Kay Brown
@creativityaforeart.bsky.social
Creative in development. Join me on my path to reclaiming and nurturing my creativity. Expect weekly articles at creativitybeforeart.substack.com
A trio of canvases from my autumn collection basking in the natural light. I finished my fourth canvas at the weekend, and I'll be working on my final, fifth painting in the collection this week 🍂
#art #painting #canvas #acryliconcanvas #autumn
#art #painting #canvas #acryliconcanvas #autumn
October 26, 2026 at 3:03 PM
A trio of canvases from my autumn collection basking in the natural light. I finished my fourth canvas at the weekend, and I'll be working on my final, fifth painting in the collection this week 🍂
#art #painting #canvas #acryliconcanvas #autumn
#art #painting #canvas #acryliconcanvas #autumn
This week's visual diaries are complete. It's been a mixed bag this week and my time in my sketchbook has been affected by neck pain in the last few days, but I'm pleased with how my Abaddon (Haunted Hotel) and Pat (Ghosts) sketches have turned out 👻
#illustration #sketch #sketchbook
#illustration #sketch #sketchbook
October 25, 2026 at 2:14 PM
This week's visual diaries are complete. It's been a mixed bag this week and my time in my sketchbook has been affected by neck pain in the last few days, but I'm pleased with how my Abaddon (Haunted Hotel) and Pat (Ghosts) sketches have turned out 👻
#illustration #sketch #sketchbook
#illustration #sketch #sketchbook
A couple more combo October sketches, combining the #inktober, #peachtober, and #doodletober prompts. For yesterday's sketch, I turned a pinecone into a beacon as a lighthouse and positioned a green ant on a rock
#illustration #sketchbook #drawing #finelinersketch
#illustration #sketchbook #drawing #finelinersketch
October 23, 2026 at 6:42 PM
A couple more combo October sketches, combining the #inktober, #peachtober, and #doodletober prompts. For yesterday's sketch, I turned a pinecone into a beacon as a lighthouse and positioned a green ant on a rock
#illustration #sketchbook #drawing #finelinersketch
#illustration #sketchbook #drawing #finelinersketch
October 22, 2026 at 6:51 PM
Is anyone else signed up for the Art Oasis this week? I caught up with a couple of the sessions - Draw Your Secret Garden with Mike Lowery and Drawing with Shapes with Genna Blackburn. Both were useful exercises to explore in my sketchbook
#illustration #drawing #sketchbook #doodling
#illustration #drawing #sketchbook #doodling
October 21, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Is anyone else signed up for the Art Oasis this week? I caught up with a couple of the sessions - Draw Your Secret Garden with Mike Lowery and Drawing with Shapes with Genna Blackburn. Both were useful exercises to explore in my sketchbook
#illustration #drawing #sketchbook #doodling
#illustration #drawing #sketchbook #doodling
A pair of animal illustrations for the #inktober, #peachtober, and Doodletober prompts from the last couple of days - a meerkat in the woods with a tipped basket of mushrooms and a lounging seal with a jar of candy nearby
#illustration #sketchbook #drawing
#illustration #sketchbook #drawing
October 20, 2026 at 6:42 PM
A pair of animal illustrations for the #inktober, #peachtober, and Doodletober prompts from the last couple of days - a meerkat in the woods with a tipped basket of mushrooms and a lounging seal with a jar of candy nearby
#illustration #sketchbook #drawing
#illustration #sketchbook #drawing
A quick round-up of this weekend's combined responses to #inktober, #peachtober and #doodletober (the latter hosted on Substack by James O'Boyle). The idea is to let Ideas flow and test compositions rather than seek perfection
#illustration #sketchbook #creativechallenge
#illustration #sketchbook #creativechallenge
October 19, 2026 at 7:29 AM
A quick round-up of this weekend's combined responses to #inktober, #peachtober and #doodletober (the latter hosted on Substack by James O'Boyle). The idea is to let Ideas flow and test compositions rather than seek perfection
#illustration #sketchbook #creativechallenge
#illustration #sketchbook #creativechallenge
I finished my embroidery project and personalised a pouch to give to my friend. It's filled with creative materials like a sketchbook, pencils, fineliner, etc. I also made her a collage pack, a candle, a bookmark with watercolour illustrations, bath salts, and herb seasoning
#homemade #embroidery
#homemade #embroidery
October 18, 2026 at 1:22 PM
I finished my embroidery project and personalised a pouch to give to my friend. It's filled with creative materials like a sketchbook, pencils, fineliner, etc. I also made her a collage pack, a candle, a bookmark with watercolour illustrations, bath salts, and herb seasoning
#homemade #embroidery
#homemade #embroidery
I combined a few more #inktober #peachtober and #doodletober prompts to create mini illustrations. Witches shelves with mystical books and a compass. A crow helping reasue a sailing rabbit with the help of a whale. A cat tossing bramble berries at a selfie.
#illustration #sketchbook
#illustration #sketchbook
October 14, 2026 at 1:42 PM
I combined a few more #inktober #peachtober and #doodletober prompts to create mini illustrations. Witches shelves with mystical books and a compass. A crow helping reasue a sailing rabbit with the help of a whale. A cat tossing bramble berries at a selfie.
#illustration #sketchbook
#illustration #sketchbook
I finished the second canvas in my five-piece autumnal collection - a ladybird on a leaf 🍂 The second coat of varnish is drying, and I'll be able to display it in our home today.
'Ladybird in leaf litter', Acrylic on canvas
#art #acrylicpainting #canvas #painting #naturepainting
'Ladybird in leaf litter', Acrylic on canvas
#art #acrylicpainting #canvas #painting #naturepainting
October 13, 2026 at 7:41 AM
I finished the second canvas in my five-piece autumnal collection - a ladybird on a leaf 🍂 The second coat of varnish is drying, and I'll be able to display it in our home today.
'Ladybird in leaf litter', Acrylic on canvas
#art #acrylicpainting #canvas #painting #naturepainting
'Ladybird in leaf litter', Acrylic on canvas
#art #acrylicpainting #canvas #painting #naturepainting
Last week's visual diaries were completed yesterday, and I took more of an icon-focused approach in anticipation of a five-hour+ online summit where I was capturing visual sketch notes for myself. I've been completing visual diaries for three months now
#visualdiary #illustration #sketchbook
#visualdiary #illustration #sketchbook
October 12, 2026 at 6:54 AM
Last week's visual diaries were completed yesterday, and I took more of an icon-focused approach in anticipation of a five-hour+ online summit where I was capturing visual sketch notes for myself. I've been completing visual diaries for three months now
#visualdiary #illustration #sketchbook
#visualdiary #illustration #sketchbook
Yesterday's sketch created by combining the Inktober (ram), Peachtober (flowerbed), and Doodletober (pumpkin) prompts. The bottom of the page is quite busy with the flowers and pumpkins, so I've left the top of the sketch plain.
#sketchbook #illustration #inktober #peachtober #sketch #art
#sketchbook #illustration #inktober #peachtober #sketch #art
October 10, 2026 at 7:52 AM
Yesterday's sketch created by combining the Inktober (ram), Peachtober (flowerbed), and Doodletober (pumpkin) prompts. The bottom of the page is quite busy with the flowers and pumpkins, so I've left the top of the sketch plain.
#sketchbook #illustration #inktober #peachtober #sketch #art
#sketchbook #illustration #inktober #peachtober #sketch #art
A work-in-progress canvas. The second in an autumnal series I'm working on. I'm hoping it'll be complete after a couple more hours work 🐞 What works-in-progress are you working on at the moment?
#art #painting #wip #canvas #acrylicpainting
#art #painting #wip #canvas #acrylicpainting
October 8, 2026 at 6:27 PM
A work-in-progress canvas. The second in an autumnal series I'm working on. I'm hoping it'll be complete after a couple more hours work 🐞 What works-in-progress are you working on at the moment?
#art #painting #wip #canvas #acrylicpainting
#art #painting #wip #canvas #acrylicpainting
I've been enjoying making paint splatters on sketchbook pages and sketching in fineliner over the top - it helps remove the barrier of the blank page. The watercolour marks on this double-page spread led to me drawing our two children from the baby and toddler years
#art #illustration #sketchbook
#art #illustration #sketchbook
October 7, 2026 at 5:50 PM
I've been enjoying making paint splatters on sketchbook pages and sketching in fineliner over the top - it helps remove the barrier of the blank page. The watercolour marks on this double-page spread led to me drawing our two children from the baby and toddler years
#art #illustration #sketchbook
#art #illustration #sketchbook
My first autumnal canvas is finished and in pride of place on our bedroom fireplace. I took the reference photo in our local woodland last year and have immortalised the fly agaric in acrylic paint on canvas 🍄
#art #canvas #acrylicpaint #painting
#art #canvas #acrylicpaint #painting
October 6, 2026 at 2:03 PM
My first autumnal canvas is finished and in pride of place on our bedroom fireplace. I took the reference photo in our local woodland last year and have immortalised the fly agaric in acrylic paint on canvas 🍄
#art #canvas #acrylicpaint #painting
#art #canvas #acrylicpaint #painting
Today's responses for Inktober, Peachtober and Doodletober - three fineliner sketches. For the prompt Smack, I chose lips and a lolly, for cinnamon I chose a flaky cinnamon bun, and for farm, I sketched a goat we saw at a farm in the summer.
#art #illustration #inktober #peachtober
#art #illustration #inktober #peachtober
October 5, 2026 at 9:37 PM
Today's responses for Inktober, Peachtober and Doodletober - three fineliner sketches. For the prompt Smack, I chose lips and a lolly, for cinnamon I chose a flaky cinnamon bun, and for farm, I sketched a goat we saw at a farm in the summer.
#art #illustration #inktober #peachtober
#art #illustration #inktober #peachtober
Today's October challenge responses have been drawn on sketchbook pages prepped with acrylic ink.
A brush pen & Posca cactus, a frog in a pond drawn with Tombow pens & Posca, and a fineliner hand holding a wand into the heart of swirling, bright ink #illustration #inktober #doodletober #peachtober
A brush pen & Posca cactus, a frog in a pond drawn with Tombow pens & Posca, and a fineliner hand holding a wand into the heart of swirling, bright ink #illustration #inktober #doodletober #peachtober
October 4, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Today's October challenge responses have been drawn on sketchbook pages prepped with acrylic ink.
A brush pen & Posca cactus, a frog in a pond drawn with Tombow pens & Posca, and a fineliner hand holding a wand into the heart of swirling, bright ink #illustration #inktober #doodletober #peachtober
A brush pen & Posca cactus, a frog in a pond drawn with Tombow pens & Posca, and a fineliner hand holding a wand into the heart of swirling, bright ink #illustration #inktober #doodletober #peachtober
Combining October art prompts for a whimsical composition - #inktober miniature, Doodletober tea, and #peachtober moose
#illustration #art #sketchbook
#illustration #art #sketchbook
October 3, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Combining October art prompts for a whimsical composition - #inktober miniature, Doodletober tea, and #peachtober moose
#illustration #art #sketchbook
#illustration #art #sketchbook
Creative studies: I spent some time this summer focusing on honing my figure drawing skills. I'm building up to focusing on faces, but I'm already feeling more confident at drawing bodies, and this is showing in my visual diary. Here's a snapshot of some of my recent sketches #art #illustration
September 3, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Creative studies: I spent some time this summer focusing on honing my figure drawing skills. I'm building up to focusing on faces, but I'm already feeling more confident at drawing bodies, and this is showing in my visual diary. Here's a snapshot of some of my recent sketches #art #illustration
It was my birthday yesterday, and I received a couple of bookish gifts (sprayed edge, paperback copy of Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood, and a bookworm bundle from Next Chapter). My art in the park sketchbook page was inspired by books, too. The illustration is based on an image shared by Lucy Claire
August 19, 2025 at 8:00 AM
It was my birthday yesterday, and I received a couple of bookish gifts (sprayed edge, paperback copy of Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood, and a bookworm bundle from Next Chapter). My art in the park sketchbook page was inspired by books, too. The illustration is based on an image shared by Lucy Claire
Complimentary Tarot and Oracle cards have been picked today, the day of the strawberry full moon 🍓 Self-care includes reading a proof of a book released later in the year, re-reading my birth chart, journalling, and working through more exercises in Roxie Nafousi's book, Confidence #tarot #selfcare
June 11, 2025 at 1:48 PM
A little Friday frog that shares a reminder to offer ourselves the kindness we give to others. I'm being kind to myself by swapping environments and working in the local library this morning (there's the perk of picking up my latest reserves to arrive) #mentalhealth #booksky
March 21, 2025 at 9:26 AM
A little Friday frog that shares a reminder to offer ourselves the kindness we give to others. I'm being kind to myself by swapping environments and working in the local library this morning (there's the perk of picking up my latest reserves to arrive) #mentalhealth #booksky
A recurring theme in the annotations from Philip Pulman in Dæmon Voices is his frustration with the English/British curriculum. The lack of flexibility for teachers to share books beyond what they're told to study and introduce kids to books that fill them with joy, passion, and intrigue. #BookSky
March 15, 2025 at 8:30 PM
A recurring theme in the annotations from Philip Pulman in Dæmon Voices is his frustration with the English/British curriculum. The lack of flexibility for teachers to share books beyond what they're told to study and introduce kids to books that fill them with joy, passion, and intrigue. #BookSky
Making time to spot the spring flowers and little details during a lunchtime walk make all the difference 💚 I'd not registered this graffiti by the tennis courts before, but the carpet of crocuses brought my attention to it
March 14, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Making time to spot the spring flowers and little details during a lunchtime walk make all the difference 💚 I'd not registered this graffiti by the tennis courts before, but the carpet of crocuses brought my attention to it