Poppy Inspiration

They are self-sown and so of course are usually to be found in all the wrong places, in amongst the veggie patch, right at the front of the border, in the gravel path, you name it. I don’t have the heart to pull them out until after they’ve flowered though, they are so fantastic.

Linda used them as inspiration for her workshops Page to Stitch: Painterly Poppies. I’ve popped a link to that just below if you’d like to check that out. You’ll see that the flowers she worked with had more of a cooler purple colour, this year in my garden they’ve all come up with this glow-in-the-dark pink, there’s not a purple one to be seen!

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.

Perhaps you have some in your garden that you can get out and draw from or photograph? If not, then you are welcome to click on any of the photos on this page to go to a slightly larger version that you can print out and use. I love the cool silvery-green foliage with the hot pink petals don’t you? What a great colour combination.

Linda and I often find inspiration in our gardens. Whatever the season there is usually something interesting to study and draw, whether it’s the bare branches of trees and hedges in winter or the glorious full blooms of summer. At the moment, these lovely poppies are coming into flower on a daily basis.

Sometimes they are single flowers, sometimes doubles with raggedy edges like this one.

Explore the sketchbook workshops...

Plant Printed Sketchbook

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

Drawing Skulls

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Linda’s Poppy Sketchbook

Take a look at some pages from Linda’s poppy sketchbook.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.