Trees

On my walks I have been looking at trees a lot, looking at their size (some are huge), at their shape, at their colour and their leaves. Sometimes I take pictures because I think it would be fun to do something with it, or use it as a reference for a drawing. But I find it quite difficult to draw trees..., so even better to just start and take notes. This is a drawing I made in my sketchbook, well it is not quite a drawing but more a way for me to look at lines, size and depth and how this all works in a forest full of trees (I kind of get lost). My next step would be to make a drawing, or rather a painting I think, and see where I end up.

This picture is from a majestic beech tree, catching the golden light of Autumn. And when you stand directly under it and look up, you feel the upward movement of the branches leading your eye to the sky.

For some Autumn inspiration

I have been outside a lot where Autumn is showing her colours, so just some pictures to enjoy. After a holiday I will now be working in the studio again, working on some paintings, making some designs for Christmas and updating my ETSY-shop. 

Small

Just some drawings in the smallest sketchbook I have, an A6-size. I used my permanent markers, so relaxing to do this, draw away!

 

Autumn

Enjoying the Autumn colours: a bit of pink, ocre, orange and burgundy. Trying to catch some of them in pictures. Before you know it they are gone. 

Try-out

 On my desk: a try-out of some colours, prints and Christmas ideas. I want to design something new for Christmas but I have not found it YET... So I wrote down some ideas, then tried something with paint and multiple colours and still have not found it ;). Still I enjoy this process and it is often by trial and error that I will come to something. 

Sometimes the brilliant idea in your head turns out as a disappointment in reality, therefore I always make multiple versions.

It is also how this series came about, by experimenting with painted paper and collage. I also had an idea... and went to make it, and this is how it turned out: Christmas cards (for sale in my ETSY-shop). It was so much fun to design and make them :).

Out and about

 Autumn has started here and we made a hike through the woods to enjoy the crisp air, and to have a look for mushrooms. It has been a dry summer, a wet September, and still quite warm. So when will the mushrooms appear?

And yes, they are popping up slowly now (two weeks ago there was nothing). We saw some beautiful Porcini mushrooms, and a bright yellow one of which I do not know the name. Let's see how this season will be.

I took this photo below for the shape of the tree, as a reference or reminder to just draw its shape at home at my desk.

Sketchbook moments

 Another page in my sketchbook, on the right you see some carpet designs. Just for the fun of it! I start with some paint on paper and then turn them into a carpet. Endless possibilities of course...

If you have any joy in using your creativity, it may be drawing, writing, poems or just some super ideas/solutions, I encourage you to start a sketch-notebook and just write/draw everything down. This will help you to find focus, to develop, and fuel your creativity. It may never be used as a creative endproduct, but creative thinking is necessary in this world, in your work, in social interaction, in politics etc.

Have a nice week!