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Slice of Life

Celebrating every-day moments of connection with strangers, chosen family and ourselves in Granada
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 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
Sep 29
Watercolour painting of three people sitting on the edge of a grey wall looking over a terracotta roof to the Alhambra and Sierra Nevada by Emma Bolton.

Mirador de San Nicolás

Painting Granada's most iconic view of the Alhambra
4 min read
Sep 18
Watercolour painting of the entrance to Parc Güell in Barcelona by emma bolton, the corresponding print, and colour swatches.

Painting Parc Güell

Getting inspired by Gaudí's architecture in Barcelona
3 min read
Aug 04
A gouache sketch of an entryway with mint green walls, a tiled staircase, plants and a wooden window and door. An edge cutter and a white card with plant illustrations.

An ode to home

How my connection to place took root in Granada.
4 min read
May 18
The Court of the River at the Generalife in Granada. In front of the two-storey white palace are gardens, a long fountain and archways.

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
Apr 27
Close-up of a Spanish tortilla on a white plate, photographed by blackieshoot on Unsplash.

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
Apr 06
A brown leather belt with a silver buckle. The leather is slightly worn. Photo by L S on Unsplash.

In which a beloved belt gets its second wind

We go to our local shoe repair store to see if they can fix my husband’s leather belt. Its
3 min read
Mar 30
People walking across a large, busy square surrounded by naked trees and pastel-coloured apartment blocks. A fountain is featured in the centre and it's a sunny day.

In which I sketch Granada’s busiest square and travel to 1970s New York

The last few weeks we’ve had an inordinate amount of rain in Granada. So when my urban sketching group
4 min read
Mar 23
A black dog with brown eyes lies curled up on a blue couch and grey blanket. She is wearing a red collar and her brown eyes are staring at the camera.

In which I order two hearts and my dog learns to six

A few weeks ago we took our dog, Skye, to a café for the first time. Every time I go for coffee in Granada, I see dogs lazing under café tables or calmly waiting for snacks to fall into their mouths, but for Skye this was a big deal.
3 min read
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