Images

Trip to the Turners

Three paintings along with notes I made.

January in Edinburgh means Turners at the National.

I have been along to see the beautiful JMW Turner paintings at the National Galleries of Scotland, in their new room for 2024, one of the upper galleries of Edinburgh’s Royal Scottish Academy.

These atmospheric paintings using watercolour, ink, bodycolour and a scrapping of the paint to create highlights just blows me away every time. The light captured and the colours used are fascinating and I look forward to seeing them every year.

My sketch of JMW Turners painting, ‘Heidelberg’.

Left to the nation by art collector Henry Vaughan in 1900 the paintings by Joseph Mallard William Turner are only be available to see through the month of January, when Scotland’s daylight is shortest. These strict conditions means the watercolours still possess a freshness and an intensity of colour, almost 200 years after they were created.

With 38 watercolours on show there is also an audio highlights guide available, which is a brand-new addition for 2024. Be sure to make a visit before the end of the month.

Turner in January | National Galleries of Scotland

WhereArtI Quiz 8th January

Where have I sketched this week?

Beautiful Victorian ironwork in the heart of the city.

Leave your answer as a comment below, your entry will not show up until I reveal the answer in 24 hours. I will pick a random winner from all correct entries to win a prize, which this week is a Victoria Street tote.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed, 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.

Sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Keep up to date with my sketches as I share a more personal look at what I get up to and what I have planned, with competitions, offers and news about upcoming live events and workshops. 

Where the bicycles meet

Fine lines and sketchy scribbles on Jeffrey Street.

My first sketch of Edinburgh in the new year is this view of bicycles on Jeffrey Street. I was there visiting my latest collaborating stockist, Hot Toddy who have a cafe and give great whisky tasting tours to locals and visitors to the city.

I have noticed this view before, I love the lines cross crossing through the picture and the depth that the bikes plus the Balmoral in the background give to my sketch.

I sketched with my favoured Uni Pin Fineliners and then added a quick watercolour wash to give a little colour to the famous hotel in the distance.

Happy New Year everyone and I hope you continue to follow my sketching journey through 2024. Mark 🙂

WhereArtI Quiz 1st January

Where have I sketched this week?

Not the one all the fireworks were coming from last night!

Leave your answer as a comment below, your entry will not show up until I reveal the answer in 24 hours. I will pick a random winner from all correct entries to win a prize, which this week is a Victoria Street tote.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed, 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.

Sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Keep up to date with my sketches as I share a more personal look at what I get up to and what I have planned, with competitions, offers and news about upcoming live events and workshops. 

WhereArtI Quiz 18th December

Where have I sketched this week?

A new angle on a familiar street, if you follow my sketches you will know this one.

Leave your answer as a comment below, your entry will not show up until I reveal the answer in 24 hours. I will pick a random winner from all correct entries to win a prize, which this week is a set of three Edinburgh Christmas cards.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed, 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.

Sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Keep up to date with my sketches as I share a more personal look at what I get up to and what I have planned, with competitions, offers and news about upcoming live events and workshops. 

WhereArtI Quiz 11th December

Where have I sketched this week?

I am just about to enter which inspirational Edinburgh destination?

Leave your answer as a comment below, your entry will not show up until I reveal the answer in 24 hours. I will pick a random winner from all correct entries to win a prize, which this week is a set of three Edinburgh Christmas cards.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed, 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.

Sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Keep up to date with my sketches as I share a more personal look at what I get up to and what I have planned, with competitions, offers and news about upcoming live events and workshops. 

Sunshine on Glasgow

A flying visit to Glasgow this week as MyWeddingSketcher

A midweek wedding at the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow on St Vincent Street. What a stunning building, and really pretty part of the city, just up the hill and away from the busy shops.

The wedding party had photos taken in Blythswood Square and below is a sketch of the college. Great architecture and such a mixture of buildings in Edinburgh that I love the random beauty, I must go back soon.

Before I left I made a quick sketch from the Buchanan Galleries as the sun came down on the famous shopping high street.

An inspiring city break

A weekend trip to Amsterdam provides inspiration, and more street lamps!

My niece had a big birthday and so a surprise trip to the Netherlands happened. My first stay in Amsterdam and it did not disappoint.

A beautiful city we spent hours walking and boating the canals and also managed a trip to the RijksMuseum where I saw a Van Gogh, many stunning Rembrandts and a beautiful Vermeer, the Milkmaid (below).

So inspiring and great to see such wonderful paintings close up. The canals of the city make for such picturesque views, tall gable ended town houses with little humpbacked bridges, skeletal black trees and big bright skys. I created one painting (top) but it was very cold and I look forward to returning in the warmer months for more canal side sketching.

Rijksmuseum Website

WhereArtI Quiz 4th December

Where have I sketched this week?

Can you name this Edinburgh clock tower?

Leave your answer as a comment below, your entry will not show up until I reveal the answer in 24 hours. I will pick a random winner from all correct entries to win a prize, which this week is a set of three Edinburgh Christmas cards.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed, 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.

Sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Keep up to date with my sketches as I share a more personal look at what I get up to and what I have planned, with competitions, offers and news about upcoming live events and workshops. 

WhereArtI Quiz 27th November

Where have I sketched this week?

A room with a view, but what building am I looking towards?

Leave your answer as a comment below, your entry will not show up until I reveal the answer in 24 hours. I will pick a random winner from all correct entries to win a prize, which this week is a set of three Edinburgh Christmas cards.

Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues if they are needed, 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.

Sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Keep up to date with my sketches as I share a more personal look at what I get up to and what I have planned, with competitions, offers and news about upcoming live events and workshops.