Michael Nobbs

Category: Studio Notes

Short updates from my studio about the day’s work, small moments of practice, and the gentle rhythm of making.

  • It’s earlier than I thought

    A photograph of an early-morning tea tray resting on a colourful crocheted blanket. On the tray, covered with a blue cloth patterned with little white hens, are a green teapot, a carton of barista oat milk, a yellow mug decorated with a hen, two pens and a small reading light casting a warm golden glow. In the foreground, an open homemade pocket sketchbook shows a black ink drawing of the objects on the tray, surrounded by loosely drawn hens. Across the top of the drawing are the handwritten words “It's earlier than I thought!”
    A close-up photograph of an open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a colourful crocheted blanket beside a tea tray covered with a blue hen-patterned cloth. The black ink drawing fills both pages, showing a carton of oat milk, a mug decorated with a hen and a small reading light, with little hens from the tray cloth filling the spaces between them. Handwritten notes include “It's earlier than I thought!”, “I've given up trying to sleep. Drink tea and draw!” and “Back to drinking oat milk — is that okay?” Two pens, one black and one orange, rest just above the sketchbook, illuminated by the warm light.

    I thought it was a quarter to four, but it was actually a quarter to three. Would I have still not tried to go back to sleep if I’d realised?

    Of course, in a couple of weeks the clocks will change for winter and this will be 3.45 am, so what’s the difference really?

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  • Feeling relief

    An early morning drawing setup on a bed covered with a red, grey and cream checked blanket. A small pocket sketchbook lies open in front of a tea tray covered with a yellow cloth patterned with hens. The sketchbook contains a black ink self-portrait showing a face with large round glasses and a rather stern expression. Behind it, a round mirror reflects the artist holding a yellow phone, while an orange Stanley mug, a black pen and a small reading light sit on the tray. The scene is warmly illuminated by the yellow light.
    A close-up photograph of a black ink self-portrait in a small pocket sketchbook, resting on a red, grey and cream checked blanket. The drawing shows a face with large round glasses, a moustache, stubble and a serious, slightly weary expression. Bold, loose lines and areas of hatching define the features, with the portrait framed by a large circular shape. Beneath the drawing, handwritten text reads: “Feeling relief at having decided to stop trying for a while.” The drawing is dated 11-10-26, with the time noted as 4.25 am.

    The expression on my face might not show it (!), but I’m feeling a huge sense of relief at deciding to stop trying to do anything for a while.

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  • A 4.00 am pool of light

    An open pocket sketchbook resting on a colourful crocheted blanket in front of a screen showing a moustachioed man wearing a grey cable-knit jumper and red neckerchief. The sketchbook contains a portrait of the man, drawn in black ink with touches of red, turquoise and grey against an olive-green background. Handwritten text reads “New YouTube obsession. Henry did it”, alongside the date 9-10-26 and the time 4.30 am. To the right, an orange Stanley mug and a black pen rest on a yellow Moomin tray decorated with illustrations of Moomin characters and flowers. The scene is warmly lit.
    A close-up of an open pocket sketchbook resting on a crocheted blanket in shades of cream, rust and blue. A black ink portrait of a man with a curled moustache stretches across both pages, with touches of red, turquoise and grey on his clothing and a textured olive-green background. Handwritten lettering on the left reads “New YouTube obsession. Henry did it”, with “4.30 am” written vertically below. The date 9-10-26 appears on the right. Behind the sketchbook, part of a screen shows the grey cable-knit jumper of the man being drawn, with a pale blue typewriter visible in the background.

    I’m reluctantly coming to the conclusion that I’m in the midst of an ME crash.

    What I’m also seeing is that my 4.00 am drawing habit is actually a little oasis for my foggy brain and uncomfortable body. There is a certain amount of clarity and even some energy as I sit in bed awake in the small hours.

    For weeks now I’ve been waiting for this time to dissolve into a more regular — more acceptable — sleep pattern. But today, as I sit with my tea, drawing and listening to the rain, it feels like a little pool of light to enjoy and cherish.

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  • Retreating into old comforts

    An early-morning drawing and television-watching setup on a colourful crocheted blanket. On the left, a tablet screen shows a dark-haired, pointed-eared Vulcan character from Star Trek wearing a blue uniform. In front of the screen lies an open homemade pocket sketchbook containing a colourful ink drawing of the same character, with a pale green background and an orange speech bubble reading “fascinating”. On the right, a tea tray holds an orange Stanley mug, a green teapot and several drawing materials. The sketchbook and tea tray sit close together on the blanket, showing the cosy arrangement for watching television and drawing in bed.

    I’ve been feeling very weary and find myself retreating into old comforts (with a new twist).

    I’ve been watching Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, enjoying the colours of the 1960s original series and the return of some familiar characters. I’m enjoying both the watching and the drawing.

    There’s comfort in the nostalgia and the mark making, but tiredness seems to highlight the pain of times passed and lost.

    An open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a colourful crocheted blanket. Across both pages is a bold black ink drawing of a dark-haired man in a mustard-yellow Star Trek uniform, looking straight ahead with a serious expression. The background is filled with roughly applied dark grey marker. Handwritten text reads “Watching Star Trek: SNW” and “Can I watch ten episodes in a week?” The drawing is dated 8-10-26, with the time 4:30 am written in the bottom left corner.
    An open homemade pocket sketchbook containing two ink and colour portraits of Star Trek characters in uniform. On the left, a grey-haired man wears a mustard-yellow uniform; on the right, a dark-haired woman wears a deep red uniform. Both have Starfleet insignia on their chests. The background is divided into pale grey above and bright turquoise-blue below, with visible marker strokes. Large handwritten lettering across the top reads “The Colours of the 60s”. The date 8-10-26 appears on the right-hand page.
    An open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a multicoloured crocheted blanket. A large black ink portrait of a dark-haired Vulcan with pointed ears, raised eyebrows and a quizzical expression fills most of the right-hand page. He wears a blue top against a textured pale green background. An orange speech bubble stretches across the left-hand page, containing the word “fascinating”. Above it, handwritten text reads “New but still nostalgic. Nostalgia is comforting and painful”. The drawing is dated 8-10-26, with 5:30 am written beside the portrait.

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  • I still felt like drawing

    A view of Michael’s early-morning drawing setup on a colourful crocheted blanket. A small open sketchbook shows a black-ink self-portrait with red and dark blue blocks of colour and the handwritten words, “I’ve had a bath but still feel like drawing,” dated 4-10-26. Behind it is a tea tray covered with blue chicken-patterned fabric, holding a round mirror, a cream mug decorated with a hen, a white jug and drawing tools. Michael, wearing dark glasses and holding a yellow phone, is reflected in the mirror.
    A close-up of Michael’s small open sketchbook resting on a colourful crocheted blanket. Across the pages is a loose black-ink self-portrait of Michael wearing glasses, with a large red area behind his head and a dark blue area beside his shoulder. At the bottom he has written, “I’ve had a bath but still feel like drawing,” with the date 4-10-26. A small handwritten note at the top records the early-morning time — 6:34 am.

    Unusually, I still had some energy after my bath this morning…

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