During a recent life drawing session I took the opportunity to explore colour in the form of water colour pencils. I played with layering drawings on top of each other in different colours, drawing in one colour tone and using a limited palette of just two colours. I enjoyed this process of experimentation moving away …
Continue reading Exploring Color with Watercolor Pencils in Life Drawing
A collection of recent life drawings! Some I did in my usual evening sessions and others I did as part of an all day life drawing event at Hush Life drawing in Clitheroe. Life drawing from imagination practice with charcoal on long stick Ruby modelling- 1, 2, 3 and 5 minute poses Ruby modelling Ruby, …
In October I got the opportunity to have a go at creating my very own pottery Pumpkin. I attended a pottery pumpkin making workshop with my mother in law at the Pendle Pottery studio in Barrowford. I am very pleased with the results especially as this is really my first proper go at pottery since …
I am very excited to be taking part in a collaborative art challenge with my fellow artists at the Thursday Art Club. Together we are filling a collaborative sketchbook. The process is that an artist (in this case me) starts the sketch book with a two page spread, the book is then passed on to …
I am very pleased to have a painting accepted for this years Bury Open 2025. The exhibition will run from 15 November 2025 to 21 February 2026 so there is plenty of opportunity to go and see all of the incredible works from local artists. In the last Bury Open they had over 400 high …
In a recent life drawing session at Hush life drawing in Clitheroe I tried something a bit different to my usual pencil sketches. In preparation for this session I made a rudimentary accordion sketchbook using mixed media paper. I then collaged the paper using pages from a vintage nurses dictionary. To help with drawing onto …
Continue reading Life Drawing: collage and watercolour pencil sketches
For one of the Fodder School 1 projects I undertook this year the challenge was to make an accordion style sketchbook. This gave me the perfect excuse to continue my exploration into symbolism and create another sketchbook, but also combining it with the techniques I've learned during fodder school. The Fodder school lessons to create …
As mentioned in a previous post this year I have been experimenting with the idea of building up my own symbolic language to use in my art practice and as a way to explore psychological aspects of my Self. The symbol of a "vessel" has come up repeatedly in my explorations and during one of …
At the beginning of 2025 I set myself a few challenges that I've called my 25 in 2025 challenges. These challenges ranged from "read 25 books" to "write 25 blog posts". One of the challenges I set out for myself was to complete 25 finished, individual paintings in 2025. I'm pleased to say that I …
BRIGHT BOTANICALS 2 BY RACHEL CRAWSHAW BRIGHT BOTANICALS 1 BY RACHEL CRAWSHAW Recently I have had fun experimenting with combining negative space, mixed media and semi-abstract botanicals. I created these botanical pieces by firstly starting with a collaged base. I glued the collage elements in place with matte medium. I then added bright layers of …
Mushroom Moon Designs 