Drawing is Putting a Line Around An Idea: Henry Matisse

September 1, 2025September 1, 2025 | Patricia

“In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing.” ~Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), Post-Impressionist painter.

I love both of the quotes above. Matisse’s observation that drawing ‘puts a line around an idea’ is spot on. Sometimes getting an idea from the head to the hand is harder than one might think. Other days it flows easy as silk.

The Van Gogh quote speaks to me at a gut level. The advancing osteo arthritis in my shoulders and hands has been an ongoing block over the past few years leading to great stretches of time where I do little drawing and instead concentrate on writing (often using a voice-to-text app). Still I push on because making art is simply part of my DNA.

Drawing is still my all-time favourite way of expressing myself artistically. Whether as a simple HB lead pencil scribble or a more ‘finished’ example, such as the canine eye study shown here. Drawing is the skeleton that underlies all other techniques. It is the base construction. Here, I was demonstrating how sharpening coloured pencils to an extra long point offers a variety of line and shading techniques to the artist—from fine lines to broad shading.

What is your favourite medium? The ‘go-to’ tools you pick up when a spur-of-the-moment idea strikes your creative funny-bone? Pop them into the comments section.

Altered Ego: Daily Notes App Drawing

June 21, 2025August 11, 2025 | Patricia

“There’s a mysterious alter ego in everyone. Some call it hallucination, some call it art.” Bhavik Sarkhedi, Author and Branding Expert

This Daily Drawing is part of a recent series of posts showing work that was created in the Apple Notes App (essentially a writing app) using just the basic drawing tools within the text-based app. The basic art is sometimes resized and enhanced in Procreate 5 on my 12.9” iPad Pro. Over the past year or so I have experimented with simple drawings made with these rudimentary drawing tools iPad Pro using a second-generation Apple Pencil as my sketching pencil, ink pen and paint brush.

I often write a paragraph or two story idea reflecting my daily Notes app sketch. Here is an excerpt from the Altered Ego work-in-progress story:

“She woke up feeling fuzzy-headed, one foot still in the sleep world and the other planted firmly on the floor beside her bed, feeling something heavy and oppressive commanding her thoughts. Thoughts that were still back in the realm of the sleeping, not quite connecting with the waking world.”

This exercise has been an effort to show that all the bells and whistles contained in dedicated paint applications are not always needed to create interesting art. If you try the experiment of sketching in the Notes app with its in-app drawing tools, please post a link to your work in the comment section.

Notes App Drawing – World of Many Suns

June 8, 2025June 8, 2025 | Patricia

“If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendour of the mighty one.” ~ from the Bhagavad Gita, a quote made famous by J. Robert Oppenheimer in reference to the atomic bomb.

What would happen if the earth was thrown into a system with multiple suns? Would it survive? Could it adapt? If life was sustained, how would it be different?

This Daily Drawing is part of a recent series of posts showing work that was created in the Apple Notes App (essentially a writing app) using just the basic drawing tools within the text-based app. The basic art is sometimes resized and enhanced in Procreate 5 on my 12.9” iPad Pro.

Over the past year or so I have experimented with simple drawings made with these rudimentary drawing tools iPad Pro using a second-generation Apple Pencil as my sketching pencil, ink pen and paint brush. This exercise has been an effort to show that all the bells and whistles contained in dedicated paint applications are not always needed to create something interesting where there was nothing before.

If you try the experiment of sketching in the Notes app with its in-app drawing tools, please post a link to your work in the comment section.

‘EYE SEA’ – A Wee play on words

May 23, 2025May 23, 2025 | Patricia

“Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.” ~ Wayne Dyer

This Daily Drawing is part of a recent series of posts showing work that was created in the Apple Notes App (essentially a writing app) using just the basic drawing tools offered within the text-based app. The basic art is sometimes resized and enhanced in Procreate 5 on my 12.9” iPad Pro.

If you try this experiment, sketching in the Notes app with its in-app tools, please post a link to your work in the comment section.

One of my first ipad drawings was drawn in 2016 using the ‘we transfer Paper’ App

November 13, 2024November 13, 2024 | Patricia

I remember being so excited about the iPad app, Paper by We Transfer. Love the notebook format and the ability to save collections.

This first drawing, a design for a Christmas holiday card, was drawn on Friday, February 12, 2016 at 1:17 AM using just the rudimentary tools available within the Paper app.

Basic drawing and fill tools are offered:

I love the journals configuration of the app that lets the user save collections of work in separate books.

If you are using the Paper app, post a link in the comments.

Analogue collage Digitally-Enhanced

October 15, 2024October 15, 2024 | Patricia

“The word ‘collage’ comes from the French word “coller” which means to stick together or to glue.”

What is collage art in simple words?

Collage is an art-making technique where pieces of paper, pictures, and other things are arranged and stuck down onto a surface. It often includes magazine and newspaper clippings (though I generally like to use only content I have created), photographs, ribbons, paint, bits of colored or handmade papers, portions of other artwork or texts, and other found items.

I have always loved creating collage art. Enjoying the extra dimension of layers of added paper or other materials.

This small piece was created some months ago. I started by ripping pieces from a landscape texture sheet in one of my sketchbooks, shaping as I tore, to use as the broad areas of the apple shape. Then I added paint splatters and a light was in the background. The black ink lines were added in Procreate 5 on my 12.9” iPad Pro.

I am currently working on publishing a book of my Apple artwork. I have 25-30 Apple art works at present.

Do you incorporate collage into your art? If so, please post a link to your work in the comment section.

Somewhere There IS A Light: Apple NOTES APP Drawing

October 4, 2024October 4, 2024 | Patricia

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” ~ Desmond Tutu

Some followers may know that I have been battling with debilitating osteo Arthritis for several years which has thrown a spanner into my art practice. On those days when I cannot work with analogue materials, I often draw on my iPad. This Daily Drawing is part of a recent series of posts showing work that was created in the Apple Notes App (essentially a writing app) using just the basic drawing tools offered within the text-based app. The basic art is sometimes imported into Procreate 5 on my 12.9” iPad Pro and enhanced.

If you try this experiment, sketching in the Notes app with its in-app tools, please post a link to your work in the comment section.

notes app drawing: SightLines

July 15, 2024November 17, 2024 | Patricia

“Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.” ~ Jonathan Swift

Another of my daily scribbles using the simple drawing tools offered in the Apple Notes app. Edited in Procreate on my 12.9” iPad Pro. I dubbed this drawing “Sightlines“ to represent the volumes of information that we are taking in and processing every day. This is a particularly virulent time history, politically, environmentally and technologically. Trying to keep up with the latest news while dealing with the vagaries of life can be overwhelming. We artists and writers generally internalize the environment around us and these events can appear in our work—often unconsciously. How do current events affect your work?

The chronic arthritis in my shoulders complicates the making of traditional analog art. On days when it is particularly problematic, I often draw on my iPad Pro in apps such as Procreate, Adobe Fresco and other dedicated painting apps. Lately, however, I have been enjoying the simplicity of the Apple Notes app drawing tools as a vehicle for creativity. I generally use the Apple Pencil for navigating around the tablet to cause less stress on my hands. In this drawing I primarily used the Notes app pencil and crayon tools. If you are dealing with arthritis or another challenge, what are some ways that you continue to be able do your creative work? Would love to hear from you in the comments.

Back to Daily Painting: A Wee Apple

January 22, 2024January 22, 2024 | Patricia

“The apple cannot be stuck back on the Tree of Knowledge; once we begin to see, we are doomed and challenged to seek the strength to see more, not less.” ~ Arthur Miller, American Playwright

It has been a long, frustrating period for my creative practice. Chronic pain in my right hand, wrist and shoulder have been a challenge. After performing the regular tasks of living, there is often little dexterity left to make art.

That being said, after a lengthy sojourn away from daily sketching, I am back trying to re-establish this daily habit. Right now it’s in a tiny 3.5” x 4.5” notebook beside my bed where I scribble something in each day. I try for morning but sometimes the deed gets done in the evening. This is a small coloured pencil drawing of an imagined apple to add to my large collection of apple art. Do any of you have a daily creative practice? How do you motivate yourself?

Trisha’s Daily Painting

Use It or Lose It!

Daily Art