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I'd love to hear your thoughts about the Sketches from Granada newsletter!
Hi, I'm Emma Bolton
I'm an artist and writer based in Granada, Spain. I create lasting memories from everyday moments using bright colours and lots of heart.
My newsletter, Sketches from Granada, celebrates moments of connection with strangers, friends and ourselves. I know how easy it is not to be present in your own life, and I hope these sketches inspire you to seek out those moments that are worth savouring.
Reading Sketches from Granada brings a sense of calm. It’s something I read over and think on when I want a break. It manages to convey the joy of small pleasures and how difficult it can be at times with work / life to fully appreciate them. Emma is actively living an engaged life and it’s a pleasure to follow that via her newsletter.
Louise Johnston
Sketches from Granada is all about contemplating joy and beauty in life - the big ideas and the everyday little joys that we often forget to take the time to notice. Following Emma’s journey invites pause and reflection, I'll always save reading Sketches from Granada until I have a moment of quiet to savour it completely.
Meredith H
Latest
Aug 20
Women who burn: reading my first novel in Spanish
What I learned from reading Mujeres que arden by María Esclapez.
4 min read
Aug 04
An ode to home
How my connection to place took root in Granada.
4 min read
Jul 21
How to start travel sketching
Key things to consider before, during and after your trip to help you start to develop your own travel sketching practice. Plus, download your travel sketching kit.
4 min read
Jul 06
The point of travel
What I want to do when I visit you in your city
3 min read
Jun 22
Painting the Court of the Myrtles
As soon as I finished painting the Comares Palace at the Alhambra, I knew I had to paint the view from the other side of the Court of the Pool. When you enter the courtyard, you're drawn to the reflections in the enormous central pool, which is framed by thirty-metre-long myrtle bushes.
2 min read
Jun 15
Granada Sketching Retreat l 23-27 October 2025
Julia Henze and I are hosting a Sketching Retreat in Granada from 23 to 27 October 2025. We'd love you to join us as we immerse ourselves in the beauty of this city with a community of like-minded sketchers.
1 min read
Jun 09
Why I make art
I started painting as a form of self-care when I was burnt out during the acute phase of the pandemic. Since art is a passion I've developed as an adult, it's fascinating to consider why it's become so important to me. So, here are the key reasons I keep picking up a paintbrush.
4 min read
Jun 01
The question Spanish people don't ask that helped me to find myself
5 min read
May 25
Painting the Court of the Pool
One of the highlights of any visit to Granada is the Court of the Pool. It's a combination of all the best parts of the Alhambra: glorious colours, water features and attention to detail.
2 min read
May 18
Painting a portal to the past
Since I was a kid, I've been fascinated by the possibility that you might open an old wardrobe or get lost in an overgrown garden and find yourself in another world. If there were a portal to another time or place in Granada, then an archway at the Generalife would be the perfect place for it.
3 min read
May 04
Write out the song lyrics by hand
When I was growing up, my favourite albums were the ones that came with a booklet of song lyrics. In 2002 I spent hours processing my teenage angst while singing to Avril Lavigne’s debut album, Let Go. Her booklet had lyrics full of slang that made her feel authentic and relatable.
4 min read
Apr 27
In which we visit the egg shop
Rain slaps the pavement as I walk to the huevería or egg shop. My small umbrella with its pithy slogan is defenceless against the onslaught. But it's worth it because every time I inhale there's nothing but petrichor.
3 min read