Water, Water Everywhere...

I really like this sketch, but it was nearly a right old mess. 

I had been showing my sketchbook to some Y2 children in Leeds and did a quick demonstration of the watercolour pencils and waterbrush I use (kids always love it - magic paint). I must have not quite screwed the top back on my brush properly: when I started to use it later on the train home, I suddenly has a small lake on my sketch!

I didn't want to blot it off, as that would definitely ruin the drawing, so I blew on it, fanned it and tipped it back and forth, trying not to spill any of the inky water in my lap. It took the rest of the journey home to dry. I still had to walk through Sheffield Station wafting my open sketchbook back and forth in the air (what an attention seeker).

It's odd how it goes. Late last year, I felt like a commuter to Nottingham but, more recently, I seem to have been back and forth to Leeds a lot. I was there working with KS1 children on Tuesday and Thursday of last week, although the two events were unconnected. As usual, I was enjoying myself as much as the kids. It's such a great excuse to tap into the bit of you that is still 8 years old!

The real school visits season is yet to begin: there's always a surge around World Book Day. I am doing another couple of days next week, then have a week's grace before it really starts and I am visiting somewhere different almost every day for a fortnight. Luckily, I have just about finished visualising the new stories I need to show to my publishers, so everything is under control (phew).