Well, here we are again! Another addition to the Coloured Pencil Chronicles already! Gosh, I cannot believe that it’s the end of May already. It’s mad. No, it’s bonkers! The months just go by so quickly! And as always, it’s been another very busy one! 

The Academy Welcomed New Members

As you’ll probably know, the doors to the Academy were open through April and closed at the beginning of May. It’s always such an exciting time for me and my team, and it’s so wonderful to see everyone’s hard work paying off. We welcomed around 500 new members, which is simply fabulous! What started out as a small community of coloured pencil artists is growing into something much bigger and, some days, I still can’t believe it! It’s such an amazing group of people, I really am lucky to be able to be a part of their learning and their journeys. 

If you missed the chance to join the Academy, the doors will be opening again in September. Make sure you’ve signed up to the waitlist here before then. 

A New Addition to the Academy

I always try to listen to the feedback I’m getting from my members, and after someone suggested I introduce something into the Academy that would help members put everything they’ve learnt into practice without the guidance of being told exactly what to do, I decided to bring in a new challenge, the Coloured Pencil Mastermind. 

Each month, I’ll be choosing a subject for members to draw and they’ll have the chance to choose the materials they’ll be using, create their own line art and pick the techniques they think will work best to complete the drawing. I think it’s going to be a really fabulous way for everyone to continue their learning, gain confidence and independence, as well as help them realise just how much they’ve learnt and how far they have come! I’m so looking forward to seeing the drawings for this month! 

New Tutorials

Of course, I’ve been working on new tutorials, including Summer, the Flat Coat Retriever who just so happens to be the dog of one of my members. I have to say, I’m really pleased with how the drawing turned out, and this one is going to be perfect for anyone who needs to practice drawing black fur and tongues! 

I’ve also decided to introduce some shorter tutorials into the Academy, which focus more on the technical side of a drawing. They’re proving to be quite popular, and they’re great for members that have busy work lives or home lives. 

Coming Soon!

I’ve been having lots of meetings with members of my team this month, and we’re all busy planning ahead and making decisions on the exciting new projects we’re going to be working on. I’ve got some brilliant things coming soon, some of which are still top secret, and some that I can finally share with you! 

I’m going to be introducing new One-Day Workshops, which will be run via Zoom. Each one will focus on a chosen subject, and we’ll be getting together to draw, learn and, of course, have a bit of a natter too! I’m also busy planning retreats here in the UK and hopefully overseas too, which is incredibly exciting! I’ve got my first retreat booked in (and booked up) for July, which I’m really looking forward to, and I’m hoping to get some dates in the diary for upcoming retreats, so watch this space! 

And, the thing that I think I’m the most excited about is a new course I’m planning on releasing. It’s going to be for complete beginners and those who are in the very early days of their coloured pencil journey, who are looking to learn more about coloured pencils and what amazing things they can do with them.

All of these new additions are going to be separate from the Academy, so they won’t be just members-only. They’ll be available to everyone and anyone who wants to sign up, so make sure you’re keeping an eye on my weekly newsletter to find out when these will be coming up. If you’ve not subscribed yet, you can do so here. 

Learning Something New

I’ve switched things up this month and enrolled in a coaching and NLP course, so I’m the student and not the teacher for a change! The course is run by the fabulous Nina Madden, and it’s been absolutely fascinating. I’m learning some really interesting things about how we listen and how we allow other people to have space to be able to say what they want to say. We’re also covering visualisation and the law of attraction, which, those of you who know me will know, is right up my street.

I told you it has been a busy month! And that’s not even all of it! Give the video at the top of this page a watch to find out more and to hear out about the new pencils and paper I’ve been testing out, as well as a look behind the scenes at the dogs, my progress on my new exercise bike and my family’s chaotic washing pile (it’s not all glitz and glamour!).