Bonding With My Dad Over Birds
During a recent trip to The Netherlands to visit my parents and my brother, my dad and I went to one of our favourite local bird hides on my last day. I wasn’t flying till the evening so I had a full day to do …
Tag: birds
How I Came To Love Birds
I love birds. They inspire me. It wasn’t always this way though. I remember I loved animals as a child, but then somewhere along the line I lost interest in them (even though at one point I’d wanted to be a vet!), and instead turned …
The Beauty I Love Is What I Do
“Let the beauty we love be what we do” – Rumi One of the beauties I love is Nature. Birds, landscapes, plants, flowers, wildlife, everything in nature. I love being in nature, too. Last October, on our monthly mini-adventure, my lovely friend Heather and I …
Fill Your Well For More Creative Energy
The other day I got up and went to one of my favourite cafes in the centre of Edinburgh to write and brainstorm a creative idea I’ve had for a while. I felt it was time to start acting on this impulse, because it wouldn’t …
A Fun Little 21 Day Challenge
A few days ago I set myself a fun little challenge to do whilst I am spending time in the Netherlands over Christmas and New Year. If you didn’t already know, I was born and brought up in the Netherlands, and my parents, who are …
Pigeons In The City
In one of my recent blog posts, The Beauty In The Ordinary, I mentioned I was studying and sketching pigeons. It has been so much fun. This past week I had to submit some of my work from this term to my art tutor since …
Waiting: A Poem About A Gull
The other week I put out a request on my Facebook page for some title suggestions for one of my pen and ink wildlife drawings. I called it Friday Fun. I didn’t expect to get so many wonderful suggestions! It thrilled me to bits. I …
Beauty In The Ordinary
Over the last few months I have been immersed in my creative work, in particular in my art practice. I have been observing and recording ordinary birds, such as gulls and pigeons. Some people have questioned – out of interest and curiosity – why I …
Mini-Adventure: Bird Watching With My Dad
Last week I had a few days off and enjoyed Easter at my Mum and Dad’s place in The Netherlands. It’s where I was born and brought up, though my parents are English and are long-term expats there. So far, in total, I’ve lived about …
Winged Wildlife Drawings: The Story Behind The Range
As some of you may have seen on my social media channels, I have a range of pen and ink wildlife drawings that I call the Winged Wildlife range. from left to right: White swan, small owl, eider duck, tawny owl, robin balancing on a …