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sketchingheather.bsky.social
@sketchingheather.bsky.social
150 followers 130 following 100 posts
I'm an artist living and working in London, UK. I'm making this account a haven of peace and tranquility with examples of my artwork. You can see more of my art at https://www.ko-fi.com/sketchingheather No NFTs. ©Heather James
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sketchingheather.bsky.social
The Pavilion in Victoria Park at twilight.
This is a view of the Pavilion café by the lake in Victoria Park, east London at Twilight.
November 29, 2025 at 8:27 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
I am very pleased that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has lost his titles and privileges. I'm not so happy that he's going to continue living a life of luxury at Sandringham. I suggest he undertakes community service in Norfolk every week as payback to the British public. #royalty #community
November 2, 2025 at 11:34 AM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
I enjoyed a walk in the rain around Victoria Park this afternoon and stopped for a moment to enjoy this view. #rainywalks #autumninlondon #londonparks
I enjoyed a walk in the rain this Sunday afternoon and stopped briefly to look at this landscape view of grey sky, trees in their autumn colours and the green grass.
October 19, 2025 at 4:13 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
This is an acrylic painting on an eight x 10 inch canvas produced surprisingly quickly for me who usually plods along. 😄 It will be displayed in a white tray frame and shown in an exhibition called 'home is where the heart is.' #stilllife #acrylicpainting #lemons
This is an acrylic painting on a canvas eight x 10 inches in size. It shows three yellow lemons grouped together on a napkin the colour of red mixed with ocre which in turn is lying on a black slate. It will be displayed in a white tray frame and shown in an exhibition called 'home is where the heart is.'
September 28, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Reposted
eddavey.libdems.org.uk
I've written to Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage, urging them to join me in condemning Elon Musk's dangerous remarks inciting violence yesterday.

As leaders, we must stand together and make clear Musk will face serious consequences for these actions.
Letter from Ed Davey to Keir Starmer condemning Elon Musk for inciting violence and urging unity to defend democracy.
September 14, 2025 at 6:30 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
I quite like this work in progress as it is but I'd like to develop it. This first layer is acrylic on a 16" x 16" board but I plan to continue with water based oil paint. It is a view of Braishfield churchyard that I sketched during a wedding in 2023. #art #landscape #oilpainting
This is an initial draft for a landscape painting. I'm working on a 16 inch square artist's board that has a very fine surface which I am unused to using. This first layer of paint was in acrylic but I am planning to continue with water based oil paint as I hope that will create a more complex image. The colours are presently shades of green, grey and muddy yellow. This will probably change as it progresses. It is based on a sketch I made at a wedding in 2023 of Braishfield churchyard. There are three tombstones and various trees.
September 11, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Reposted
eddavey.libdems.org.uk
I'm boycotting the state banquet to send a message to both Donald Trump and Keir Starmer that they cannot close their eyes and wish away the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Donald Trump can stop this catastrophe in Gaza and get the hostages released.

youtu.be/4MqPsjiage8
Boycotting Trump Banquet to Call for Gaza Action
I fear we could have a situation where Trump comes to our country, is honoured with a lavish dinner at one of our finest palaces, yet no one reminds him that he has the power to stop the horrifying…
youtu.be
August 27, 2025 at 4:23 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
I'm out and about in Hackney Wick again. Funnily enough I've ended up in the same road as last week even though I wandered about looking for a different location. Same road, different view. #chalkpastel #urbanview #urbansketch
This is a chalk pastel sketch of a factory building in Hackney Wick, London that I have made on location. The colours are mainly reddish browns, grey and blue sky.
August 28, 2025 at 10:55 AM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
I visited Hackney Wick this morning and found a bench to sit on in Wallis Road. The area was wonderfully noisy with lorries arriving then leaving, trains rumbling along their tracks and people yelling at each other. I used Unison chalk pastels for this sketch. #chalkpastels #urbansketch #sketching
This is a photo of a landscape sketch in my sketchbook that I made this morning when I visited Hackney Wick, a district in east London UK. It is an abstract view of a road with lorries parked up, trees and bollards. The main colours are reds, blue, pink and greens.
August 21, 2025 at 11:18 AM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
A quick sketch of my view from Scarborough castle looking to the sea this afternoon. #englishcastles #watercoloursketch #landscape
We visited Scarborough Castle this afternoon and I had time to sketch the view in front of me looking towards the sea with the ruined castle behind me. The top third is dominated by the sky with a strip of sea beneath it. The bottom two thirds is dried grass in shades of green and yellow with a dried spindly plant with seed pods in dark brown and red in the foreground on the right hand side.
August 16, 2025 at 5:06 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
I was fascinated by this window at Beverley station yesterday as we were waiting for our train to Scarborough. #interestingimages
We were waiting for our train to Scarborough yesterday at Beverley station and this window, on the opposite platform, caught my eye. It looked to me as though it could just as easily have been in a church. The colours are mainly reddish brown on the brickwork and the window panes are sort of see through with weeds growing up the outside of the building.
August 15, 2025 at 4:14 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
We're on a family visit to Northumberland this week and I've just completed this sketch sitting on a bench close to the river Tyne at CorbrIdge. Watercolour on cartridge paper with pencil accents. #northumberland #art #sketching
This is a photograph of a landscape shaped sketch of the view close to the river Tyne in Northumberland. The colours are mainly shades of green and yellow with some purple and pink flowers.
July 29, 2025 at 3:08 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
A colourful corner of Hexham this morning. #wheeliebins #northumberland
This is a corner of Hexham, Northumberland that interested me this morning. There is a red shutter behind some green wheelie bins neatly arranged behind a grey tarmac side road and in front of a single storey building.
July 29, 2025 at 12:26 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
Mixed media piece inspired by looking up at the roof of the Yurt Cafe, Limehouse London from the inside. When you look through the top of the tent you can see the sky. Made around 2023. #abstractart #mixedmedia
This is a mixed media piece of artwork that was inspired by looking up at the top of the roof of the Yurt Café at Limehouse, London from the inside. You can see the sky through the opening of the tent and the perspex that covers the opening rattles when the wind blows. The colours on the background are mainly blue and black and painted on handmade Indian paper and the tent is described using an embroidery hoop with string woven through it to create a geometric pattern. I believe I made it in 2023.
July 25, 2025 at 6:27 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
Here's a view from Rainham Marshes looking over the river Thames towards Erith. I painted most of this yesterday working outdoors in the garden. It's acrylic on a recycled canvas. #art #acrylic #landscape #riverthames
This is a portrait shaped landscape of the river Thames looking from Rainham Marshes over towards Erith on the south bank of the river. It's acrylic on recycled canvas and the colours are mainly shades of blue, white, yellow and ochre. I painted most of it in one session outside in the garden shaded by our parasol.
July 11, 2025 at 8:12 AM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
Finding solitude at Lands End in Cornwall. You'd think that was easy considering the next stop is America over the Atlantic Ocean but the peace and quiet was rather disturbed by all the tourists. Watercolour in a sketchbook made of cartridge paper. #art #sketching #landscape
This is a landscape I painted while visiting Lands End in Cornwall at the weekend. It is a view of the sky and sea interrupted by a range of rocks. The sky and sea are in shades of blue and the rocks are brown. It is painted using watercolour on cartridge paper.
June 16, 2025 at 5:14 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
We visited St Michael's Mount today. It's near Penzance in Cornwall and has been on my bucket list for many years. It rained all day while, back home, in London they've been sweltering in the heat. #nationaltrust #rainyholidayinengland
This is a landscape shaped photo of St Michael's Mount near Penzance in Cornwall. We visited today and it rained all day as seaside holidays in the UK should, leaving you cold and wet.
June 13, 2025 at 7:21 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
I drew this when we visited the pyramids at Teotihuacan in Mexico back in 2003 and I painted it in watercolour when we got home. I was recently reminded of our visit there when we paid a visit to an exhibition at The National Gallery of Jose Maria Velasco 'A view of Mexico'. #art #mexico #travel
This is a portrait shaped watercolour painting of a wall that has been discovered at the site of the pyramids in Teotihuacan which is part of an ancient Mesoamerican city. It depicts geometric patterns, an eagle's head and feathery shapes. I drew it in situ when we visited it in 2003 and painted it in watercolour when we got back home. I used shades of blue and pink but as far as I can remember the actual wall just looked like raw plaster.
June 9, 2025 at 7:14 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
Sweetpea teepee: original acrylic on paper, available as a greetings card in my Ko-fi shop (link in bio). #art #acrylicpainting
This is a portrait shaped acrylic painting of a teepee of sweetpea flowers. The background is yellow and the teepee is a shadowy shape in front of a wall. One of my friends described it as spiritually uplifting.
June 6, 2025 at 1:34 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
I've just finished this exploratory painting inspired by our recent visit to Purfleet in Essex. This view is looking over the river Thames towards Erith. It's the biggest piece of work I've ever made at roughly 1 metre x 72 cm. #art #acrylic #landscape #sketch
This is a large black and white sketch in acrylic paint on paper of a scene in Purfleet, Essex UK. The viewer is looking from Rainham Marshes over the river Thames towards Erith, a town on the south bank. It is an exploratory study for a painting that will eventually be on display in the hall of our house. The top third is the sky, the middle third is the water and in the foreground are all reeds and undergrowth. It is the largest piece I've ever made at roughly 1 metre x 72cm.
June 4, 2025 at 11:34 AM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
This is a painting of water rushing towards the weir on the river Wey in Tilford near Farnham UK. Acrylic on paper and one of my personal favourites. #art #acrylic #landscape
This is a landscape acrylic painting on paper of water rushing towards the weir on the river Wey in Tilford near Farnham, UK. The main colours are shades of green interspersed with yellow.
June 3, 2025 at 1:26 PM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
Last week we enjoyed a visit to Purfleet in Essex to spend time looking at the river Thames. It was hypnotic gazing at the opposite bank from Rainham Marshes. This is a charcoal sketch in a handmade sketch book. #art #charcoal #naturereserve
This is a charcoal sketch of a landscape looking from Rainham Marshes in Essex to the southern bank of the river Thames. The foreground is full of reeds with the water behind it and the southern bank and sky in the background.
May 25, 2025 at 6:56 AM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
I have visited Australia once and that was back in 2018. We visited Fitzroy Falls in NSW and this is my depiction of it that I made from memory when we returned to the UK. It's acrylic on paper. #art #australia #acrylic
I visited Australia in 2018 for the first, and possibly, only time to see the country of my mother's birth. My cousin Brian drove us around NSW and one of the places that made a big impression on me was Fitzroy Falls in the Southern Highlands. This is an acrylic landscape painting on paper made in a portrait shape and featured on the front of a calendar I produced for 2019. The main colours are bright blue, green, yellow, red and brown.
May 20, 2025 at 10:55 AM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
This is from my drawing project '805 steps along the Hertford Union Canal' that I made in 2015. It's a view from the towpath looking at the canal drawn using Indian ink and found objects that I picked up along the way including twigs and a feather. #art #urbansketching #penandink #blackandwhite
This is a landscape shaped black and white sketch using Indian ink of the towpath on the Hertford Union Canal. I sat on a bench to the side of the path and drew what was in front of me. This included the gravel path with some grass and trees running from the top left hand corner and finishing near the bottom right hand side with the canal in the background. I used found objects to make the drawing that I picked up along the way including twigs and a feather.
May 18, 2025 at 11:12 AM
sketchingheather.bsky.social
View from the church of the Transfiguration, Pyecombe a village in West Sussex, England. I developed this acrylic painting on paper from a pencil sketch I made while walking through the South Downs National Park many years ago. #art #landscapes #acrylic
This is a square acrylic painting on paper developed from a sketch I made of the view from the church of the Transfiguration in Pyecombe, a village in West Sussex while exploring the South Downs National Park many years ago. The dominant colours are blue and green.
May 15, 2025 at 5:31 PM