Here are a couple of little random sketches of things around the house. The first is of a lacquer box that was given to me when I finished working on a project in Cambodia. We keep tea bags in it. The second is of a pair of tin snippers – looking a bit rusty. I really need to clean the tools I have.
Tue-25 & Wed-26-Jun-2024
These are the sketches I did when I joined #UskManila on a trip to the CBK Power Company’s hydropower plants. We had been invited by them with the idea that they will use our sketches in their calendar. We started the trip by meeting up to get on a bus at McDonald’s Alabang at 5am…and then I got home at close to midnight…so it was a long but enjoyable day! CBK’s three facilities are spread around Laguna and we visited all of them including going into the power house and on a cable car down into the valley in the last one (Botocan). Each sketch is done in ink with watercolour on simple cartridge paper. I have tried to give a caption to each sketch.
Sat-22-Jun-2024
I am fixing up some conduit in our apartment and bought this cheap and simple caulk gun to glue them at the top of the wall (what I call the “no more nails” approach). My DIY (do-it-yourself) efforts usually involve me cursing a lot and blaming my tools…this bit of home improvement was no exception.
Fri-14-Jun-2024
I couldn’t resist doing another sketch (in the shade of the trees in Rizal Park) when I headed home from the Independence Day celebrations. This sculpture caught my eye so I did a quick sketch and added the colour at home. According to the plaque about 7,500 Filipino combat troops fought in the Korean War. The sculpture (by Juan Sajid Imao) is supposed to show two Filipino soldiers helping a wounded Korean comrade.
Wed-12-June-2024
Here is the second sketch I did on Independence Day in the Philippines, with #UskManila at our sketch-walk at the #RizalPark Kilometre Zero area. I stood in the sun to do this, so only did the ink work on the spot and added the colour at home. I positioned myself so that I could include some key symbols of the Philippines – a carabao – the national animal of the Philippines (the bronze sculpture is by Jose M Mendoza according to Wikipedia), the flag and the Rizal Monument.
Wed-12-June-2024
For Independence Day in the Philippines, I joined #UskManila at a sketch-walk at the #RizalParkLuneta, Kilometre Zero area. I didn’t know but a Kilometre Zero marker denotes “a particular location (usually in the nation’s capital city) from which distances are traditionally measured”. A plaque on the side that faced me says “the First Philippine Republic …, was an achievement we owe, largely, to Masonry and the Masons”…another thing I didn’t know! My sketch shows the people who were watching the flag raising ceremony that was going on over the road at the Rizal Monument.
Wed-12-June-2024
Here is the last sketch I did on our hike up to Mt. Daraitan. I did this on the second day when we reached the peak. While the other visitors were busy taking so many selfies and pictures of themselves posing on a rock, our little group all got out our sketchbooks and really looked at the fantastic view! The hike back down was pretty brutal (on the knees). Then we had a whole rigmarole to deal with our car as the brakes had failed on the way to the start off point…and in the end we left it there to be fixed, taking another car home (thanks to our friend and driver)…but that’s another story.
Sun-9-Jun-2024
At our campsite on the way up to Mt. Daraitan the person we had arranged it with, let us use a little wooden house for two of us to sleep in and as a place to cook and have our meals. I sketched this one looking out of the house at the surrounding greenery.
Sat-8-Jun-2024
The other day I thought of paining a colour wheel or chart, to make a visual note of all tubes of paints I have (which are all a bit muddled up). Then I decided to paint the actual tubes as well. The ones on the right are where I have only got little blocks/pans of paint and some mystery pans from an ancient set I had. I’ve noted the colour for each and the brand – a mix of Daniel Smith (DS), Winsor & Newton (W+N), Cotman, Holbein Watercolours (HWC), Mission, Cass Art, and Shinhan This is painted in a concertina #Potentate sketchbook given to me by my friend @the_uban_sketcher.
Wed-5-Fri-7Jun-2024