This is the first sketch in a new sketchbook – No.87 – (going back to using Clairefontaine Aquapad 300gsm cold pressed paper), done at the Pino restaurant on Malingap Street in Quezon City. I did this one as we arrived early for the #UskQuezonCity #SketchWalk at the Maginhawa Food Festival. The restaurant has a separate menu (called Pipino – which means cucumber) for vegetarian food.
Sun-5-May-2024
Sunday 5th May started with a drive into Makati with my wife attending a meeting and me hanging around in Washington SyCip Park (which is named after a Filipino accountant and banker). It’s quite small but contains several sculptures by Impy Pilapil – this one is called The Mangrove Nature Embrace. The park is a rare but desperately needed public green space in Metro Manila (the rest being eaten up by greedy developers), demonstrated by how crowded this park is with dog walkers, picnickers and people just eager to get outside… even in the heat. Sitting under this sculpture a couple were having a picnic and had brought their ginger cat, who regularly disappeared into the bushes.
Sun-5-May-2024
We bought this Hollywood bike rack (that fixes on the back of our car) years ago. When I tried to put it on the car a while back, it was so long since we’d used it, that I first put it on upside down. All those straps and buckles and get pretty confusing! As I often find with my sketches I ran out of space at the bottom of the page for this one.
Thu-2-May-2024
Here is the second sketch I did on #LabourDay when my wife and I went for a cycle ride near SM MOA (Mall of Asia). I felt sorry for anyone working in the area that day – it was so hot. At least I went to buy some iced tea from the #Zagu stand after sketching this.
Wed-1-May-2024
On #LabourDay my wife and I went for a cycle ride near SM MOA (Mall of Asia). We thought the cycle loop there included cycling along Manila Bay, but were told not to cycle along the very wide pathway, with all the nice little places to eat (including even the Bikers Café), and instead use the road where there is just a white line between you and careless drivers. There are even bike racks regularly spaced along the path…and nearby signs saying ‘push your bike’. This sketch was done in Starbucks where we escaped the heat for a while.
Wed-1-May-2024
After lots of #UrbanSketches here is one of something more simple – some new shoes. I bought these #Birkenstock shoes in Makati after sketching at the Dia del Libro event on 20th April in Ayala Triangle Gardens. I have been suffering from plantar fasciitis again (which affects my foot arches), and wearing these sandals (plus a compression sock at night) seems to fix the problem.
Mon-29-Apr-2024
Despite the unbearably hot weather (the ‘feels like’ temperature has been close to 40 degrees celsius recently), we decided to go for a short hike a few weeks back. We set off from home very early (around 4am), so that we could get to the starting point before it got too hot. We were also lucky enough that it was overcast and even rained a little bit during the hike. Mt. 360 is in Tanay and is called that because at the summit you have a 360 degrees panoramic view including the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.
Sun-28-Apr-2024
This sketch was done when I drove with my wife into Pasay so she could attend a meeting. I was planning to find a nice coffee shop to sketch in while she was occupied, but instead ended up in a tiny weeny Dunkin’ Donuts shop virtually underneath a massive flyover. I still had a nice time though!
Sat-27-Apr-2024
Here is the second sketch I did on 23 April in Intramuros, with #UrbanSketchersManila at the San Agustin Museum for the Unesco World Book and Copyright Day. On the left is a molave wood statue of Sta. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine (from Bacolor, Pampanga dating back to the 1700s). On the right is a statue of Saint Rita of Cascia. According one website she may have been holding a crucifix in her left hand – and she is known as the patroness of impossible causes including sterility, loneliness and marriage difficulties! I’m not sure why she is holding a skull though.
Tue-23-Apr-2024