Hello!
Thanks for stopping by and reading my newsletter. Welcome! Happy 2023.
A newsletter has been on my to do list for about a year. Maybe longer? I’m a terrible procrastinator - I know.
I’ve been really enjoying reading other creatives’ blogs and newsletters over the past few months. I’ve grown a bit tired of endlessly scrolling and flitting from one social media post to the next and I really don’t like how it makes my focus and concentration go all out of whack. I want to take time to sit, read and absorb. I love to learn about other people’s thoughts, processes and insights around their work. This feels like a more comfortable and natural place to talk about things so I’ll be sharing drawings, paintings, work in progress and sketchbook stuff as well as some of what I’ve been reading/watching/listening to from the month.
The World of the Brontës Jigsaw
It’s been so nice to hear all the great feedback from people who have had fun (and frustration?!) putting the Bronte jigsaw puzzle together. I was a bit out of my comfort zone starting on this mammoth project, working on all those tiny people and detailed buildings. The brickwork broke me!
But once finished, I realised I’d had the most fun researching and drawing all the characters. Some favourite moments include: a sadistic pupil of Agnes Grey holding up a dead bird, Rochester from Jane Eyre falling off his horse and a dog attack from Shirley by Charlotte Bronte. So much drama.
Because it was such a huge file to work on I had to take small sections of buildings or characters and draw them on my iPad. I then airdropped the Procreate files onto my computer and assembled it altogether in photoshop.
You can buy the jigsaw here and here.
Christmas
It’s come and gone but I still wanted to share this page from my sketchbook. After dealing with a lot of neck pain (the joys of hyper-mobility) I finally managed to get back in my sketchbook over the holidays and it’s been bliss. It feels wonderful to work in this way again - putting pen to paper - and I’m hoping it can last - pain-free!
I recently started following thefolkarchive - such an inspiring account - especially if you are stuck for something to draw. I went down a rabbit hole of drawing from old photos of Swedish St Lucia traditions. I am all for leaning into a creepy/horror Christmas mood.
I took one of the characters and had a go with dip pen and watercolour. I hadn’t used a dip pen in years and I like it. The trick to stop blots is every time you dip the pen shake off any excess ink onto an old bit of paper - seems pretty obvious but I didn’t used to do this and it partly explains why I stopped using dip pens due to frustration.
Then I drew this fellow:
I think I’ll be doing a few more of these. There is something very ancient and olde worldy about using a dip pen - you have to really slow down and think about every stroke. It’s quite meditative.
I sometimes find my weeks have been taken up with commissioned work and I end up neglecting my own practice and personal work. It takes me so much time to get in that beautiful creative headspace and last minute commissions throw me a little off course. This can put me in a bit of a bad place - creatively and emotionally and I find it tricky to keep focused and finish personal projects. I feel I blether on about this a lot but it really is a constant battle and I’m forever trying to strike a balance. Anyway, my recent remedy is spending time in my sketchbook - even if I only manage it a couple of times a week. Balance is soon restored once I take the time to sit and write/draw. If nothing grabs me I quite like drawing my day - however mundane and boring … nothing profound here - just a super chilled glam NYE in…it was perfect. Does anyone have tips for juggling commissions and personal work? I’d love to know!
Show at the Crown
I’m lucky enough to have a studio in Hastings with some really excellent people. Back in December we put together a little show at our friend’s pub - The Crown. It’s on till end of Jan. I have these prints showing:
These were originally small marker drawings that I scanned and enlarged.
I find working really small with chunky alcohol markers frees me up a bit and I love how the texture of the paper and bleedy edges become magnified when blown up.
Why EleanorsVisions?
Growing up without a television made me want one more than ever! So much so that I turned an old wooden play chair upside down and imagined TV into existence.
Anyway, this is kind of where my eleanorsvisions handle originated - my friend Jennifer Campbell coined the term. I sometimes get all cringey and think about changing it but over the years I’ve become fond of the name in a nostalgic sense.
I’m looking forward to touching base here in this newsletter every month. I might post more if the feeling takes me but don’t worry, I won’t be flooding your inbox!
Catch up soon,
Ellie
Lovely to see some of your sketchbook musings and read about your process and concerns. I have no solution for switching from commissioned vs. personal work unfortunately, it's always been hard to change mindset quickly from one to the other.