Banksy-vs-Bristol Museum

I finally got to see this exhibition yesterday, and it was awesome. I had hoped to do some sketching whilst in there, but given the extraordinarily long queues outside (4 hours +) it felt a bit selfish to stand around sketching while there were so many people waiting to come in. So this is the only sketch of the day, a view of the outside of the museum taken while drinking hot chocolate at a cafe across the road.

Isabella Plantation 16/07/2009

Went for a walk in Isabella Plantation on Thursday evening with Matt. It was lovely, so peaceful. There are a lot of deer in Richmond Park, but we were very lucky to see one so close up - it was grazing not far from the entrance to the Plantation and we ended up creeping closer and closer until we were only a couple of metres away. These sketches were done from photos when I got home.

Tree surgeon ahoy!

A quick sketch of a tree surgeon in action pollarding a tree.

Kew Gardens 09-07-2009

I only had one short job booked in this morning, so popped into Kew Gardens on the way home as I'm still feeling very sketchy. I'm having some problems with my feet at the moment (great, as you can imagine, for someone who is on her feet all day at work!) so didn't venture as far into the gardens as I would have liked (I usually do a full circuit when I walk there). I visited the Princess of Wales Conservatory and captured an orchid that I liked, then wandered out to find what is possibly my favourite sight in Kew - the Japanese Pagoda tree (planted aroudn 1760) which is partially supported by bricks and iron struts, but is remarkably healthy nonetheless. I then wandered down to the Palm House and started sketching in there, but the pain from my feet and the incessant noise of children (lots of school groups were around today) drove me home before I was really done. I'm aiming to go back again in a few weeks.

8th July 2009

I didn't go to work today, because it was raining. So I started sketching indoors - the image of a flower inset on the first sketch is a copy of the photo on the bookmark I'm using at the moment. Then the weather cleared up so I went for a walk down the road to Twickenham Cemetary. It's a terrible thing to admit, but I was a bit disappointed with it - my local cemetary is Kensal Green, which has some really beautiful old areas, and sadly Twickenham isn't as picturesque. I sketched for a bit, then as I finished the inkwork for the chapel I had a sudden feeling I should go home, even though I wasn't done.

I got halfway home and it started to rain. When I got in the front door the shower turned into a deluge. Ten out of ten for listening to my instincts there!

Still desperately wanting to sketch I settled down and did a view of Matt's bookshelf - which I'm particularly pleased with. It also satisfied my craving for bold colours.

Hill House 6th & 7th June 2009

Well the road to hell is paved with good intentions, isn't it? I've been kept busy with other projects and my sketching has gone to pot. I did a couple while we were away for the weekend at Hill House (www.thehowlinghillhouse.com). The first is a view of the room we stayed in, and the second is a random sketch done at How Capel Court Gardens to which we paid an impromptu visit.

Isabella Plantation

On Thursday (30th April) I went to Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park, for the first time on the recommendation of a client. It was absolutely beautiful. The rhododendrons and azaleas were in full bloom, and it was a vibrant mass of colour.

On Friday (1st May) I went back, taking my father with me as he needed a day out and I thought he'd love it - he did. I didn't have as much time to sit and sketch, so the one I did of the Still Pool that day wasn't as good as the one of the stream from Thursday, but I think it's ok, albeit a little bit Monet (looks better the further away you get from the page!)