It felt strangely cathartic to post my life drawings metaphorical warts and all. So below is a similar look back at my still life drawing of Autumn 2018.

I like still life as it feels easier to get going with. You can plonk some flowers in a vase or some fruit on a chopping board and just draw. No fidgeting or model who might be offended by the resulting drawing!

So here goes, grouped by topic, not strictly chronological.

Exhibit 1: Early tonal studies

The leaves were the first thing I drew in my studio. Easy to look at and a subject that doesn’t feel intimidating. The second drawing is a chirimoya – a local fruit that tastes somewhere between a honeydew melon and a pineapple.

Exhibit 2: My hand

A classic still life topic. An easy one to try at home.

Exhibit 3: Flowers

I’ve posted one of these pictures before. Surprisingly aesthetically pleasing! Some of my early experiments with almost blind contour drawing.

Exhibit 4: Things in the studio

I drew the chair very early on. The plate somewhat later and I’ve gone on to work with this drawing in my printing. The last arrangement is more complex, there are elements of it I like, but I’m still struggling to resolve some of the angles!

With the seed pods I started to experiment with adding some colour back in. Feel very lucky to live in a city with such inspiring vegetation.

Exhibit 5: Drawing at the Bella de Cadiz

With one of the drawing groups I attend, we went to the lovely little bar that is the La Bella de Cadiz, here in Valencia. It really is like sitting in the middle of a still life arrangement. A happy couple of hours chatting and drawing