Category Archives: Daily Sketch

Daily Sketch

Scottish gallery of modern art

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The beautiful and inspirational Modern One

I love a Sunday walk around the modern art gallery, inspiring artwork, manicured grounds and delicious food in their cafe.

This view I created for a commission shows the reflection of the grand entrance and also the Martin Creed piece, ‘Everything is going to be alright’ which reassures me every time I see it.

Creed has said of his art that it is ‘50% about what I make and 50% about what other people make of it’. And I do connect to this piece, and remember walking past it a few times during lock down and hoping it to be true.

I would say that all art is 50/50 and when I draw something it is usually initially for me but that is only half the story, I am making art to be seen and hope that viewers connect to my work in ways I haven’t thought of.

Scottish Gallery Of Modern Art website

Daily Sketch

Sunday walks to Stockbridge

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A memory of a perfect day

There is nothing better than a family walk to somewhere warm for a relaxing catch up over lunch. A favourite walk of ours is into Stockbridge, through Inverleith Park or the Botanics and then a coffee and cake before looking around a few shops and then back home to watch a film on the sofa.

This view from the road that leads from into Stockbridge from the park, just past the duck pond. You can see St Stephens Church in the distance, with the sky reflected in the water of leith below the bridge.

Happy days. This one I decided to get printed as a limited giclee print. Beautiful prints that are undistinguishable from the original and I have had 20 made at 9×5 inches and each one will be signed and numbered, and available via the link below.

Buy one of twenty beautiful prints of this sketch here.

Daily Sketch

Beautiful details

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Welcoming visitors to the city and locals home.

A lovely intricate Victorian street lamp outside Waverley Station. So delicate and inspiring, I love noticing such creativity on the streets of the city. Have you noticed this one when on your way to catch the train? or as you first arrive in the capital perhaps.

Drawn with a dipping pen on some gorgeous watercolour paper offcut I had lying around.

Daily Sketch

Trip to the Turners

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Three paintings along with notes I made.

January in Edinburgh means Turners at the National.

I have been along to see the beautiful JMW Turner paintings at the National Galleries of Scotland, in their new room for 2024, one of the upper galleries of Edinburgh’s Royal Scottish Academy.

These atmospheric paintings using watercolour, ink, bodycolour and a scrapping of the paint to create highlights just blows me away every time. The light captured and the colours used are fascinating and I look forward to seeing them every year.

My sketch of JMW Turners painting, ‘Heidelberg’.

Left to the nation by art collector Henry Vaughan in 1900 the paintings by Joseph Mallard William Turner are only be available to see through the month of January, when Scotland’s daylight is shortest. These strict conditions means the watercolours still possess a freshness and an intensity of colour, almost 200 years after they were created.

With 38 watercolours on show there is also an audio highlights guide available, which is a brand-new addition for 2024. Be sure to make a visit before the end of the month.

Turner in January | National Galleries of Scotland

Daily Sketch

Where the bicycles meet

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Fine lines and sketchy scribbles on Jeffrey Street.

My first sketch of Edinburgh in the new year is this view of bicycles on Jeffrey Street. I was there visiting my latest collaborating stockist, Hot Toddy who have a cafe and give great whisky tasting tours to locals and visitors to the city.

I have noticed this view before, I love the lines cross crossing through the picture and the depth that the bikes plus the Balmoral in the background give to my sketch.

I sketched with my favoured Uni Pin Fineliners and then added a quick watercolour wash to give a little colour to the famous hotel in the distance.

Happy New Year everyone and I hope you continue to follow my sketching journey through 2024. Mark 🙂

Daily Sketch

Sunshine on Glasgow

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A flying visit to Glasgow this week as MyWeddingSketcher

A midweek wedding at the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow on St Vincent Street. What a stunning building, and really pretty part of the city, just up the hill and away from the busy shops.

The wedding party had photos taken in Blythswood Square and below is a sketch of the college. Great architecture and such a mixture of buildings in Edinburgh that I love the random beauty, I must go back soon.

Before I left I made a quick sketch from the Buchanan Galleries as the sun came down on the famous shopping high street.

Daily Sketch

An inspiring city break

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A weekend trip to Amsterdam provides inspiration, and more street lamps!

My niece had a big birthday and so a surprise trip to the Netherlands happened. My first stay in Amsterdam and it did not disappoint.

A beautiful city we spent hours walking and boating the canals and also managed a trip to the RijksMuseum where I saw a Van Gogh, many stunning Rembrandts and a beautiful Vermeer, the Milkmaid (below).

So inspiring and great to see such wonderful paintings close up. The canals of the city make for such picturesque views, tall gable ended town houses with little humpbacked bridges, skeletal black trees and big bright skys. I created one painting (top) but it was very cold and I look forward to returning in the warmer months for more canal side sketching.

Rijksmuseum Website

Daily Sketch

Watercolours in the woods

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The rain and mist seemed to add to the wonder at Dalkeith Country Park.

You don’t have to go far from the city to find huge woods to walk through and wonderful autumn colours to get lost in. Today I took a walk though Dalkeith Country Park just as the rain was falling and the mist was lifting.

Despite the heavy rain fall the forest seemed to be alight with flames, the oranges, reds and yellows were that intense. I could of stayed there all day but my paper pad was getting soggy.

I passed a happy group of toddlers in their waterproofs exploring the muddy forest floor as I headed inside the Restoration Yard for a hand warming americano.

I look forward to returning soon, hopefully before the colours all fall to the ground!

Dalkeith Country Park website.