Tag Archives: princes street

Daily Sketch

Poppies on Princes Street

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PoppiesPrincesStreetA Field of Remembrance has been created this week in Princes Street Gardens, next to the Scott Monument.

 

Thousands of small wooden crosses, each with a personal dedication and poppy, have been planted next to the Scott Monument.

 

The Field of Remembrance is open to the public for poppy week until Monday 11th November when there will be a service to remember the the millions killed, injured and effected by conflicts since Armistice Day, 1919.

 

Each year Poppyscotland helps thousands of ex-Servicemen and women, and their families, overcome physical, emotional and financial difficulties. Learn more at the link below.

 

Scottish Poppy Appeal

 

In an effort to raise a little money for PoppyScotland I will be producing 100 giclee prints of this image, signed, numbered and individually mounted.

Each will be £20 (including postage) and £10 from each one sold will go to PoppyScotland. If you are interested email me at contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com or visit my Etsy shop HERE.

Daily Sketch

Apple picking time in Edinburgh

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Apple_PrincesStreetOne week from now, at 10am on Saturday 18th October the Edinburgh Apple store will open on Princes Street.

 

Situated opposite The Balmoral Hotel at the East end of Princes Street, the prestigious shop will finally open its doors after being clad in branded boarding for the past few months.

 

Eagerly anticipated the opening is hoped to spark a retail boom in the city centre. Expect the queuing and camping around the entrance to begin soon.

 

Apple UK website

Daily Sketch

The Summertime Big Wheel

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FestivalWheelThe Festival Wheel is now up and spinning away, here is a sketch through the railings on Market Street.

I wasn’t a fan at first of the big wheel making a summertime appearance. Why make every season look the same? But I’m sure it’s nice to sit in the wee pods without being wrapped in several layers and watching your breath in front of your eyes.

 

Plus it was nice to sketch the wheel with the sun burning my back, rather than my fingers slowly going numb 🙂 I drew this from Market St just down from the Mound, which I guess will soon be turned into a summer fair?

 

 

Daily Sketch

A misty view of Princes Street Edinburgh

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StGilesStViewA hazy day in Edinburgh yesterday, this a quick sketch from St Giles street looking down on Princes Street and the Gardens.

 

I had a meeting at Riddles Court yesterday, I’ll be sketching the interior before it is closed for restoration work later this year. But more of that later.

 

I had paid to park near the High Court on St Giles St and returned with twenty minutes still on my ticket. So I sketched this quick one from the railings overlooking Princes Street Gardens and the Scott Monument. I love how watercolours can give a hint of a shape without the detail, perfect on a misty day.

Daily Sketch

The trams arrive in Princes Street

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Tram_PrincesStreet_ColourThe trams have arrived in Edinburgh city centre and look great, here is my misty day sketch from last week on Princes Street.

 

Although they have brought a lot of disruption and expense to the city over the past few years, as well as making some fairly treacherous cycle hazards in the form of those rails,  as soon as I saw them I loved them.  Almost ready for passengers, they are currently being tested along their route and are due to be available for people to ride on in early May.

 

It was great to see them trundling up and down Princes Street the other day, their electric whirr and lovely ‘clang clang’ bell will soon become part of the Edinburgh experience and I for one am pleased to see them.

 

  • For more information visit Edinburgh Trams website

Tram_PrincesStreet_Crop

Daily Sketch

Edinburgh at Christmas

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EdinburghChristmasLast week I published my first sketch video, this week the sketch and 150 limited prints are available to buy.

 

From the Barron Suite on The Scotsman Hotel’s seventh floor I had a superb view of Edinburgh’s Christmas festivities on Princes Street, from the Big Wheel on the left to the new for 2013 Star Flyer on the right, and standing central the Scott Monument.

 

Shrieks of laughter and screams of joy could be heard floating over the Waverley Station, as darkness fell and the hundreds of lights from various rides and attractions shone bright.

 

The original ink sketch with watercolour wash measures 297x210mm, roughly 11x8inches and is for sale for £150. Prints will be limited to 150 high quality giclee prints on heavy fine art paper, and are £25 each. Click HERE to order or have a look through the Shop above.

 

Daily Sketch

‘3 Pods’ of the Big Wheel in Edinburgh

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BigWheel_3PodsA pen and watercolour sketch from Edinburgh Christmas’s Big Wheel in Princes Street Gardens.

I was back to sketching outdoors on my lunch break today, for the past few weeks I have been concentrating on commissions in the run up to Christmas and have let the spontaneous sketching slide.

 

It felt good to wander around Edinburgh’s Christmas Markets with my sketch book in hand. I wanted to capture one of the new ‘pods’ on this years Big Wheel, previously the seating on the ride has been open. I haven’t been up this year but I imagine you must feel quite protected in there. I know from previous years it can get quite chilly at the top.

 

The statue below the pods is a very unmoved Adam Black, an early nineteenth century Scottish publisher and politician.

 

Daily Sketch

Time-lapse video: An Edinburgh sketch at Christmas

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A time-lapse video of myself sketching from The Scotsman Hotel on Edinburgh’s North Bridge over looking Princes Street and all the Christmas festivities.

 

My ink sketch with watercolour wash shows Edinburgh’s Christmas festivities well under way, from the big wheel on the left to the Star Flyer high above the shops on the right.

Thanks to The Scotsman Hotel for allowing access to the impressive Barron Suite on their seventh floor. From my amazing view point I could see right along Princes Street as the crisp winters day turned into night and the Christmas lights changed the scene entirely.

The accompanying song is by singer song writer, Stephanie Kirkham. Follow the link below to hear more of her beautiful melodies.