While things are quiet in the studio and most of my creative energy is going into revamping the Creative Spark ecourse this month, I do like to play in my sketchbook, especially with oil pastels and Neocolors.

Here’s a little selection of what’s been going on in ye olde sketchbooke the past couple of weeks. Some are just play in and of themselves, and some are done with a mind to working them up as paintings later.

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fish in oil pastels {from a photo I took at a garden centre recently – you never know where inspiration is lurking!}

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An abstract inspired by an image found on Pinterest. Learned a couple of new things about adding marks over layers and using unexpected colours. {Salmon pink I’m talking about you.}

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The outdoor studio, with studio buddy sidling about, probably hoping the oil pastels were edible.

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Another Pinterest image inspired oil pastel drawing. Really loving the big expanse of orange.

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And yes, another image inspired by Pinterest! {The holy grail of inspiration for me lately.} This one, in Neocolors and pen, was for Susannah Conway’s August Break prompt, Reflection.

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A work in progress, in oil pastel. Love this idea of a scene made abstract by rain.