Morning Sketches

“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass.

It’s about learning how to dance in the rain”

Vivian Greene

As I’ve mentioned in my previous posts, my early morning dog walks a real tonic at the moment. I’m finding I’m really appreciating all the sights and sounds around me, whereas before the lockdown I would often be thinking about the jobs I need to get done that day or where I need to race off to.

I’m really enjoying noticing the different wildlife, which species of trees are slowly being clothed with leaves and the different flowers gradually coming to life.

This week’s walks have been wonderful, not only have I seen lots of common garden birds, but I’ve also seen Jays, pheasants, a lapwing, a grey heron, a fox, and several muntjac and fallow deer.  

The lockdown has given me the time to appreciate these things, so this week I decided to take a small sketchbook that fits nicely into my jeans pocket and a tiny pencil along with me. I’m not sitting or spending long doing a careful drawing or painting but instead I’m recording things that catch my eye or jotting down a thought.

Each day I’ve been making a very quick pencil sketch and also trying to observe and memorise the scene or subject so that once I’m back home with a cup of tea and breakfast I can add to these if I want to.  For some I have jotted down possible ideas to develop the sketch, perhaps by adding more details, some simple watercolour washes or pen marks. For others I have just kept them as the quick sketch or thought I did whilst on my walk.

I could of course just take a photograph but for me it’s more enjoyable just to take a moment and properly observe something and do a quick sketch or study of it. I suppose it’s a bit like a personal diary for first thing in the morning.

I thought I’d share with you how I am I’m adapting as an artist and trying to see any positives whilst we are all going through the worrying situation, we all find ourselves in.  Maybe this will inspire you too?

Stay safe,

Ingrid

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