Took Harry to the cinema to watch 'Despicable Me' in 3D, my first time using the 3D glasses...Very impressive!
There is a while when the lights dim for the promos before they go out completely for the feature film, during that time I sketched!
I've been wanting to watch 'The Duchess' ever since Joan and I visited Holkham Hall where many of the scenes were filmed and I finally purchased it on DVD.
I made these sketches as the film was playing, from observation and memory, which is why they look nothing like the beautiful Keira Knightley...I was just too engrossed to press pause - Maybe next time!
Another of Harrys toys, his wooden pirate ship. I sketched what I could see from over my small coffee table.
I love pomegranates but since they became a 'power' fruit here in the Uk they have been priced ridiculously. When I saw them in Morrisons at 4 for £1 I just had to have them.
Noodlers bullet proof black ink and watercolour in Daily journal
This is the 2nd of my Cambridge themed sketches that I will be delivering to the gallery today ready for their Christmas show.
It's taken from a photo I took myself a couple of years ago...I wish I could read the name of the street but I can't and my memory is terrible.
I love the architecture in Cambridge, it is beautiful.
I'll be taking six pieces in total; 2 plein air acrylics on canvas, 2 mixed media framed pieces and these two ink & watercolour washes...Apparently local scenes are popular at the moment and, since I live deep in the Fenland countryside, I also wanted to include a couple of small pieces from the city!
Berninis' St Teresa
A very quick sketch in my Italian Trip 2011 preparation sketchbook using an inktense pencil (Bark I think)
My home is open planned, this is the area where the dining room merges with the studio.
Sketched from my computer chair on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
This years pumpkins are purchased and awaiting the knife!
Harry has been telling me all about a book he read at school 'The boy in the striped pyjamas' and while we were out we saw the DVD and purchased it.
It is such a wonderfully written piece of work based on a very 'difficult' time in history and so sad, so very sad. Choosing to work the story through a childs viewpoint was entirely genius.
I made a quick sketch when I paused the DVD to make a coffee.
A day in Peterborough shopping with Harry who has sprouted over 2" in height in just 7 weeks!
A nice relaxing cuppa with my feet up before leaving and a quick stop in Whittlesey on the way home for a sketch of the beautiful church.
I've been visiting my favourite Tearooms in Ely again, this time with my dear friend Rose-ann.
We had such a lovely time catching up here while munching on a few of their delicious goodies.
I did indulge in one of their homemade, warm scones with cream and homemade jam again but decided to sketch Rose-Anns teapot and the sugar bowl with it's beaded cover this time.
Such a wonderful place with fantastic staff!
I prepared this spread with some scrap papers in advance. Harry left his toy aeroplane out the other night so...I sketched it!
This spread is from my Italian Trip 2011 Prep Sketchbook.
I have added two more half pans to my 'Compact' palette. There was alot of room around the thumb hole, so I popped two in there with some silicon adhesive. I love Daniel Smiths Raw Umber Violet and added the Quin Magenta ...just because I can!
My travel kit worked a treat during a recent test run to Joans in Norfolk. The film cannister is a genius idea and mine is actually water tight too which meant I could save the water, if it wasn't too dirty, for the next sketch. I think the blu-tack will help alot to secure the cannister, I found I had to be really gentle around it incase I knocked it over, I have it on my shopping list. This was the only complaint I had with my whole kit throughout the whole weekend, everything else was just perfect and this problem is very easily solved so I am really pleased with all the choices I made.
*I took an A6 book to Norfolk but will be taking an A5 to Italy, this will be the only difference and my bag is very small. An A5 fits, I have checked, but the larger size could tighten things up a little on the side pockets that currently hold water bottles for re-fills and spritzing...Nothing I can see causing any major problems though, I just may have to take one instead of two!
Overall...Great kit, great test run...so good I wanted to use it when I got home but must resist or I'll wear the bag out before I even leave for Italy! LOL!
I have 'The Power Of Art' on DVD, it's a wonderful series presented by Simon Schama who brings it to life beautifully. I have watched it over and over....and over but never noticed the interview with Schama on the extras until the other night, so I popped it on.
I was about 5 minutes in when I stopped listening and started playing with the pause button, my fingers itching to sketch.
Being the lazy artist I am I couldn't be bothered to go to the studio so I grabbed the tiny pen from my handbag and started to sketch with that. It's a Pentel Roller Ball pen that's approx 2 inches in length and it was fun to play with.
Some old barns from the farm at the top of the drove, sketched while waiting for Harrys school bus
The final sketch from my weekend with Joan is of her homemade apple and blackberry pie. A very quick sketch made to complete the final page of my handmade book by Kala before heading off home!
Joan and I headed back downstairs to the dining room where we grabbed her pretty teapot and placed it on the table next to the lilies she had been gifted. I had only intended to concentrate on the tea pot but the lilies were too tempting.
We stopped our DVD and handed the TV over to Clive, so he could watch football, and ventured upstairs where I sat on Joans bed to sketch the view from her window.
Lots of greenery, rooftops and a church make a great view.
I took my 'Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe' DVD with me to Joans and we watched it together in intervals over the weekend.
Early Sunday afternoon we paused it in a couple of places and sketched.
This is somewhere in Southern Italy.
Noodlers Walnut ink and watercolour
I took my 'Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe' DVD with me to Joans and we watched it together in intervals over the weekend.
Early Sunday afternoon we paused it in a couple of places and sketched.
This is Assisi Cathedral, sketched from a different angle than I have previoulsy sketched it.
Noodlers Walnut ink and watercolour
On Sunday I woke in my comfy little bed to find Joan had been sketching me from hers. So I whipped downstairs to make a cuppa and took it back to bed where I sketched Joan in her bed too!
While Joan and I had been at the Cathedral, Clive (Joans hubby) had been cooking his speciality meatballls for us on our return. We had an Italian Rose with them and fresh strawberries and cream for dessert...A delicious way to complete our day!
Joan and I ended up in the Jesus Chapel for our final sketch in Norwich Cathedral before catching the bus back home.
Had a good look around the beautiful cathedral for a while, having never visited before, it is full of delights. Popped outside for a ciggie break and ended up sketching the cloisters. Far too cold to do more than one so I chose the ones that showed the roof of the newly attached cafe in the background.
After a nice cuppa in the Cathedral Cafe Joan and I headed outside and found a bench. The icy cold breeze was softened a little by the sun showing it's face but, after sitting to sketch a scene opposite the Cathedral, it didn't take long for the cold to get into our bones. Such a shame, there was lots here I would love to have sketched such as the Cathedral itself and two wonderful statues on the green...Soooo cold though!
Joan and I took the Park 'n' Ride into Norwich Cathedral and headed straight for their cafe for a nice long latte and a slice of cake.
I started the 29th worldwide sketchcrawl on Saturday in Joans conservatory with my morning coffee and a quick sketch....of course!
Noodlers walnut ink and watercolour in w/c Maruman sketchbook
This is a corner of Joans lounge in Coltishall, Norfolk.
I prepared the page with decorative paper before leaving home.
All packed and ready to go, I set off to Joannies house in Coltishall, Norwich early on Friday afternoon. I packed light, taking just the boots I had on my feet...a decision a shoe lover like me agonised over for some time.
It hadn't occured to me to take something waterproof for the quick visit to freshen the flowers on my Mums grave on the way, the grass was soaking and before long it had ventured into my boots and even my socks were saturated!
So, I stopped off in town, purchased some shoes for my weekend and changed right there in the shop ...they are so comfortable!
I'm off for the weekend!
I'm visiting my good friend Joannie in the Norfolk Broads for a few days and we are heading into Norwich on Saturday for the 29th Worldwide SketchCrawl together. The Cathedral is the top of our list, I've never been before so I am looking forward to it.
Here are the bags I'll be taking
Left: My Italian trip sketch bag - I thought Saturday would be the perfect chance to try it out, make sure everything I need, I have etc.. Living in the Fens means I have heaps of space between sketching spots, not very many people to contend with and the ability to park up almost anywhere I wish. I guess you could say it's a sketchers dream. So practice in a city will be a perfect warm up for all those busy Italian spots we have on our tour next year.
Middle: My clothes and toiletries holdall...Yes, I plan to dress. While I agree naked sketching could be quite liberating, I think I would feel more than a little vulnerable doing it.
Right: Current sketchbooks to show Joannie, Italian DVD, Wine and other goodies. It's a handmade patchwork bag purchased for me at a country show. I wish I'd had time to colour it but gallery work and house chores have taken up my day today, so I had to be quick! I will sketch it again some day in all it's glory!
The decorative paper is just something I had floating around that I thought would enhance the spread.
'See' you when I return. Have a great weekend and, for those of you sketchcrawling on Saturday...Happy sketching...I hope the weather is good to you!
One of Harrys toys...simply because it was infront of me at the time.
Chilly here recently, had to dig my warm boots out from under the bed to go shopping. Grabbed a quick sketch from the supermarket carpark and then sketched my boots back at home with a hot cuppa!
Sketching from my netbook again!
Noodler Walnut ink and watercolour in daily journal.
The Walnut ink has an aged quality about it that I love and seemed to suit this old character perfectly.
A quick sketch while Harry and I waited for our fried breakfast to arrive at the Skylark cafe in Wimblington.
The table was actually flat, my error not the carpenters! LOL!
A small corner of my studio sketched on Sunday evening when my TV signal decided to crash just as the costume drama I have been following weekly started...Grrr!
Sunday morning was beautiful here in the Fens, the sun shone bright and I took my coffee on the front doorsteps with my sketchbook in hand...of course!
This is the view, from the steps, looking through my front porch into the kitchen.
A couple of quick self portraits, using a mirror.
No drawing involved here, straight in with watercolour, approx 15 mins each.
This spread was created while watching Simon Schama talk about Rembrandt for an hour on my 'Power of Art' DVD.
Two of the portraits were sketched in Noodlers red/blk ink and the other two directly in watercolour.
The bottom right is a self portrait, a glimpse caught in the mirror on the table beside me.
I enjoyed working directly in watercolour, using the brush to sketch with was quite liberating
Spread 15 in my Arthouse Project Sketchbook is the drove I live in and a couple of my neighbours homes.
Nothing quite like eating fruit scones, strawberry jam and Cornish clotted cream in your PJ's!
Mmmmm!
A VERY quick sketch...temptation got the better of me.
Harry and I left the Norris museum and lunched at River Tea Rooms. We chose one of the tables outside, along the river bank and, while we waited for our order, I sketched the hotel on the opposite side of the bank.
Noodlers Lexington Gray ink and watercolour in daily journal
Harry and I visited the Norris Museum in St. Ives and I managed a quick sketch from the bench in their gardens before leaving ...destination River Tea Rooms
This A6 journal is taking some getting used to, I've become quite used to the A5 format recently...feeling a little restricted.
Laigueglia street scene in my Italian 2011 preparation sketchbook
Noolders Lexington Gray ink and watercolour
Just 216 days left until I fly to Rome!!!!! LOL!
A quick sketch of a corner of my desk, made in the early hours before finally getting off to bed.
Noodler Lexington Gray ink and watercolour in daily journal.
My fireplace, sketched while watching Bernini on 'The Power of Art' DVD
I've been dreaming of seeing the Sistine Chapel for many years. I have photos of it, books with it in and a film on DVD showing how it was created...In just 218 days I will see it with my own eyes, living the dream...relishing in the moment.
Ooooooooooooooooh!
A day of doodles; playing around with some coloured pigment liners and a sketch of my youngest in Noodlers red/blk ink
Been looking at some ideas for travelling water containers both to use with my watercolours and to act as refils while on location in Italy next year.
I discovered this genius empty film container idea from Liz Steel after finding an oil well with a screw top I thought I might use.
I'll test both out on my palette before I go.
Spread 14 in my Arthouse sketchbook is a corner of my lounge. The sun sets just outside this window and the view spreads for miles...Gorgeous!
© All images and text remain the copyright of Anita Davies
