Urban Sketchers Bristol

Hello peeps, I forgot to blog about our last Bristol Urban Sketchers meet up (we have the latest one this afternoo) .  Usually we meet in town and chat, sketch, regroup for some lunch and sometimes a cheeky pint too.  Well, under lockdown this of course has to change so we have gone virtual!

We sketched using google etc in Alhambra, Spain at the suggestion of one of our members.  Well, what a beautiful location, some amazing scenery, small backstreets and amazing buildings too.  It was also great being able to catch up with the others and sketch whilst chatting to others too.

Sadly my notebook is not great for watercolour as the paint sinks straight in so ideally I should just use pencil or pen and ink (as we know from an earlier post on here its not like I don't have a "few" blank notebooks in the stash!!) but I keep forgetting that I am sketching at home and don't have to use my travel kit and could actually pop upstairs and grab the pencils!!

I am looking forward to being able to sketch again outside and meeting up with the group, but in the mean time, this is a really good alternative and a great way to explore other places, albeit virtually

Happy sketching

kyla

Urban Sketchers Bristol meet up

 Last Saturday was the Urban Sketchers Bristol chapter meet up.

We met in the Bristol Museum and I decided to sit in the cafe and sketch using my new travel watercolour kit 

I also decided to try and sketch people, my first person (chap with the top knot on the left) was my first and my favorite, I am not very pleased with the others but am seeing this as something I can learn to develop as I try new techniques etc.

One thing we did find out during the meet up was that the museum does NOT allow you to use anything other than pencil!  Several staff approached some of the group about their watercolours (even though we were all using sealed water pens, the ones that hold a small amount of water in the cartridge and doesn't even flick out of the fiber end) asking them to stop using them.  

Sadly we cannot find this anywhere on their webiste and none of their staff could even point out where this was stated!  I totally understand the issue, but these sealed pens carry no risk of spillage whilst children run around with bottles of juice and they even sell water pistols in the museum shop! 

 Now we know we can ensure that we only bring pencils if we sketch there again, but it is a shame that this was not communicated to the public and I suggest a tad outdated considering most use  water pens.  It would be interesting to know other museums take on this or whether other groups have had any issues?

If you have please let me know?

Kyla

Malta sketching

Another update on some of the crafting I did in Malta.

In Valletta there are some gardens called Upper Barrakka Gardens with a lift that takes you down to the harbour/waterfront.  The gardens are lovely, trees, flowers and a fountain.  Even better is a fantastic cafe, which is licensed so you can have a beer if you want (and cake!)

Whilst I was sat there I decided to do a small watercolour.

Only a really quick sketch and colour whilst I was sat having a coffee with my friend, Jon, who lives in Malta but a great way to help capture some memories.

Happy crafting

Kyla

Malta urban sketching

 Finally getting round to downloading my photos from the holidays.

In order to have an excuse to sit down and rest as often as possible I decided to do some sketching as often as I could!

This was a quick sketch of the street in front of the new food market in Merchant Street.

Just a quick 10 min sketch with a biro (all I had on me at the time). 

I love that in my sketch book I have various sketches of Malta over the past 5 years that I have been visiting. I find it a great way of recording what I do on the holiday (as I rarely get round to scrapbooking these days-it is another thing on my ever expanding to do list).

More Malta photos to come!

kyla

A new technique

 As some of you may know I belong to Bristol Urban Sketchers.

A couple of meet ups ago I was chatting to a very talented young lady who was using oil pastels and tissue paper to create a sort of print impression.

I was so impressed I remembered that I have some oil pastels and tissue paper at home so thought I would have a go.

First I coloured the tissue paper with oil pastel

then I used a biro to sketch my design onto the tissue paper

then you lift the paper to reveal the picture.  

I really like this effect and its something I think I will experiment more with.

Kyla

Bristol Urbansketchers monthly meet up

Just a quick update (trying to update via my phone so who knows how this will turn out)! 

The weekend saw the monthly meet up of Bristol Urban sketchers. A fantastic group I have belonged to for a few years and we are growing in size.

This time we all met at the Underfall Boatyard at Bristol docks.

Some fantastic things to sketch and a great place just to sit and watch the world go by as it's a working boatyard as well as pleasure boat trips.

A lovely couple of hours sketching then we all meet up for drinks or a spot of food and chat and swap sketch books and personally I learn a lot of new techniques too.

Happy crafting

Kyla 

Bristol Urban Sketchers

I am a bit tardy in blogging recently as my "pay the bills job" has once again been ruling my life, something I am hoping to redress in 2018 and get some more balance (especially since my Rheumatoid Arthritis flares are triggered by stress).

One way I find I can detach myself from the stresses of daily life is to urban sketch. These are a couple updates from the last two Bristol Urban Sketchers meetups.

This one was along the floating harbour in Bristol opposite The Thekla, a floating music venue and Bristol institution. 

The December up was in the John Wesley Chapel in the centre of town and their new cafe, a great meeting place, light, airy and some fabulous things to sketch-though I admit I found a comfy seat and sat and sketched right there!

At the end of the sketch we all meet up for drinks/food and share our work.

They are a great group and in the past couple of years I have been taking part I have learnt so much from them.

If you fancy Urban Sketching I thoroughly recommend joining your local group.

Happy crafting

kyla

Trinity Buoy Wharf Sketching

 One of my recent trips was to London to take part in "The Big Draw".  

Sketchers were met at Trinity Buoy Wharf and for about 4 hours we walked (I walked 9 miles in total that day, probably 5 of those were for the sketching) around some amazing sites with people who really knew the area and we stopped for about 10 mins at a time to sketch (I had never heard of it-but will be back as there was SO much to see).

 It was really fast paced and totally out of my comfort zone but I loved every minute of it as it forced me to just get something down on paper.

This lighthouse has amazing views inside

 (http://www.trinitybuoywharf.com/about)

 and also houses the Longplayer http://longplayer.org/about/

Which is a 1000 year long musical composition!!!

 I have never seen anything like some of the exhibits and sculptures here.

We also walked to the Emirates Cable car and caught this (90 meters up in the sky!) across the river to the millennium dome.

 There was SO much to see and do this is only a small part of it.

If you are in the London area I recommend a trip there.

Kyla

 

Sketching in Tapas bars

 I have finally gotten round to getting some of the photos off my phone and realised I have not blogged the urban sketches I did whilst I was in Sitges, Spain.

Now I know this looks like a LOT of time was spent in Tapas bars, but....no I cannot lie-we did!  It was a great way to get out of the mid day sun.  Either inside in the cool or under an umbrella on the edge of the beach!  I could really get used to this life!  

To keep the weight down I only carried my sketchbook and pen with me and I usually add some colour when I am back at the ranch.

I am not too keen on sketching people but I find that in busy bars it is a bit easier as you are not noticed as much!

Kyla

WOYWW

I know, it's Wednesday and I have a clean desk!!!

The only thing on my desk this week is the supporter pack from Upfest.

upfest is the largest street art festival in Europe and happens in Bristol every year 
at the end of July.
Each year they run a crowd funding event to raise money to cover paint etc and depending on how much you donate they offer a small gift in return.

This was ours.  

A lovely blank sketchbook (nice thick smooth paper inside perfect for wet mediums) which was embossed with their logo and three posca pens (my favourite marker pen as it takes on most surfaces).

How is your workdesk this week?  Don't worry as mine will not stay this clean for long (it never does)!

Kyla