Hearth

Coffee at my mum's and, for want of anything better, I sketch these details around the fireplace. The little shovel-like object is a Baxi tool: it's designed to lift out the grate and the ash can from the Baxi open fire. My dad worked for the National Coal Board and so was entitled to concessionary fuel. I remember burning ovoids on this fire; they were solid, black (obviously), squares, oval in section and about two inches across.

I like my new Parker pen for this kind of subject. Its medium nib produces bolder lines than my customary art pen and so forces me to stylise a bit more: the stipples, contour shading and crosshatching have to be obvious - a part of the drawing rather than an almost indiscernible tonal shading.

Richard Bell, richard@willowisland.co.uk