A Sketchbook Flip through, Junk Journal pages, baby goats and more sketches.

Hello folks,

Lately, I’ve been so immersed in pottery that I felt I hadn’t done much sketching—but when I took a moment to look back, I realized I’ve still been sketching away, just perhaps not as much as usual. Things have been busy here on the farm, especially with our nanny goats kidding! So far, six have given birth, each to two healthy babies. It’s been such a joy to spend time with them. They are full of energy, wobbling around on their tiny legs and already starting to explore their world. Here’s a little video of them at just a day or so old and some sketches I’ve done so far of a couple of them.

In the midst of everything, I finished my Stillman & Birn pocket-sized sketchbook. It’s a lovely little book that handles different media beautifully. I really enjoyed working in it and would definitely buy again.

I’ve been adding bits and pieces to my junk journal when inspiration strikes. With recent birthdays—Steve’s, mine, and my son’s coming up on Saturday—there’s been no shortage of ephemera to tuck in: birthday cards, receipts, little mementos. These journals have become a great way to hold onto things I don’t want to throw away but don’t necessarily want to include in my sketchbook.

I’ve been giving each medium its own space—a sketchbook for drawings, a junk journal for collecting bits and pieces, and a simple notebook for writing. But part of me wonders if I’m over-compartmentalizing things and should just throw it all into one place. I’m not really sure how that would work, but I’m playing around with the idea! I’m halfway through my junk journal and finishing off my Pith sketchbook, once they are both finished, I might attempt to mash everything together into one book.

For my Revolve project, I’ve just about managed to keep up with the weekly sketches. On yet another rainy day, when I was feeling a bit uninspired, I decided to focus on small details in the garden. Rather than focusing on the bigger scene, for week 26 I honed in on a cluster of pots and for week 27 one of my garden gates—simple, everyday objects that make for great sketching subjects.

I recently watched Andrew James' Sketchbook Club episode where he sketched cars and shared tips. Anyone who has been following my sketching journey knows I love drawing cars. I’m not aiming for perfect replicas—I want them to have character, a bit of quirkiness, and personality. After watching his video, I was inspired to sketch a few using some of his handy tips.

And to finish, here are a few more pages from my sketchbooks—capturing everyday moments, objects, and little snippets of life. While I’ve put my daily sketch journal on pause for now, I still feel the urge to document things, just in a more fluid and less structured way, so some days I might sketch a few things, other days nothing at all. Just like my car sketches, I am trying to add character and quirkiness to my sketches, whether that’s a goat or an object - letting go of some ‘rules’ and loosening my lines and perspective - Its work in progress as always.

Oh, and it’s all about my Tombow Fudenosuke Pen, brush pens and black watercolour pencil at the moment - Did you notice?

Hope you enjoy this peek into my recent work!