Missing

I can't believe I've missed over a whole month on here and I really don't know what I've been doing! We've just come back from South Devon and it was Finn's second holiday. He was a good boy and we spent the days walking along the beautiful River Dart, sketching and just sitting taking in the wonderful British countryside at my favourite time of year. 

creativity

My need to draw has come back - think it must have been the week off. It's so hard when creativity deserts you but the worst thing to do is worry about it - says I who does just that! I find that getting out and about, walking and taking lots of photos helps. Loving instagram at the moment as you can see from the past month.

© nickylinzey 2013

Inspiration

I found a dead holly leaf in the garden, it was covered in black speckles. I felt inspired to draw it and the drawing turned into this pattern. What inspires you to draw?
© 2013 nicky linzey

Charleston Farmhouse

My second visit to Charleston Farmhouse was just as fascinating as the first. We were taken around by a tour guide - I don't normally like this, preferring to wander around places at my own pace - but both times have differed and both ladies had their individual style - full of insights into the way the Bloomsbury group lived in the house and the tangled relationships they all had! Definitely worth a visit. 
We went on to Berwick Church which has interior paintings by Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell too and finished the afternoon off with an ice cold glass of cider at the Cricketer's Arms - perfect.

birds

Our garden is full of birds at the moment, starlings, sparrows, blue tits, goldfinches, blackbirds. They are going mad, flying in all directions collecting food for their babies and then when the babies fledge it's even more chaotic, the noise is intense too. Still it is very inspiring with all this going on as they are so funny to watch. 

I can't decide whether I prefer the more realistic colouring or the bright colouring - any preferences? This little goldfinch visits me every morning on the telephone wire outside my studio window, he's so sweet.

Easter

Hope everyone had a good Easter, we did a lot of walking and eating! From left to right: homemade pizza - mmm, beautiful green - euphorbia, woodland - my inspiration, soft blues - hydrangea, still needing a fire - so cold, arundel swan - brrr...

Lonely

'I wandered lonely as a cloud' by William Wordsworth resonates with me, as nature is my inspiration and helps me in times of loneliness and uncertainty. The clouds this weekend were wonderful and reminded me of this poem (the only one I can remember from childhood!) which in turn gave me the idea for Illustration Friday.

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.


Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.


The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed---and gazed---but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:


For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Fuel

Walking and collecting natural objects 'fuels' my inspiration. © 2011 nicky linzey for illustration friday

scattered

I would love to have the kind of garden that looked as if I'd just 'scattered' a packet of seeds around but I think this is harder to achieve than it seems!

This illustration was inspired by the planting at Arundel Castle.

© 2011 nicky linzey for illustration friday

stop and stare 12

I was sitting on some steps outside a gallery waiting for Gra when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Couldn't help but 'stop and stare' when I saw what it was. I want to do this now somewhere ....

Inspiration

I've been thinking about this subject for a while as I've been devoid of any! I thought it might be interesting to show where I get my inspiration from (when it comes), and how I use ideas to create designs. This pattern was inspired a photo of knitted materials found when flicking through old magazines.

© 2011 nicky linzey

Brightness

My inspiration for drawing has deserted me lately so I'm making do with taking pictures of everything I see. It's strange how I go through phases, only noticing textures or patterns - at the moment it's colours - everything I look at seems so bright and colourful - unreal almost. You will need to click on the pic to get the full effect.

Friendship

Your help in overcoming my 'stuckness' has been just what I needed. Even just the thought of a cycle ride in the countryside sent me into raptures - playing with and walking my dog is the best thing I can ever do, I'm investigating spoonflower  and definitely switching off my computer more.
Again & again I come back to Keri Smith for inspiration - I just love her rebel's manifesto.
Thank you all for your friendship - it means a lot.
Image is of photographed wire with coloured in sections

Stuck

I'm loath to use the word 'stuck', however this is how I feel at the moment. I'm inundated with work, pitching for new contracts which is great for my bank balance - although it completely empties my head of all creative ideas for my own projects and this blog.

Visiting other blogs - seeing everyone writing wittily and creating fantastically - the more I do this the worse the 'stuckness' becomes.

I probably need to get away from this computer and go and play! Any ideas....?

I drew this alphabet a while ago and filled it with my patterns

© 2010 nicky linzey

'chattering birds' giveaway

And the winner is..... Bella! (Can you email me your address please Bella) Thanks to everyone for entering.
I can't wait for some warmer weather. The winter has been cold and long this year and it looks like we are due some more snow. On the up side the landscapes have been stunning and I've been inspired by trees and hedgerows against pale grey skies. I'm giving away a print of my 'chattering birds' image so if you want to enter the draw please leave a comment here. The closing date is next Monday 15th January February (thanks justdoodleit - I'm obviously living a month behind reality!) 9.30am - UK time and I will announce the winner that day.
To create this illustration I used a photo of the hedge - top left (below) and turned it into a black and white image which I then coloured and I gave it an outline too. I used my wren drawings in some summery colours and placed them in the hedgerow.
© 2010 nicky linzey

Focused

I find it hard to keep focused on what I really want - after all - what do I really want?  This piece was inspired by the renovation of the eye ceiling at Blenheim Palace which I think is stunning. 

Do you know what you want?

© 2010 nicky linzey for Illustration Friday

Winter colour

Renewal

I think that David Hockney says it all in an interview on Radio 4's Today programme early last week. He's talking about what inspires him and you can listen to it here. Just scroll down the page to 0822.

© 2010 nicky linzey for illustration friday.

Sunshine amongst greyness

It has been continually grey and dull here recently but there have been rays of sunshine in the form of Art Exchange envelopes coming through my letterbox. Thanks for making my day to Mandy, Flora and Buel. Not only have I received these wonderful illustrations but I now have their blogs to inspire me too. So go and have a peek, you'll be glad you did.

Thawed out

Thanks to comments by aimee and get zapped - I've been inspired to turn my 'frozen' doodle into a pattern. It's definitely thawed out and so have I.

© 2009 nicky linzey