Husb and I had another long walk in the late summer sunshine this afternoon, stopping for a rest at the Gorsedd Stones in Singleton Park. It’s a tradition in Wales that the annual National Eisteddfod (the arts festival) erects a stone circle on each Eisteddfod site. The Eisteddfod moves around every year so there are many Gorsedd Circles now all over Wales. This one was erected in Swansea in 1925, the very first was in Aberdare in 1861. There’s a flat ‘Logan’ stone in the centre and that’s where I sat to do this quick sketch into my tiny A6 spotty sketchbook with Faber Castell Pitt pens, size S and M.
Funny Old Day
27 AugIt’s been one of those bleurgh days that feel like nothing’s been done, although when you add it up, it’s not such a waste of space after all. Husb and I have been foraging for blackberries for the past couple of weeks, apparently it’s a bumper year, and we’ve made a fair bit of bramble jelly and blackberry cordial. We’ve been stockpiling the pulp in the freezer and got it out today to sieve the seeds out of it. Long and tedious, but there was nothing much else to do in this miserable weather. I added three quarters of a pound of sugar to each pound of pulp and cooked it up in a preserving pan, making 5 jars of blackberry butter. It’s excellent for filling a classic Victoria Sandwich and I like it dolloped on a warm croissant.
Fruit butters were popular with the Victorians and are a good way of using up pulp when you make jelly and cordial (that’s the British jelly, which is like jam without the bits). I always use the classic book on preserving by David and Rose Mabey, which gives interesting facts and history about the different preserves as well as excellent recipes. I bought it when I were a lass back in the 1970s and it’s falling to bits now, but I’ve never found a better one.
I hadn’t done any drawing throughout the day so I quickly sketched Husb this evening as he watched BBC4s ‘Bright Lights, Brilliant Minds, A Tale Of Three Cities’, an excellent mini series on the arts narrated by James Fox. This week it’s Paris in 1928. Fascinating. It was Vienna 1908 last week and New York 1951 next week. I used my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 tablet and a free Markers app, sketching in white and greys on top of a dark ground, his face lit up from below by his laptop.
Daps And Brambles
26 AugHusb and I are making the most of the gentle weather to get down to the beach as often as possible. It’s a beautiful place and not as appreciated as it should be. We had a good walk this evening at high tide and an added bonus ….. there were loads of brambles in the woodland fringing the beach and we foraged four pounds (almost 2 kilos) of ripe blackberries. They’ll be converted to blackberry jelly tomorrow. I can smell them cooking now, filling the house with the scent of late summer.
I stood at the edge of the waves and had another go at drawing the sea, concentrating on finding marks that conveyed the impression of water. I haven’t cracked it yet, long way to go, but I’ll persevere. It was much easier drawing my dap. In other parts of the world they’re trainers, baseball boots, bumpers, convers, gym shoes, plimsolls, sneakers, but round here they’re daps.
Drawn with Faber Castell Pitt drawing pens, sizes S, F, M and B, into my tiny A6 spotty sketchbook.
Why Is The Ocean Green?
25 AugBecause the sea weed. [GROAN] That’s what happens when I spend a couple of days with small nephews.
A traditional rainy bank holiday in Britain again. It’s been tipping down all day but cleared up a bit this evening so Husb and I headed down to the beach; he ran 7k along the promenade and I worked out on the free gym equipment.
The tide was fully in and just a few feet from the edge of the prom, so I wandered down and dipped my toes. And drew them. It’s hard finding marks to protray the sea, especially when you just have a fine pen, but I did my best. The sea weed sloshed over my toes. It tickled.
Drawn with a Faber Castell Pitt drawing pen, size S, into my little A6 spotty sketchbook.
Drawing In The Dark
23 AugHusb and I took two little relatives to the cinema to see the first episode of the new Doctor Who series this evening. I had a quick scribble in the darkness. I could see the faces in the light from the big screen, but couldn’t see my sketchbook. It’s a good exercise.
Earlier we stopped for a drink in a local café and I sketched this Nana and grandson at the counter, just a couple of minutes before they sat down. I used a Faber Castell Pitt drawing pen size S into my leather bound Steampunk sketchbook.
Red Hair
22 AugHere’s the second digital drawing I made at life drawing this week at Swansea Print Workshop. I started with a very dark ground and worked over it in white and greys with touches of red in the hair and blue on the tattoos.
I drew with my Samsung Galaxy Tablet Note 8 using the free Markers app. This model reminds me very much of the sort of models drawn by Egon Shiele.
Head And Hair
21 AugJust back from life drawing at Swansea Print Workshop. Here’s one of the digital sketches I did with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet Note 8 using the free Markers app.
I saved the drawing as I went along and put it into a slideshow gallery to show the development of the sketch. This model has a very distinctive face with a lot of difference between the hair on his head and beard which is interesting to draw.
Slumped In The Sand
20 AugHusb and I have taken a few days off work for a bit of a holiday and have never been busier! We have had some little relatives staying and that’s when we realise the advantages of living near the sea. Small children love the beach, it’s free and there are plenty of people to sketch .
And after a quick scribble, I get the chance to slump in the sand, catching a bit of sunshine, although there’s already a bit of an Autumn chill in the air. This is drawn with a Faber Castell Pitt drawing pen size F into my leather Steampunk sketchbook, size A5.