Here is the first sketch that I did with #UskQuezonCity at Bahay Modernismo. This is a recently opened heritage museum at Quezon Memorial Circle which “aims to safeguard mid-century Filipino architecture and culture”, with the rooms filled with vintage furniture and classic products. We had 45 minutes inside but 30 minutes of what was the tour. This was sketched in the living room space.
Sun-3-Aug-2025
My sister disinterred these pencils when packing up my parents house. I guess they belonged to my mum? I had thought they were just ordinary pencils but it turns out they are water soluble and changed from grey to mauve when I added water. A Wikipedia page tells me they are indelible pencils with dye added to the lead (hence the dominant colour in my sketch) so that a copy could be made of a handwritten document. It seems people stopped using these in the 1930’s …so in fact they probably belonged to my grandparents!
Wed-23-Jul-2025
Here is the second sketch I did (immediately after the previous one) at Lyme park and Gardens, choosing to draw this instead of going round the gardens. I started off sketching fast and loose as rain repeatedly threatened…then the sun came out so I had more time to add detail. Someone sat next to me and took a picture. Afterwards we walked to the “cage” (a tower that was probably built as a hunting lodge in 1737). The three statues you can see in my sketch are of Neptune, Venus and Pan.
Sat-31-May-2025
Here is the first sketch I did when we visited Lyme Park and Gardens – a stately home managed by the National Trust. After visiting the house (which dates from the latter part of the 16th century and is famous for appearing as Mr. Darcy’s estate, in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice), we found a spot to sit and have our packed lunch. The house has massive ornate rooms, crusty paintings, elaborate carvings, tapestries and chandeliers. I stopped this sketch (which includes a little kiosk selling ice creams, hence the title) part way through (finishing it later) to walk around the garden but then immediately realised the view from the other side was more interesting.
Sat-31-May-2025
On this day we drove to Wales for a walk in Nercwys Forest, followed by a visit to a (non) castle in Mold (there was only a mound where a castle used to be), coffee in the “Cracked Coffee House” (@_crackedcoffee), then a visit to this castle hidden in the woodland. This one was probably built by “Llywelyn The Great” around 1210 but otherwise has a “murky” history. We all sat in the bailey and I sketched this fantastic huge oak tree. Meanwhile nearby some local kids were smoking dope on the battlements and our daughter got bitten by something (probably a spider) which later swelled up into large lumps! After sketching we had our own little our own little ‘latag’ (show and tell).
Fri-30-May-2025
This sketch was done after we had had breakfast in York and then drove to Chorley for my daughter to have an interview and trial shift at a café (unfortunately she didn’t get the job). I napped in the car when we arrived as we had got up at 2:30 am to drive to York Racecourse where our hot air balloon took off. I then sketched this church while we waited. This tower was built in the 15th Century – but there is a documentary record of a church existing here since 1362! There is so much history in the UK.
Wed-28-May-2025
On this day we made a visit to the Hove Museum of Creativity – where we saw an excellent photo exhibition called “Beside The Sea: Photographs by JJ Waller and Martin ParrParr”, plus a small collection of random crafts and art. In the cafe we had a nice cup of tea and then walked to the seafront where I sketched the famous beach huts (some date back to the 1930’s). However, I felt this sketch was far too gloomy looking and somehow too conventional, so I promised myself, after this, to look harder and sketch bolder.
Fri-23-May-2025
On this day we made a trip to Bodiam Castle. I am sure I visited there as a child – we lived relatively nearby after all – but I have no recollection of going there. Bodiam is like a fairytale version of a castle – a perfect square with circular towers in each corner. The National Trust volunteers pointed out to us where the walls are covered in ancient graffiti with one carving saying “JCB 1691”!
Thu-22-May-2025
Here is another sketch done in the square in Bildeston – this time looking in the opposite direction from the one I did on 17 May. We checked out of “top house” and had some time to kill before we went to see my mum (who get’s up late), so we sat in the square and enjoyed the sun.
Tue-20-May-2025