Trying my hand at drawing

I've been a bit slack with my drawing and journal side of the studies, so thought I'd spent a quiet Sunday catching up.  I'm trying to do an art journal of our holiday to the UK in 2008, so I set up the laptop with our holiday snaps on and started copying some of the things that appealed to me, like all the lovely flowers that were out at the time.

I like drawing, but find it difficult.  I know you have to practice, but I just don't get the time to do enough of it to be able to just pick up a pencil and draw freely any time.  I always get screwed up with angst thinking I'm going to balls it up, so I sketch in pencil first, then go over it with a fine black marker, and rub out the pencil (cheats way, I know!)

I also have a thing for statues .... I love drawing them as I like the shading you have to do to bring them to life.  Trouble is mine come to life as something completely different .... this is supposed to be Lord Lister (at Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow).  Not surprisingly he doesn't look like him at all .... more like Moses with a sleepy eye .... lol !!  Oh well, we all have to start somewhere.

I did manage a day this week back into the wall hanging, and created the celtic brooch section for the top right corner.  I started with pelmet vilene for stability, layered with purple velvet, then two layers of gold spun craft fabric on top, and finally a piece of rusted purple silk as the final layer.  I'm pleased with it, but still unsure how it will all look in the end.  I need to soften it into the wool plaid ... any ideas anyone !!??

The rest of the week has been a bit frantic for household and garden chores ... lawns need mowing, new bed arrived, needed to be assembled, old one disassembled, pond pump died, fish frantic, me even more so, dad to the rescue, hubby home from work when everything sorted, hah!  Today is babysitting my grand-daughter so no C&G today ... maybe over Easter will be more productive.