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Daily Sketch

Lego has landed at the museum of flight

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A trip to East Lothian at the weekend led the Sketcher Clan to the National Museum of Flight in East Fortune.

I love being at the museum of flight, it has been a while but when ever I drive into the airfield and see the war time out buildings and glimpses of the vintage aircraft on the site I am transported back in time.

The Sketcher twins love it too, seeing the scale of the planes and the fragility of the older ones. Its a wonder that early pilots put so much faith in what look like flimsy structures.

And just now there is an added attraction for our two, the Brick Wonders lego exhibition which surrounds the Concorde. We are a family of lego builders and so had to visit and ‘travel around the old and new Wonders of the World‘, which have been beautifully and imaginatively recreated using half a million Lego bricks by brick artist Warren Elsmore and his team. 

The sketcher twins were taking photos while I sketched, they were keen to note how the many shapes of bricks had been used to create these structures, keen to copy and take inspiration for their own builds back at home.

Although we had visited Concorde before, it is always great to see inside, see all those (seemingly thousands) of buttons in the cockpit. Beneath the beautiful Concorde is a Lego version of the iconic plane which is very impressive and uses 60,000 bricks!!

One bonus of the current spacing restrictions, we had the aircraft to ourselves, and the museum is a great option for the current spacing restrictions due to the pandemic. Staff were everywhere ensuring we followed the directions when in doors and there were plenty of sanitiser stations.

My final sketch is this cute brute, a Matador 4×4 truck which could carry 10 tonnes and dates back to 1939. I love the character of these vehicles and love the fact they are hiding in their wee houses.

There is so much to see, and remember to listen and watch the first hand accounts from pilots during the war. It was very moving and a made a lasting impression on our two children. In the end I ran out of time, I will have to return to sketch the planes another day!

National Museum of Flight website

Daily Sketch

Tollcross Fire Station

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A very interesting building with curved edges and odd shapes, which I have been meaning to sketch for sometime.

Situated about half  mile to the south of the West End of Princes Street, this must be Edinburgh’s most central fire station.  The building was built to replace the Lauriston Place Fire Station which is now home to a Fire Museum.

I must visit the museum soon, I bet they have some great old vehicles to sketch.

Fire Scotland website.

Daily Sketch

Seaside Fish and chips

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A weekend trip to the sea side and although it was a bit windy we sat in the sunshine and enjoyed some fish and chips looking out to Bass Rock.

Being Coeliac I cannot usually have a fish in batter as not all chippys serve a gluten free option. So it was a welcome surprise to see that the Rocketeer Restaurant in North Berwick did and I highly recommend their light and crispy batter.

The Sketcher family were in East Lothian for the day and decided to visit North Berwick for a walk along the beach and some lunch. How nice it is again to be able to travel further and eat out. Simple things that were once taken for granted, before the pandemic and lock down of 2020.

I look forward to heading out again along the coast and finding more relish foods along the way!

The Rocketeer Restaurant website

This sketch was drawn with a pencil and then watercolour added over the top.

Competition

WhereArtI Quiz – 3rd May

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An ink drawing from an Edinburgh street corner, but can you name it?

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 Victoria Street, Edinburgh.

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.

Support A Business Sketch

Morningside sunshine on this coffee shop

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My latest #supportabusinesssketch is for Blackwood Coffee, at 235 Morningside Road. A number of people have suggested this one for their fabulous coffee and yummy scones.

This week many cafes have welcomed back people indoors but during the lockdown Blackwood Coffee continued to serve from their doorway to locals on their daily walks.

These drawings in pencil and watercolour are to say thank you for keeping us all going during the pandemic 😊👍 Often a walk for me needs a destination, and a good cup of coffee to enjoy on the return leg will do nicely.

So drop in if you are passing, and give a little back to the small businesses that are keeping us going. Also let me know by commenting below if you have a local trader who is keeping your spirits up during the pandemic.

Blackwood Coffee, facebook page

Competition

WhereArtI Quiz – 26th April

Image 23 Comments

An ink drawing from an Edinburgh street corner, but can you name it?

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 Victoria Street, Edinburgh.

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.

Competition

WhereArtI Quiz – 19th April

Image 22 Comments

A view from a sunny walk last week, but do you recognise it?

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 Victoria Street, Edinburgh.

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.

Support A Business Sketch

Crumbs Cafe supplying us with coffee and more

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My latest #supportabusinesssketch is for Crumbs Cafe on Logie Green Road, just by the Tesco and cycle path. This sunny spot on the corner of Broughton Road will soon have seats outside once more, but for now you can get takeaway food and coffee for your daily walk.

These drawings in pencil and watercolour are to say thank you for keeping us all going during the pandemic 😊👍 For me coffee is my essential daily treat and a walk to get it makes it even better, as well as a hello and quick chat it makes the world of difference during the relative isolation at home.

So drop in if you are passing, and give a little back to the small businesses that are keeping us going. Also let me know by commenting below if you have a local trader who is keeping your spirits up during the pandemic.

Crumbs Cafe on Facebook

Daily Sketch

Beautiful red stone pediment above the caledonian

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I just love the detail in this stone doorway to the mighty Caledonian Hotel, now the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh.

Situated at the West End of Princes Street the red sand stone building was originally a railway station and opened in 1903. The station was closed in 1965.

It is amazing to think now, but at the time of opening there were two railway stations on Princes Street, one at either end. The other was the North British Railway station, now the Waverly and they were fierce rivals to the Caledonian Railway at the West End.

I love to find out about the details carved into building in the Victorian times and the following passage about the triangle sketched above is from the fantastic Canmore website. You can find out more about the building on their page HERE.

“The pediment over the door contains an elaborate scrolled shield carved with the coat of arms of the Caledonian Railway Company: a lion rampant. Flanking the shield are a seated male figure to left, and a seated female figure to right; their feet point towards the corners but their heads turn back to the centre. The male figure has his right hand on a model of an engine. By his left hand is a bag spilling coins. The female figure has her right hand on an open book, and her left hand on a winged wheel. Beyond the wheel is a lamp”
Canmore. National Record of the Historic Environment Scotland

Daily Sketch

Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital closes its doors

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With a move across town to join the Royal Infirmary in Little France this week everyone said good bye to their iconic building by the Meadows.

As many of you know my boy has Haemophilia and he was in and out of hospital as a baby and small child and like many families the big red building on the edge of the park holds a huge amount of emotion to Mrs Sketcher and I.

The big beautiful Victorian building is home to a world of wonder, magic and the amazing. The people who work there make wonderful things happen, and deal with heartbreak and tragedy as well as such moments of happiness and miracles every day.

One of my first sketches of the hospital, ten years ago.

For those who have had to hand over their child and trust in the people within to help there is a bond that connects you. The hospital is a place you don’t necessarily think about until you have to and then it can take over your whole world. And then once away from that situation you can forget how intense the time was, and how wonderful the people within are.

So I say a huge thank you to all those who have worked and helped out within those walls between Sciennes Road and the Meadows. And all the very best to you in your brand new hospital, and all those patients and families who will be helped in the future.

From 8am on Tuesday 23 March, all patients and any child or young person requiring access to A&E, must go to the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People at Little France. 

Another from 10 years ago, this one is the back entrance.

My sketch of Olly the Octopus is now available as a limited print to raise money for the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity. 50 signed and mounted prints are for sale at £20 each including UK postage. £10 from each print will go to the charity.

Buy a print here.