The weather sure hasn’t dampened the spirits of either the fringe festival goers or performers, who could be heard laughing and shouting up and down the Royal Mile this afternoon.
Through the downpour a sea of umbrellas fill West Parliament square where a market of stalls under canopies sell trinkets, canvas bags and bright artwork.
I was in town yesterday with my brother, his wife and their child, Raymond, seen here in the pram. The rain was relentless but it didn’t stop us having a great day looking around the Old Town.
We were watching a young busker here entertaining the crowd with a guitar, after which we headed down the Mile to the Museum of Childhood. It’s a great place for reminiscing and even better it’s free and dry! 🙂
More info on the museum here: http://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/Venues/Museum-of-Childhood.aspx
Looking back from Gladstone Court through an allyway and onto the Royal Mile. Not a view the average tourist will get to see, but one I’m glad I sought out. It’s amazing how peaceful and crowd free it can be when you take a step back from the usual route.
I started with a humble biro, all I had on me, or so I thought. For when that began to fail and the ink dried up, I found a pencil deep in my bag with which to finish the shading. I am pleased with the result, however unplanned.
Not far from the day job on the Royal Mile lies the Canongate Kirk, which is currently enjoying a celebrity status amongst the tourists of Edinburgh due to an upcoming wedding. The Church of Scotland Kirk is to be the venue for Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall’s marriage on July 30th 2011. Holyrood Palace is within the Kirk’s parish and this is where the reception will be held.
This is my sketch using pen and then pencil to shade, from within the Kirk.
Tomorrow night (Wednesday, 29th June) there will be a free concert in the Kirk by the Phoenixville Christian Choir. See www.canongatekirk.org.uk for more information.
Or even yesterday, which is when I tried to visit the Brass Rubbing Centre, just off the Royal Mile, down Chalmers Close. Unfortunately the was a sign up saying the building was closed until further notice.
The sketch shows the BRC sign on the outside of the building known as Trinity Apse, part of the 15th Century Trinity College church and hospital. The original Trinity church was demolished in the 1840s to make way for Waverley Railway Station, but the apse was rebuilt on its current site from original stones in the 1870s.
Perhaps they are refurbishing the interior, I’ll have to pop back and see.
A wee gift shop opposite St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile, and my first dabble in coloured pencils.
It certainly is a little easier than the watercolours but perhaps the effect is a touch messy. Plenty to work on then tomorrow 🙂
Here is a close up of today’s post box, I thought the earlier post was a little far away. I always like these sketches close-up so you can see all the strokes. Enjoy! more tomorrow. ES
