How I identify and use my fears in art to figure out what to create and study next. Art fears often are the origin of “art block”, an umbrella term encompassing many causes and types of creative blockages and things that cause an artist to not create the pictures they want to make. By recognising fear as a helpful tool in my creative journey I can use it to identify areas that may become potential blocks towards what I want to create, and instead formulate a plan to pursue art in that direction.

Explaining my self studying method to prepare myself for painting animals from life this year. I share my process and thinking by talking through a recent pencil and watercolour sketch I did of the polar bear Hamish. The goal-focused method involves considering the materials, conditions, time constraints, and approaches required when painting a moving animal on location.

After a surprise visit to the Ruskin Collection in Sheffield, and taking my sketchbook out to draw there, I ponder the benefits of observational sketching, developing and artists eye, and creating our own collections of oddities and curiosities for still life studies.