Christmas colours

Christingle; watercolour on postcard

Christ-mass, watercolour on A5 rough

 

flora not really my thing, but loved the colours in Christmas arrangement of poinsettia, cyclamen an variegated ivy. had fun flooding a postcard with watercolour

 

The long view; Advent Gospel

One of the blessings of retirement is the opportunity for the long view. After 40 years of being "up front" it is good to take a step back, participate but in a relaxed way. I realise my mind is filled with images of colours, postures, poses, and moments. Now I'm in a position to draw on them, literally and use them to express what I see. Here is a moment observed last Sunday, the reading of the Gospel. I'm very grateful to the priest and people of St Michael's and All Angels for making me welcome. This a tribute to them.

Mary and Jospeh: health and safety

I heard on the radio recently about a nativity play where the young girl playing Mary had to wear a riding hat because of health and safety. To be fair, the man hiring out the  donkey said it was the fault of his insurance company worried about litigation! It just got me thinking!

dip pen and colourwash on mount board (No pun intended!)

 

Three day stay at a Warner's Hotel: lots of opportunities for sketching! Here are some:

all the staff are young (in contrast to the visitors!)

see what I mean?

and one more:

all ink on A6 sketch book

Fire shout

Drama in our road this morning: three appliances; two preliminary sketches and final version

preliminary sketch in colour pencils

 

second sketch in fineliner

final version; dip pen and colour wash

Firefighters' gear

 visit to my son's firestation

fellow train travellers

Altar servers: dip pen and wash on A5

Sketch at Driver awareness Training

 A few weeks ago I was caught speeding: 35mph in a 30mph zone! No fine, but like many others attended Driver Awareness Training. There were nearly 50 of us in two groups this morning. Interesting course, made more interesting by the participants; here are three.
Ps I am now a suitably reformed, contrite and repentant driver!

End of an Era

End of an Era: over the last few months every Saturday I've drawn aspects of this redundant Amh unit where I once worked. The person whom we visited in the home next door has passed away. These 2 coloured pencil drawings are a kind of tribute.

Conkers ; 65 year old boy

I found these whilst walking: they had just fallen. I felt the same thrill as when I was a small boy hunting them for competitions in the school play ground;

 

 

This second one done with sepia ink and dip pen and wash

 

 



I thought I had finished, but couldn't resist trying sepia ink wash with colour wash

Some recent fine liner drawings;people and places

The Hare and the Hermit; recently I was assisting at a confirmation service; in his homily the Bishop mentioned visiting a hermit in the north of England years ago. Suddenly, what he thought was a rabbit arrived and allowed the hermit to fondle his ear. "I didn't know you had a rabbit" said the Bishop. "I haven't, it's a wild hare " replied the hermit. The anecdote stand in the tradition of the Celtic saints noted for their rapprochement with wild creatures.

The lady and the Kite in the cemetery
Someone I know well has been widowed: she spend a lot of time in the graveyard. She described how recently she saw a kite trapped in a tree there. It was telling her something, she's still working it out. Her powerful words formed an image in my mind: this is it, fortunately recently I had done another study in a graveyard:

This graveyard is set in the grounds of St Mary's Church Portchester, a church built 1133 as part of an Abbey which vacated the site twenty years later, part of the transepts were demolished, but the church still functions as a parish church.

 

This next one is Gosport War Memorial Hospital entrance (south) where I work part-time



Crazy about sunflowers

This is a visual journal of some sunflowers growing in our back garden; I'm fascinated by their transient grandeur as it evolves day by day. All done on mountboard with pen and colour wash.

 

 

Portchester Castle

Portchester Castle is the largest remaining Roman fortress in Europe; it also contains a mediaeval castle and church, St. Mary's. I'm fortunate live within walking distance; it is a popular place for artists, tourists, dogwalkers, and local people. Here are some pictures of mine over the last 12 months;

The "Land gate" stands at the western end; drawn today fine liner on A5

a popular place for families, particularly at holiday times: quick sketch done in May

 

lads playing in the grounds, school term has just finished

 

ink line and colour wash of the castle keep.

 





St Mary's Church in the grounds of the castle is a popular place for weddings; I've done a good number of them: a picture of myself waiting for late bride!

 

 

view through the church lych gate: fine liner pen on A4

 

St Mary's church, built 1133 as part of an Abbey (the monastery was abandoned twenty years later and demolished)

 



 

The Landgate drawn on a wet afternoon

 

 

 

it appeals to all ages and conditions; sketched hastily one holiday afternoon





 

July heat in UK! Painting of the day

It may be hard for non UK readers of this blog to understand that summer in the Uk is not an annual event, this year we have one, alleluia!
so to mark the occasion I post an acrylic done today of a scene just north of Mottisfont in Hampshire; the original sketch was done in coloured pencil on site yesterday.

Sketch of the day and airconditioning

For those who read this and are not residents of the UK let me explain: we have summer once every ten years and then people start doing crazy things like ramping up the air conditioning in a climate which doesn't require it! Today there was a phone-in about aggressive air conditioning: a little drawing took shape in my mind as I listened and here it is:

the caption reads: "I'm going to the freezer department and the air con is on full!"

Nib pen and colour wash on mountboard: serious art it isn't, but I hope you enjoy looking at it!

Visual diary of the last two days

I enjoy sketching people I see day to day: here are some:

she was drinking coffee in the hospital in which I work, listening to her friend intently.

 

Mums on the bus on my way home: Mums look so young nowadays!

 

 



visit to the dentist today; this is the receptionist, sketched quickly in biro

and finally:

I'v called this one Laurel and Hardy in the precinct: ostensibly mending the pavement, their banter was amazing, and to an audience of an elderly lady  who was thoroughly enjoying the show!