Tag Archives: edinburgh

Daily Sketch

A wee Scott Monument moment…

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ScottMonumentThe Scott Monument in Edinburgh’s city centre, looking splendid as ever in the spring sunshine.

 

A passing sketch of the stunning Scott Monument for you today.  The Victorian Gothic structure stands in Princes Street Gardens as a monument to author Sir Walter Scott.

A statue of the writer and his dog, stands underneath the tower, which is the largest monument for any writer anywhere in the world. Look out for them next time you are in town and climb the 287 steps to the top and you will enjoy an breath taking views of the city.

 

 

 

  • The Scott Monument (via Edinburgh Museums)

 

 

Daily Sketch

Signs that Spring has sprung

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Crocus_2014Looking for signs of spring today, and what better than these beautiful crocuses sketched in Edinburgh today.

I seem to have been scouring the embankments and park lands for weeks looking for these flourishes of colour which herald the new season and the promise of warmer weather ahead. And then all of a sudden they are everywhere, and so seems the sun this week. Long may it continue!!

 

Daily Sketch

Mighty fine dining

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Steak_SaladFancy some fine dining this lunch time? Steak restaurant in Edinburgh has a new lunchtime menu with two courses of mouth watering treats for less than a tenner.

 

I took along my paintbrush and paper to capture each course as head chef Jason Wright, previously of Ondine seafood restaurant in Edinburgh, created them. The apple and walnut salad with blue cheese was crisp and fresh, dotted with sweet caramelised walnuts which combined perfectly with flashes of blue cheese.

 

The main event at ‘Steak’ is always going to be the steak, there are other choices; parmesan breaded chicken escalope with gremolata for example, or Scot pine gnocchi with mushrooms, cheddar and truffle sounded intriguing. But in all honesty it took just seconds to decide on the rump steak frites with bearnaise sauce. Juicy and perfectly seasoned the steak was delicious and the frites crisp and home made, and gluten free too which was a bonus.

Steak_Steak

This really is fine dining for a bargain price, the only trouble I had was not devouring the lot before I had time to sketch my lunch!

 

Lunch is available at Steak every day from 12-2.30pm, two courses (starter & main) for £9.95 – add a dessert for £3.50 / add a glass of house red/white for £3.50.

 

 

  • Steak Edinburgh website

 

Daily Sketch

A mammoth show at the National Museum of Scotland

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Mammoth_ColumbianMammoth_molar Currently amazing visitors young and old the Mammoth Exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland is an essential day out.

 

Filled with life size, interactive exhibits the show, which runs until April 20th is jam packed with facts and figures, all you could ever want to know about these woolly beasts.

 

Encouraged to touch visitors can find out what mammoth fur feels like, joust with tusks and see an exact replica of the 42,000 year old baby woolly mammoth, Lyuba.

 

Originally curated by The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, the exhibition includes objects from the Ice Age which have been brought together for the first time in the UK. Catch them in Edinburgh now, before the heard moves on.

Mammoth_2heads

 

  • National Museum of Scotland

 

 

Daily Sketch

Bobby warms up for a good cause

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Bobby_ShawlThis morning Edinburgh ‘Craft-ivists’ wrapped Greyfriars Bobby in a crocheted shawl, to highlight the plight of African orphans.

 

Local craft group Granny Greens handmade 500 blanket squares – the height of the Grayfriars Bobby statue, which will now be posted to Johannesburg in South Africa where the charity Knit-a-Square will get local volunteers to sew blankets for orphans. Many of the orphans are also infected with HIV AIDS – as it is an auto immune disease keeping warm helps their ability to stay well.

Knit-a-Square has been working for over 5 years to get squares from crafters around the world to contribute to blankets. Granny Greener Mary Gordon explained ‘As Bobby was an orphaned dog it’s an appropriate way to get people inspired to help out. I’ve made Bobby a small blanket – a miniature of the ones the orphans wear so he can stand in solidarity with them.’

My sketch shows Bobby sporting his new shawl. What a great cause, follow the links below to help out.

 

Daily Sketch

Sketch a memory of Edinburgh

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ArthursSeatHouseA recent commission carries memories of Edinburgh over the Atlantic.

 

This is one of my commissions from the run up to Christmas. A couple who had recently moved away from Edinburgh to a new life in the States wanted a sketch of their flat, along with the stunning view of Arthurs Seat which they were lucky enough to enjoy daily.

 

In my opinion a drawing can easily fill with emotions, in a way a photo can not. Perhaps through the lack of every detail the mind becomes connected, filling in the gaps and drawing on memories of personal experiences.

 

If you would like to commission a similar drawing of your Edinburgh memory, or that of a particular house or view then drop me a line and we can have a chat. contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com

 

Here is the sketch in it’s new home, beautifully framed…

 

FramedSeat

Daily Sketch

We’re all going to the…

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ZooSignZoo, zoo, zoo! The sketcher family visited Edinburgh Zoo today, quiet at this time of year,and no queues to see the giant pandas.

We had a lovely time, despite the showers. The indoor exhibits were quiet and we could get close to the animals snuggling together behind glass.  As usually for my two the squirrel monkeys were a favourite. The meerkats were all hiding but the giant pandas, usually too busy to see us were very welcoming. They even woke up to say hello!!

 

I recommend if possible becoming a member for a year. We decided to join this year as this is the final one the twins will be free to get in. It’s great to be able to go in to a few things and not feel like you have to do the whole thing, as you can return another day.

 

This sketch is black ink with added pencil crayons, incidentally bought in the gift shop by TwinOne 🙂

 

 

  • Edinburgh Zoo website

 

Daily Sketch

Edinburgh’s funfair festival

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NewYearMarketStMore lights and sounds, thrills and wonder squeezes into Edinburgh city centre for Hogmanay 2014

You may be forgiven for thinking Edinburgh’s city centre was already full of thrilling rides and attractions for Edinburgh’s Christmas, but in the past couple of days the familiar site of Market Street lit with fairground rides and excitement can be seen leading up from Waverley train station to the Mound.

 

A pendulum of thrill seekers swings out towards Princes Street

 

A pendulum of thrill seekers swings out towards Princes Street Gardens as one ‘lucky’ reveller looks to be ‘catapulted’ into the night sky in what looks to be a large ball on bungee rope!

 

I admit I felt quite jealous of those arriving in the city for Hogmanay, it must be like landing in a magical land of lights and attractions, surrounded by stunning architecture and beautiful scenery.

 

My sketch was drawn on location, and coloured digitally later.

 

Competition

The WhereArtI quiz

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WAI231213Happy Christmas Eve Eve and already we are on the penultimate WhereArtI of the year, can anyone catch @0apropos before the end of the year?!

Let me know below if you can place this Edinburgh sketch. Points are on offer for the hotly contested leader board, so leave you guess below. The rules are simple, each week I sketch a mystery location, all you have to do is tell me where I am. Can you place the sketch?

Answer below and also to keep an eye on the facebook and twitter for clues throughout the day if they are needed. Answers to come by this time tomorrow, if not before. If you would like to donate a prize for the quiz get in touch HERE.

Daily Sketch

Pining for the North…?

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MoundChristmasTreeI’m pretty sure the Christmas tree on the Mound came from Norway, which may explain its eagerness to head North this year.

 

There’s a definite lean to the splendid tree on the Mound today. Maybe it’s just the wind, or maybe it’s all the lights from Edinburgh’s Christmas markets down on Princes Street that are attracting him. What do you think?

 

It’s actually more North-East from the Mound to Norway, from where each year a Christmas tree travels as a gift to mark the assistance Scots provided Norway during  World War II. More than 7,000 exiles were based in Scotland and the help and support they received from the Scots has never been forgotten.