Slow drawing - more double page spreads

I am still filling my slow drawing journal with patterns and here are some of the latest ones.  These are taken from the slow drawing lessons by Amy Maricle of Mindful Art Studio.  She usually has a lesson most Wednesdays from 6-7 pm in the UK (unless she is taking a break, in which case she leaves the most recent pattern available).  The videos are available for two days, unless you have a paid membership (which I don't).  The pattern above is called 'Bean' and I am considering whether to colour/paint in any of the shapes.

This is one of the most recent ones I have done (Botanical Watercolour for Beginners) and it was so relaxing - slow watercolouring, adding more water, then less water to the pigment as the shapes are layered up.

This one was inspired by one of Amy's patterns, 'Spirit',  but then I made it my own.  Cells? Tiny creatures? Seeds? 

Another one of Amy's called 'Grecian' but I started with one full circle and added the leaves/scales all around it. 

This pattern is called 'Prickers' and I love the complicated end result with the depth of the layers.  It was actually relatively simple to do and it built up quite quickly.  I still have a few single pages to go before the journal is full.

A little garden review - late summer

Considering how dry it has been over the last two months, there are some plants that have coped very well.  Above is the triple coloured hibiscus, although I think there are only two colours on it now.  It is in the sunniest part of the garden and has not been watered at all.  Below it is an agapanthus which has flowered really well but which is in a pot, so it has been watered.

Here is the hibiscus again, showing the pink flowers and some of the white ones.  

The other hibiscus, Syriacus Oiseau Bleu, in the north facing border, has done very well too, again, no extra water from me. This is one of my favourite plants and often features in my blog.  Roses in the borders have done well, with no additional watering but those in pots have needed a weekly and sometime twice-weekly watering to keep going.  My ferns in the north border have suffered a lot, despite me adding water bottles near them to try and help.  I am not sure they will come back but we shall see.

We have now had some rain and temperatures are a little cooler,  for which I am very thankful.   

In other news, my cosmos have finally decided to join the party and start flowering.  Hopefully they will go on into the Autumn.  Above is Cupcakes Blush which is one I haven't grown before.

I'm not quite sure what this one is - but it is pretty.

These are at the front of the house - Candy Stripe, which I think is pretty reliable.

Candy Stripe again...

...and again. I like that the flowers are all slightly different.

As all of us need to do, I am thinking about how to adapt what I grow next year.  Cosmos Candy Stripe and Cosmos Sulphureus Polidor have both done well considering and I think perhaps I need more verbena bonariensis. I have some white foxgloves seedlings coming along and have three teasel plants growing on.  

I have also just ordered some tulips - Finola for the front, Ronaldo and Princess Irene for the back. They should arrive September/October time.  

The other thing I need to do is cut down the number of small pots of things I have.  Lots to think about and always lots to do!

Accordion mini journal

For those people who expressed an interest in seeing my accordion journal for the Inchie Challenge, (I am looking at you in particular, kjsutcliffe!) here it is.

It is small and unfolds with the pictures on both sides.

You can also keep it 'closed' and turn the pages like a book.

The simplicity of the green circles for Eucalyptus is probably my favourite from this challenge.

Closely followed by this one, where I took the idea of a circle and complicated it with lots of pattern. I do enjoy drawing mandala-style images.

Inchie Challenge 2026

I have just finished the Inchie Challenge for 2026 - seven days of prompts using little watercolour pieces, two inches square.  This is run by Amy Maricle of Mindful Art Studio and I have been joining in for a couple of years. She is still offering this for free  She also offers Slow Drawing most weeks (you need to be signed up to the free tier on her site) - she does take the occasional week off!  She also offers much more on the paid part of her website, such as an extended Inchie Challenge, but I have not signed up to that.  

This year the prompts were (from left to right): Wildflower; Sprinkle; Blue; Landscape.

(From left to right again): Lines; Eucalyptus; Complicate.  What would you have drawn/painted?

Slow drawing is about taking your time and not rushing to complete something. The patterns are usually based in nature and open to interpretation; in fact, Amy encourages us to make the patterns our own and explore.  Materials are few - watercolour paper/card, a permanent ink pen and watercolours.  It is an hour of quiet concentration that I really enjoy each week.