Dear Reader,
Welcome to my monthly catch-up.
This is where I give you an overview of what’s been going on this month and highlight any particular projects that I think will be of interest.
I will also include a favourite sketchbook spread, flowers that I see springing up on the Lizard, a comment on the weather and any thoughts on the season and at the end share with you what’s coming up for June.
May Stats
Wildflowers spotted: This is the month where all the flowers have come out to play! So many to list but here are a few favourites that I love to see: Wild Carrot, Wild Mustard, Sheep’s bit Scabious, Scarlet Pimpernel, Thrift, Whistling Jack, Foxglove, and Cow Parsley.
Weather: Plenty more days of sunshine alongside the odd few days of Cornish mizzle.
This month I have mostly been: Getting prepared for workshops and Open Studios, sketching on location.
This month has been a mix of illustrating maps, shipping out new products - many thanks to all of you who have bought my latest zine and wild flower products it is very much appreciated and I have also been prepping for Open Studios, running workshops, and making sure I have ordered in enough cards and supplies.
I have also been really enjoying creating process videos for my Process and Play sessions and am encouraged that so many of you are finding them helpful.
Wildflower Love
If you’ve been a reader of my newsletter a while you may have realised I have a thing for wild flowers. This has grown organically since beginning to sketch on location in 2017 and particularly when we started living on the Lizard peninsula in 2018. Each year I would notice them springing up and as the naturally curious person I am, want to know the names of all of them.
Over time I found ways to identify them, using mostly books, sometimes asking random strangers and then drawing them to cement them in my mind. If you have a smart phone you can also use an app such as Seek (as suggested to me by fellow Substack writer
) and that has proved to be useful when I don’t have any books with me and want a quick answer.I have found though the best way to retain their names (a surprise to me as usually my memory is atrocious) and identify them has been to draw them. Below you’ll find 3 instant opportunities plus 1 upcoming event that may be of interest if you too would like to delve a little deeper into learning and drawing wildflowers.
YouTube
I filmed a fun relaxing video drawing wildflowers- easy for anyone to do, and includes all the names of the wildflowers I draw, with a little bit of Wildflower footage. It’s free to watch and a great way to warm up and cover a page.
Zoom Replay + warm up exercises explained
Back in April I invited anyone to join me for a zoom session to draw wildflowers. In it I introduced over 30 flowers, their names along with a series of drawing exercises. It was frantic but fun! It is now available to watch as a replay and also includes a video explaining the warm-ups as well as a pack of photo references. A great way to be introduced to wildflowers and suitable for any level. Enrol here for £10.
Where the Wildflowers grow online course
Filmed over 2023 this features over 120 wildflowers that grow around the Lizard. I take you on 3 sketch walks observing the flowers growing in that particular location and give an over the shoulder look at how I capture them. I also include colour palettes, working with mixed media, demos, tips and advice and my own book with 130 wildflowers photographed and labelled. In the final project I get you to create your own wildflower botanical plate.
It’s a great course for getting started and going deeper. Check it out here.
Substack interview and tutorial with Flora and Forage writer
Nina is a long-time forager, explorer, plant lover & art maker living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Back in 2021 she started an IG account called @blueridgebotanic and since then has gained over 100k followers sharing fun folklore and ‘secret stories’ about plants and our relationship to them. She found me through Substack and as a fellow wildflower lover immediately signed up to my Wildflower Course. She has since invited me to do a interview with her for her podcast and to also lead a mini-wildflower sketch -a-long tutorial and this is what we’ll share in our upcoming collaborative post.
The post is aiming to go live on 14th June (the day before my birthday) and will be available to my paid subscribers to read, watch and listen to. I’m sure it’s going to be a fun chat!
Favourite Sketchbook Page
This month I have definitely seen an increase in my time outside sketching due in part to the milder weather coming in, and also with all the wildflowers coming into bloom! So it’s been a hard one to decide which sketch to choose. But the drawing I did by the sea on my latest Explore and Draw podcast episode I really enjoyed as I was able to capture the sea, a boat, island, footpath and flowers- all components which make a pleasing sketch! I hope you like it.
Pippa and I will be running our creative course on the 21st and 22nd of June. If you’d like to join please visit the link here. We had to postpone the Spring one due to the bad weather but we are hopeful for some sunshine and Summer flowers to inspire us for this time together.
Coming up for June on Substack
Here’s what I’ll be writing / sharing with you on Substack this month (P for paid and F for free) A few extra things are coming in for June-it’s my birthday month!
Process and Play video on creating a one page sketchbook P
Exclusive interview and tutorial on Wildflowers with
PArt Retreat review (delayed from May) F
Sketchbook pages for May P
Explore and Draw podcast Ep.15 P
Sketchbook Surgery no.6 P
June Roundup F
You can upgrade to paid to support my work at anytime and access the growing library of posts.
Hope this newsletter find you well,
Such a jam-packed post - beautiful art and words, as always! Scabious is such a stunning colour, isn't it - not quite purple, blue or lilac, but a delightful in-betweeny warm, soft colour.
Well, colour ME inspired, having read this! This time of year is just wonderful to be outside in.