I will be taking part in the Bognor Coastal Art Trail this Sat 22rd, Sun. 23rd, Sat. 29th & Sun 30th July. I still have some of my park paintings available to buy and a number of small pastel works done in the park. Any visitors welcome to come and have look.
At sketcher’s group today I skulked in the shade to sketch this clump of thistles only to find just a tiny piece of dark green the size of a cherry stone left in my box. Being soft pastels that didn’t last long and I found myself having to improvise to get the deeper tones on…
Today at sketching group the light under the trees caught my attention and I tried to catch the scene with my watercolours, this time on a watercolour pad. I love strong colours and use Prussian Blue a lot to mix colour for the darker areas I did my best in the time I had and…
Sometimes when you haven’t seen one of your paintings for a long time errors stand out like a sore thumb. I did this painting in 2014 as part of my ‘Walk in the Park’ exhibition when I was artist in residence for the park. Although the work is quite detailed it was done rather quickly…
Sketching group today. Travelled light with my little field box of watercolours and sat in my favourite tree grove sloshing away. Trouble with watercolour is that it really cares about having the right paper (because its worth it)and can quickly descend into a muddy mess, it also helps if you don’t upset half the contents…
I had not been back to the Park since May 2020 due to Covid restrictions but today, 10th of June 2021 I met with the Hotham Park Sketchers and spent a happy hour doing this water colour sketch and having a delightful coffee time outside the cafe with the group. I feel a bit like…
Today would have been my regular visit to Hotham Park to join the Hotham Park sketchers group fortnightly meeting there but sadly, because of lockdown that is not possible. Over the years as Artist in Residence for the park took hundreds of photos so turned to them for inspiration. I put the photo on screen,…
Because my husband is in the very vulnerable category going out to the Park in lockdown is definitely a no no. Instead the sketchers have been posting work they have done at home. I have been going through my numerous photos and sketches using them as starting places to practice digital work on my iPad….
I was unable to join the Hotham park sketchers today though I wanted to. instead put one of the many photos of the park I have taken over the years and drew a digital sketch from that on my iPad. I am slowly getting to grips with a little sketch program I have downloaded though…
Four of us met to sketch in the park today and the sun shone after days and days of wind and rain. This willow tree glowing in the winter sun caught my eye.
Today’s sketching for the Hotham Park Sketchers group reminded me of that children’s nursery rhyme as it was misty, cold and damp giving me chilled hands and feet. It was with a sense of relief I got to the cafe to warm up after. I did manage this pastel sketch on A3 beige kraft paper….
Because of illness I have not been able to get into the Park for a while but today I joined the fortnightly sketchers group and as it was spotting with rain plonked my stool down in a grove of Yew trees which gave some shelter. I set about drawing one of the trees. Yews are…
Today during sketchers group I visited this weeping willow which was once a lovely sight in the spring but this year its a bare skeleton as it did not survive last years drought. Its still very interesting to me as I love tangled branches but its a sad reminder of what can happen as we…
Went sketching with the group on the park today but it was one of those times when nothing went right. I faced my subject the wrong way and was blinded by the light, then whilst sitting on my stool in front of a seat I became very aware that it is the school holidays so…
Four of us met to sketch in the park this morning and as it was was so hot all of us set about finding shady places to do our drawings. I chose a cool place near the gravel garden and was attracted by these majestic Gunnera leaves. I love the dramatic shapes they make between…
Hotham Park’s newly planted rose garden is starting to look good though there are a few gaps where someone thought they should help themselves to 8 David Austin rose bushes after they were planted. Somebody out there has a nice new rose garden at public expense. The roses will be replaced later costing the council…
Today was Hotham Park Sketchers day and three of us sketched for a a lovely sun drenched hour. I used water soluble wax crayons with spit and fingers for water. I chose this shady spot under old yew trees then took a photo to remind me of the scene.
This morning in the Park I sat on my little folding stool to sketch these spindly trees. The leaves were such an incredible vivid yellow green where the sun caught them but it was the trunks I was interested in. After I sat on a bench by the pool and was visited by two gulls…
I joined the Hotham Park Sketchers group and in an hour attempted the impossible. I was seduced by the lovely green of leaves around a lime tree bole mixed with shapely Italian lilies. I’ve missed the mark by a long way but I suppose anybody seeing this sketch will not know that. The colours were…
Sadly due to the Corona Virus it has been nearly a year since I was able to take the bus into Hotham Park to sketch but perhaps there is hope on the horizon with a vaccine on its way. I have done very little artwork but have created a vegetable garden partly from necessity but…
ritasspot, a blog about Hotham Park by it's Artist in Residence 