As I was prepping this cheery, colourful salad I wondered how it is that so many urban sketchers manage to quickly sketch their food. I decided to just do it! Sketched with Fude pen while the main dish simmered, then coloured after dinner from memory, with the used limes nearby.

Cachoombar is an Asian salad of tomato, cucumber, mild onion, lime juice, etc. The McCoy dish is actually a planter for forcing spring bulbs. I like it as a serving dish.

Thankfully I never tire of this view of the granary/barn. This time, as a challenge, I went straight to paint for this sketch. Had to go back a day later to enhance the darks.

I just started, then continued, with one small pine cone, trying different pens and rendering. Next time I’ll plan the page better.

In the dead of winter, an exotic orchid is a delight.

I often refer to the building at the front of my house as the “barn”. However, technically, it is a granary — a structure designed to store grain and animal feed. This one is well over 100 years old. The shed on the end is a modern day addition.

Ink and watercolour in Stillman & Birn Alpha sketchbook, which I now know will buckle with too much wash.

Before they completely dry up, a pencil and paint approach.

I do like roses as they dry, maybe even more so than the fresh blooms.