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

De cluttering my sketching kit

 Now, I am sure I am not alone but I tend to carry round in my handbag more than I need!

During 2018 I have tried to pare down what I carry, especially as my RA develops and I find it more difficult to carry heavy bags.  So I thought it was time to try and do the same for my urban sketching kit.  Now, I often just carry a few pens and a few posca's BUT I do like to splash a bit of colour around and I often use my travel watercolour kit so I looked around the web to see if I could get some ideas and boy, there are some GREAT ideas out there.

I saw many people who put art kits in small tins so I thought I would try that.

In CASS Art they had a sale for members so I bought a new travel kit where the colour pans were easily removed (cheaper than buying 9 separately)

Then in poundland I spotted this tin filled with sugar free mints and worked out this was exactly the right size.

So I decided which colours I wanted to include (that research took longer than making it all!) and stuck them in with contact adhesive.

I decided to use 9 colours and in the small space I added a small piece of sponge and cut down a pencil.  The small paint brush that came with the kit fits perfectly in the lid.

So there you have it, a small painting kit that fits not just in my handbag but also in my pocket!!  I am hoping that this will encourage me to paint/sketch more, only time will tell.

Do you have any ideas for lightweight kit, feel free to share.

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

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

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

Bristol Urban Sketchers Meet up

 

At the weekend I attended the monthly meet up of the Bristol Urban Sketchers.

 

It is a great group (and expanding month on month) and there are some fabulous artists with so many different styles that there is always inspiration and something new to learn.

 

This month we went to https://arnosvale.org.uk/ a 45 acre cemetery only 15 mins walk from the centre of the city.  I have lived in Bristol for about 14 years and have never visited. 

 Well, I will be back soon-this place was amazing.  It had a café, exhibition space, museum, natural 'green' cemetery, historical areas, sailors cemetery, woodland walks and much more. It is free to get in and for a  small donation you can have a guided tour.



 

 

I was running late for the meet up so I didn't have too long but I did manage to make a quick sketch in my travel journal.  After we sketch we all meet up for either a drink or some lunch and share sketches and stories.  It is always lovely to meet with like minded people and they are such a talented group-if you are interested and in the area then they have a FB group.

 

Happy crafting

Kyla



Bristol Urban Sketchers October Meet up

 Last weekend I met up with the Bristol Urban Sketchers. 

They are a really inspirational group and even though I have only just started drawing they are really welcoming and I have been trying to get to their meet ups each month since I started back in January.

Octobers meeting took place at Millennium Square in Bristol.  It is a great space with @Bristol (a science based exhibition and education center)  and the large mirrored sphere (pictured here) is actually a 3D planetarium!  Next to it is a sculpture of a tree which is actually made from solar panels and is free for people to plug into and charge their electronic devices whilst they sit there are take in the views.

I decided to sit for a while and drawer the scene, not the easiest but an enjoyable 30 odd minutes sat sketching and watching people.

This is also where the harbourside is.  Bristol is still a busy harbour and there are boats people live on, tourist vessels, water taxi's, working vessels as well as beautiful replicas such as the wooden boat the Matthew and of course the SS Great Britain.

I decided to do a quick sketch of a boat whilst I was walking along the harbourside 

After we have all sketched we meet up to share our sketches and usually grab some lunch or a cuppa.  This time whilst we were sat in the cafe a group of people on the next table all burst into song..they were an acapella group about to sing at a wedding in the Cathedral and were warming up!  I don't think the tourists could quite believe, all us sketchers with our kits etc and then the singers on the very next table!!

This is the group shot my hubby kindly took.  The umbrella was won in a silent auction by fellow sketcher, Ed, and has been sketched all over!  A brilliant idea.

As a new sketcher I was uncomfortable in sharing and joining a group, but I am so glad I did and recommend it.  

There are SO many different styles that each time I see or learn something new.

Kyla

Urban Sketchers at the farm

 If you follow me on Instagram you would have already seen these but I was a little slow in blogging them.  Two weeks ago I attended the meet up of the Bristol Urban Sketchers. 

 I have been to a few of their meet ups and its always a lovely group at a local spot, a cuppa and a chat then some sketching and then sharing of ideas etc over a cuppa and maybe some lunch afterwards-very refined.  

This event was at the Windmill Hill City Farm (which only last week end celebrated its 40th Anniversary) and somewhere I have never been.

The wall outside was painted by a local artists Andy Council (I have always been a fan of his work and was even lucky enough to go to his house at a local open art event a few years ago).

 There was so much to see and do from allotments, to chickens, pigs and goats.  I found the goats to be particularly delightful as they stuck their heads through the fence to play with passers by so ended up sketching at that spot for most of the time.

 I also decided to paint a watercolour postcard of the largest goat whilst I was there and leave it as part of the Art Abandonment project (search for the group on FB if you'd like more details)

On the way back into town my husband noticed the Arnofini art gallery has a stamp carving workshop for free and it was just a case of turn up and carve-everything you need was provided.  So I couldn't turn that down so I carved a face which reminded me a little of the Studio Ghibli character Calcifer!  I decided to sketch the process in my journal whilst I was on the bus home (never a missed opportunity).

I recommend local Urban Sketchers groups, they are great way of learning from others and it's always nice to meet up with like minded people.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Tea or coffee appears to be a theme

 I have been a bit tardy at blogging recently, mainly because I have been out making art and wasn't sure how to get the photos off my instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/kylacotterell/?hl=en) but I think I have sussed how to transfer them across (just needed to book time on the laptop to transfer them). 

This page of my journal was sketched in a cafe over lunch.  I had spent the morning at a Repair Cafe in Bristol.  A group of volunteers meet in a church and if you have a broken item you can take it along and they have a go at repairing it.  I took my solder iron but sadly it was well and truly broken, however, whilst we were there they mended a large flat screen TV (the lady had brought it previously and they identified the spare part she needed to buy for about £25 and then they fixed it for free).  Such a great resource, and the local church make some money by selling tea, coffee and cake.

Also, over the past few weeks I have been taking part in Free Art Friday and the Art Abandonment groups (search for them on FaceBook for more details).

This tag was a stamp I made and then over painted with posca pens and  stamped the phrase "Imperfection is Beauty".  I left it on the back of the hooks in the ladies toilets of Herbies Cafe in Exeter!

This tag I painted whilst sat overlooking the sea at Sidmouth in Devon and I left it in the Clocktower cafe.

I am enjoying abandoning small pieces or art.  I haven't heard back from any finders (they always contain details of the FB group) but hopefully people have enjoyed finding them. 

Whilst keeping the sketchbook I have noticed that I spend a LOT of time in cafe's sketching though!  Keep your eyes peeled if you spot someone sketching over a coffee-it may be me!

Happy crafting

kyla

Urban sketching in Malta

I have to admit defeat as I have tried linking my Instagram account to my blog but for some reason the coding refuses to recognise my account so I thought I would blog a few of my latest sketches I have done whilst I was in Malta recently.

The top sketch was at the airport (lets face it you have a couple of hours to get bored so why not paint!) and the second sketch was some of the sayings on the wall at a local vegan cafe in Valletta (The Grassy Hopper).  They had sayings such as "Collect moments not things" and 
"All children are artists the problem is how to remain an artist once you grow up" 

The bottom sketch was a fountain in St Anton Gardens, a beautiful green oasis amid all the dry brown fields at the moment.

The next page shows another sketch of The Grassy Hopper again, but this time the staff behind the counter and the bottom sketch is across the water from Valletta (this is from the swimming hole that the hotel built straight into the sea-I swam off this point several times).

 

The final sketch was a postcard I painted and on the last day decided to post it to my husband (as I was away with my Mum), painted once again from the swimming hole.

My full account can be viewed at:

 https://www.instagram.com/kylacotterell/

Not sure why I haven't shared my urban sketches before on this blog, but a friend (waves at Carmen over at http://whoopidooings.blogspot.co.uk/ and also her instagram under the same name) suggested I blog them-so I have.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Big Ben scraps

Following on from my previous post about our trip to London I thought I would post a picture of my latest card.

This is made up from my scrap box and is another wallpaper sample!

The original wallpaper is just black line work but I added some watercolour to give it a bit more of an urban sketching feel.

Slowly I am working my way through my wallpaper samples-I didn't realise just how much I had amassed!  Even though they are free in the UK, there is no point them just sitting in my room.  Much better they are turned into a card and passed onto someone else.

Happy crafting

Kyla

Quilt procrastination

So, how am I getting on with the quilt I hear you ask?  Well.........I was distracted!!!

On my recent trip to London we went to a Manga Exhibition at the British Museum and also a quick visit to Tate Modern.  As Banksy said "exit through the giftshop" and this meant I ended up being surrounded by lovely art books!!!!

I treated myself to a pocket watercolour book (it is nice a simple, unlike some of my other books which confuse me and put me off painting) and also an urban sketching book.

I really enjoy urban sketching and on trips out I often have a small drawing pad, pen and a mini watercolour kit.  I have sketched on trains, buses, in pubs....anywhere I find something interesting to record.

So I was all prepared to crack on with my quilt after having made an effort at the weekend...only to find myself distracted by flicking through the books..which ended up being more than a hour!

I am determined to crack on with  it.....oh, but there is ironing and bottling of the sloe gin, and filing....etc........ah, why am I SO good at procrastiation!!

Happy crafting

Kyla