Lockdown Sketchbook - again

 You may remember how in the first lockdown I walked from the house each day, choosing a theme and created a photogrphic montage basd on that theme. This then led to a piece of artwork in my sketchbook. Well I've started it up again, not on a daily theme/walk but an as and when basis. I've enjoyed this again and love the challenges that a concertina book offer by way of layout. I try to use as many different techniques as possible too. Anyway here are my offerings so far. 

Siskins, greenfinches and long-tailed tits

There was a right squall up on the bird feeders today ...the greenfinches were really pushing anything else off the sunflower seeds, while the long-tailed tits hung onto the fat balls and a pair of siskins fed on the niger seed ...in amongst the other species! In these lockdown times it is great to be able to watch the different species interacting and from the amount they are all guzzling they clearly appreciate the food! 

A 'brown' walk

With Lockdown, it was another 'round the block' walk from the house. As I have resurrected my Lockdown Diary, which I compiled during the first full lockdown, I set off to walk and try and think of a theme to focus my photography. At least in the previous lockdown I had signs of spring to look for, at present much of the landscape is brown; be it soil, mud or dead vegetation - so brown it had to be! Most things though were covered in frost or ice ...so an icy brown theme began to emmerge. 

'Round the block'.

My 'brown' compilation.

Fog rolling back to reveal the Solway plain.

Rooks in the sun,

Some colour! 

Hope! 

Winter's sketch

 After a morning procrastinating and not getting much done, I decided to go up behind the house and sketch...a quality hour! 

The fells are snowy; roads clear. 

Two sketches were completed. One in my concertina lockdown sketchbook and the other on a very long concertina sketch book...neither of which make for easy painting ... even when cheating by sitting in the car! 

Ullock Pike on the flanks of Skiddaw.

The Northern Fells....

The back of Skiddaw..

The panorama..

Below is a video of the sketch of the panorama above ...
not accurate as there isn't a lot of room in the car and I wanted to get a feel of the place. 

And then there's some detail from the above: 

..and my Lockdown diary entry...

Drying sketches....and the view! 

Where did the summer go? ...sketches.

 It's over a month now since I did a painting outside ...so here's some from the summer holidays ...Covid made us stay local and appreciate how lucky we are! 

Week 7: Lockdown sketch book

I genuinely came to the end of my concertina sketchbook as lockdown was eased, so it seemed a sensible place to call a halt to the daily commitment to the project - so here are the last few entries.

The last days: Lockdown 49 and 50.

So the lockdown measures have been relaxed to allow travel for exercise - so here are my last two offerings for the Lockdown diaries ...photo collages of the dog walk from home - hares and ferns. I'll blog the final sketchbook pages tomorrow ...it's a strange feeling having finished the book, but rest assured - I've started a Lockdown relaxed sketchbook. It won't be done as rigorously everyday and will realistically not include so much multi media work as I'll hopefully be out and about more! ..and work will restrict time too...it's been a great journey though and a privilege to see the small changes that add up to the seasons changing in my home area.

Orchid leaves: Lockdown 48

It was a bitterly cold day so a shorter than usual walk and a very hasty field sketch! We are lucky enough to have lots of orchids around here...the twayblades are going to be exceptional this year, the early-purples are going over and the common-spotted are just emerging. There was even a fragrant orchid leaf rosette.

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Our verges are changing rapidly ...

Twayblades.

Lockdown Sketchbook: Week 6

I am slowly catching up with the blog! Here are my entries from week 6. It's really interesting doing this exercise as it is ok to decide on a photocollage for a walk, but then that has to lead to art work that fits in with the previous sketches - both in terms of subject and medium ...and then I have to be able to do it!