Tag Archives: Church

Autumnal West End gift card now available

To celebrate sketching a window display in Edinburgh’s West End I have created a number of gift cards featuring my design.

When I was asked to draw onto the glass window of Paper Tiger’s Stafford Street shop I jumped at the chance, it is great to see my sketches so big and a challenge to create something new each time that attracts the eye as people pass by.

We created a three dimensional effect by drawing part of the image (a portrait of John Scott Russell – a former resident of the Stafford Street building) directly onto the glass and then creating a background drawing featuring the local area to hang inside, behind the portrait.

The image above shows the finished window which I think works really well. I used posca markers to draw the outline and then poster paints to add the colour.

The background image of the West End features Edinburgh Castle above St Johns Church and St Cuthbert’s Church, which lie on Lothian Road. The sketch is slightly stylised with the hill to the castle exaggerated to give each of these fine buildings their own space.

This sketch is now available as a 140mm square giftcard HERE and also from the Paper Tiger shop on Stafford Street. 

Coalhill in Leith, Edinburgh

Coal Hill Leith WAI_130217Early for a meeting in Leith I found time to draw this quiet lane which looks on to Sheriff Brae.

Behind where I was drawing are bollards across the lane which narrows its way to a dead end in front of the Sandport Place bridge over the Water of Leith. Ahead you travel along Sheriff Brae to the Sikh place of worship, the Guru Nanak Gurdwara.

Previously known as St Thomas Church, this beautiful building was built in 1843 as a memorial to the Gladstone Family by Sir John Gladstone of Fasque. John Henderson was the architect, an important figure in the history of the church design of 19th century Scotland..

I love walking around the Water of Leith and finding these landmarks, sketching them and then finding out a little about their history in our ever changing city.

Read more about the Guru Nanak Gurdwara building from the Edinburgh Sikhs website.

This drawing was created on location with a 0.3 uni pin fine liner. 

Carols for Christmas at Edinburgh’s St Cuthberts Church

carolsforchristmasLast night St Cuthbert’s Church hosted the annual Carols For Christmas concert in aid of The Sick Kids Friends Foundation.

It was a wonderful night of choir singing, inspirational readings, and the stirring sounds of the Dalkeith & Mortonhall Brass Band who played a number of festive tunes.

Edinburgh Academy Chamber Choir sang throughout, guiding the audience through many classic Christmas hymns, but the cutest site was provided by the Choir of George Heriot’s Primary One class, who sang Child in a Manger Born beautifully.

The annual Carols For Christmas concert is a wonderful way to kick start the festive period and personally I love a good sing song at this time of year!

As many of you will know I am a very keen supporter of the Sick Kids Friends Foundation and know first hand the wonderful work that they do supporting the Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children and all those who go through that building at some point in their lives.

So I was honoured to be asked to draw the cover illustration for this years programme, which as you can see is a pen sketch of the front of St Cuthbert’s Church, which sits behind Princes Street and Lothian Road.

For more about the work SKFF do and how you can donate or get involved see the link below.

Sick Kids Friends Foundation website

St Cuthberts Church website

st-cuthberts_both

 

 

One of Edinburgh’s most beautiful wedding venues, Mansfield Traquair

MansfieldTraquairThis sketch is of Mansfield Traquair Centre, a former Church which lies to the East end of Edinburgh’s New Town.

Now used for weddings, parties and corporate events, as well as office space, the unique venue is part of the Heritage Portfolio group of buildings. Lottery money was awarded to renovate and restore the church in the 90’s and a visit to see the remarkable murals inside is a must.

The sketch above of the exterior is available to be used on wedding stationary, email me to discuss the details if you are interested.

I have also sketched live at a wedding there also, and below are a few photographs from the resulting hard back book I produced for the bride and groom.

wedd1 wedd2

If you are interested in booking me as a Wedding Sketcher on your special day, or as is proving very popular as a wedding gift, then email me to discuss.

St Johns Church, Princes Street and Lothian Road

StJohnsChurchToday I’m just looking through my sketch books, a little early spring cleaning and noticed this drawing from a sunny day in June last year.

On the corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road St John’s is a Scottish Episcopal church at the heart of Edinburgh. There is a terrace area with a few shops including a fair trade gift shop and a book shop. It’s a great place to sit in the sunshine during the summer months, like the day I sketched this which was June last year.

 

St John’s Church website