SUMMER DREAMS!

HELLO SKETCHING FRIENDS!

Have you made big plans for your summer? I am starting to make plans and preparations for my upcoming trip to Poland to be part of the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Poznan. Poland is completely new and foreign to me so part of my preparation is to watch lots of travel vlogs on YouTube to get a sense of the vibe, people and place before arriving. I have pinned all the cool cafes to visit when I am in Warsaw, Krakow and Poznan. Please share with me your favourite spots too.

In this post, you will see a bit of my symposium workshop preparation where I reacquaint with my favourite unconventional tools. My strategy is planning to not over plan!! Scroll up and you will see a small A5 sketch I create on-location at the tea bar and I used it as my road map to guide my larger painting.

May you be inspired to try some of the creative ideas for yourself and do make time to PLAY!

Here is a short video of me improvising and doing creative building based on my memories of a recent visit to SILK TEA BAR. One idea morphed into another and lines turned into shapes. Just trust the tools even the unfamiliar ones. Definitely trust your hands and just watch what shows up on paper.

In these 3 recent sketches, I infused the drawing process with some use of unconventional tools to vary the marks and lines that I make. I like how the slight unpredictability of these tools keeps my sketching experience active and fun.

Making art this way teaches me to dance in the rain instead of just hiding and waiting for the storm to pass.

(PS: Amidst the current political situation, please exercise care and caution in your sharing/comments. I know we have our opinions and thoughts about the ’bullies and bullied’. We speak Love and not hate.)

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ART FOOD CULTURE IN HOI AN, VIETNAM

Date: January 23 - February 1, 2026

A Premium experience. meticulously designed by Anna Barnes and myself to help you unwind. This 10 day experience is also perfect balance of tutored art sessions (8 art workshops), local town visits, guided history & culture tours with our professional guide. We will explore the living culture of Central Vietnamese people and take you into the UNESCO heritage town of Hoi An for daily demonstrations and opportunities to discover the beauty of Vietnam slowly in comfort.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION.

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Make Your Mark - A Sketching PlayLab Retreat with Artists Paul Wang and Suhita Shirodkar in France

Date: May 13-20, 2026

This is your long awaited opportunity to join Suhita Shirodkar and myself for a transformative sketching retreat in southern France. You will learn how to play with watercolor and develop your personal sketching style through lots of experimentation.

Alongside a supportive community of fellow artists, we will demonstrate innovative techniques to help you make the most out of painting on-location, and encourage you to connect to your surroundings more deeply. The retreat is open to all levels of experience; just bring yourself and an open mind.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION

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ONLINE WORKSHOPS with North West Watercolour Society

My recorded live zoom workshops with NWWS is now available for purchase and viewing. I taught these 2 workshops last year to rooms full of enthusiastic sketchers and painters. Both workshops are about how to be more playful with our mark-making through the use of unconventional tools. Even though the contents and format of the 2 workshops are the same, I used different photo references to show the adaptability of the tools and thinking. Two different groups of live audience also made the teaching and learning unique and exciting.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ONLINE WORKSHOPS

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