Linda’s Poppy Sketchbook

These pages use a combination of collage (Linda has included some printed photos), oil pastel and watercolour. You can see some of the oil and water resist techniques on these pages, above and below. The resulting marks convey something of all that busy texture of foliage and flowers that you see behind other plants don’t you think?

On this page (below), you can see that Linda’s cut the page edge to suit what’s on the other side which still gives an interesting shape to this page and a more organic form than the conventional square page.

The poppies coming into bloom all over the garden at the moment reminded me of this set of work by Linda. These are pages in a sketchbook where she’s made studies of these beautiful purple poppies.

We always say neither of us use much green in our work, but this blue-y, silvery, sage-y green is the exception that proves the rule.

These pages feature in the workshops Page to Stitch: Painterly Poppies. In this two-part workshop you’ll see Linda working on a page in the book and then taking this work as inspiration to make a small quilted and painted panel. Click on the image below left if you’d like to find out more.

We constantly find inspiration in our gardens, as I type the poppies are in full bloom. Not purple ones this time, but bright pink ones! I’ve posted some images which you are welcome to use in your sketchbook or to draw and paint from. Just click on the image below right to see them all.

So you've been working in your sketchbook and are really happy with the pages, but how can you translate that to fabric? In this two-part workshop Linda will show you how she creates a painterly study of poppies in her sketchbook then takes those pages as inspiration to create a quilted panel.
Projects

Page to Stitch: Painterly Poppies

So you’ve been working in your sketchbook and are really happy with the pages, but how can you translate that to fabric? In this two-part workshop Linda will show you how she creates a painterly study of poppies in her sketchbook then takes those pages as inspiration to create a quilted panel.

We love to find inspiration in our gardens and you know we both have used poppies in our work. Take a look at these beautiful examples and maybe use them to draw or paint from in your sketchbook.
Inspired By

Poppy Inspiration

We love to find inspiration in our gardens and you know we both have used poppies in our work. Take a look at these beautiful examples and maybe use them to draw or paint from in your sketchbook.

More sketchbook inspiration...

A flip-through Linda's hand-bound, plant printed sketchbook with drawing, painting and stamping.
Free

Plant Printed Sketchbook

A flip-through Linda’s hand-bound, plant printed sketchbook with drawing, painting and stamping.

Have a look at the drawings Laura's been working on this week.
Sketchbook

Drawing Skulls

Have a look at the drawings Laura’s been working on this week.

Using photographs in design compositions can be exciting, but also tricky. Join Laura to see lots of examples and discover tips for success. To access this post, you must purchase Composing with Photos.
Sketchbook

Composing with Photos

Using photographs in design compositions can be exciting, but also tricky. Join Laura to see lots of examples and discover tips for success.

To access this post, you must purchase Composing with Photos.
tonal tracing

Tonal Tracing

Laura will show you how you can use a tracing method to quickly record a tonal study, both with crosshatching and wash. This is a great technique for developing a drawing as an end in itself, or as a preliminary study for something more.

To access this post, you must purchase Tonal Tracing.
We love making rubbings, they're a great way to draw without really drawing. But have you ever considered how you can make transfers from your rubbings? In this video workshop Laura shows you how.
Painting

Rubbing Transfer

We love making rubbings, they’re a great way to draw without really drawing. But have you ever considered how you can make transfers from your rubbings? In this video workshop Laura shows you how.

Take a page by page look through Linda's plant printed artist book. The book is hand made from a variety of plant printed papers. As you'll see she's added painted birds and insects, these are worked in watercolour, gouache and acrylic ink.
Free

Plant Printed Artist Book

Take a page by page look through Linda’s plant printed artist book. The book is hand made from a variety of plant printed papers. As you’ll see she’s added painted birds and insects, these are worked in watercolour, gouache and acrylic ink.

Create your own handprinted collage papers, perfect for sketchbook and mixed media painting. Then explore how you can expand your collage and have fun playing with scale. To access this post, you must purchase Handpainted Collage Papers.
Sketchbook

Handpainted Collage Papers

Create your own handprinted collage papers, perfect for sketchbook and mixed media painting. Then explore how you can expand your collage and have fun playing with scale.

To access this post, you must purchase Handpainted Collage Papers.
Don't lose your stitched samples! Keep them safe and organised in your sketchbook. In this class Laura will show you how to add your stitched samples successfully into your sketchbook and build a lovely reference of technique. To access this post, you must purchase Sketchbook Samples.
Quilting

Sketchbook Samples

Don’t lose your stitched samples! Keep them safe and organised in your sketchbook. In this class Laura will show you how to add your stitched samples successfully into your sketchbook and build a lovely reference of technique.

To access this post, you must purchase Sketchbook Samples.
Join Linda for a look through one of her sketchbooks as she talks about mark making and then how it's possible to interpret those marks into your textile work, in this case using dimensional fabric paint.  To access this post, you must purchase Sketchbook to Textiles: Interpreting Marks.
Fabric Dyeing

Sketchbook to Textiles – Interpreting Marks

Join Linda for a look through one of her sketchbooks as she talks about mark making and then how it’s possible to interpret those marks into your textile work, in this case using dimensional fabric paint. 

To access this post, you must purchase Sketchbook to Textiles: Interpreting Marks.
We always encourage you to save your scraps, but what to do with all those bits of paper? They are perfect for using in a mixed media art journal page. In this video workshop Laura will show you how to quickly colour your sketchbook page using scraped acrylic paint, create a frame, add collage elements and draw linear details. The pages you'll make will make the perfect home for your art diary writing, photos and collected ephemera. To access this post, you must purchase Mixed Media: Art Journal Pages.
Sketchbook

Mixed Media: Art Journal Pages

We always encourage you to save your scraps, but what to do with all those bits of paper? They are perfect for using in a mixed media art journal page. In this video workshop Laura will show you how to quickly colour your sketchbook page using scraped acrylic paint, create a frame, add collage elements and draw linear details. The pages you’ll make will make the perfect home for your art diary writing, photos and collected ephemera.

To access this post, you must purchase Mixed Media: Art Journal Pages.
We're often asked how to translate successful sketchbook pages into fabric techniques. In this video Laura demonstrates how easily that can be done with a little sampling and experimentation. She'll work with ink, acrylic paint and hand dyeing to interpret design ideas from her sketchbook pages. To access this post, you must purchase Sketchbook to Fabric.
Fabric Dyeing

Sketchbook to Fabric

We’re often asked how to translate successful sketchbook pages into fabric techniques. In this video Laura demonstrates how easily that can be done with a little sampling and experimentation. She’ll work with ink, acrylic paint and hand dyeing to interpret design ideas from her sketchbook pages.

To access this post, you must purchase Sketchbook to Fabric.
We're used to working from light to dark in our sketchbooks so let's mix it up and start with dark backgrounds and add white. Laura will show you how you can use a range of white and light media to add highlights and pattern to your sketchbook pages.  To access this post, you must purchase Adding White.
Sketchbook

Adding White

We’re used to working from light to dark in our sketchbooks so let’s mix it up and start with dark backgrounds and add white. Laura will show you how you can use a range of white and light media to add highlights and pattern to your sketchbook pages. 

To access this post, you must purchase Adding White.