Jasmine and Dylan

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.
Today's is my children snuggled up together.

It's coloured pencils on brown paper. Caran d' ache watersoluable pencils and Derwent Inktense but I have decided to leave them as pencil lines and not take a brush and wash the colour around. Included an earlier version too.

Fern

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is a fern. (Actually yesterday's as I fell asleep with my kids again).

Jasmine playing a game.

I'm creating a drawing a day for the art of it.
Today's is my daughter playing.
We went to a fair and they had this log you sit, on surrounded by hay bails, and you hit your opponent with a sack filled with stuffing till someone falls off the log.

Jasmine has just knocked the other girl off and is victorious!

I forgot my art stuff so this in the inside cover of my diary and the pen that was in my handbag, but it's 10:30 at night and the baby only just went to sleep and I'm beat, so I am not doing another drawing!

Waterfall, ok I confess, I'm a little obsessed with waterfalls

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is a waterfall. I have done several waterfalls, but like the raw power, the eternalness, more and more and more water wearing away stone. It reassures me that the natural world is still a force to be reckoned with, we still have abundance, we simply need integrity and organisation to have a healthy world.

Flower in the park.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is a flower found growing in the park.

Water lilies and gold fish.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is water lilies and goldfish.

No need to get too hung up on "the colours things are" look closely and they are often not the colours we traditionally associate with them. Look out for a brown tree trunk and you soon realise that they are usually grey, green black or silver in various combinations.

Here are water lilies that are not green, water that is not blue and goldfish that are not orange (I admit that one is artistic licence as they sure are orange!) I hope you like it.

Tulips drawn with one continuous line.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's are tulips, drawn with one continuous line. Why? It seemed like a fun idea at the time.

My son Dylan (11 months yesterday).

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.
Today's is my son Dylan.

Happiness diagram!

I'm creating a drawing a day, because it makes me happy!
Today's requires viewer participation, you fill in the diagram and then make a short plan to have more sunshine yellow in your life! 😃

Tiger, watchful and relaxed at once.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is a tiger. My daughter and I recently sponsored a snow leopard, but this is actually her favourite animal.

Jasmine my ethereal muse.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art it.

Today's is my daughter Jasmine, I have drawn it on a beer mat. Jasmine is having hot chocolate in the pub at dinner time.

I guess you can draw anywhere and you don't need expensive materials, although they should be good enough not to mess you up.

Horse, little quick sketch.

I'm creating a drawing a day for the art of it.
Today's is a horse, on paper I coloured earlier today and let dry, then I drew on it this evening.
It's a rapid little sketch but I think it has personality.

Malaysian palm trees and beach in the background.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.
Today's is some palm trees in Malaysia.

Duck.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.
Today's is a duck.

Geese

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.
Today's are two geese.
They seem to work as a team, one was head down eating, and one was watching me draw, and anything else that moved in the environment. After some minutes the watchful one decided I was not a threat and started to eat too.

Cat. Domestic cat that is.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.
Today's is a cat.

Ladybird

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.
Today's is a ladybird.

Mexican day of the dead skull.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is a day of the dead skull, Mexican style.

Apple blossom garden.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is the apple blossom and jumble of pots in my mum's back garden.

Chicks

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's are two chicks.

Jumbled boats on the south coast of England.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is a jumble of boats on the south coast, UK.

I've done this with my caran d'ache, watersoluable pencils, my dad gave me when I was about 12, they are beloved, and some inktense pencils my dad recommend a few years back. He's really good at the technical aspects of art and always keeps me straight on materials.

Also I can't recommend enough giving kids usable materials, if you can't cut out with the scissors, then giving them to your kid is a way to teach them that they "can't do art."

Vienna.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is in Vienna, I was here 2004. Don't leave it off your list!

Elephant, and thoughts about war.

I'm creating a drawing a day for the art of it. Today's is an elephant.

When I was about 21 I went to Berlin Zoo, and read there, that one of the first casualties of allied bombing of Germany was Berlin Zoo's elephant. To me this has since stood as an example of what happens when politicians persuade people to hate - non combatants die.

If someone is telling you that some group is the cause of your troubles, they are lying to you. You are the cause and the solution to your troubles. He who says "It's all the tall people, they look down on everyone else." or "It is the people who believe in the monkey God, they are cheeky and will take all the bananas if you let them in our club." that person is lying to you for personal gain.

Leopard. Fine pens and markers on paper.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is my favourite animal, a leopard.
Perhaps you are not supposed to say this about your own work but I really like this drawing, it went well. So often I can't be bothered to draw, it's too late, I don't feel happy enough, then I do and I get drawn into it and enjoy it and enjoy the result. Perhaps the days I least feel like creating are the days I most need to.

View from Hove by Brighton.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is my aunt's balcony, where she grows a mini jungle and has a lovely view of the sea and Georgian buildings I think.

Apples on brown paper, mixed media.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's are some apples with pen, watersoluable pencils and markers.

I used to think still lifes of fruit and such were not really proper subjects for artists, just for practice, like playing scales on the piano. When I was about ninteen the Tate got together a vast collection of Cezanne's work and I went up to London to see it, I will never forget standing in front of Cezanne's Apples and Oranges, rooted to the earth and elated all at once, no art book does it justice - they are the most alive and appley apples in the cosmos! The beautiful reality of really caught on canvas.

If I just once give another human the kind of lift that I buzzed on all that day with some peace of mine, l have lived a worthwhile life.

Anyway, here are my apples, I'm not going to compare them unfavourably with Cezanne's work - if I started down that read I would quit drawing by the end of the day!

Musketeeress!

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is a fanciful young woman who has been hiding a sword under her cloak!

Two boats catch a scrap of sunlight in a muddy river.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Here is today's, boats in Egypt.

Wolf.

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

This is yesterday's drawing ( I fell asleep putting my kids to bed again - sorry).

Wolf on brown paper. Markers, fine pen and tipex.

Bird pattern

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is a bird pattern.

My Brother

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is my big brother. I've aged him a bit with my line drawing (sorry Andrew

I'm creating a drawing a day for a year, just for the art of it.

Today's is my big brother. I've aged him a bit with my line drawing (sorry Andrew).

One of my most valuable ideas about art, is to treat every work of art like putting out a fire. You are a fireman and you simply have to go in there and rescue people, you can't "not be inspired today" or "fires are not really my thing, more of a car wreck person" no, you get in there and rescue people till it's done or clearly impossible.

This drawing went through several uncomfortable stages but I bulldozed on and it's turned out OK, at any rate it's definitely better than second guessing myself into no drawing at the end at all! Hope that helps someone. Best, Kirsteen