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Art

Jun 30
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
3 min read
May 28
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
8 min read
May 14
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
3 min read
Apr 30
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
4 min read
Apr 26
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!
6 min read
Mar 23
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
3 min read
Jan 31
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
3 min read
Jan 19
A hand holding an A5 sketchbook open over a pool with reflections of trees. The landscape sketch by Emma Bolton is of a turquoise ocean, pink sand and greenery in the foreground.

The Sunshine Coast

Spend the day at the beach with me
4 min read
Jan 12
A watercolour painting of the pomegranate fountain in central Granada by Emma Bolton on a background of leaves.

Fuente de las Granadas

Painting Granada's pomegranate fountain
2 min read
Jan 05
A white woman wearing glasses and a denim jacket is smiling at the camera. In the distance is the Alhambra palace and Granada.

A different kind of year in review

Celebrating the moments that made 2025 meaningful
5 min read
Nov 06
Watercolour sketch by Emma Bolton of Carolina Bouquet flower stand in Bib Rambla, Granada. Behind the stand are lush trees and a tall white apartment block under a cobalt sky.

Conversations with strangers in Spanish

Reflecting on day 1 of our 2025 Granada Sketching Retreat
6 min read
Oct 22
Watercolour painting of two tourists with their backs to the viewer, and their dog, at Montserrat in Spain by emma bolton.

Montserrat

Painting the monastery and monoliths at one of Catalonia's most iconic sites.
3 min read
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