I am still catching up with posting sketches from our trip to the UK. This one was done on the day our youngest daughter graduated – on the train journey from Manchester to Liverpool (again we were really lucky with the weather thank goodness). I added the colour later as it was a short but very shaky trip. I also realised later that this lady looks a bit out of proportion – but I was quite pleased with the way her face came out.
Thu-20-Jul-2023
Here is another sketch from our time in Manchester, done when we visited the Science and Industry Museum. The museum seemed to be mostly about the cotton industry, but it was interesting. There was also a separate section on Stephen Hawking which we enjoyed. Unfortunately while we were at the museum there was a huge party of school kids visiting, who were incredibly noisy.
Wed-19-Jul-2023
Last Saturday we took a train to Birmingham from Manchester to meet a friend. This sketch was done on the first leg of the journey – according to the tickets we were supposed to change seats (on the same carriage) but didn’t bother.
Sat-15-Jul-2023
Here is the second sketch I did while my wife was having a meeting in town last Friday. It was raining (of course) so I found a place to shelter along the side of the road outside the Arndale shopping centre. I was told today that this post box was one of the only things to remain standing after the IRA bomb that destroyed part of central Manchester in 1996.
Fri-14-Jul-2023
Here is a sketch I did last Thursday when we went for a walk to Whitworth Park. Next to it is the Whitworth Art Gallery which we have visited before, but which has a nice cafe with a view of the park. The stainless steel sculpture outside the window is by Anya Gallaccio and reinstates a tree which had died and had to be felled when an extension was being built – as a “ghostly negative form”.
Thu-13-Jul-2023
Here is another Manchester sketch – when we made a visit to the John Rylands Research Institute (the first time tried to visit we found it closed). It’s beautiful inside with lovely vaulted ceilings…which apparently are late Victorian neo-gothic.
Fri-14-Jul-2023
On Friday while my wife had a meeting in town, I had a chance to do some sketching. Unfortunately it was a rainy day (as seems common in Manchester), so I did this one standing under a tree to keep dry and finished the colour in Starbucks. This statue by Onslow Ford was apparently criticised when it was first unveiled, as it was said that it depicted the queen as looking sombre and weary-looking.
Fri-14-Jul-2023
Here is another sketch done in Manchester. On Tuesday we walked around town visiting the Cathedral, the Central Library and Manchester Museum. We had lunch sitting outside the Arndale shopping centre and I managed to start this sketch (I added the colour at home) before it started to rain. Two local lads had a chat with me as I sketched, starting off by saying my sketch was “sick” (slang for impressive or outstandingly good)…then discussing how much I sold my sketches for (generally I don’t sell them} and moving on to boxing and Manny Pacquiao (because I told them I live in the Philippines).
Tue-11-Jul-2023
Here is my first sketch in Manchester where we are visiting our daughters. This one was done while my daughter was visiting a fabric shop…I opted out and sat on a window ledge opposite. A bus conductor leaned over while he waited for passengers and asked if I was drawing, saying that he can only draw stick figures. It’s always nice to interact with people while I am out sketching.
Mon-10-Jul-2023