June 2024
June was a busy month. I attended a couple of workshops, both online and in person, and went on holiday to Livingston.
At the beginning of the month, I attended Red Leaf Studio’s Plein Air Workshop. We walked along the Firth of Forth and Bo’ness Railway Station, and did several sketches in charcoal and watercolours. I loved working in charcoal but didn’t like the texture of my Zen Sangram sketchbook paper. I had a lovely time sketching with Michele and the other artists.
Firth of Forth, charcoal on paper, 33 x 15 cm, 2024
Windy Bo’ness, charcoal on paper, 21 x 30 cm, 2024
Keep the Platform Dry, ink and watercolour on paper, 30 x 42 cm, 2024
Bo’ness Wildflowers, ink and watercolour on paper, 21 x 30 cm, 2024
Then I took part in the Workshop Week 2024, where I painted a blue iris and made a collage out of papers painted with watercolours .
Blue Iris, watercolour on paper, 21 x 15 cm, 2024
Flower Collage, collage and watercolour on paper, 15 x 21 cm, 2024
At the end of the month I visited Livingston where I explored the Eliburn Reservoir and walked along the Almond river, sketching along the way.
Eliburn Reservoir, ink and watercolour on paper, 33 x 15 cm, 2024
Livingston Stones, ink and watercolour on paper, 33 x 15 cm, 2024
As usual, I followed three of Melanie Chadwick’s prompts for June - Wildflowers, Fishing Boats and Pebbles. I only managed to sketch Fishing Boats fully outside, while the other two I completed in the studio.
Wildflowers, ink and watercolour on paper, 33 x 15 cm, 2024
(Fishing) Boats, ink and watercolour on paper, 33 x 15 cm, 2024
Pebbles, ink and watercolour on paper, 33 x 15 cm, 2024
My favourite sketches in June were Pebbles and Wildflowers.
As usual, I sketched on location and I finished colouring some sketches in the studio. It takes me somewhere between 20 minutes and an hour to finish a sketch, depending on the subject.
The materials I used were the A6 Zen Sangam Artist's Watercolour Art Journal and the A6 My Stationary Watercolour Paper Journal, Kolinsky Travel Watercolour Brushes and Winsor and Newton Cotman watercolours (with some White Nights, Sennelier and Daler and Rowney pans). The ink pens I used are the Faber-Castell Pit Artist Pen fineliner in Dark sepia, the Uni Pin Fineline in dark grey and De Atramentis Document Ink - Green Grey in my Pilot Parallel Pen.
