PeopleSketching

126-3657 – Exiled

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Here is another attempt at a portrait – this time of Maria Machado (from an image on the BBC website). I struggled with the eyes in this one …but I am learning. Although she was barred from the Venezuelan presidential elections in 2024 the candidate she backed won easily…until Maduro was declared the winner. Now she has been able to return to Venezuela after secretly leaving to accept the Nobel Peace prize…and quite rightly has criticised the Trump-Rodriguez oil deal and called for new elections.

Fri-30-Oct-2026

126-3650 – A persecuted woman

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Here is another attempt at a portrait sketch – this time of Ilhan Omar who is being persecuted by Trump because of her vocal opposition and progressive views. Even Obama said it’s a transparent effort to intimidate a law abiding political opponent. The day I sketched this I read that she was even afraid to stay in her home because of death threats.

Fri-23-Oct-2026

126-3645-6 – Movie viewers (cleaners) and go-getters going healthy

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Movie viewers (cleaners)

Here are the last two sketches I did with @usk_manila at @DesignWeekPH. The first one is of people watching a movie called “cleaners”, which I partly watched too. Wikipedia describes the film as an “experimental adult animated coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Glenn Barit” and apparently it has a cult following. What I saw of it looked really interesting.

Go-getters going healthy

The second sketch is of the fruit at the Made Market Ready stand, this project showcased how design interventions can elevate homegrown micro, small, and medium enterprises…but I just sketched the veggies and coconuts!

Sat-17-Oct-2026

125-3626 – Los Frailes Café and dancers

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Los Frailes Café

After getting overheated in the courtyard of San Augustin we went into their little coffee shop to cool down in the AC and chat. Naturally, as we chatted, we sketched – my sketch is of some random guy enjoying his coke. My last sketch at Manila Art Sihan was a very quick one done in the tented event space of some dancers getting ready to perform on stage. I left this sketch at the Urban Sketchers Manila booth and told the dancers they could come and collect it if they wanted.

Dancers

Sat-26-Sep-2026

125-3621 – Man in black at Gatwick

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I think Gatwick is one of the most boring airports in the world. Even getting from the security to the departure area is a maze of perfumeries and then the departure area is like sitting in a shopping mall – without a window in sight. Then they only announce the gate an hour before the flight leaves, and you rush to the gate… to find you have to sit in an even more poky and overcrowded space. At least I managed to amuse myself by sketching this guy.

Sun-20-Sep-2026

125-3620 – A walk in the park

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I sketched this one on my last day in the UK (yes it was a very brief stopover). After packing my bags my daughters and I went for a walk in Hove Park which I have never been to before. Apparently the park covers about 40 acres and has lots of sports and play facilities – people are so lucky to have this. They also have a nice little cafe where we had a coffee and snack – and where I sketched this….very quickly!

Sun-20-Sep-2026

124-3594 – Back to analogue

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

Finally I have finished posting all my sketches from our holiday. This is the first sketch I did when we got back home and spent a good long week adjusting to the different time zone… in more ways than one. Having busted my watch in Kotor I am back to using my old analogue Pulsar watch!

Thu-20-Aug-2026

124-3581 – Whitworth

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I sketched this at the Whitworth (Art Gallery) cafe after going to see an exhibition called “Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai and Hiroshige”, highlighting the famous woodblock landscape works of Edo-period Japanese masters Katsushika Hokusai Utagawa Hiroshige. In my sketch I only managed to capture part of two people and a tree before they moved, but often I find that half-finished sketches turn out better!

Thu-6-Aug-2026