The first time I’ve tried monoprinting in the field. Rolling up a perspex block with relief ink (rolled out on a separate ‘reservoir block’). Then scraping/incising into the surface with dowel for lines and metal scrapers made from mount cutter blades and bits of old visa cards. On some I started to work back positively…

We tend to start the drawing course at Dunbar harbour as a way of easing into the week. The wall of kittiwakes is challenging but the nature of the space allows us to go round the group for the first time and have a chat with everybody about how their work is going. Vehicles are…

Morning sketching on the allotment meadow taking advantage of a gap in the rain. One or two Burnet moths emerging, several caterpillars seen over the past few weeks, I’ve only spotted a single cocoon. The meadow is giving huge pleasure now, I planted thyme into the large anthill next to the makeshift bench up there…

The Dorset Wildlife Trust @DorsetWildlife hosted around 10 Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA) ‎@swlanaturaleye members over the Whit bank holiday weekend. Of our 4 day stay I spent the last couple of days at Powerstock common and it was rich for insects and birds and a lovely range of flora. In the heathy open areas the air thick…

My brother visiting from Japan and we made a trip down to the increasingly mediterranean seeming somerset levels. 3 species of egrets, hobbies, harriers.  On the ground a slow worm and a glow worm (larva). on the canal sides whitethroats singing with background of reed warblers, buntings and the hedges alive with garden warbler song….

HIghlights of trip to Crete were a day spent at Polyrinia in the sun soaking up spring flora. Sculptural torches of giant fennel against architecture of yellow phlomis and tree spurge. Bees collecting red pollen from asphodels. Purple of tragapogon closing up its flowers at midday. Vultures and a single lammergeir rising above the peaks mid morning….

2nd trip to  Wallasea to look at the development of the reserve (see write up from first trip), One of a series of visits by SWLA artists in collaboration with the RSPB. I used the time to carry on with my outdoor printing experiments. Focusing more on monoprint this time. It seems a bit crazy rolling…

Coming down to earth after what has seemed an epic field sketching month… 10 days based in Koycegiz, Western Turkey with Nik Pollard, Esther Tyson and Ben Woodhams. The project a DKM/SWLA collaboration. Working alongside some 20 or so Turkish degree/MA art students to interpret the threatened sweetgum forest. (I will write another post to…

Towards the end of our time in Turkey we spent 2 sessions watching dice snakes on a river overhung by sweetgum. Turtles floating alongside them, shoals of small fish clearly visible in clear water and flourescent bright dragonflies in sparking light. I’ve never had a time where I could watch active snakes for prolonged periods. These…

My sister in law visiting from Japan came over from Wells on Sunday and brought presents including a couple of ready filled brush pens. Having a pre-loaded brush to hand quite more’ish. A green woodpecker calling from the allotment (behind studio) had me poking my head over the back gate…made a good rest for binoculars…