The aroma of a freshly brewed coffee mingles with the chirping chorus of birds in a sun-kissed Algarve cafe. These feathered bandits are fearless, snatching crumbs from unsuspecting patrons. While my usual holiday sketches depict botanical illustrations or lovely landscapes, this Portuguese trip ignited a new passion for bird drawings: capturing the playful spirit of these cheeky creatures.

In my experience a good fine art collection is generally created out of sheer determination and hours of playing with paint. But in order to get to that bit something has to happen first. A vital spark. The trigger that sets the wheels of inspiration in motion. Finding that spark is something I love, especially when it comes from a single sketchbook drawing.

Ever since I was little road trips have been a time for drawing and colouring in. In recent years I’ve taken this literally and used car passenger time for filling my Moleskine sketchbooks with views of the motorway. As a mixed media landscape artist it provides an opportunity to practice eye feasting and quick response drawing as views zoom by.