Images

Camping in the Borders

A last minute stay in the Scottish Borders proved to be the perfect escape before school starts.

At the weekend the Sketcher Clan took a camping break to a favourite campsite; Ruberslaw in the Scottish Borders. Just an hour and a half away in the car, the stunning location sits between Hawick and Jedburgh in the heart of the rolling border hills.

Although we had meant to be there for three nights we stayed for two and a wonderful three days in the country, disconnected from our gadgets. The above sketch is of their beautiful glass house which sits within a walled garden.

James and Zoe had a great time playing into the dark with children on the campsite, including what looked like a toasted marshmallow eating tent crawl !

It was my mistake about the length of stay, I had mistakenly thought the schools in Edinburgh went back a day later than they actual did. The error did mean however that we could take our time packing up on the Tuesday morning and also fit in another walk up the hill to see the sheep and the ‘truly wild’ camping pitches (and safari tents) up in the woods.

Perhaps next time we will venture further from the comforts of the walled garden and communal hub!

Take a look at this family friendly campsite via their website HERE

We have visited Ruberlaw Wild Woods Camping before, back in 2016 and HERE is my post and sketches from then.

WhereArtI Quiz – 16th August

Can you tell me which two streets this path links …

Can you tell me where in Edinburgh I have sketched?

Your comment will not show up until I reveal the answer tomorrow morning. Get your answer in before midnight tonight and I will pick a random winner from all correct entries by this time tomorrow.

This week’s prize is a screen printed tote bag featuring my illustration of Edinburgh Castle.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed later today, and remember you can also see my weekly competition in the printed version of the Edinburgh Evening News each Monday.

Keep looking up and noticing the beauty in the everyday, you never know where I will be sketching next!

My Edinburgh sketched merchandise and high quality prints are available on my Etsy shop and I am available for commissions too. Email me at contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com for more details.

new discoveries in dunbar

What a lovely place Dunbar is, and just an hours drive away from Edinburgh.

Headed east today for a meeting in Dunbar, such a beautiful harbour town with a spectacular coast that I need to visit more often. The rocks around the coast are amazing and I look forward to returning with the family for some rock pooling.

I took a walk down by the cliffs and loved the stacks of rocks on the beach, someone’s been very busy! I later heard it was the result of the recent European Stone Stacking Championships, which was held here.

I sketched the piles of rocks and then the rocky island in the bay, just to the right. I look forward to returning to Dunbar soon and sketching at the harbour.

WhereArtI Quiz – 9th August

A slope to a watery view to remember…

Can you tell me where in Edinburgh I have sketched?

Your comment will not show up until I reveal the answer tomorrow morning. Get your answer in before midnight tonight and I will pick a random winner from all correct entries by this time tomorrow.

This week’s prize is a screen printed tote bag featuring my illustration of Edinburgh Castle.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed later today, and remember you can also see my weekly competition in the printed version of the Edinburgh Evening News each Monday.

Keep looking up and noticing the beauty in the everyday, you never know where I will be sketching next!

My Edinburgh sketched merchandise and high quality prints are available on my Etsy shop and I am available for commissions too. Email me at contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com for more details.

Sunny afternoon on Leith Links

This is a sketch of Links Place, looking towards the Seafield end of Leith Links on a sunny afternoon.

I was parked up taking shelter form the sunshine, imagine that – in Edinburgh!

I was waiting for someone to give them a lift and the day was so hot I parked up to sketch from the car in a shady spot on this quiet road.

I used to work close by in an advertising agency and would walk to the nearby shop on my lunch break so the area was familiar although I hadn’t sketched this view before.

I like the randomness of the view, the perspective is there which I like but it was the shadows running right to left which caught my eye today.

WHEREARTI QUIZ – 2nd August

Will the signs help you find this city location?

Can you tell me where in Edinburgh I have sketched?

Your comment will not show up until I reveal the answer tomorrow morning. Get your answer in before midnight tonight and I will pick a random winner from all correct entries by this time tomorrow.

This week’s prize is a screen printed tote bag featuring my illustration of Edinburgh Castle.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed later today, and remember you can also see my weekly competition in the printed version of the Edinburgh Evening News each Monday.

Keep looking up and noticing the beauty in the everyday, you never know where I will be sketching next!

My Edinburgh sketched merchandise and high quality prints are available on my Etsy shop and I am available for commissions too. Email me at contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com for more details.

Drawing the Gardens

The stunning Rock Garden at the Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh, I am lucky to have this place in walking distance from my home.

This weekend my wife and I had the house to ourselves as our kids, now 10 years old went to their Aunties for a couple of days.

We spent Sunday walking around Stockbridge, visiting the second hand shops and a walk through the Botanical Gardens. I had a lovely hour sitting by the rock garden making this sketch of the beautifully kept banks of colour and fragrance.

What a blessing to have a little time to sit and relax with my pens and watercolours, focusing in on the details and the wonder of nature in full bloom.

Remember if visiting the Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh that you currently have to pre book your free visit.

Wherearti Quiz – 26th JUly

A street view heading east, but where in the city?

Can you tell me where in Edinburgh I have sketched?

Your comment will not show up until I reveal the answer tomorrow morning. Get your answer in before midnight tonight and I will pick a random winner from all correct entries by this time tomorrow.

This week’s prize is a screen printed tote bag featuring my illustration of Edinburgh Castle.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed later today, and remember you can also see my weekly competition in the printed version of the Edinburgh Evening News each Monday.

Keep looking up and noticing the beauty in the everyday, you never know where I will be sketching next!

My Edinburgh sketched merchandise and high quality prints are available on my Etsy shop and I am available for commissions too. Email me at contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com for more details.

WhereArtI Quiz -19th July

A square shaped turret stands out on this old town street.

Can you tell me where in Edinburgh I have sketched?

Your comment will not show up until I reveal the answer tomorrow morning. Get your answer in before midnight tonight and I will pick a random winner from all correct entries by this time tomorrow.

This week’s prize is a screen printed tote bag featuring my illustration of Edinburgh Castle.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed later today, and remember you can also see my weekly competition in the printed version of the Edinburgh Evening News each Monday.

Keep looking up and noticing the beauty in the everyday, you never know where I will be sketching next!

My Edinburgh sketched merchandise and high quality prints are available on my Etsy shop and I am available for commissions too. Email me at contact@www.edinburghsketcher.com for more details.

Sun, flowers and shadows

As the sun shone and the temperatures soared in Edinburgh I found my happy place drawing in my garden.

The morning was so hot yesterday and as you never know how long the summer will last in Edinburgh it is important to enjoy it while you can.

Last week I took a day off to head to the beach and today I took the morning to ‘work’ in the garden.

Although I am sketching and honing my skills, and my sketch may become a print and so make some money, it is really a stretch to say I was working as I relaxed into my cross hatching happy place.

I recomend picking up a pen and having ago picking out the light and dark places infront of you. This composition really jumped out at me as the contrast was so great and the shadows so strong.

The flowers are a mystery, but I am thinking a Touch-Me-Not or a lobelia? I am not sure but here is a photo too, so do tell me if you know.