Tag Archives: holiday

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Escaped to the sunshine

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A family break in beautiful and very hot Mallorca.

Our second time on Mallorca as a family and the friendly relaxed vibe hit us as soon as we arrived on the island.

We have friends there and in the past family and so know the island well and I recommend it for a family destination with something for all ages and tastes. We hired a car for a few days, stayed in Port De Pollenca and here are a few of my sketches from the trip.

Port De Pollensa Square, nice and quite here before the weekly market took over with fresh flowers, fruit and leather fashions.

Sketching from the sun lounger and shadows on the hotel

Another one by the pool, this time in ink and this started with the parasol and just stretched out from there.

This church ‘Esglesia Del Calvari’ was at the top of a 365 stone staircase in the old town of Pollenca. A stunning place with views to match, I can hear the cicadas or tree crickets just looking at this sketch.

And here is one of James on the beach building castles. I did go and help once I had finished my sketch!

And finally a lovely palm tree 🙂

Daily Sketch

A relaxing trip to the Isle of Arran and I am ready for the festival!

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After a glorious family trip to the Isle of Arran I am back in the capital refreshed, inspired and ready for the festival run in Edinburgh!

I have new collaborations to tell you about as well as new improved workshops you will love and also a few new shops selling ES merchandise.

Exciting times ahead for EdinburghSketcher!

Oh and the Isle of Arran is so beautiful, the perfect place to unplug from the outside world and connect to nature and family. Thank you @visitarran

Daily Sketch

Sketching Workshops for Summer 2018

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WorkshopPage LauristonCastleAs the weather improves in Edinburgh join me sketching around the city.

First off I have a welcome return to Lauriston Castle (above), a stunning 400 year old castle which overlooks the Firth of Forth from a 30 acre estate of beautiful gardens and woodlands. The perfect peaceful place to practice your sketching, I have led successful workshops here for a number of years and the venue has a special place in my heart. My 2018 workshops at Lauriston are on June 13th, August 4th and 17th.

WorkshopPage QueensGallery

New for 2018 are two dates at The Queen’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse. I will be running afternoon workshops capturing the Canongate area and details around the Palace exterior, influenced by their current Canaletto exhibition. This is an exclusive chance to sketch with me at Holyrood and I expect tickets to sell fast. Workshops will be on 15th June and 3rd August.

WorkshopPage CityArtCentre

Following on from last months debut Sketching Tour at the City Art Centre I will be returning to this fantastic setting for another sketching workshop on 20th July. This is a great opportunity to draw with me as we tour and draw our way along Market Street and the Mound area before returning to the 5th floor of CAC for refreshments and to colour our drawings.

WorkshopPage Arienas

And don’t forget my wonderful Sketching Days at Arienas Collective in the heart of the New Town. These small relaxed workshop days run from a beautiful home close to Queens Street from where we tour the cobbled streets of Georgian New Town and the Portrait Gallery,  drawing all sorts from street furniture to Robert Burns statues! Lunch is included and plenty of delightful nibbles and drinks thanks to the very hospitable Arienas Collective. The next full day workshop is on Friday 22nd June

You can book all these tours on my Workshop page HERE, and I look forward to seeing you at a workshop through the summer.

Exciting news ahead for August.: I am currently planning a return to sketching in the West End with Paper Tiger, the must visit shop for beautiful and creative giftcards, stationary and gifts. Details to come soon.

 

 

 

Daily Sketch

A weekend camping in the Scottish Borders

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ruberslaw-camping_tentThe past weekend the Sketcher Clan took a short break in the Borders to try out our new tent and found a beautiful little campsite hidden in the woods.

With twins who are five and a half Mrs Sketcher and I though it was a good time to invest in a family tent and introduce the kids to the wonderful world of camping.

Although not the sleeping on hard ground, crawling in and out of your tent, getting dressed without standing up camping that I knew as a boy, oh no. This was more like glamping to me – blow up beds and a 6 man tent with seperate rooms, that you can walk through without ducking once! The words ‘don’t know you’re born’ came to mind but I resisted.

We set off from Edinburgh after collecting the wee ones from school and were headed to a campsite near Berwick but unfortunately half way there we found out they had closed so had a slightly panicked internet search to find another one with space and our one must have – the freedom to light a fire.

This was more like glamping to me – blow up beds and a 6 man tent with seperate rooms

So after a slight detour we found our self at Ruberslaw Wild Woods Camping just outside Hawick.

We couldn’t of been more pleased, the site is partly within a walled garden, surrounded by trees and with cars kept to the very close car park it is perfect for kids to make friends and wander free. Plus we had our own fire pit sit around at night toasting marshmallows. Pure Bliss.

The Sketcher Twins and I drawing in the campsite.
The Sketcher Twins and I drawing in the campsite.

Hopefully autumn still has a few sunny weekends to come so if you can head along for a mini break before they close at the end of October.

The Ruberslaw Wild Woods Camping website

There is a lovely illustrated map of the site on there by Melrose artist Diane Lumley.

The twins watercolour drawings of our tent
The twins watercolour drawings of our family tent

Daily Sketch

Loving the lazy days waiting for Christmas

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ChristmasTree2014With commissions done and shelves stocked with ES goodies I can take it easy for a few days with the Sketcher family.

I love these lazy days of family games and festive films on the telly. Walks in the fresh air and cosy cuddles on the sofa, the view from which is this lovely Christmas tree the sketcher family decorated together many nights ago now.

 

It may be a little full and too colourful for some, but each trinket and bauble has a special meaning, many of them family made this year.

 

Have a great Christmas everyone, thank you for all your kind comments and support throughout 2014, a year when Edinburgh Sketcher went full time. Here is to a happy 2015 which will see new merchandise competitions and exhibitions for ES and also a lovely new website to showcase my sketches.

 

Below is the Christmas tree sketch before the watercolour wash.

 

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Look back through my sketches of 2014 HERE