This little sketch was done outside the #BrewHilde coffee shop down the road from us, when we went out for a walk and breakfast on my wife’s birthday morning. I’ve sketched here many times before, but this time these plants caught my eye – they are commonly knows as elephant-ear plants but the scientific name is Colocasia.
Sat-6-Jul-2024
I rarely do sketches from photos, but made an exception so I could make a little birthday card for my wife. This was done from a photo taken on our hike to Nagpatong rock in Tanay, Rizal, in June 2022 (see sketch No.2093), with May wearing the shirt she almost always wears when we go hiking!
Fri-5-Jul-2024
Here is the sketch I did at Starbucks (at “The Rise” in Makati), while waiting for my wife who was applying for a Spanish Schengen visa. The big mural on the wall attracted my eye (there was one behind me too). It’s by a Filipino artist called JP Pining, who is described on Facebook as having “an eye for bold graphics and eclectic candy colours”. Someone sat in front of me so I had to guess at the colour in one part…I only found out later I could see the artwork on line.
Thu-4-Jul-2024
These are the sketches I did at the #AyalaMuseum when I visited the #WorldsWithinWorlds exhibition (in which some friends were participating). I only took a small bag and watercolour palette, planning to use only water brushes (the museum is strict on what you can take in). I did these sketches standing up while crowds of people concentrated on taking photos of themselves or the exhibits. The models of the ships were huge…I drew the Spanish galleon twice as my first attempt didn’t really capture it.
Sun-30-Jun-2024
I did these little sketches in the evenings, following one of our cats around the living room. It was his birthday the other day…so I thought it was time I sketched him again. Usually he hides under the table…but then moves around as soon as I start sketching him. I think he knows what I am doing, so doesn’t stay still for long – and as soon as I get up he steals my seat.
Thu-27 & Fri-28-Jun-2024
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
This sketch is slightly out of order – but it was waiting in my sketchbook for some paint. I did this one when my wife and I went out for lunch on Father’s Day to our favourite restaurant, the #WabiSabiNoodleHouse in Makati. This place has lots of delicious varieties of (vegetarian) ramen noodle soup – plus the restaurant is paired with the Ikigai Kakigōri Cafe. Kakigōri is a Japanese shaved ice dessert flavoured with syrup and a sweetener…I had the chocolate overload variety!
Sun-16-Jun-2024
That’s all of my life drawing for a while (some people who follow me, may feel relieved!). These are not flowers that are made from wax, I just tried out a different technique for a change and used some ancient wax crayons and wax relief with watercolour to draw this. I got these flowers (and some cinema tickets) from my daughters, for Father’s Day.
Thu-20-Jun-2024