On Sunday morning after sleeping overnight in an extortionately expensive airport hotel I was back in the Toronto departure area heading off to Providenciales. Sitting down to breakfast I could only find a table with some dirty plates still on it…and so much left-over food. What a shame…apparently 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted each year causing economic losses and a huge impact on the environment…perhaps the person who left it was in a hurry to catch their flight?
Sun-10-Nov-2019
This is the sketch I did at the airport in Manila waiting to depart for another work trip. I’ve not been at all satisfied with many of my sketches recently and this one I still feel is a bit of a disaster – especially the guy on the right whose head looks all wrong. Anyway at least I tried…must do better!
Sat-8-Nov-2019
Here is my second sketch done in Toronto – late at night just before boarding. This is the plane I got on…and as soon as I saw what they have painted on it, I just had to sketch it. I have no idea why they have painted the love bus on the plane, should I be embarrassed or just laugh?
Sat-19-Oct-2019
I drew this in transit – but not in the departure lounge. The system in Canada means that even if you are on an international connecting flight you have to exit, collect your bags and check in again. Thant meant waiting several hours for the check in desk to open…and only one cafe to sit at. The airport has a light train that connects between terminals (why don’t we have that in Manila?) and the city…but of course it moved too fast for me to draw it!
Sat-19-Oct-2019
This is my last sketch in the Turks and Caicos Islands (for a while, as I am heading back home….and posting this in transit for a change) – of the airport of course. Despite all the colour – rare in an airport I find – and the minimal amount of ink, I am still following the #Inktober prompts (this one was ‘snow’). As I was drawing this I was wondering if frozen yogurt (which is what Turk-berry sell) is similar to snow cones – I wouldn’t know as I’ve never tried either of them.
Sat-19-Oct-2019
After a sleepless night in the airport hotel in Toronto I was desperately in need of a coffee and some breakfast. I chose where to sit so I could sketch these peculiar light trees (the only way I can think of describing them) – they are like huge fluorescent tubes in vague tree shapes. I’m sure I’ve sat here before on my way to TCI but the decor and fancy lighting in this airport seems to change each time I am there.
Sat-14-Sep-2019
First page in a newly made sketchbook. This time I am testing out “Paint-on multi-techniques 250g/m2” paper made by Claire Fontaine. The guy at the shop where I bought this (Denny Bros in Bury St. Edmunds…favourite shop) explained that watercolour paper is sized more carefully and thoroughly than cheaper multipurpose paper. That means you can work the surface more without pilling. I opted for the cheaper paper – because I wanted a smooth surface and a weight of 250 so I can make it/fold it into a sketchbook (other hot press paper only seems to come in 300gms – more like card than paper!). Anyway lets see how it works. This sketch is of the departure area in the airport (terminal 1) in Manila – as always super crowded and not enough seats. In this terminal you end up having your bags checked by security 3 times…phew!
Fri-13-Sep-2019
Here is the last sketch I did in the UK – as I was leaving. This is one of those sketches you do in a big hurry thinking that you are about to board…but then boarding was late. Not very much colour in the airport!
Tue-20-Aug-2019
Here is my second sketch done at the airport in Turks and Caicos…lots and lots of line work!
Sun-4-Aug-2019