Blog

Wildlife Seen in Dumfries and Galloway

A selection of photos I took of some of the wildlife I spotted on my recent holiday in south west Scotland. © Karen Hartnell

Read more

Paper Stumps and Tortillons

As a graphite pencil artist, I think paper stumps and tortillons are high on my list of ‘must haves’ in my drawing equipment.  The stumps come in a variety of sizes so you can blend large or small areas of pencil.  If you enjoy drawing (and this includes charcoal and pastels) these are a must […]

Read more

Sketching Remnants of the Second World War

I recently spent a week in Dumfries and Galloway, south west Scotland, returning to a lovely cottage we stayed at last summer. The area is steeped in Second World War history. Nearby Wig Bay on the shores of Loch Ryan had been a RAF flying boat base. Cairnryan, where the ferries now depart for Ireland, […]

Read more

Wildlife Art: Golden Eagle, Golden Skye

This blog takes a look at the inspiration behind one of my wildlife art paintings: Golden Eagle, Golden Skye. During November 2013, I was undertaking a long walk on the Isle of Skye. It was mid-morning and the light across to the Outer Hebrides was stunning. Shafts of sunlight broke through the clouds, illuminating the […]

Read more

Wildlife Art: White-tailed Eagles, Loch Leven

This is the story of the inspiration behind my watercolour painting of two White-tailed Eagles soaring above Castle Island during winter. Castle Island is situated in Loch Leven, within the small county of Kinross-shire. The castle on the island is famous for being the location where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned in 1567. Eagles […]

Read more