At the core of my art is drawing, so having more opportunities to develop this has proved invaluable. It started in January with a six session course, Portrait in Charcoal led by Luke Thompson at Craven Arts House. I joined six other artists, where I have learned new ways of drawing portraits in charcoal, and it is also valuable seeing other artists' styles and learning from each other. This has given me a boost to carry on portraits as learning opportunities to improve my observation skills as well as the feel of the charcoal which I am really enjoying. 

This has also led to a new opportunity to join Luke Thompson again at Skipton Life Drawing for untutored life drawing every Thursday evening at Craven Hall in Skipton.

I have enjoyed using charcoals for portraits and have kept this going in the studio to help develop my overall art practice.

I have also taken this learning to apply to drawing landscapes, completing studies not just in pencil but also in charcoal to capture tones for learning to apply to future oil paintings. I’m continuing to work on a series of oil paintings, Yorkshire Dales landscapes for exhibiting later in the year with details to follow in a future newsletter

Through talking with other artists, I have also discovered new opportunities to practice portraits and life drawing at Keighley Creative led by Martin Cosgrove. They meet on the first and third Tuesdays of the month and I have enjoyed meeting other artists who have been very encouraging and sharing knowledge whether it's art practice itself, or galleries to visit with exhibitions showing.

Although I have two new venues nearer home now to practice portrait and life drawing, I still like to attend Leeds Drawing Club when I can, led by Ellie Andrews, where my drawing practice started. It's a great space that Ellie has created and I’m also encouraged when I visit and inspired by the other artists that I meet.

My drawing practice is also complemented by attending the Gargrave Art Group each week, with the monthly themes adding to my drawing practice. I am enjoying the opportunity to try different subjects that sometimes complement my passion for capturing the Yorkshire Dales in oils, but sometimes do not so I take the opportunity to try experiment in different mediums.

The March theme of 'New Life' offered me a new challenge of drawing a baby which I did in pencil.