Wild clary at Wentbridge. #wildlifesketchbook #wildflowersketches #naturejournal wildyorkshire.blog/2026/05/wild...

The sandstone wall of the bed behind our pond. #penandwash #watercoloursketch #gardensketchbook wildyorkshire.blog/2026/05/rais...

Wentbridge with Wakefield Nats at the weekend. Many thanks to our guide, Les Driffield. wildyorkshire.blog/2026/05/magn...

Drawing the pigmy goats at Blacker Hall Farm reminds me of the two-minute pose warm-up drawings at the start of a life-drawing class. #blackerhallfarm #drawinggoats #pigmygoats wildyorkshire.blog/2026/04/pigm...

Clippings collected by Sophia Barnett, a young worsted cloth mender who worked in Valley Mills, Pudsey, over a century ago. I'm struggling to find the identity of the cartoon character, referred to as 'Smiler'. Any ideas? wildyorkshire.blog/2026/04/soph...

Dog violet, germander speedwell, tawny ming bee and an alderfly on our walk by the river and canal this morning. wildyorkshire.blog/2026/03/rive...

Remembering Rob, who I’ve drawn as a grizzled mariner: the guy who scans the horizon for pods of rogue orcas; a safe hand at the wheel as the sun rises over the Sahara off the port bow. wildyorkshire.blog/2026/02/remb...

A wood pigeon poddles along, following a potential mate. She's not impressed. #birdsketches #naturejournal #gardenbirds wildyorkshire.blog/2026/02/laug...

It’s time to get those boots muddy again. My regular ‘Wild Yorkshire’ nature diary in February’s ‘Dalesman’ on the alleged benefits of yomping through mud and splashing through puddles. No, honestly, you’ll enjoy it :-) #dalesman #walking #muddywalks wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/clag...

A heist, a tapestry and a flood. Councillor Oddie and novelist Stan Barstow feature in my article in February’s ‘Dalesman’ magazine, ‘Stones, Stitches and Stories’ celebrating 120 years of Horbury’s Carnegie Free Library. #dalesman #horburylibrary #CarnegieFreeLibrary #mariecorelli #stanbarstow

Staying with my penfriend, Philippe, Le Havre, Easter, 1968. #lehavre #1968 #traveljournal wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/leav...

Not the ideal reading for a 40-hour journey, April, 1968: "I attempted to Read Origin of the Species but heard voices and saw faces in the corridor out of the corners of my eye and the spaces between the type on the page formed figures suggested by the narrative” wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/orig...

As part of a revamp of our front garden, I’ve just replanted half a bucket of daffodils, which, as they were all tête-à-tête, amounted to several hundred. They should be in flower in a month or two. #daffodils #procreatedrawing #ipadprocreate wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/daff...

As usual, some of the star birds we’d hope for, such as the great-spotted woodpecker and the sparrowhawk, didn’t put in an appearance as we completed this year’s hour of observation for the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. #biggardenbirdwatch #gardenbirds wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/big-...

RSPB St Aidan's this morning. wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/st-a...

House spider and logs at Nostell. #housespider #spidersketches wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/hous...

Soot-blackened sheep on the Peak District moors, from an archive 'Look at Life' film, c.1960. #sheep #hillsheep #peakdistrict wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/soot...

The days are getting longer but by the time I get around to painting this in the late afternoon, getting on for half past four, the light is fading fast. #watercolour #sketchbook #watercoloursketch wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/fadi...

A flying visit from the sparrowhawk. #wildlifesketchbook #gardenbirds #naturesketchbook wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/28670/

Facing upstream, I get the impression that the Hepworth is gently moving, the feeling you get when you’re on a train in a station and the train on the adjacent line starts gradually edging away in the opposite direction. #thehepworth #RiverCalder #sketchbook wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/the-...

December garden sketches #wildlifesketchbook #naturejournal #gardenbirds wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/dece...

We hear a flock of grey geese – probably pink-footed – approaching. They’re flying low, heading slightly north of east, towards the Calder Valley. I guess there are about 200 in a couple of ragged ‘Vs’. #wildlifesketchbook #naturejournal #wildgeese wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/grey...

On our walk to Emroyd Common, along a footpath between fields we walk through a cloister-like tunnel of hollies. #wildlifesketchbook #naturejournal #holly #footpath wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/holl...

Roe deer and a buzzard impersonator of a frosty, crunchy-underfoot walk through Emroyd Common this morning. #naturejournal #naturesketchbook #roedeer wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/roe-...

Struggling to draw garden birds flitting around the feeders, I realise why I like to get out drawing ducks, geese and swans resting and preening at the water’s edge. #drawingbirds #birdsketches #gardenbirds wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/bird...

Please don't try this at home! #rosemary #culpeper #culpepersherbal wildyorkshire.blog/2026/01/culp...

It must be decades since I last opened this old Quality Street tin, stowed away in the attic. No box lid and I don’t remember the subject – a joust perhaps – so we’re going to have to reconstruct this piece by piece . . . starting with the edges.

Writing Christmas cards is now often the only time of year when I settle into an extended session of writing with a fountain pen. #handwriting #shakyhands wildyorkshire.blog/2025/12/hand...

Yorkshire colour swatches for a Dalesman article that I’m working on. Unfortunately it hasn’t been so colourful today. #yorkshirecolour #naturalcolour #colourswatches wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/york...

A bit of drama for a forthcoming 'Dalesman' article. #dalesman #procreatedrawing wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/the-...

Novelist Stan Barstow at Lumb Bank, leading an Arvon Foundation creative writing course, 1975. Drawn from a photograph, photographer not credited, in his 2001 autobiography, In My Own Good Time. #stanbarstow #procreatedrawing #bellerivebrush #bellerivepen wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/stan...

My thanks to Deborah Lough Costumes for information on the lobster-red uniform that my ancestor Billy Swift wore at the Battle of Trafalgar: rose madder dyed cloth for privates, scarlet for officers. #trafalgar #deborahloughcostumes #rosemadder wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/mari...

3 shades of rhubarb. Natural dyes by #kirstiewilliams #rhubarb #NaturalDyes wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/madd...

I find that a quiet walk in the woods in the perfect way to clear my mind a bit and focus on design. In nature you're surrounded simple but stunning copyright-free design. #walkinthewoods #naturaldesign #woodlandwalk wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/will...

My new Osprey Daylite Plus drawn in bamboo pen in Noodler's black ink. #bamboopen #penandink #OspreyDayLite wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/ospr...

Enjoying trying out the new Affinity but can't find a way around a problem when trying to print text that's solid and crisp and has sharp edges. I don't think anyone else would notice, but if you're a bit obsessive about typography #affinity #InDesign #Typography wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/affi...

Sloe and hawthorn berries; Xanthoria, Hypogymnia and Vildpersilja (the first two are lichens, the latter a cushion), at Ikea, Birstall Retail Park this morning. #ikea #sloe #hawthorn wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/ikea...

Trying out printing a booklet in the new version of Affinity (which is now free). It's a novelty having photo editing and layout in the same app, but it saves switching around between them. #affinity #printingabooklet #bookletprinting wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/book...

A bit of a breakthrough tracing my ancestor 'Billy' Swift, a Marine on the HMS Africa at the Battle of Trafalgar. #battleoftrafalgar #royalmarines #billyswift wildyorkshire.blog/2025/11/mari...

Where was my Great, Great, Great Grandfather ‘Billy’ Swift 220 years ago today? Thanks to a Battle of Trafalgar records update on Find My Past, I now believe that he was on board the HMS Ajax, picking up survivors. #battleoftrafalgar #billyswift #findmypast wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/hms-...

Celebrations for Isabel and Declan's wedding last month, drawn by Florence and I. #weddingparty wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/the-...

Photographs of Heath Old Hall, near Wakefield, June 1982 (not open to the public). #heatholdhall #wakefield #localhistory wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/heat...

Starting a new 12 x 6 inch format Pink Pig sketchbook. #watercoloursketches #watercolourlandscapes #pinkpig wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/wide...

A watercolour workshop led by Neil Pittaway at the Rich & Fancy Cafe in Horbury on Sunday was an opportunity for me to try some alternative techniques to my regular tried-and-tested approach. #watercolours #watercolourworkshop #neilpittaway wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/wate...

The Book on the Shelf Please pick me up next, urged the book on the shelf, You must know that reading is good for your health: To be lost in a book is like getting a hug And isn't dependent on battery or plug. You might think me pushy but I've waited ages . . . wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/the-...

My recycled materials made-to-measure for A5 sketchbooks drawing board is proving useful as a lightweight outdoor studio/nature table. #fungi #drawingboard #naturejournal wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/hone...

Time for the autumn cut-back in the garden, starting at the top end trimming back bay and oregano, hawthorn hedge and the long grass around the pond. #gardensketchbook #gardeninggloves #drawinggloves wildyorkshire.blog/2025/10/cutt...

For me black Tuscany kale, Cavolo Nero, is about as drawing-friendly as I could wish for. Every line has a built-in wobble to match my default rather shaky pen. #gardensketchbook #cavolonero #penandwatercolour wildyorkshire.blog/2025/09/blac...

My new pocket-sized sketchbook. #sketchbook #everydaysketches wildyorkshire.blog/2025/09/the-...

The man of the moment: I was delighted to get the chance to interview him for an article in this month’s 'Dalesman'. No, not Elon Musk, but comic artist and New York Times bestselling author Darryl Cunningham, who's just launched his book on the American Oligarch. wildyorkshire.blog/2025/09/elon...