British Wildlife Artist Writer Illustrator

Why are penguins so cute? I don’t know any penguins to help me imagine how they might see the world – are they friendly or territorial, do they think a lot or daydream? They look pretty stoic, standing out there in the cold weather, and their waddles suggest cheerful characters who enjoy a having fun. I think I will have to pay a little more attention next time I meet one! Christmas Penguin Watercolour and Ink

Botanical Art Journal Sketching nature can take many forms. This watercolour and ink study of a bee and some blackberries from the garden started out as a rough sketch of the berries and the bramble leaf. Botanical Art Journal : Bees and Blackberries in Watercolour and Ink. London. Kent. The process of sketching can be relaxing as well as a means of developing observational skill and discovering more about flowers, fruits or wildlife. Most importantly, sketching is an enjoyable activity. Regular botanical and nature sketching will soon fill a botanical art journal. Once this nature sketch of the berries was done, the bee was added, then the ladybird. The pencil lines were enhanced with watercolour and ink, then text and lettering were added freehand to fill out the spaces on the paper and explore layout options. Slowly, a botanical journey was underway on a warm afternoon, a perfect moment for sketching, as the bees buzzed around some nearby flowers in the background and f...

Pond Life : Duck in Watercolour and Ink A pond is habitat to a variety of wildlife and birds in addition to the pond-life that lives in the water. Pond Life Painting : Duck in Watercolour and Ink The first alert to action around the pond is often a commotion and some splashing around in the water, usually caused by ducks, geese or swans. Observing and sketching birds can be an enjoyable way to become familiar with their anatomy, patterns and colours. Sometimes a sketch can seem to carry little information; it might be lacking detail or it doesn’t appeal in some other way. This watercolour and ink painting started as a quick sketch. A 6b blunt pencil was used, resulting in a heavy sketch without much detail. Later, it was sketched again from the original sketch and references, with watercolour and ink added for a more creative painting. Sketching at the pond or park is a great way to build resource material for more detailed or adventurous paintings and drawings. It...

Kingfisher In-between the detailed and the traditional...a different perspective. Kingfisher in Watercolour and Ink. Bird Painting.

Summer Flower and Bee. Following on from June's simple watercolour painting of a bee, some ink was added to create this energetic bee and flower painting! Summer Bee and Flower : Watercolour and Ink

Watercolour and Ink Illustration of a Bee and Flower. This watercolour and ink illustration of a bee amongst the primroses was painted using professional grade Winsor and Newton watercolours and ink. It is part of a series of wildlife and flower illustrations, including bees and butterflies, that will be made available towards the end of the year. Bee and Flowers : Watercolour and Ink Illustration Workshops For further details on current work and events, please email with enquiries. Workshops on wildlife art and botanical illustrations, both traditional and whimsical, include watercolours, inks, pastels, graphite, acrylic and coloured pencils.  Details to be published over the coming months.

Art Blog Calendar : Crocus Flower. Another botanical study in watercolour, with ink added - this crocus was wide awake! It was another one found that was found trampled in the garden - no doubt something to do with the wildlife and pets who charge around outside. As it was so fully open, it wasn't going to last very long once broken, and so painting had to be done fairly swiftly. This illustration was painted on smooth Bristol board paper, which is not such good paper for applying watercolour washes but is good for neat edges (if a paintbrush with a sharp point/edge is used). It is super paper for ink! The Winsor and Newton paint was applied dry using as little water as possible, to help prevent the paper from buckling.  Very smooth watercolour art paper can be stretched prior to painting to help prevent it from buckling - but on those days when the artist just wants to paint (as is often the case...especially so with the time constraints of a fading flower), then the quick...

Botanical Study of a snowdrop in watercolour - garden painting calendar : February. The crocuses are starting to make an appearance - randomly peeping through the grass around garden - they have naturalised and bring little buds of colour to an otherwise earthy, green outdoor space. This little botanical painting of a single crocus, just starting to come out of its bud, focused attention on the silvery stem and undersides of the petals, which often go unnoticed against the more vivid colours of the flower. It was painted on bristol board paper using Winsor and Newton paints and ink - it was quite lightweight paper, so wasn't the most suitable art paper for a watercolour painting, as it didn't allow for any mistakes and very little water could be applied before the paper buckled. But then, this paper was the first one out of the drawer - it was only selected to quickly capture the little flower that had been broken and wouldn't last long before wilting into a soft he...

Watercolour Snowdrop : Art for January This is a quick study of a snowdrop in watercolour - a fun way to get to know the plant in preparation of gathering information for a watercolour and ink botanical flower painting. It was painted on hot-pressed watercolour paper using Winsor and Newton paints. Quickly done, the detailed study of the snowdrop was a useful way to start understanding the form of this pretty January flower. Having taken a close look at the flower, this watercolour painting could then be turned into a more playful flower painting - the ink was added for fun. Flower painting : Snowdrop in Watercolour and ink : January art blog. ...And so was the bottle, which was one of a collection of old bottles collected on riverside and countryside rambles, many years ago. The snowdrop was only the length of a small mobile phone - so that bottle is tiny but seemed perfect for holding this little specimen. Overall, this was a simple watercolour and ink sketch of th...