There are many good reasons for keeping up a sketchbook practice. One of my favourites is the ability of drawing and painting to help me stay attentive to the magic in life.

I’ve had the good fortune of seeing some amazing places, like the mountains in the Swedish arctic, above.

But these moments - beautiful as they are - can seem fleeting. Back in the normal routine, it’s hard to remember that, wow, I was there! With the snow and saunas and caribou and neverending daylight!

Taking time to sketch one of the photos from the trip reminds me of what’s possible and inspires me to find the next beautiful place.

The other thing a sketchbook practice does is to help me actively look for the beauty in the everyday.

This can be elusive on grey days. But I snap some photos anyway, looking for the painting in the yellowed straw peeking through the snow, or the pendulous heaviness of rain soaked clouds.

Here, I took a photo on a walk and later painted the scene in a local cafe.

It’s hard to beat sketching on location, but sometimes the comfort of a warm cup of coffee and the best breakfast sandwich in the valley is exactly what’s needed.

My aim with these is to enjoy making them. They are a record of experiences, and a reminder that we are all writing our own books. 2024 holds some fantastic memories. Let’s see what 2025 will bring!