Morris dancing

On Friday, I arranged a drinkdraw event to coincide with the Colchester Morris Men (colchestermorrismen.org) dancing at the Alma, Copford.

The dancers move very fast and I filled several pages of movement sketches. Top, is a general scene, which was my final sketch of the evening and one of the dancing. More pics can be seen on my site here: Morris dancing

Drinking and drawing

Pencil sketch of Natasha Robertson at The Black Buoy's April/May Beer Festival 2016

I have just returned from the Black Buoy in Wivenhoe's May bank holiday real ale festival. My assistant and I sat outside sketching and listening to the music, although my assistant was more interested in the fish and chips.

Earlier this week, I arranged for the Colchester Sketchers to drink/draw at the Bricklayers. My first sketch of my Aspell's cider was the most successful and is shared below.

Direct watercolour sketch.

 Finally, something different, I currently have my experimental piece hung at the Art Exchange where it was selected for the Celebrate Landscape exhibition. If you are in the area, pop in before it closes next Saturday.

 *****
BTW. Last week's post didn't autopost here. You can read it by clicking this link I Draw Do You?

Drinkdraw Chappel

This is as far as my first sketch got. ©SuePownall2015

My assistant.

The railway viaduct at Chappel has been on my "to-sketch" list for many years, so on Friday I arranged for the Essex & Suffolk Sketchers to meet at the Swan pub. With quickly failing light and the temperature dropping, I sat on a bench in the Swan's car park and quickly tried to paint it. It was difficult to tell the colours I was applying as the light changed and dropped. Above is as far as my first sketch got.

Heading into the pub to warm up, I think the guys having bar snacks got drawn by everyone. As usual, I spent more time chatting than drawing, so these two were all I did. Plus, Degas got bored and decided when it was time to go home.

I was sketching in an A4 Monologue sketchbook with Winsor & Newton watercolours & Inktense pencils.

Bar snacks. ©SuePownall2015

Manchester sketchcrawl

Sketching the River Irwell sat on Calatrava's Trinity Bridge

 Yesterday,  I joined the Manchester,  Yorkshire,  and Society of Architectural Illustrators (SAI) for a sketchcrawl in Manchester. It was a surprisingly blue skied sunny day, but with an icy wind, which made outdoor sketching a challenge. As you can see from my sketches below, I alternated between outside and inside locations.

River Irwell from Trinity bridge. Sketch 1

I accidently bought a scone when I went for a warm up cuppa. Sketch 2.

Piano practice in Manchester Central Library's music library. Sketch 3.

Shivering and sketching at the end of the day. Sketch 4.

It was lovely to meet so many sketchers from all over (40+ at the interim lunch meeting) and hope to get up to Manchester and sketch again... albeit in a warmer month.

Show and tell social at the end of the day. Photo by Hakym.

In a hole with London Urban Sketchers

l-r Nathan, Evelyn, myself, & James

What seems like years ago, but was in fact only mid-January, I had the pleasure of meeting some of the London UrbanSketchers for a drink and draw session. James Hobbs, who I met at the Sketching Jack's London event last summer (my blog post's here), chose and arranged for us to meet in The Coal Hole on London's Strand, along with Nathan Brenville and Evelyn Rowland.

Nathan

James using his trademark large marker.

Due to having traveled up to London straight from seeing dad in hospital, my concentration/will to sketch wasn't too high, though I loved chatting to the others. I sometimes think that's the best part of the sketchy gatherings, that and seeing what equipment the others are using. I drew some portraits as a warm-up then drew this couple standing by the bar. I spotted they had a whole bottle of wine, so guessed they would stay there a while, which they did.

Pen & watercolour in A5 sketchbook