Thinking about Summer

Am suffering again with the Winter glooms. Seem to arrive every year with the change in hour and darker evenings. Have drastically increased my vitamin D intake and upped the exercise, but still like a dormouse, wanting to sleep my days away.

I loved this post on Harika about how in October we need to consciously look for colour amongst the grey.

So have been browsing through some summertime drawings. These were done in Pavillion Gardens, Brighton at the start of the Brighton Festival. Jake from Brighton Drawing came down with one of his Cabinets of Wonder and some willing models. Clear blue sky, coffee, great people and interesting location to draw - a near perfect hour or so.

October Brighton Sketchcrawl

Some belated sharing of my Brighton Sketchcrawl drawings. Was a great day! The sun shone and as always, there was a fantastic bunch of people to go drawing with.

We started at the Palace Pier. I ran out of time there (as always!) - would have liked to draw some rides, but instead just did these 2 foreshore drawings.

We then wandered towards the Level, stopped for some lunch and ended up at the Victorian Extra Mural Cemetry.

It is the most amazing place - you could wander and draw for days there, as the site is much larger than I imagined and has a valley, woodland and wildflower meadow, as well as the most amazing monuments, graves and chapels. Was so lucky to have a lady join the sketchcrawl who knows an amazing amount about it, Moira McQueeney, and who generously gave me a short guided tour at the end of the sketchcrawl.

Will definitely go back there and it really did strike me chatting to Moira how important it is to preserve and publicise such a large and amazing green space in Brighton city centre.

You can see some more drawings and photos of the day on Jake Spicer's blog

Suffolk 3

One of my favourite day trips was to Ipswich Tranport Museum.

Is run entirely by volunteers and is full of all sorts of vehicles - everything from a tram, to old buses and coaches, fire engines and even a relatively modern police car. The volunteers staffing the museum are fantastic - so enthusiastic and brimming with knowledge, is really infectious.

Would love to be an artist in residence at this type of place, drawing the exhibits and running workshops with visitors.

You can sit in loads of the exhibits - the children that were there loved that.

They also had a great collection of old enamel signs. Am a sucker for these - I love their colours and typography.

Definitely worth a visit!

Suffolk 2

One of my favourite spots was Orford. It reminded me a lot of Dale in Pembrokeshire, with lots of small sailing dinghies, a couple of pubs and a lovely expanse of water.

Is the sort of place where there isn't much going on, apart from the sailing, boat trips to the Orton Ness Nature Reserve and groups of children excitedly catching crabs off the quay. But I could easily idle away a couple of days there, just looking out at the the wide horizon.

Suffolk

We spent a week in Suffolk in a cottage. We had never been to that part of the country before - silly really, given it isn't far from Brighton. The weather was pretty kind and we had a fun time exploring the Suffolk coast.

Here are a few pages from my journal of the trip.

I didn't manage to do any drawings with my newly purchased dip pen and inks, which was a shame., but we always seemed to be on the move. Would like to go back to some spots and just draw next time.

Went to London....

... for a few days at the end of my holidays. Was heavy showers and sun all weekend, so managed to see this amazing rainbow while we were on our way to Wahaca  (where we had a great meal!). Scans of the holiday drawings to follow...

Off on a break

I am off on a break, exploring a part of UK I haven't seen before.

Since I wrote my post "I seem to have to stopped drawing", something seems to have clicked back into place. Maybe just the announcement itself was enough to jolt me into action - who knows. But the result is I have been drawing more than I have in weeks.

So my travel bag is packed with a dip pen and inks, plus the usual pencils, fibre tips and a tiny watercolour set. I am an avid reader and admirer of Rolf Schroeter's blog and drawings and looking at his recent red lined drawings has inspired me to dust off my dip pen. Will post the results! Also taking 4am by Nina De La Mer as my holiday read - Nina is a friend and another Brighton resident. So that should take care of all my entertainment needs.

I'll leave you with a couple of photos from The Mock Turtle tearoom in Brighton.

Dogs & camping

On a recent camping trip, we pitched next to a vintage tourer. Inside was a couple and Millie, the best behaved dog on the whole campsite.

Despite all the kids racing around on their bikes, shouting and laughing, Millie was quiet and placid the whole time, calmly watching whatever was going  on.

Couldn't resist a couple of quick drawings of her.

Birthday trip to London

For my birthday this year, I went to London to see the Tracey Emin exhibition at Hayward Gallery on Southbank, London. Was a brilliant exhibition, huge and curated in such a way that it made me question my previous preconceptions of Emin.

I loved the quilts, embroideries and there was some amazing drawings too. Had never seen much of her film work before and some of those pieces were very powerful too.

Out from the exhibition and into Chowpatty Beach Bar on South Bank for the lunch below

Not a great photo - but the food was delicious! Was also sunny enough to sit outside and enjoy the bustling Southbank.

Are a line of beach huts along the Southbank riverside, with different displays in each and also a seaside garden from Southend on Sea and a small artificial sandy beach, which the kids were absolutely loving.

Was a great birthday trip to the capital and haven't stopped thinking about Tracey Emin's work since, which has got to be the sign of a fantastic exhibition and an artist that touches you.

I seem to have stopped drawing

Wasn't intentional, just somehow have run out of steam.

Have still been drawing at life classes at Brighton Life Drawing. Is just the everyday drawing that seems to have dwindled to nothing.

This has only happened a couple of times in the past. I do go through periods of not painting, but the everyday drawing has been fairly consistent, apart from twice when some radical life changes left me reeling and drawing was the last thing on my mind.

Have a couple of weeks away from the office job soon though and have jaunts planned to new towns and areas of the UK, so am hoping that inspiration and a new sketchbook or two will jump start the drawing.

So in the meantime, as there are no drawings, a photo of Hove Beach from last weekend.

More Barcelona drawings

Finally getting through the scanning mountain. Here are some more drawings from Barcelona. This drawing was in a tiny coffee bar, attached to a swish chocolate and cake shop. Coffee was fantastic - in fact, everywhere we drank coffee it was great.

Street corner and lettering from a poster in the museum.

And lastly, as I seem to be turning into one of those insufferable people that wakes up very early, no matter what, I snuck out of the hotel and into a local corner cafe, before I woke everyone else up. Was bustling with locals popping in for breakfast on their way to work and school and most people were greeted by name. This chap was a taxi driver and drunk his expresso in seconds.

Camping

Had a fun bank holiday weekend camping at Sumners Ponds campsite. Although the bank holiday weather wasn't amazing, it wasn't wet and it was just great to be out in our camper van again. Was our first trip of the season, so always prefer to stay closer to home, to get used to things again.

This was the view from the site cafe. There are 3 lakes at the campsite and a lot dedicated people fishing! I imagine if you like camping and fishing, this is pretty much as good as it gets.

You can choose a pitch right alongside the lakes - well worth the extra £5 to wake up to the view. 

Were lots of clumps of yellow iris dotted around - lovely! Did do some drawings as well - still on the pile waiting to be scanned.

My favourite place in Barcelona - Park Guell

Park Guell is just spectacular! Had been told to include it in our visit by a few friends and it lived up to all expectations. Gaudi was such a visionary creative and evidence of that is all over Barcelona.

Was hot on the day we visited and absolutely heaving with tourists, but still, was fantastic. Amazing architecture and bold, exotic planting. No drawing that day but just captured a few snaps on the phone and bought the most gorgeous book to relish at home.

Would love to visit this place again - perhaps out of season and I would plan to spend the whole day there next time.

Barcelona

What a fantastic city! Beautiful architecture, wonderful to walk around and so many amazing things to see. We has a thoroughly great time. Of course, didn't see everything we wanted to see, but that gives me an excuse to revisit.

Managed to squeeze in some drawing time:

Standing, waiting for the open top tour bus - great way to orientate yourself in the city

Back of some apartments with huge amounts of washing hanging off their balconies.

More drawings Barcelona drawings in a day or two!

The Diary Project

Came across this really interesting idea on Happiness Project for a milestone/landmark/achievement journal. You record significant events that happen under their dates - anything from a holiday, to buying a pet, moving house to a meal with friends, whatever holds some meaning for you. Then you keep using that same diary or book year on year, so gradually over some years, you see a map of your life and a journal of your personal highlights.

Example 12 April
2007  Adam's birthday party in London
2009  Finished bathroom renovation after 6 weeks work
2011  On holiday in Paris with Amy - today Eiffel Tower and drawing in cafes


Wish I'd thought to do this when my daughter was younger, as there are so many great milestones with a child.

But am going to start now and have bought my book this morning!

Drawing messy cupboards

Have been bit frustrated by my lack of discipline in carving out drawing time recently. So one evening, in a fit of pique, sat down on the kitchen floor and drew 1 shelf of a very messy kitchen cupboard.

Am sure it will shock some people, iron crammed in with packets of rice and lentils. But cupboard space is at a premium in our kitchen...my excuse anyway.

I did this pencil drawing with a Staedtler 780 lead holder, which I am absolutely loving using. Am not sure whether it's the actual lead or the holder, but finding it much more friendly to use than my regular pencils.Came across it via Gabi Campanario, over on Urban Sketchers, when he blogged about these amazing drawings! Hoping a little of the lead holder magic will rub off on me :)

Drawing at the bus stop

Have been trying to sharpen my people observation skills and have found trying to capture people very quickly as they wait for their bus is ideal.

Has also been fun drawing with coloured pencils. Got a set of these Staedtler pencils given to me me recently and they are great. Don't break when sharpened and just the right softness for a very quick sketch.

Hopefully, if the weather is OK, may be some more bus stop drawing over the weekend. Is amazing what makes us happy!

Jaunt to London

Have spent the weekend in London. Managed to squeeze some drawing into a pretty packed weekend.

Started with the early Saturday morning train - doodling while looking out of the window. Am still experimenting with using pencil.

  
And you can tell tthe weather has changed - train travellers that were only wearing jackets! The coats and scarves had been abandoned!

Saturday was spent in central London and had a fabulous early evening meal at Tas restuarant (hearty recommendation, if you are in the Bloomsbury area of London - food and restaurant atmosphere were both fantastic).

Sunday I discovered Columbia Road flower market - what a place! Absolutely brilliant value cut flowers and all sorts of plants, from tiny alpines to huge exotics. Will definitely be back here to stock up. But is also worth going for the shopping, as the market is surrounded by quirky, independent shops. Popped into the Rob Ryan shop there - am a huge fan of his papercuts and the shop didn't disappoint.

These are some of the vast bouquet of lillies I bought at the market, that were well worth the struggle home on the train, particularly as they lasted 2 weeks.

Then Brick Lane market. I had no idea that Brick Lane had a market on Sundays and that the area was so full of young designers and vintage shops. The Old Truman Brewery had some original stalls, selling everything from ceramics to fashion. It was bursting with people and again is somewhere I will definitely make a point of coming back to. Managed a quick sketch in the coffee shop here

Think next time I head up, will go with sole purpose of drawing. Was so much to see in both Brick Lane and Columbia Road, would make a perfect Sunday's sketching.

Tonight I am ignoring

...the washing up.

Instead I am going to for a coffee, then I am going to watch Danny Boyle's Frankenstein.

Better than my average Thursday evening!

Nearly a whole 2 months without blogging

Shameful....

In the background have been doing plenty - drawing, visiting London and entertaining lots of visitors. Plan to do some scanning soon of most recent pencil drawings. In the meantime, these are the gorgeous pussy willow branches I bought at Columbia Road market last weekend.

Is a brilliant place to visit on a Sunday morning in London. Huge selection of cheap flowers and plants and a whole street full of small, independent quirky shops. I didn't have much time, but am going back very soon and hope to be able to stop and draw, as well as explore.