Tag Archives: edinburgh

Daily Sketch

Sketches from the historic opening of The Borders Railway

55 Comments

BordersRailway_RollingHillsThis week saw the near fifty year wait for train services to be reinstated in the Borders come to an end, as the new Borders Railway route opened to the public.

 

The longest domestic railway built in the UK for over a century, the new route was funded by Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government and constructed by Network Rail. It features thirty miles of new track and seven new stations between Edinburgh Waverley and Tweedbank.

 

BordersRailway_TrainTweedbank

 

The new line through the Borders will hopefully encourage more visitors out of Edinburgh and help the local communities in the area travel into Scotland’s capital much easier. A range of new buildings and attractions are planned along the route to increase tourism in the area.

 

I travelled along the new route last week and sketched my highlights, the landscape is breath taking and cuts through hills and valleys, over rivers and through picturesque ex-mining villages. I look forward to taking the train again and discovering more about the beauty and history within the Border country.

 

BordersRailway_TrainWaverley BordersRailway_NotesTrainBordersRailway_InsideAndOut BordersRailway_BorthwickCastle

 

Borders Railway website

Scotrail website

 

Daily Sketch

A beautiful day in Edinburgh to bring the 2015 Edinburgh Festivals to a close

4 Comments

StAndrewSquare_2015I hope you are enjoying the sunshine in Scotland’s capital this afternoon and soaking up the atmosphere as Edinburgh’s many festivals build to a finale of tonight’s fireworks.

 

Here is a sunny sketch from inside St Andrew Square Gardens, as I was sitting eating my lunch on Friday.

 

I’m sure the busy thoroughfare looks similar today as visitors and residents alike soak up the atmosphere as Edinburgh’s many festivals enjoy their final day before tonight’s Virgin Money Fireworks Concert.

 

Unfortunately I can’t make it on to Princes Street Gardens to hear the Scottish Chamber Orchestra play beneath the amazing display but there is still time to get your ticket, via the link below. I will be watching from the outskirts, and perhaps listening in to the SCO via Forth One Radio.

 

EIF Virgin Money Fireworks Concert website

 

Forth One website 

Competition

The WhereArtI Quiz, 31st August

25 Comments

ES_WAI310815WhereArtI time in Edinburgh… can you name this week’s location?

 

There are points on offer for the first three correct answers and bragging rights for a week. Keep an eye on the facebook and twitter throughout the day for clues if they are needed. Answer to come before the end of the day.

 

If you would like to sponsor the quiz or indeed feature in the quiz, then get in touch HERE.

Daily Sketch

An upcoming sketch and history tour at Canongate Kirk

108 Comments

CanongateKirk_gateAfter the success of my in residence Sketch Workshops at Lauriston Castle join me for my next class, which is combined with a history tour and will take place within the grounds of Canongate Kirk on Saturday 5th September.

Together with The Friends Of The Canongate Kirk charity you will learn about the residents of the Royal Mile’s Canongate Kirk, which dates back to the 17th Century. Plus learn speed sketching skills and pen and ink drawing techniques that will build confidence and enable you to create your own pieces of art on location.

 

The tour runs form 3-5pm on Saturday 5th September and is £20 per adult with children under 16 years of age just £5. For more information and to book your place on the one off limited tour call Laura at TFOTCK on 07783 293594

 

I look forward to seeing you there!

 

The Friends Of The Canongate Kirk on facebook

 

Competition

The WhereArtI Quiz, 17th August

16 Comments

ES_WAI_170815WhereArtI time in Festival time Edinburgh… but do you know where I am?

 

There are points on offer for the first three correct answers and bragging rights for a week. Keep an eye on the facebook and twitter throughout the day for clues if they are needed. Answer to come before the end of the day.

 

If you would like to sponsor the quiz or indeed feature in the quiz, then get in touch HERE.

Daily Sketch

Sketching a dragon, at the Royal Lyceum Theatre

5 Comments

EIF2015_Dragon_1Dragon, the wonderful and moving story of a boy meeting a dragon, told without words and with amazing puppetry and stage magic that will leave you believing the unbelievable.

 

Created by Vox Motus, the National Theatre of Scotland and Tianjin Children’s Art Theatre, Dragon tells the story of Tommy whose life, since the death of his mother, has gone from bad to worse. One restless night Tommy goes to the window and throws back the curtain to find himself face to face with a dragon.

 

Here  have captured a couple of scenes from the play which runs today and tomorrow only at the Royal Lyceum Theatre as part of this year’s Edinburgh International Festival. Above shows he Dragon first appearing to tommy as he sits beneath a swing, and below the dragon appears to become a motorbike as it and Tommy play together.

 

See it if you can, it is a wonderful spectacle.

 

EIF2015_Dragon_2

 

Dragon on the EIF website

 

Daily Sketch

Sketching workshops at Lauriston Castle

19 Comments

sketchers3_fromYana_webThis summer I am running a number of sketch workshops at Lauriston Castle, in partnership with Edinburgh Council

My first day of workshops took place in July and I am very glad to say, a sell out. Marketed for families just starting their summer holidays we had a good range of ages attending, and a good range of accents as many had made the event part of their holiday in Edinburgh.

 

You may of seen some of the images below on my social media at the time but for those who didn’t the blue door selection was one of our subjects. I like to have a whole class focus in on a detail, such as the blue door and then see all the work together. It shows the range of styles and how each one has merits and personality.

drawings2_web

My next day of classes is tomorrow, Saturday 15th August and although the morning session is sold out, at the time of writing there was still a few places in the afternoon. The session runs from  1-3pm and costs £20. Tickets can be booked via the Usher Hall website HERE

 

Below are a few more photographs from the first event. Thanks to Yana from The Green Deer company who came along on the tour and supplied the images with myself in them!

Me2_fromYana_web sketchers1_web

Book your tickets here

Lauriston Castle on facebook

 

Daily Sketch

Tweeting for Just Festival in Edinburgh

10 Comments

JustFestival_SimplySowetoEncha2Yesterday while tweeting for Just Festival I sketched from a couple of shows.

To help publicise my own exhibition, ‘Sketching The Shadows’, which can be seen within St John’s Church Chapel until the end of August, I was asked to take over the official Just Festival twitter feed for a day.

 

The Just Festival strives to highlight the inequality and injustice around the world in the hope that we will then take into account how our actions affect each other and the planet as a whole, and the content can often be serious and thought provoking so I decided to keep my input light.

 

Talking about what I was up to (delivering merchandise around Leith on my bicycle) and adding in a few sketches from some of the Just Festival exhibitions I managed to visit, both at St Johns Church on the corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road, and Central Hall just up the Lothian Road at Toll Cross.

 

JustFestival_MercyCorps_

 

Above is a sketch from ‘Lives Interrupted’, a Mercy Corps commissioned installation of wire frame sculptures by Amy Pickles, in the grounds of St Johns Church yard. Representing the Syrian refugees the sculptures humanise the reports we hear daily and bring their plight much closer to us.

 

Below is the front of Central Hall, where I visited later in the afternoon. Home to many of this years Just Festival performances the venue is very grand and worth a look around for the architecture alone.

 

JustFestival_CentralHall

 

Inside Central Hall I was lucky enough to see Simply Soweto Encha, an a cappella group from South Africa whose infectious rhythm, energy and personality filled the hall and wowed the audience. I loved it and would recommend the show to anyone. The main image at the top of this post and the one below were scribbled down as I watched, clapped and laughed my way through the show.

 

JustFestival_SimplySowetoEncha_

 

Just Festival website

Mercy Corps UK website

Amy Pickles

Simply Soweto Encha

 

 

 

 

Competition

The WhereArtI Quiz, 10th August

41 Comments

ES_WAI100815WhereArtI time we are back in Edinburgh… but where?

 

There are points on offer for the first three correct answers and bragging rights for a week. Keep an eye on the facebook and twitter throughout the day for clues if they are needed. Answer to come before the end of the day.

 

If you would like to sponsor the quiz or indeed feature in the quiz, then get in touch HERE.

Daily Sketch

Drawing inspiration from the Harmonium Project and the Edinburgh International Festival

10 Comments

I am looking for your inspirational photos of the Harmonium Project for a new original work of art.

Unfortunately I was unable to witness the opening of the Edinburgh International Festival and the spectacular Hamonium Project at the Usher Hall last night in person. However I was so blown away by the photos on social media that I would love to create some art work from the event, and I would like you to be involved.

 

I am looking for your photos plus a quote about how you found the event. Send me your digital photo and a line of text, for example “It was incredible! One of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen!” to contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com with the subject “Harmonium Project”.

 

In exchange for providing the inspiration for my art work I will send each person included in the piece a signed, numbered copy.

 

UsherHall_colourject, usher hall, edinburgh international festival