That Lightbulb Moment

I wanted to share something that I'm really excited about; I feel like I've had one of those lightbulb moments. About a week ago a question popped into my head "Why don't I use pattern in my artwork?" Looking around my home at my favourite household items, clothes and furniture I realised that I love pattern, but it rarely features in my art.

Inspired by some photographs that I took of the bees and lavender in our garden, I started to experiment with mark making and paper cutouts.

Currently my go to mediums are pencils and fineliners. I really enjoy observation drawing, and I want to keep this within my work, but I want to focus on key details; like I've done for the bee's wings. 

I hope you enjoy the final outcome as much as I've enjoyed making it. I'm looking forward to exploring this way of working further. 

Garden Witch

This is an idea that came to me whilst I was thinking how magical gardening is. We've had our garden for 2 years now. I love seeing it evolve, and I'm still in awe of the fact that I can actually grow stuff! This time of year is so exciting, there's new flowers and fruit, sometimes it really feels as though it's suddenly appeared, like magic. 

I had a lot of fun designing what a Garden Witch would wear. I decided that I wanted her to wear quite causal human (or should that be muggle) clothes, but with a straw witches hat. I wanted to included a couple of other hints that she was a witch hidden in the illustration, such as the broomstick. I also had to include a black cat, here's our black kitty Tammi enjoying our garden.  

I'm really happy with the final illustration, and I'm planning on doing a few more to create a series of witches/wizards doing different hobbies. I'm already thinking of doing a Yoga Witch, and maybe a Baking Wizard.

Please let me know your favourite hobbies, perhaps they will give me inspiration for my next magical character.