"Sunset Lagoon" Drawing

I draw in strings of circles, using them like brush strokes to create and emphasise shape and shadow. I use permanent fine line pens and alcohol markers on smooth Bristol board but am currently experimenting with paint markers on canvas as would like to create large statement pieces. All my art are unique one of a kind drawings. I refuse to produce prints, I treat every artwork as a unique singular object, echoing the fact that nothing in nature is ever exactly repeated. How I Started Drawing This Way: In 2019 I discovered the work of Ernst Haeckel by chance after finding a selection of his prints in a second hand shop (this was long before they were popular and sold everywhere). I thought his detailed illustrations of the natural world, particularly sea creatures, were incredibly beautiful (I was blown away by the beauty of slime mould). This ignited my curiosity into looking at the natural world close up. It took me on a deep dive into the world of plant cell micrographs and I was hooked. I felt an immediate connection and became fascinated by the complex and intricate shapes and patterns in nature and the colours used were so up-lifting. I was excited to find something so beautiful hidden beneath the surface in the natural world unseen by the naked eye and often overlooked. I started to draw patterns and forms influenced by what I had seen and from my imagination, always using rounded shapes and over timeI developed my technique of using strings of rounded shapes to create lines. I also began to notice things in my natural environment, to see things differently, noticing patterns and shapes on walks in forests, beaches and heathland, even in my own garden. I’m surrounded by valuable sources of inspiration that include, lichen and moss, shells, water and shapes on the shoreline, flowers and trees, tree lines, hills, landscapes and rock formations. I now see patterns everywhere! All my drawings are influenced by these patterns, shapes and colours. My Process: I enjoy letting the direction form organically, allowing my mind time to wander and inspiration to influence my choice of colour and shape. I find the repetitive flow of drawing curves and cell like shapes calming and meditative, the perfect antidote to the stresses of life. I prefer to work unplanned, sometimes I may have an idea of a landscape I have recently seen or a flower that caught my eye or a photo I took on a recent walk, but that is all.