Lately, I’ve been making quick, timed drawings of the Spring flowers as they emerge in my garden—simple sketches that capture the energy and shift of the season. My sketchbooks are filling up with these studies, and they’ve sparked something bigger: a new series of workshops inspired by this way of observing and responding to nature as it changes day by day.

I’ve really enjoyed experimenting with drawing quickly with different materials and then working back into the drawings. If you came along to my bird sketching workshop, you’ll know that a quick drawing ‘recipe’ can instantly shift SO MANY things that we often struggle with as artists like freeing up, finding our style, finding our line and, well, just getting down to drawing!

My personal, and very unplanned, project:

(feel free to make it yours)

• Draw a flower or leaf or sprig each day from your garden/park in less than 10 minutes. Lean in to it being more of a mediation than an accurate drawing

• Pick one tool/medium for the week and don’t deviate, just draw.

• Work back into the drawing with some colour or add in simple quick colour splodges afterwards. (I usually do this later on in the evening without the reference and make it up…work back into it with colour even if you don’t like the drawing, you’ve nothing to lose!)

• Don’t judge. Drawing and ‘assessing’ your drawing are two very separate things and are not allowed to happen on the same day. Turn the page, start another drawing, look at it again tomorrow/next week/next month, please. That’s the rules!

An anchor in stormy seas

There is something about drawing flowers that feels very simple and grounding. I find them forgiving, too, and my messy drawings, where the lines are lively, seem to me to embody the life and energy of a plant.

I feel very deeply that this is what we need at the moment, a disconnection with the overwhelming number of terrible things in our world and a reconnection with our quiet and gentle inner self.

By taking 10 minutes for yourself to draw, art, nature, and the act of turning inward can anchor us, helping us see what still holds beauty, meaning, and truth. It helps us to process, ponder and move forward.

Let’s work on this together…

Draw with me

Sketch and Illustrate Garden Flowers

Thursday 1st May 7-9pm BST Live on Zoom (or access the Workshop recording available to watch from Saturday 3rd May)

In this workshop, we will explore techniques for sketching and illustrating the flowers you encounter in your garden or local park. Whether you're looking to add vibrant floral elements to your sketchbook as part of a garden or nature journal, or you want to experiment with simplifying forms into a more illustrative style, this session is for you.

Pay what you can

Workshop plans for the coming months…

We will be continuing to work with flowers through spring and early summer and I’m also working on a couple of new mini travel journal workshops to add to the current collection.

A few months ago, I asked for workshop requests, and top of the list was a mini course in people sketching so that’s also on the cards! I’m slowly pulling it together so watch this space for updates!

Colori Flori Summit with Esté MacLeod

I’m excited to announce I'll be joining the inaugural Colori Flori Summit hosted by the artist Esté MacLeod! Join me and thirteen other floral artists from 12-25 May as we explore colours, florals and botanicals. During my session, I'll be making a little pop up Witch’s Garden infused with magic, mystery…and quite a lot of watercolour!

Find out more...

And finally…

I’m working from my own workshops…I find them handy because I’m very forgetful! I am currently enjoying revisiting one of my favourites, The Story of a Garden, recording small scenes from our Spring garden and becoming mildly obsessed with my washing line! Don’t forget this seed packet sketchbook class which is great for beginner drawers and a nice way to begin a garden journal or begin drawing what you are planting this year.

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