99.9% of my pen sketches are freehand, meaning I don’t sketch in pencil underneath first.
This often doesn’t result in perfect sketches, but perfection isn’t what I’m here for. And anyway I can always turn to the next page and go again!
Kaweco sport fountain pen in Cass Art pocket sketchbook
Read this book when it was first published and this was a great way to revisit! Gabriel easily explains the many threads without watering down the issues or relying on cliche to discuss the artists’ lives and work.
Local zoning is the way! A lot of these are being stopped or stalled by neighborhood organizing.
These warehouses often need to be purchased, permitted, approved for occupancy and specs. Each one of those steps can be interrupted.
Ppl are pressuring corps not to sell, counties to deny permits, etc
Recommend catching a screening of this doc if you appreciate insight and musings about the creative process and living a creative life.
That the film collab has brought forth new music in Irish Gaelic is just an added bonus to us all. @DavidKeenanmuso #Hammersmithchoir
This was a cozy evening of film, discussion, and song. Appreciate Keenan’s openness, vulnerability, and humility; he’s walked through the fire and is finding his way out the other side personally and creatively.
“The system can suffocate expression, I think artists need to get back to the pure joy and spontaneity of creating something and look beyond metrics… take that one studio day and just make and share with the abandon that makes the creative heart soar with excitement. “ —David Keenan
I’m delighted to share that ZING’s monthly Life Drawing sessions in 2026 will include a quarterly tutored series— led by me!
For more info and tickets, visit
www.tickettailor.com/events/zestc...
Morning doodle (sketch? drawing?).
Kaweco sport fountain pen in a pocket sketchbook (if I recall correctly, Cass Art brand)
“Without ordinary life, there is no art.” —Jeff Buckley
Highly recommend catching this doc in the theatre.
Big fan of the Newlyn painters here 🙋♀️
What subtle but beautiful sunlight is captured here.
Took myself on a field trip to @dulwichgallery.bsky.social last weekend to see the Anna Ancher exhibit, well worth the trip!
“It was precisely because she concentrated on subjects that were familiar to her, that she could pursue more radical approaches to the depiction of everyday life.”
—Helen Hillyard on Anna Ancher;
exhibit catalog: Anna Ancher | Painting Light, Dulwich Picture Gallery
One of my favourite paintings I’ve stumbled across in recent years! It feels incredibly ahead of its time and Serebriakova’s oeuvre is worth taking a deep dive into.
Revisited a pandemic era Zoom portrait session in a new medium—
Caran d’ache oil pastel on Winsor & Newton A2 paper
(l) Royal Talens sketchbook (love that cream colored paper!) with Lamy Safari fountain pen;
(r) Stillman & Birn paper with whatever pens I could conjure while back on Cape Cod
On the left is a sketchbook page made from my trip to Gothenburg, Sweden two summers ago. The center image became the inspiration for the sketch on the right, commissioned for this year’s Eldridge Tide & Pilot Book. Which do you prefer?
Entries Close 01 Apr 2026. First Prize £500 plus up to 4 Artworks Exhibited in Main Gallery for 1 month
Second Prize £250 (Caroline de Rothschild award) + up to 2 Artworks Exhibited in Main Gallery for 1 Month
Third Prize £100 The Anthony Lawrence Award (donated by the Lawrence family)
Palais des Vaches, Exbury, has announced the inaugural Palais Art Prize 2026. Artists are welcome to submit works that reflect a strong foundation in observation, interpreted in your own unique way. zealous.co/palaisartpri...
If you have any questions or queries, please email ZING Coordinator Lucie.smith@zestartscollective.com
Thank you to
ZING for organizing these sessions! ZING (ZEST Inclusive Networking Group) is a network for artists in Southampton and the surrounding area offering workshops, exhibition opportunities, meet ups and more.
God’s House Tower is a unique historical and contemporary arts venue and our sessions are relaxed with an atmosphere of camaraderie. The GHT café and bar will be open, serving hot and cold drinks during the sessions.
With over three decades of experience studying the figure from life, I’m passionate about the value of direct observation— and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned with you!
During the tutored sessions, I'll provide guidance and techniques to help you set yourself up for success, improve your drawing skills, and create vibrant drawings.
Each month, we’ll gather in the Crawford Room at God’s House Tower, Southampton, for live‑model drawing sessions featuring a mix of timed poses. Bring your favourite materials (and an easel if you like); we’ll provide chairs. www.tickettailor.com/events/zestc...
I’m delighted to share that ZING’s monthly Life Drawing sessions in 2026 will include a quarterly tutored series— led by me!
For more info and tickets, visit
www.tickettailor.com/events/zestc...
Caran d’Ache neopastels are currently my favourite medium for figure drawing.
They have a wonderful buttery-ness— smooth and soft without being oily, gummy, or melting. The range of value you can get is wide, allowing for light searching lines, wide swaths of coverage, and deep darks.
Thank you! 😊
