17 Comments
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Sakshi Goel's avatar

Such a fantastic desk you have!! I do wonder if have any favorite shades in inktense pencils

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Claire Powell's avatar

Yes! I love Thistle (deep purple) and Tan (browny beige)

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Patti Waterfield Art's avatar

The desk is fantastic!

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Stuffing balls and Terry’s Chocolate Orange … a new classic!

I promised myself I would add a few new folk to my regular reads. Love this ‘smile out loud’ style and always up for a peek at someone’s workspace. Publication sounds thrilling and terrifying in equal measure. Bon Courage, as they say around here!

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Jane Porter's avatar

I loved seeing the annotated desk! And hooray for time to experiment, that's what I'm trying to do at the moment...

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Claire Powell's avatar

Oh, I’m glad! It was a last minute addition to the postcard. i always love seeing people’s desks and what’s on them. Let’s see how mine evolves!

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Roxana Farca's avatar

I love you desk, thanks for sharing, I doubt I could have a similar one soon, but I feel inspired to improvise, I already have some ideas... 😁

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Claire Powell's avatar

Yes!!! In my old house, I carried a basket round with me filled with sketchbook stuff / colour materials as I didn't have a dedicated space. It meant I still had everything I wanted to experiment with all in once place and I could easily unpack and repack the basket anywhere in the house!

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Holly Macdonald's avatar

Lovely to see your workspace and this is the second time someone has mentioned Derwent Inktense pencils today so I'm taking that as a sign I should try them. Although I'm also suffering from the 'crushing guilt' of justifying time for experimenting when I've got looming deadlines for 'real' creative work.

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Claire Powell's avatar

It's a real struggle. Taking time to play and experiment fuels us, and refills our cup. It also makes the client work we've been commissioned to do... better! That said, when deadlines are looming it's hard not to think of that play time as a misuse of time . I often spend the whole time worrying that I won't make my deadline! But then... when are we meant to play? Waiting for 'free' time never comes so I am trying to snatch just 15 mins a day for play... it's doable and the more I do it the less my brain goes crazy with worry.

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Eva Lydon 🌺's avatar

Yes, time for play is so important.. it makes me happy to hear that you are pushing through the worry/guilt and making time for it every day 👍🎉 If we don’t.. if we leave it until everything else is done.. we will never do it! 🥺 P.S. love your work and wishing you lots of luck with the launch of your first book... Exciting! 👏✨🥳

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Francesca Grech's avatar

What a delightful workspace! I also love mixing the Inktense pencils with some chalk pastel, especially when the surface is still wet, really adds a nice, grainy pop of colour!

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Claire Powell's avatar

Yes! I have been using the wrong paper though. I find it's all about the paper... on my bureau are stacks of old paper from old sketchbooks and it's too think for water. I"m using them up anyway but I know if I swapped to better paper it'd be a game changer

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Francesca Grech's avatar

Yes, totally agree! It's thickness and texture, I forget each time how pastels lose so much getting stuck in the ridges

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Fiona Woodcock's avatar

So glad you got to the Brian Wildsmith exhibition - it totally blew my socks off, what an inspiration! : )

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Claire Powell's avatar

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT 😂 I am bursting to talk to someone about how amazing it was ❤️

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Fiona Woodcock's avatar

Same!! Let's carve out time for a BIG Brian chat at some point! Doubt we'll get a chance at your very exciting Marty Moose launch! : )

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