Tag: watercolours | Edinburgh Sketcher

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.

On the 29th July this year I was asked to cover the Community Garden Party at Lauriston Castle, these are my sketches from a lovely evening in Edinburgh.

Bag pipes could be heard along with pops of champagne and laughter as I walked around the beautifully kept grounds which overlook the Firth of Forth and rolling hills of Fife in the distance.

Marques shared the lawn with croquet players offering lessons to visitors, all of which were dressed to impress in summer dresses or military uniforms, plus of course the top hat and tails of the High Constables.

Each year the Lord and Lady Provost hold this garden party to recognise and thank the many people who do good for the city of Edinburgh. Amongst those being highlighted were charities as well as youth, community and voluntary groups based in the capital.