Amy Craig Art

Fresh off the board! (I know, it's been a while...). I've been desperate to catch and capture the colours of autumn and this is going someway to do that :)

Happy weekend everyone (its going to be another warm one 😰) Another work in progress on the board - more colours and more fun.

'Subdivision' watercolour, pencil and marker.

I love trees that grow in super weird shapes and their branches sort of reach out all over the place. I found a clump of trees like this at Sheffield Park and knew I had to recreate it somehow. I wasn't sure how a triptych style would come out but I quite like it!

Little detail of the mixed media action happening- pencil, watercolour paint, pen and conte pastel! It's an absolute joy to build this up with echo layer, I'm nearly finished......

Working on something new, my biggest piece in a while which is super exciting. Taking this one quite slow to really work in some detail and texture.

New work!! It's been a while since I shared anything, I took some time off over the new year to try some new things and play with some ideas.

This is one of my favourites, back to a firm favourite - Scotney Castle. Its worked in watercolour, pencil and various pens. I'm really looking forward to sharing more very soon :)

Recent work that hasn't made it on here. My work is regularly updated on Instagram or on my website www.amycraigart.co.uk where I am starting a blog and mailing list soon.

It's a grey and damp day here in the south of England 🌦 So here's a little reminder of the summer and another part of the Bayham Abbey site. I am hoping to visit again before the weather gets too bad to get some studies done in the beautiful autumn sunshine.

Little tree sketch (with my new pencils of course) . Trees have always been my go-to subject to sketch and I love being in forests.

Might need to get some nice smooth papers and do a tree series? What do we think?

Decided to treat myself to some new colouring pencils this week, looking forward to trying these out. I've had several sets of pencils over the years, most are just part sets now so it was about time to replace them. Excuse me whilst I go and lose some time colouring things in 😍

Terracotta paint for terracotta pots! All my colour mixing paid off for this one.

A little doorway at Nymans estate hidden away behind some pots (you know I love a hidden doorway, I couldn't resist). I'm not green fingers enough to known what was growing in the pots, but hopefully they blossomed into something colourful.

Trying to mix terracotta....its a process. Little adjustments until it's right. It's not an easy colour to mix but I think I'm nearly there. Can you guess what might be in my next painting?!

Woodland den! Found this cool stick den in the Ashdown Forest the other week. Reminds me of making dens when I was a child - my grandad used to make blanket forts for me in their garden.

It's finally been cool enough to paint today! Also a little introduction to my furry companion Max. He's often found asleep on the desk, under the desk or in his tree behind me (today is he sporting a 'zombie' sleeping position).

This little tree den took a while to draw out and I'm looking forward to finishing it :)

More sketching - always drawing, always planning, always learning.

Bayham Abbey Arches completed.

Feels slightly different from my recent style but I love the drama. I really enjoyed my time here, the shapes and architecture are beautiful - just imagine what it would have been like as a complete building! Look out for more from here, I might even make a mini series of paintings from this trip.

Added some deeper tones and colours today 👍 It feels quite odd working on this scale again but these arches needed it. When I saw them I knew they were going to be big! Nearly on the home stretch now...

First layer down, base colours in place.... to be continued!

I was going to work on my large piece of paper but.... housework and general faffing around meant I didn't get around to it. However I was treated to this glorious sunset. I am very lucky to live in a very pretty area and on top of hill to get some beautiful views in my own home.

BIG bit of paper ready for something new. Mixture of excitement and anticipation working on this scale again (about A3 size for context).

Happy Sunday, hope it's been sunny for everyone 🌞 Used the glorious daylight to shoot a few of my recent pieces and I'll tease them out over the next few days/week.

This one is another local favourite of mine, Dunorlan Park, and the hidden away little summer house.

Paint is pen is and paper is .

Halls Bookshop in Tunbridge Wells, one of my favourite places -it is literally stacked floor to ceiling with books (I love books so it's an absolute treasure trove to explore). If you're in the area it's a great place to visit (and theres a gin bar next door - what more do you need!).

Magnolia against a bright blue sky, is there anything better?

Messy palettes! I don't know if other watercolourists do this but I rarely wash out my palettes.

I find I use a similar colour palette across my work, and tube watercolour is so easy to revive, that I just keep them looking like this. It helps I have lots of these little ceramic dishes to mix lots of colours in. Anyone else do this?

A glimpse into home studio life. This is my pondering spot, I prop work up on my ironing board a d take a look at it from around the room. When you work on something up close for a while it's good to take a step back to see how it looks - it always looks different like this and helps guide you where to work next (if at all).

Artwork on the wall is

Saturday studio time with all the essentials including wireless headphones, travel mug of tea, references, magazine and of course pens and pencils.

Ladybird lunchtime! I love ladybirds and finding them hiding in leaves, reminds me of going on big hunts as a child. Nature is so wonderful and the colours you find are amazing. What's your favourite nature find?

In amongst soaking up all this glorious sunshine I finished my latest piece. I believe this water feature is in Chartwell House gardens (the home of Winston Churchill).

I love the colours in this, what do you think?

Another local piece, this time in Hargate Forest. I run here quite often and love crossing this little bridge (not a fan of the uphill section after though!).

Last painting before I return to the day job tomorrow, but it hopefully wont be a long break.

A view along the Pantiles. During this lockdown I've been walking every day around my local area.

The Pantiles is the oldest part of the town I live in and the gave the town a royal seal (there were some very popular baths and spring water in the past). Now the area is a hub of independent shops and pubs. It is a vibrant, popular area with a reputation for excellent live music during the summer. It is very odd to walk through it being so empty and quiet at the moment.

Watercolour with micron pen.