- last sketch in Sorrento

The final morning and final sketch on our tour. My favourite part of Sorrento, I could spend a lot of time in this little harbour - it's called Marina Grande. Vesuvius is about 15 miles away behind that cliff.

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- Goth weekend at Whitby

Went to the "Goth Weekend" at Whitby 5 days ago. Saw more "Steampunks" than Goths - had to Google that! They were so well dressed that the rest of us looked pretty scruffy. Sketched my memory of them on our last evening there - see top row on the attached image - the bottom row starts with our walk along the beach to Sandsend followed by sketches of Whitby harbour. The gale-force northerly wind provided proper crashing waves all the way from Norway!

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- my list of paintings for the "Ten Artists Exhibition"

Here is the list of my paintings for the "Ten Artists Exhibition" at Baslow Village Hall tomorrow and Sunday. The weather forecast is good for tomorrow and not bad on Sunday - come and see us, the other 9 Artists are much better than me.

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- 10 paintings

Ready! My 10 paintings for the "Ten Artists Exhibition" at Baslow Village Hall this coming weekend. Just have to get together all the prints and cards I've produced.... then relax (until Saturday)

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- inspired by the Terminal Warehouse Sheffield Canal Basin

Another for the Exhibition at Baslow on 22nd & 23rd October. This one's from my Sheffield Canal Basin Series - it's inspired by the Terminal Warehouse and colourful canal boats ie. it's completely made up!

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- lovely, loverly Whitby

This is my painting of a corner of Whitby Harbour on the left bank of the Esk with a lot of artistic license - a doctored version again to protect the innocent! The pristine version will be at the "10 Artists & 10 Paintings Exhibition" at Baslow Village Hall on Saturday & Sunday 22nd & 23rd October.

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Postcards from Mallorca

We're back home safe, sound and (a lot) colder! Attached the full range of grandchidrens' postcards sent from Puerto Soller - no words, just drawings again!

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My Mallorcan sketches

All my sketches from our Mallorcan Holiday in the beautiful Soller Valley:

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Puerto Soller boatyard - our breakfast view over a cappuccino con crema & Napolitano chochlatino (not sure about the spelling!)

Can Prohom high above the Soller Valley - good welcome and good cake and fresh orange.

Soller Cathedral - right hand entrance porch from over a cool Coke at Café Aro at Placa Constitucio.

Placa d' Espanya at Fornalutx where we met the Policia Locale who helped find the wallet I lost last September

Fishing boats in the corner of the marina at Puerto Soller below the old monastery now a maritime museum.

The old monastery at Puerto Soller viewed from lunchtime at the Nautilus Bar. The view vertically down to the Mediterranean is absolutely spectacular!

I was sitting under the ramp up to the Town Hall in Soller at the Placa Constituticio to sketch this one looking towards the Carrer de Vives. This was my final sketch.

The Tobacos at Placa Constitucio, Soller over a cool San Miguel at Bar Firo

The upper lighthouse overlooking the Puerto Soller Bay. This sketch is from over lunch at the picnic tables to the Refugi.

The lower and disused lighthouse at the entrance to Puerto Soller - looks good from any direction!

This was the view from our first cappuccino and cake breakfast in the Port. I wasn't quite warmed up.

Camara de Lobos - 02

Finished this last night

Camara Del Lobos 02

Great news. I've started painting again. I've not done a "proper" painting since August last year - apart from some outside sketching, adding to our Ezra's diary/book and a couple of commissions! This one's another acrylic of Camara Del Lobos in Madeira. The attached photo is the pencil (stage 1) version with some tissue paper glued to the foreground to give a bit of texture. I've set myself a target of 20 paintings by the last week in October this year.... can I do it, will I survive that long? I'll let you know.

Old Monastery Puerto Soller

The Old Monastery (now a Nautical Museum) above Puerto Soller, Mallorca. This view is from the outside area to the coffee shop where I consumed my cappuccino on several hot and sunny mornings. It's a view I've drawn/painted this view many times on our holidays to the Port over the past 15 years.

Puerto Soller Mallorca - the Bay/Harbour 2

Another from Puerto Soller - the Bay/Harbour from further round towards the south. We were sampling the champagne sangria which I then used as the medium for the watercolour or "champagnecolour" as it is now known. Tip: champagnecolour doesn't evaporate like watercolour - it remains sticky for ever - wipe out your palette if you don't want it to smear your rucksack (in my case). 

Puerto Soller Mallorca - the Bay/Harbour

Puerto Soller Mallorca. The entrance to the Bay/Harbour from sea level - literally - my feet were in the sea and I was sitting on a rock. I dipped the left hand of the paper in the sea and I used sea water as the medium, so it's my first "seawatercolour" painting. I then went for a swim in the medium!

Houses of Parliament on Father's Day

Re-union with the Uni of Sheffield Dept of Architecture Class of '67 in London last weekend visiting the Shard and Cutty Sark. Free on Sunday morning so did a 10 minute sketchette of the Houses of Parliament from under the London Eye. All equipment supplied by daughter Sian for Father's Day - watercolour paper postcard, squezzy watercolour brush, and emergency palette (seen in top RH corner) which consisted of 12 watercolour pencil dabs on paper... add the postage stamp, find a post box and the job's a good 'un!
Sian took my paintings to Art in the Gardens Submission Day and all 5 were accepted.

"Churchill's View" Camera de Lobos, Madeira

My final (of 5 paintings) for Art in the Gardens submission day on Saturday is framed and ready! It's from our beautiful holiday in Madeira last April/May and it's the scene (with a bit of artistic licence on the boats) from below the terrace that Winston Churchill used for his paintings in Camara de Lobos.

Sheffield Canal Basin 003a

My third version of the Canal Basin - Sheffield's Victoria Quays - this time looking south. It's almost there, hopefully finished today. Might take up narrow boat decoration in the future!

Sheffield Canal Basin 003

Another work in progress. Canal Basin Sheffield looking towards the Nabarro Building. This will be mixed media from my "IYF" (in your face) colourist style and my third Canal Basin painting. The narrow boats are ripe for a bit of colourist's creations! I did a lot of detailed production drawings on the Nabarro building in my previous life as an architect working for Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson in the mid '90's at the end of the last recession. Thanks HCD.

Ez's diary - absent in Madeira 2

Another pen and watercolour sketch to explain the gap in our Ezra's diary - this fishing boat was parked on the slipway at Camara de Lobos, Madeira.

Camara de Lobos 002, Madeira

Another from Madeira. Back to Camara de Lobos via another sardine lunch next to the Atlantic at the Praia Formosa. This sketch from outside the Taberna dos Lobos over looking the boatyard and across from the Churchill restaurant terrace where, we were told, the man himself used sit and sketch - that's the building above the brow (pointed end) of the good ship Estrela do Mar.

Heeley Art Club Collage

Last night's exercise at Heeley Art Club - collage of your choice. Somebody said it reminded her of Torremolinos.... then she said she'd not been there.