Artists use sketchbooks for many reasons. They usually have several on the go, stick all sorts of things they collect in them, as well as sketch, paint and doodle on the pages. This makes them delightfully colourful, messy, and crammed with ideas and collected treasures. Some of mine over the years have had to be reinforced with duct tape to keep the spines together!

I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to teach creativity through making art, and it is something I love to do. The balance of studio work and teaching workshops means I keep active, get time out of the studio, and have the pleasure of encouraging others to get creative and have time out from their hectic lives too.

In my own paintings I create a lot of texture and layering of colour and lines, so let's go on a little tour of my favourite crops and close-ups, and how I created the effects. Taking a closer look at them we can see how my favourite techniques can create a little magic. There are always interesting areas of a painting that deserve a closer look!

In this post I will describe my favourite books that have been relevant in my journey as an artist. On my book shelf in the studio I have many lovely books...

Last month I set myself a challenge. I needed to get reconnected to my playful creative self to move forward with some ideas. I received...