In last week’s post, I promised that you would see another sketch. Well, I did keep my word, and here it is, taken from a photo I took of the Cologne Cathedral on my recent travels. If you have followed my site, you will know I love sketching clouds, and that is why this sky over the Cathedral appealed to me. Nothing I like better than a great mass of brooding cumulus to get me going with the pencils.
We continued our cruise through the night from Dordrecht, with me dreaming of the wonderful windmills we had seen in Kinderdijk that day. The ‘ship’ docked in Monheim at approximately 9am on Friday. Soon after we were on a coach and heading into Cologne where we would begin our walking tour. Our destination – the Cathedral. We needed to cross the bridge, you see in the photo, but so did zillions of others, and rather like we found in Amsterdam, the pedestrians had to fight with cyclists for the same space. I was surprised when the tour guide told us that we would likely be shouted at, or even sworn at by cyclists! And although I was never sworn at, the walk across the bridge was certainly memorable.
We continued our cruise through the night from Dordrecht, with me dreaming of the wonderful windmills we had seen in Kinderdijk that day. The ‘ship’ docked in Monheim at approximately 9am on Friday. Soon after we were on a coach and heading into Cologne where we would begin our walking tour. Our destination – the Cathedral. We needed to cross the bridge, you see in the photo, but so did zillions of others, and rather like we found in Amsterdam, the pedestrians had to fight with cyclists for the same space. I was surprised when the tour guide told us that we would likely be shouted at, or even sworn at by cyclists! And although I was never sworn at, the walk across the bridge was certainly memorable.
After joining the ship, we spent the first afternoon settling in to our cabins (named staterooms on board), and prepared to meet staff and other passengers whose company we’d be among as we made our way from Amsterdam towards Basel, the culmination of our river cruise. As we imagined, the food and wine was of a high standard and helped us enjoy the eight days on board very well. Added to this was a crew member, who doubled as a great pianist and singer, whom we listened to throughout the evenings pre and post dinner. There was a rundown by the Programme Director on the following days’ events each day, with guided walks included in overall cost of cruise, and other excursions which cost more. But, if you have trouble sleeping, I suggest you do such a cruise as I, an erratic sleeper, cannot recall such a sound sleep as we moved through the night, and docked without my hearing a thing.
It began well. Kerry and I flew to Melbourne for a couple of days so we could attend a special event. My son and family live there, and so we met for dinner in the CBD soon after arrival. I was so pleased Gelato was suggested after the hot spicy dishes. The ice cream was so delicious I could have eaten two. A quick catchup with Kerry’s granddaughter and baby great-grandson the next day, and back into the city to prepare for the event, which was a large gathering of friends and family to celebrate the life of a dear friend.
This year has been one of friends’ dealing with difficult health issues, and deaths, and I was very much affected when learning of each. Just two weeks ago, we were set to holiday on Vancouver Island, and were looking forward to this, when we learned a brother of Kerry’s had died following a long illness. That same day we learnt the health prognosis for a very old friend in Melbourne was far from great. Instant panic, as we cancelled hotel bookings and postponed the Canada flights, while Kerry booked to attend the funeral down south, and we booked another flight for Melbourne a few days later. We had made the right, and best decisions we believe. With other family living in Melbourne we shuttled between various houses, and the 10th floor suite in the CBD where we were based.
Read more: Oh, what could I do to lift my spirits? Why, another sketch of clouds of course!But our main purpose in Melbourne was to see our unwell friend. He has been very busy putting together a volume of his poetry over the past weeks, which had been published and arrived in time for our visit. So good to know that he had this positive project to focus on throughout his treatment, for it has kept his spirits up, that’s for sure, and we are now very pleased to have his book. We enjoyed our time with our friend very much and were so pleased to have moved our holiday plans to later in the year.
A day after our return I learned my brother had fallen and broken his femur, and was due to be operated on in a few days’ time. The operation was done, his hip pinned and he was transferred to the hospital near his home to recuperate. The following day I heard he was in ICU on oxygen and given strong antibiotics for the pneumonia he had contracted. Now, this is when I had to dig deep, to find something that might help me relax and lift my spirits. So, first I did what I know always helps me, and that is to walk. Look to the sky, the trees, the birds, say ‘hi’ to strangers that kind of thing. But once home I didn’t feel like doing anything, but did plan a project for the next day, a sketch.
I heard my brother was improving today and that was the incentive I needed to finish my sketch. The mediums used: water-soluble colour pencils, ink, watercolour, and graphite. PS, the small brown ferry building (centre) was once one of the tallest buildings the waterfront!
I hope you like the sketch Bob (brother) and Barry (friend).
I sat down to begin a pencil sketch this morning, but was diverted by some cloud drawings I found in the sketch pad, so … I decided to put these together for this week’s post. Just a brief description of the mediums used, and not so much of a story this time. The top six sketches are from the Devonport area near my home, the seventh sketched on Waiheke Island, and the eighth done in Port Douglas Australia.
I usually sketch out the scene quickly, returning to fill out detail. I so love sketching clouds.
Just two nights back, this was the view from our windows which look onto the sea, Auckland’s CBD and further west, where sunsets like to glow and sink into night. But before they do, they offer some stunning colour arrays, which have me squealing to Kerry, ‘Look at the sky, look at the sky!’ And he often follows me onto the patio to take photos. But this one, on the 28 December – WOW!
An expression meaning many things, but here I use it literally. The past month is almost a blur, with a second trip to Australia to see the youngest daughter, who lives some way out from Brisbane. I had in tow her sister and brother, he from Melbourne, she from Dunedin and me, Mum from Auckland. That explains my busyness, and lack of posts. It doesn’t explain my latest blip which was putting my back out, and although I have been doing regular exercise, I also need to sit down more. Perfect for getting a sketch done!
This past week or so I’ve been attempting to build the word count on my novel, and I have done reasonably well – a small pat on the back for that. However, I decided I’d take a short break and do another sketch. When I took the photograph a while back, I thought ‘that’s nice’, and with that mediocre response I chose to work up a sketch from the photo. Probably not a good premise to begin with. Or, was it the new phone, with the new camera which is brighter in colour than my last one?
Anyway, I kept going with this sketch, and kept adding this and that, then trying to remove this and that. I guess I should have given up at this stage.
The this and that were the various mediums I tried. I am not a watercolourist but sometimes I can play around and have something turn out okay, but this wasn’t one of those times. I used Aquarelle pencils too, and remembered how bright they were once I put water through the pigment. I used water-soluble ink pen, too and the ink spread too far! So I kept adding and taking away until I came up with the next version of messing stuff up.
I added more pencil across the sky and hill, not adding anything in my opinion except to make the sketch muckier. But I decided to show the sketch regardless, as it just goes to prove work doesn’t always turn out as well as it might.
I am not going to beat myself up about this one, but really, I have been making the same ‘mistakes’ so long, you’d expect that I’d learn when to stop, wouldn’t you? I could have just got out a new piece of paper and done something different. Left the watercolour bit for another time.
Better luck with your work. All the best, Vivienne.
ARTISTRY 