2015 a good sketching year

2015 has been an intense year, busy in many ways and very enjoyable on the sketching front. Through the Pushing Your Sketching Boundaries courses that I organised with Swasky, with guest tutors from UK, Simone Ridyard, and Spain, Miguel Herranz and Mercedes Carmona.  We enjoyed teaching in Coventry, Oxford and Segovia and shared our passion for drawing and painting on location with many of you. Thanks!


To me it has been a great positive highlight to 2015 and one that I am looking forward to continue in 2016.

Personally, I feel fired up recording what happens around me and sharing it with others.

Here I've chosen a drawing for each month in 2015, a great exercise to remember where I was throughout the year. Enjoy!

January 2015 - St Martins in the Fields, London, 10 minutes, waiting for Alex and Karen at the door of the National Portrait Gallery

February 2015 - Aurelia, 30 minutes, she sells the Big Issue in Newbury ans we chatted whilst I did this portrait of hers that formed part of an Exhibition in Newbury called Overlooked.

March 2015 - Chandelier V&A London, by Dale Chihuly, drawn at the USk London outing, 30 minutes

April 2015 - Newbury Parkway rooftops from St Nichs church, 45 minutes, part of Overlooked exhibition

May 2015 - sketching demo part of our Artists at the Chapel, Open Studios 2015 exhibition

June 2015 - Jurasic coast, Dorset,  20 minutes, amazing folded landscapes

July 2015 - Ukelele band, Cowley road festival, 20 minutes

August 2015 - Castellfollit de la Roca, 30 minutes, a one street town on volcanic rocks

September 2015 - Broughton Pl / Broughton Street, Edinburgh, 20 minutes, a great trip on search of good coffee, art and old buildings.

October 2015 - Newbury market place in the round - 45 minutes -  part of a one day Picture This event, free of charge, Newbury Style.

November 2015 - Borough Market, 30 minutes, during the USk London outing.

December 2015 - Stonehenge - 15 minutes - the power of stones and landscape, cold and sharp and amazing.

Wishing you all a great 2016!

"Mi Cementerio" - Newtown Road Cemetery

Tengo que admitirlo - me encantan los cementerios. Vivo en frente de uno en Newbury (UK) y lo tengo muy dibujado. Es alargado, 18000 m2, y tiene dos secciones una de anglicanos y otra de "dissenters" (el resto de religiones y no religiones). Se cree que tiene unas once mil personas enterradas allí lo que es impresionante cuando se considera que la población en Newbury en el año 2001 rondaba los 28000!
I have to admit I really like cemeteries. I live opposite one in Newbury (UK) and I have draw in again and again. It is long and thin but large (18000 m2). It has two sections one for anglicans and one for dissenters (all other religions and non religions).  It seems that around 11000 people are buried here which is impressive considering that Newbury's population in 2001 was approximately 28000!

A lo largo del muro hay unos arboles maravillosos que cambian de aspecto según la temporada. En las últimas semanas han cambiando radicalmente porque les han podado drasticamente. Cuando anunciaron la poda,me dedique a dibujarlos casi cada día para no olvidar su esplendor.
Along the wall there are some old fantastic trees that change througout the year. In the last few weeks they have changed radically as they've been seriously pollarded. When they announced they'd be pollarded, I started to draw then almost daily not to forget their splendid presence.

La operación poda ha tardado más de una semana, casi dos y aquí hay algunos dibujillos del proceso, con una grúa telescópica y el señor desde lo alto cortaba las ramas, echaba las abajo donde tenían una trituradora que convertía los troncos en serrín. Un poco triste.
Han quedado bien pelados - como podéis ver. Menos mal que volverán a crecer, aunque llevara tiempo, pero son pacientes. Los veo ahí como guardas y presenciando un montón de sucesos - si pudieran hablar !!
It has taken more than a week  (almost two) to pollard them all, and here are some sketches of the process with a telescopic crane with a basket in the top from which one of the men saw the branches and let them drop down into a pile. They had also a chipper to make woodchip of all the cut wood. A little bit sad.
They have been left well trimmed, as you can see. Just as well they will grow again, although it will take some time but, they are pacient. I see them there keeping guard and witnessing all that happens, if they could talk!

Vista desde la ventana / view from the window

Estoy en Newbury (UK) mirando desde la ventana a este cementerio que he dibujado y pintado muchas veces, siempre cambiante y enigmático.
Hoy intente contrastar el primer plano con la profundidad del espacio.
I am looking from the window in Newbury, to the cemetery across that I painted various times, always changing and mysterious. Today, I wanted to contrast the first plane against the depth of the space.