RHS Hyde Hall, Essex, UK – Rose hip sketch with ink colour test

Image | | jennyhillartworkandwords

RHS Hyde Hall, Essex, UK - Rose hip sketch with ink colour test

I visited RHS Hyde Hall Garden, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Essex last week with my sketchbook. This extract is a pen sketch of rose hips with an acrylic ink test strip. The test paper is used to work out the colours I want ready for use when I start on another artwork. There are always adjustments to the ink mixes as I proceed but to have approximate colours means I can work more fluidly.
RHS Hyde Hall Garden is one of my regular haunts, even in winter, but one of my favourite times is now, when plants and trees are fruiting or seeding with the late blast of summer flowers. But if visiting in June for the roses you have to remember to breathe out as all you want to do is take in all the different rose scents.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall

Cocklespit beach, shingle and saltmarsh plants

Image | | jennyhillartworkandwords

Cocklespit beach, shingle and saltmarsh plants

This is a detail of thumbnail sketches when I reworked my visual references for composition and colour tryouts. If you look at an earlier image posted, you may possibly recognise one of the plants sketched at Cocklespit beach.
I regularly use the technique of ‘thumbnails’, as they are small, (for me approximately 5.0cm x 6-8.0cm), and take very little time. This helps me to generate and make visual, a number of ideas on the same page ready for reworking, in this instance, with acrylic and indian ink.

Saltmarsh sketch

Image | | jennyhillartworkandwords

Saltmarsh sketch

I have been trying out some materials, Caran D’Ache Technalo water soluble graphite pencils and SAA soft pastels), for use in a 30 minute demonstration at the SAA ‘It’s all about Art’ event at The Business Design Centre, Islington, London .
When I was at Cocklespit beach last week I used these materials for sketching research that I will take for my demonstration. Hopefully it may encourage art show visitors to enjoy the freedom of working outdoors, directly from nature.
As an estimate this sketch took about 20-25 minutes.

Plants growing in the shingle at Cockle spit beach

Image | | jennyhillartworkandwords

Plants growing in the shingle at Cockle spit beach

This is visual research for images and ideas for development in ink and as you can see, pages from my sketchbook. Two early mornings outings this week to St. Peters Chapel and Cockle spit beach with the intention of drawing seashore and coastal plants flowering and seeding. But other subjects also caught my eye and were too interesting to not draw if only as a sketch reminder to return another day for further study.