Well, would you believe February is nearly over already and it’s time again for the next installation of my Coloured Pencil Chronicles? It’s been another busy month, and there’s been so much going on as always! I’m Launching My New Podcast Soon!

Obviously, I’ve got to start with the most exciting project I’ve got going on at the moment, and that’s the launch of my upcoming podcast, It’s A Bonny Old Life. It’s been a long time in the making, as I’ve been dreaming of starting a podcast for years, but never quite found the right time to do it until now. You won’t believe how much fun I’ve had talking to my incredible guests, and I really do hope you’ll have as much fun listening to our conversations as I did recording them! 

I’ve got an amazing line-up of people for you all to listen to, and I’m practically bouncing off the walls with excitement for the day when the first episode goes live. And, to celebrate, I’m holding a special Tea Party via Zoom on 7th March, where I’ll be having a good old get together with members of our amazing coloured pencil community. I cannot wait! 

If you haven’t already, make sure you sign up to my weekly newsletter for a chance to join me at the party, and keep your eyes on my social feeds for a link to listen to episode one when it goes live on 7th March!

My Cat’s Eye Challenge

It’s been amazing to see so many people taking on my 45 Minute Cat’s Eye Challenge. You wouldn’t believe the incredible drawings I’ve seen and lots of them by people who’ve never picked up a coloured pencil before! 

It’s incredible to see people trying something new and finding a new hobby. I think we forget the positive impact that drawing can have on our daily lives, and it’s lovely to see lots of people deciding that it’s never too late to try something new and just giving it a really good go. 

If you haven’t had the chance to take the challenge yet, you can find out more and sign up for it here.

Another Commission Finished

The lovely Robbie has been, put simply, a joy to draw. I was sent a very old photo to work from (and when I say old, I mean 50 or 60 years old), and I knew it was going to be a little bit of a challenge. As you can imagine, photographs from 60-odd years ago aren’t quite up to the standard of the photos we can take nowadays, but it meant I had a little more freedom to get creative. Instead of focussing on the really fine details, I was able to focus on the values and the patterns, and I’ve come away with a portrait that I really am proud of. 

Business Drop-In Sessions

My Business Drop-In Session is the newest addition to the live sessions available to members of my Academy, and I introduced it with the goal of helping all of the artists out there who either run their own art business or are planning on starting one.

The last session was brilliant; we talked all about branding. Lots of people tend to think that branding just means your logo and the colours you use, but it goes so much further than that! In the session, we discussed some of the things that people often forget to focus on when they’re busy running a business, like the tone of voice you use when you do your marketing or the values you have as a brand. It’s great getting a chance to really shine a light on those important aspects of a business and, for me, it’s amazing to see all of the incredible, ambitious artists there are out there. 

Behind the Scenes

It’s been a wild and windy month. The wind here in Yorkshire has been absolutely ridiculous! And with so much rain (which is never really unexpected in this part of the world), there’s been flooding locally, and on one particularly stormy day, I wasn’t able to leave my village! It’s a good thing I’ve got three dogs and plenty of coloured pencils to keep me entertained! 

Speaking of the dogs, they’re are all fine and dandy (what else were you expecting?)! I’ve managed to find a new dog walker for them and they are absolutely loving her! And, with it being half term at the moment, she’s bringing her children along with her and, oh my goodness, they just love the dogs, and the dogs just love them! They’ve all been running about together, and the dogs have had so many cuddles, they’re getting spoilt rotten! 

It’s come in really handy as I’m having knee problems at the minute, which is a real, well, it’s a real pain in the knee! I’ve been trying to sort it out with some chair yoga. Who would have thought that ten minutes of stretching on a chair would render you completely exhausted? Luckily, i’ve got a spa day in the diary for Friday, which couldn’t come at a better time, so I’ll be spending some time with two of my sisters having a much needed relax! 

My Academy is Opening Again Soon!

And, last but definitely not least, we’re getting closer to my Academy opening to new members again! I’m planning all sorts of exciting things in the run-up to it reopening in April, and working incredibly hard to support those who are wanting to join me this time.

If you haven’t already, do join the waitlist if you’re wanting to join, and keep an eye out for all of the different bits and pieces that are coming through to make sure you don’t miss anything! 

Well, I think that’s everything! Lots done and lots to do! No doubt March will be over before we know it. I’ve got my fingers crossed that it will be slightly warmer and slightly less wet! Until then!