The plan was to take it easy this month as December is such a dark month that I wanted to unwind, reflect, and make plans for 2025.
It turns out that planning to take some time off, might be just a bit too ambitious. I can’t live without drawing. The only thing I did cancel was making Christmas cards.

So what has been happening in the sketchbooks?

The art journal (Moleskine sketchbook)
The struggles with the art journal and the resistance I sometimes feel before starting a spread, initiated many questions and thought experiments. When you read ‘struggle’ it might look like a negative thing or something I would rather avoid, but that’s not the case. On the contrary! It wouldn’t be fun if I couldn’t challenge myself because challenges make us grow- and will hopefully crack open a new level in my work too.
I look at sketchbooks by other artists, flipping through graphic novels and comics, and listing composition ideas.

Other sketches & Patreon sessions (Royal Talens Sketchbooks)

Experimenting with winter landscapes without using any white- with Katie Moody
 

Observation, imagination- with Sarah Dyer

Winter scenes- with Katie Moody

Santa’s workshop- with Emma Carlisle

Evening dark winter club- with Emma Carlisle

Various sketches

New Year’s Eve sparkly session- with Sarah Dyer and Naomi

Emma’s birthday penguin session.

And last but not least, I made some last-minute scans from a chatty Christmas party with Sarah Dyer, where I also made some sketches while eating lots of chips 😀

Now it’s time to log off and get ready for our New Year’s Eve. I’ve been promised lots of snacks and a snow blizzard might rescue the dogs from the fireworks. We made a good long walk so fingers crossed it won’t be too bad.

Happy 2025!
x