Tag Archives: boats

Workshop By The Sea

This month I was asked to run a workshop in beautiful North Berwick for the Scottish Seabird Centre’s annual Marine Fest.

It seems to be always sunny in North Berwick, such a beautiful seaside town on the east coast just an hour from Edinburgh. But it’s also a little windy, which I always forget!!

I arrived early and had a lovely look around before my eager sketchers arrived or a couple of hours where I share my tips for getting started with sketching and capturing the views around you with ink pens and watercolours.

It was great fun and we drew shells close up before heading around to the boats and sketching the Life buoy hanging on a beautiful stone harbour wall.

We ran out of time to sketch the boats so I stayed on after lunch and drew the fishing boat with the town’s hill ‘The Law’ in the background.

My next sketching workshop is this Saturday back in Edinburgh’s New Town and there are a few places left for this walk and draw session capturing some beautiful details and touching on a little perspective too. All abilities are welcome and I provide all the materials you will need.

Have a look at this link for more details and to book your place.

My finished drawing above and below as it was before I added the watercolour. I wasn’t sure whether to add the colour or not, what do you think?

Flying boats

How I want to be back here today, where the sail boats seemed to float through the clouds.

This sketch from a few months ago is Lake Windermere and a quick trip to see friends. We were skimming stones and following the ducks along the shore, letting time drift while we let our breakfast settle and the nearby aquarium get ready to open.

I stood at the end of one of the jetty’s and sketched the view, the mirror surface of the water made the lake look like an extension of the clouds above. It was mesmerising and I am so glad I made this quick painting, looking at it it takes me right back there now.

We stayed at the Lakeside Hotel and Spa, and I would go back in a heart beat 🙂

First frost on the Harbour

This morning I saw and sketched as the ice melted away in Granton Harbour

On the school run the kids and I noticed how the masts of the boats were all at wonky angles and the water was frozen over.

The sun was strong and although it was bitterly cold I headed out onto the Granton breakwater, a small stone wall in the sea that protects the boats from the strong waves from the east.

Inside the harbour there was a thin layer of frozen water and all the boats and buoys were sitting on top, as if placed there by a giant.

I sat and sketched for about 20 minutes until the water had thawed and my fingers had frozen!

A trip to Elie in Fife

On Sunday the family and I took a trip over the bridge into Fife and a drive along the coast took us to Elie.

A fabulous place, beautiful and so pretty with a couple of idyllic sandy bays to explore.

It was a little colder and a little cloudier than our visit a couple of weeks ago but still so beautiful. We swam in the bay ( with our new wet suits on) and explored the rock pools before having a delicious lunch at The Ship Inn, Elie, which has this idyllic view of the bay.

I can’t wait to return, but need a kayak to take back with me. Hi

#visitscotland#visitfife#thatsfife#eliebeach#fifelife#triptotheseaside

Newhaven Harbour in glorious sunshine.

NewHaven_HarbourI’m lucky enough to live close to Newhaven Harbour and love listening to the tinkling boat masts and seagulls circling above.

I drive past the lighthouse (built 1869) often and yesterday did so with thankfully some time to sketch. I could sit for hours listening to the rocking boats in the small harbour, looking out through the narrow ‘gateway’ to Fife, I find it very relaxing. Add in come watercolurs and a blank canvas and I’m in heaven!

 

I painted this sketch with black ink and watercolour whilst sitting on the large stone steps between the harbour and road.

 

The original sketch is now sold but you can order a high quality mounted print from my online shop HERE.

 

newhaven2photo

Cramond walk

CramondThe family and I had a lovely, peaceful walk in Cramond today. Along the coast from Edinburgh towards the Forth Bridge, the sketch is from the harbour where we left the car and walked along the river Almond to the Cramond Falls Cafe, a delightful spot to sit and have lunch watching the ducks swim up river.

Although it was windy the sun was strong and we sat out in the cafe’s walled courtyard and enjoyed our lunch before walking back along the river, throwing bread to the ducks, turns and seagulls who kept us company.

Trip to the coast

NorthBerwickwebThe family and I took a drive down the East coast to North Berwick today. A lovely seaside town famous for its fish and chips, and the Scottish Seabird Centre, which was where we had lunch.

Just around the corner is the harbour where a row of well sheltered benches let the towns visitors sit in the sunshine and listen to the tinkle of the boats in the harbour. This was our view from the bench …. penned with a black fine liner and then a touch of colour from my Letraset felt tips.