'll check my diary and call back...which of course I don't, until the next time I decide I really need a hair cut, when the whole scenario starts over, this has been going on for two years!


Finally, I managed to get an appointment and keep it but I had an hour to kill before my stylist was free so I sat outside Panini's Cafe in March town with a long, hot, latte and sketched the front of 'Spike and Violet' hair salon. Once I finished my coffee I went across and sat inside the salon on the comfy sofa where I sketched one of the chairs before Lucy called me over to tackle my locks.

TESCO, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

After grabbing a quick sketch of Jubilee Gardens in the morning, I later went on to Tesco, a great chance to plonk myself in the cafe with a nice big latte and take advantage of all the free models!

I happened to have my little book of challenges in my handbag with me and completed EDM challenge #36 - To sketch in public.

ACRE ROAD, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

Pigment liner and Derwent watercolour pencils #36 & #67 in large sketchbook moleskin

A drive into town this afternoon, to collect some last minute purchases for my Paris trip, left me with 40 minutes before the school run. Just enough time to grab a latte, cheese sandwich and a quick sketch outside my favourite cafe 'Panini's'.

Sun blazing down onto the aluminium table, latte close by, I began to scout my location and my eye fell upon Acre Road. This narrow opening between the high street shops leads the way to the library, Acre pub and the car parks, the sun cast huge shadows between the buildings and the distant hint of foliage made for an interesting composition.

I used two watercolour pencils to emphasise the tonal values in my pen sketch, while trying to consume my delicious sandwich before the sun turned it into toast!

JONES'S FARM, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

On Saturday I visited Jones's farm and took my sketchbooks along. The views from the yard were much the same as they are from my home; sheets of various greens, blues and yellows splayed out into the horizon, only Jones's farm had a few more buildings and trees in the distance.
As I walked up towards the yard along the dusty trail that guides the way from the gate, I looked back and decided that would be my finishing sketch.
The yard had plenty of treats in store for me, the first of them being a really old, rundown, brick barn, the subject in my first sketch of the day.


Pigment liner and watercolour in my little book of challenges

Moving my chair around to the other side of the yard gave me shelter from the breeze as I sat beside a wall of hay bales. As I sketched a weasel shot out in front of me, making his way towards the opposite field. I would love to have captured a sketch of him but bionic I am not!


Pigment liner in my little book of challenges

My final sketch was as I had decided earlier in the day, the view back to the gate along the dusty road track.


Pigment liner and watercolour in my little book of challenges

RIVER NENE, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

On the 14th, I met up with my friend Joan in March. We have been meeting on a Wednesday for some time now, alternating studios and homes to catch up and generally chatter the day away. When I told Joan I would be sketching regularly on location throughout the summer, she was keen to join me and we intend to spend our Wednesdays on location together until the weather drives us back into our studios.

We met at Panini's, a cafe situated in the Town Hall building, we both have work on exhibition in the cafe as part of the Fenland Visual Arts Collective. We indulged in a long latte before heading towards the Bridge on the High Street and beginning our leisurely stroll along the side of the river Nene. The weather was glorious, we've been so lucky with the sunshine here this week.

It wasn't long before a subject caught my eye, a fisherman sat on the bank with all of his equipment around him - Perfect! I sketched him in my large moleskin sketchbook using staedtler pigment liner. I had just finished when he received a phone call on his mobile phone and began to pack his things away. "The Boss has called me home" he smiled, referring to his good lady wife.

We moved along the bank and promptly found "Little Belle" a pretty little boat sitting beside a well loved garden along West End. It's a strange feeling sketching a boat, at times I forget if I am moving or the boat is and have to flick my eyes onto solid ground to remind myself it's not me!

I sketched "Little Belle" in my large moleskin sketchbook using Staedtler pigment liner and coloured it back at home using Derwent watercolour pencils and a wash of water.

A beautiful March day along the riverbank.

FOX'S MARINA, March, Cambridgeshire. UK

On Tuesday I got a call from my photographer friend Rob Morris saying he had taken the day off work and was out and about in the glorious sunshine taking photographs. Sadly Tuesday turned out to be pretty busy for me and I could only manage to join him for an hour in the afternoon with my large moleskin sketchbook.

















We spent our hour at Fox's Marina in March


The longboat I sketched didn't have a name, at least there wasn't one visible, which is a shame. 'Rainbow' was parked to the left of the boat I sketched and is the boat I sketched last year when I visited the marina, it hadn't changed at all.

















Like swift water, an active mind never stagnates - Author Unknown