It has been a while since my last blog post, I cant quite recall all that I have done in the time that has passed but by far the most wonderful was my visit to Skokholm Island. I spent 4 nights staying on the island which lies west of Pembrokshire. It is home to about 45 thousand Manx Shearwaters, Puffins, Storm Petrels, Guillemot, Razorbills, Ravens, Choughs, Gulls and much more. I expected to spend the days sketching in hides but as is often the case I took a lot more photographs than I made sketches. This is great in some ways as it means that I can work from them now that I am home, but the act of sitting and drawing has a way of firmly embedding time into my memory like nothing else can.
Here are a few sketches I made on the Island.
And here are a few photos, I was particularly obsessed with the razorbills which strangely enough we have in Cornwall. Although the initial draw to the island was the unforgettable haunting sound of the Manx Shearwaters. It was a full moon and close to the longest day during our stay, so not great timing for the incoming Shearwaters, as they like to come in under cover of darkness to avoid the waiting predators most notably the Great Black Backed Gulls, but it was still a truly amazing experience.
I have a couple of exhibitions coming up so please feel free to follow my progress as I post my daily images and inspiration of facebook, pintrest and twitter
Suzy Sharpe Artist Illustrator 