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Blog archive

2026
/ Jun 2026
The grey stone fountain comprising a bowl held up on the backs of stylised lions. Behind the fountain, a line of tourists is walking into the Alhambra palace.

The perfect shot

Capturing the Patio de los Leones at the Alhambra palace in Granada
2026
/ Jun 2026
A hand gently holding up a partially-open rose. In the background are a few new leaves, and lots of dead ones, in a terracotta pot.

Summer War

A flash for the UK's National Flash Fiction Day 2026
2026
/ May 2026
Watercolour sketch of a coffee on a wooden table. A more confident watercolour sketch of an apartment block surrounded by a blue sky and green trees in Jaén, four years later.

Find your urban-sketching flow

When you've started sketching outside but it's not quite clicking yet
2026
/ May 2026
Ripped up pieces of a watercolour painting showing parts of a pink castle, a blue sky and a garden are scattered on a brown cotton carpet.

Lessons in destruction

Or, my dog ate my painting
2026
/ Apr 2026
Watercolour sketch by Emma Bolton of the Brisbane Powerhouse surrounded by lush greenery on the Brisbane river under a turquoise sky.

The CityCat

Take a ferry ride with me
2026
/ Apr 2026
Today's the day you sketch outside. A white woman in a green top and black jeans is sketching in a park under a judas tree.

Your first urban sketching session starts now

In about 20 minutes, you'll have completed your first sketch on location!
2026
/ Mar 2026
Bring your own urban sketching kit. Me holding my urban sketching backpack, which is pink and covered in large flowers, and tossing my dark brown hair.

Assemble your urban sketching kit

It's the perfect time to try something new
2026
/ Mar 2026
A silver engraved teapot with a gold and red cozy on the handle sits on top of a gold cushion and white plate.

The Hammam

Soaking up sensory delights at the Arab Baths in Granada
2026
/ Feb 2026
A large black dog with brown eyes is being cradled like a baby by a white person in a navy flannel shirt on a pink couch.

February wrap-up

2026
/ Feb 2026
A view of the Alhambra, Granada surrounded by forest from the Albaicín.

Subscriber Survey

2026
/ Feb 2026
A list of 8 finished books in a Pagebound Library with their covers, including Starling House by Alix E. Harrow and Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid.

How do you keep track of what you read?

When the process is the point
2026
/ Jan 2026
Watercolour sketch by Emma Bolton of the Alhambra, Granada and the fountain in Paseo de los Tristes. A man is sketching on a low wall.

Paseo de los Tristes

Sketching "the most romantic place in Granada" in the winter sun