This week I have been sketching at the Granton Castle Walled Garden, just around the corner from me.
Granton Castle unfortunately no longer exists after it was demolished and the ground it stood on quarried in the 1920’s.
The castle dated back to the late 15th century, was damaged and rebuilt in 1544, refurbished in the early 1600s and finally demolished in 1921. The Walled Garden survived and was cultivated across the centuries.
Volunteers have been working since May 2017 to transform the overgrown space into a beautiful and publicly accessible area for the local community and visitors from further afield.
So exciting to sketch with inks made from ingredients grown on site
I was asked to go along by Cass who I run the Bookbinding and Sketching workshop with at Arienas Collective in the New Town.
Cass was there making prints with the leaves and had started with others to experiment making their own ins from the leaves and barks found in the overgrown garden which is slowly being cleared.
It was great spending time drawing the stonework, shrubs and leaves and seeing how spring is bringing the garden to life. And it wasn’t just the plant life thriving in the garden, I saw so many birds, bees and a couple of rabbits too. When drawing the wildlife slowly got used to me being there and relaxed enough to come out.
Below you can see one of my sketches using the inks made in the garden. The colours are faint but layered over each other can make some great thick, textured colours. These are made from nettle, willow and gorse flower. It was so exciting to sketch with inks made from ingredients grown on site.
Open Day – 4th May 1-4pm
This family friendly, free entry drop in event gives you a chance to see this wonderful space, find out a little about the history of the garden and meet the wonderful volunteers who are unearthing this local gem.
Read more about the garden and the open day, plus how you can volunteer for a little gardening at their website below.