While Claire Cook Coastal is no mighty oak, there is no doubt it all started from a little acorn and ideas continue to grow with lots still to create.
Doodling really started back around 2010 after learning a goal setting visualisation technique to teach to others which used imagery and words. Like an action plan to appeal to our logical and creative sides of our brain to keep focus on our goals. Doodling was my way to illustrate my action plans.
In 2020 following redundancy and a move to the Isle of Wight my goal was to create an online course helping people develop their self esteem (which sadly didn't grow enough). But goals were doodled, in black and white, in a circle, framed and hung on the wall to remind me every day what I was working towards. Friends always cheering me on suggested I could do more with the doodling skills and that's where the black and white doodle of 'Cowes' sprouted from.
The final 'Cowes' image was the third iteration and all in all probably took more than 90 hours, taking into consideration the first attempts, the research and putting ink to paper.
The paper used was actually very creamy looking when next to brilliant white paper, something I'd not noticed until seeing different paper side by side. The creamy nature of the paper meant the scanning process took a little longer to bring out the white without losing the detail. All future doodles are now on brilliant white paper!
Inspiration for the mackerels came from an artist in Croatia who had a watercolour of three mackerels which I loved but didn't buy there and then. Sadly he wasn't there on subsequent forays out to find him. So I had to improvise and make my own. Mackerels were part of the Cowes doodle so there was a starting point to work from using black and white fine liners before adding the shimmering watercolours. The paper used is 300 gsm cold pressed and is quite textured so can be tricky to get the super smooth lines I love so much.
The next creation was a passion project 'Owen the Octopus'. I love the curve of octopi tentacles, the perfect spirals they can make, the circular suckers, the colour in their eyes and just how intelligent they are. If you want to gain a better understanding just how smart they are, watch 'My Octopus Teacher'.
The original drawing took about 40 hours and was scanned to print onto watercolour paper and from these I do commissioned hand finished prints.
After so much work creating the black and white 'Owen' I was nervous about painting around him. What if it looked terrible? What if I made a mistake and wasted all that time creating the fine liner original? In the words of Jim Rohn 'If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.' So painting started!
The first painting of the bold shimmering watercolour was more stunning that I thought it could be and I was a bit blown away by just how beautiful the colour was, how the colours changed in different lights and how the black and white image on colour looked like it was lifting of the page.
And that was the start of the sea creature series.
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