Greg Poole - Artist / Illustrator based in Bristol, UK

turf

Greg Poole — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:46:17 +0000

common-spotted orchid, dandelion, plantain, cranesbill, daisy & rattle garden, bristol wax crayon 28 x 38 cms Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6290__h=x_scan000618.jpg" alt="101‐6290 common-spotted orchid, dandelion, plantain, cranesbill, daisy & rattle garden, bristol wax crayon 28 x 38 cms ‐Greg Poole" />

101‐6290 common-spotted orchid, dandelion, plantain, cranesbill, daisy & rattle garden, bristol wax crayon 28 x 38 cms

Really springy days now. I’m keeping a close watch on the small patch of grass on the allotment that I’m cultivating as a mini meadow. The yellow rattle popping up all over… leaves still minute… I like the feeling of improving my search image for these early basal leaves. As yet the community up there is very limited and some of those basal leaves I’m still unsure about but if I keep watching and sketching they’ll reveal their identity.
Butterflies have been so scarce that the sighting of any individual really catches the eye. Today brimstone, moving quickly through gardens. Peacocks sunning on bare soil and one feeding on dandelion. A single basking small tortoiseshell and comma.

common-spotted orchid, dandelion, plantain garden, bristol permanent marker 21 x 14.5 cms (A5) Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6291__h=x_scan000619.jpg" alt="101‐6291 common-spotted orchid, dandelion, plantain garden, bristol permanent marker 21 x 14.5 cms (A5) ‐Greg Poole" />

101‐6291 common-spotted orchid, dandelion, plantain garden, bristol permanent marker 21 x 14.5 cms (A5)

arctic terns, primroses & cuckoo flowers

Greg Poole — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:58:07 +0000

primrose, cuckoo flower & celandine Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6293__h=x_scan000615.jpg" alt="101‐6293 primrose, cuckoo flower & celandine ‐Greg Poole" />

101‐6293 primrose, cuckoo flower & celandine

Retrospective post from scarce field outing. Gale force winds out at local reservoir. Seems like the wind drove lots of arctic terns up the bristol channel… and some of them spilling onto the reservoir. At times good views of this large group (over 100) tacking over the choppy water.
Taking shelter later and sketching the laneside flora.

arctic terns bristol reservoirs permanent marker 28 x 38 cms Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6292__h=x_scan000612.jpg" alt="101‐6292 arctic terns bristol reservoirs permanent marker 28 x 38 cms ‐Greg Poole" />

101‐6292 arctic terns bristol reservoirs permanent marker 28 x 38 cms

pulmonaria

Greg Poole — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:52:11 +0000

pulmonaria garden, bristol oil pastel 38 x 56 cms Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6261__h=x_0002_0.jpg" alt="101‐6261 pulmonaria garden, bristol oil pastel 38 x 56 cms ‐Greg Poole" />

101‐6261 pulmonaria garden, bristol oil pastel 38 x 56 cms

Sitting in the garden sketching to re-engage with field sketching equipment. A few bees visiting the pulmoria but not the usual frenzy of activity I’d expect at this time of year. Experimenting with oil pastels that move a bit faster than the wax crayons I had been using.

pulmonaria garden, bristol oil pastel 36 x 28 cms Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6260__h=x_0001_4.jpg" alt="101‐6260 pulmonaria garden, bristol oil pastel 36 x 28 cms ‐Greg Poole" />

101‐6260 pulmonaria garden, bristol oil pastel 36 x 28 cms

common spotted orchid reappearance

Greg Poole — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:53:00 +0000

common spotted orchid, basal leaf studies garden, bristol 21 x 14.5 cms (A5) Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6254__h=x_0001_3.jpg" alt="101‐6254 common spotted orchid, basal leaf studies garden, bristol 21 x 14.5 cms (A5) ‐Greg Poole" />

101‐6254 common spotted orchid, basal leaf studies garden, bristol 21 x 14.5 cms (A5)

Hopeless at keeping up blog at the moment, or even doing much sketching. I have been gradually updating archives of past work (butterflies almost complete) and that deters me adding to the pile. Until a week ago I was also relief printing but then lost confidence in it….
The scratchings here were of the common spotted orchids that have reappeared on the patch of grass on the allotment that I have started to try to cultivate as a mini meadow. Only 2 spikes as yet. Last autumn I scalped it and sowed yellow rattle. I’ve been up there searching for signs of germination without success until yesterday… and with the discovery of the orchid leaves I looked even closer and found the minute early leaves of what must be the rattle. Very late to get going, like most things after the arctic spring.

These were the last woodcuts I was working on… enjoying direct cutting compositions based on last years watching of the kittiwakes at Dunbar and St Abbs. but then chickening out before attempting something larger.

kittiwakes & guillemots st abbs woodcut 21 x 29.7cms (A4) Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6258__h=x_0004.jpg" alt="101‐6258 kittiwakes & guillemots st abbs woodcut 21 x 29.7cms (A4) ‐Greg Poole" />

101‐6258 kittiwakes & guillemots st abbs woodcut 21 x 29.7cms (A4)

kittiwakes st abbs woodcut 21 x 29.7cms (A4) Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6257__h=x_0003_0.jpg" alt="101‐6257 kittiwakes st abbs woodcut 21 x 29.7cms (A4) ‐Greg Poole" />

101‐6257 kittiwakes st abbs woodcut 21 x 29.7cms (A4)

kittiwakes st abbs woodcut 21 x 29.7cms (A4) Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6256__h=x_0002001.jpg" alt="101‐6256 kittiwakes st abbs woodcut 21 x 29.7cms (A4) ‐Greg Poole" />

101‐6256 kittiwakes st abbs woodcut 21 x 29.7cms (A4)

kittiwakes st abbs woodcut 21 x 29.7cms (A4) Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6255__h=x_0001001_2.jpg" alt="101‐6255 kittiwakes st abbs woodcut 21 x 29.7cms (A4) ‐Greg Poole" />

101‐6255 kittiwakes st abbs woodcut 21 x 29.7cms (A4)

levels 2 weeks ago & relief printing

Greg Poole — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:08:01 +0000

great white egret, shoveler & black-tailed godwits somerset levels permanent marker A5 sketchbook Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6062__h=x_0001_2.jpg" alt="101‐6062 great white egret, shoveler & black-tailed godwits somerset levels permanent marker A5 sketchbook ‐Greg Poole" />

101‐6062 great white egret, shoveler & black-tailed godwits somerset levels permanent marker A5 sketchbook

Uploading something as a marker to remind me to do more… this sketch now a distant memory from the 17th. Trip to the somerset levels. Since then locked indoors relief printing. I’ll write up more tomorrow….

sleeping fox

Greg Poole — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:17:35 +0000

With more fine weather back out to local fields. Nowadays I try to start drawing as soon as anything holds my interest, usually the drawing then heightens the interest. Frequently other things come along once you’re sat drawing. Sense of taking the eyes for a walk. I started out with the crows & sheep again.

crows & sheep mendips ink pen A5 sketchbook Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6036__h=x_0003.jpg" alt="bl-007 crows & sheep mendips ink pen A5 sketchbook ‐Greg Poole" />

bl-007 crows & sheep mendips ink pen A5 sketchbook

After heavy frost overnight I had full winter gear on in the morning, by mid afternoon it was more like summer on the sunny slopes. Very few flowers yet.. the odd celandine and only a single peacock butterfly.

landscape mendips wax crayon 29.7 x 42 cms (A3) Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6038__h=x_0005.jpg" alt="bl-012 landscape mendips wax crayon 29.7 x 42 cms (A3) ‐Greg Poole" />

bl-012 landscape mendips wax crayon 29.7 x 42 cms (A3)

Fieldfares being quite furtive in the woods…a few starlings and redwings in with them. Looked like they were flycatching some of the time, or just lazing in the ash branches. Maybe they’d already fed well in newly ploughed fields above and could afford to rest in the heat.

fieldfares mendips wax crayon Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6037__h=x_0004.jpg" alt="bl-009 fieldfares mendips wax crayon ‐Greg Poole" />

bl-009 fieldfares mendips wax crayon

The highlight of the day was a strange viewing of a fox… first I saw one dashing across one of the sheep fields (I think it was the same young male as on the previous day)…. shortly afterwards 2 dogs came bounding around in the undergrowth on the slope below me…

roe deer mendips ink pen A6 sketchbook Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6035__h=x_0002.jpg" alt="bl-002 roe deer mendips ink pen A6 sketchbook ‐Greg Poole" />

bl-002 roe deer mendips ink pen A6 sketchbook

No sooner had the dogs gone than I saw 2 roe deer a bit further along the slope. They look in very good condition glaring white rumps and slightly oily looking pelt that has a prussian blue sheen… (I’ve only ever seen that once before and doubted it afterwards but even in the last light it was there this time for sure).

roe deer mendips ink pen A6 sketchbook Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6039__h=x_0006.jpg" alt="bl-015 roe deer mendips ink pen A6 sketchbook ‐Greg Poole" />

bl-015 roe deer mendips ink pen A6 sketchbook

The deer bounded over a fence and not far into the wood… I looked around for them with the telescope and instead of a deer the telescope was filled with a sleeping fox… a different animal to the running one… again in prime condition… unwilling to move it twitched ears and looked suspiciously in my direction but carried on dozing. Something special to share time with the animal laid out on the woodland floor…. quite different to seeing a fox on the allotments at home.

fox mendips ink pen A6 sketchbook Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6040__h=x_0007.jpg" alt="bl-016 fox mendips ink pen A6 sketchbook ‐Greg Poole" />

bl-016 fox mendips ink pen A6 sketchbook

fox mendips ink pen A6 sketchbook Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/6034__h=x_0001.jpg" alt="bl-001 fox mendips ink pen A6 sketchbook ‐Greg Poole" />

bl-001 fox mendips ink pen A6 sketchbook

early spring fields & woods

Greg Poole — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 07:55:14 +0000

avon gorge relief print

Greg Poole — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:20:50 +0000

jackdaws, ferns & ivy, avon gorge relief print,card print 50 x 50 cms Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/5807__h=x_0001001_1.jpg" alt="jackdaws, ferns & ivy, avon gorge relief print,card print 50 x 50 cms ‐Greg Poole" />

jackdaws, ferns & ivy, avon gorge relief print,card print 50 x 50 cms

avon gorge

Greg Poole — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:41:02 +0000

avon gorge, mid february gouache & wax crayon 42 x 59.4 cms (c.A2) Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/5804__h=x_scan000430.jpg" alt="avon gorge, mid february gouache & wax crayon 42 x 59.4 cms (c.A2) ‐Greg Poole" />

avon gorge, mid february gouache & wax crayon 42 x 59.4 cms (c.A2)

avon gorge

Greg Poole — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:51:26 +0000

avon gorge, mid february permanent marker 42 x 59.4 cms Greg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/5805__h=x_scan000421.jpg" alt="avon gorge, mid february permanent marker 42 x 59.4 cms ‐Greg Poole" />

avon gorge, mid february permanent marker 42 x 59.4 cms

After w/e away in South Devon not wanting to go back indoors so spending the day making sketches up at the gorge. Mainly trying to deal with the bigger space but birds still popping up.. some great views of a male kestrel hovering below, swooping on a buzzard in a tree down at the bottom and swallowing a shrew in a couple of mouthfuls.
A lot of the herbage had been cut back, not so good for picture making but probably necessary to stop things getting swamped. Hadn’t remembered how much polypody there is on the cliffs. Also seeing rustyback fern.. early leaves of salad burnet, rockrose, purple toadflax, lower down already a few wall flowers out.

kestrel A5 sketchbook permanent markerGreg Poole" src="http://gregpoole.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cache/5806__h=x_scan000420.jpg" alt="kestrel A5 sketchbook permanent marker‐Greg Poole" />

kestrel A5 sketchbook permanent marker