Tired after a long day of eating, meeting and being on my best behaviour, I sketched this to stay awake at the airport in Hanoi, waiting for my homeward flight at 1:20 am. Given how late it was I think I can be forgiven for my spelling (it should say tail end)?
Thu-15-Nov-2018
Taking a moment in my hotel room in Hanoi after work and before I go out to eat, I thought I’d test out a new brush/felt tip pen which I won at life drawing. I thought it was permanent but this shows it runs a bit – though I don’t think it hurts the sketch?
Wed-14-Nov-2018
There are very few flights from Hanoi direct to Manila – the one I took left Hanoi at 1:25 am on Thursday….so I sketched to stay awake. Despite the late/early hour, the airport was heaving with people standing around looking through windows into the ‘airside’. While I drew this I chatted to a family who were there to say goodbye to a young friend going to do a PhD in Japan and then after that I was surrounded by an enormous extended family taking photos of each other (I am sure I must have appeared in the corner of a few of their family snaps).
Wed-14-Mar-2018
Here is another sketch I did last Sunday in Hanoi, near Hoan Kiem Lake. The steps up to the statue of Ly Thai To have elaborate dragon balustrades on each side – which were overlooking the crowds of kids skateboarding and zooming around on rollerblades.
Sun-11-Mar-2018
On Sunday I was out sketching again – this time around Hoan Kiem Lake. To one side there was a square crowded with people enjoying the public open space, with this statue in it. Ly Thai To reigned in Vietnam from 1009 to 1028.
Sun-11-Mar-2018
On my way back from my little sketch-walk on Saturday I stopped by a park and sketched this. I didn’t realise it at the time but the park (which was busy with skateboarders and kids in little motorised cars) is called Lenin Park…so no prizes for guessing who the statue is of.
Sat-10-Mar-2018
Here is the second sketch I did yesterday. I had to perch awkwardly on a wall to sketch this in a spot free from the hoards of visitors. The pagoda is built on a single stone column and is supposed to represent a lotus blossom.
Sat-10-Mar-2018
Today I was lucky enough to have some free time to go out and see some sights and sketch. This is where the remains of Ho Chi Minh are kept – apparently against his wishes. The sketch came out ok, but without a scanner I couldn’t get a very good copy of it.
Sat-10-Mar-2018
Here is the very quick sketch I did last night while waiting for my dinner in a nearby restaurant.
Fri-9-Mar-2018