Urban Sketching with Creative Art Escapes

17/01/2025

These are probably my last two finished pieces and probably favourites from this tour of Sri Lanka. I call the acrylic "Selfies" as it was created with my Son on the shoreline.

Although I'll continue to sketch, I also feel it's time to devote time to my Son Isaac, as we travel down the coast.

I also miss my partner Sally tremendously but also really miss my oldest Son and friend Jack and his beautiful Wife Victoria who, very inconveniently, have been unable to join us on this trip due to the birth of my beautiful Granddaughter Lyra 😍

However, we have already started planning our next Asian family holiday which will include everyone. So I'll keep posting our adventures and catch up with more painting soon❤️

14/01/2025

I recently started experimenting with liquid graphite and so decided our brief visit to Dalawella Beach would be an ideal opportunity to sketch a quick horizon, add a few drops of liquid graphite and let the salt water do the rest.

I'm sure the purists would find this all appalling but it's one of my favourite sketches of this tour of Sri Lanka.

The beach itself is a favourite for Influencers but my Son here was just too sunburnt to entertain swinging from a rope hanging from the palms over the sea 🤣❤️

14/01/2025

A quick sketch of the local boys playing their favourite sport of Sri Lanka - cricket! outside Galle District Court.

Despite volleyball being the national sport, with empty courts built everywhere; find a spare bit of grass or tarmac and you're guaranteed to find Sri Lankans of any age fiercely and competitively batting and fielding for hours! ❤️

10/01/2025

We've scaled the awe inspiring Lions Rock of Sigiriya yet again. Nowadays we tend to use the easier route back down which also offers some incredible examples of how these incredibly brave people built this lofty temple out of the sheer stone. Humbling ❤️

05/01/2025

A quick sketch sat at breakfast watching the local Tangalle fishermen cleaning up after their morning catch, with a creative coffee stain 😁

04/01/2025

Having an amazing time creating pastels on the coast in Tangalle, making new friends and meeting local artists.

01/01/2025

01/01/2025

The 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami train wreck is the largest single rail disaster in world history by death toll, with 1,000 fatalities or more. We often use rail travel on our tours whether it's to visit Tea Estates or simply to enjoy the ride.
Here is the Peraliya memorial statue at Hikkaduwa which is dedicated to all those who lost their lives and a sketch of a typical local simply waiting at the train crossing in silence with several sweaty sketchers sat beside him in a mini bus.

31/12/2024

A Guard stone from one of the many temples where the wooden structures have long since gone leaving only the stone remnants in Anuradhapura 👍😁

29/12/2024

Morning sketches from the holy city of Anuradhapura 👍😁

28/12/2024

Just the loveliest of mornings spent sketching in Geoffrey Bawa's country garden oasis of Lunuganga.👍😁

27/12/2024

Time for a sketch while waiting for our mini bus at Bandaranaike Airport, Colombo👍😁

27/12/2024

My people sketching from life started a wee bit rusty but soon got into the groove after my third cappuccino 👍😁

27/12/2024

And we're off to Sri Lanka with for an exciting sketching tour. I'm not a fan of posting pictures of people without their permission so I've excluded the original sources but it is lovely to see people's reactions when you show them your sketches. I did struggle with the wrong sized nip at first but soon got into the groove with my trusty 0.3👍😁

23/07/2023

Back to Blighty after a few days in the sun and I have to say, whether you like the Brutalist architecture of the National Theatre or not, it's a great place to people watch and sketch. As for me I'm undecided but it certainly is provocative 👍😁

19/07/2023

Last week we spent a few days in Calella, Spain - only an hour and a half's flight from our local airport. After a day on the beach we wandered around tiny streets looking for a bite to eat and found a lovely courtyard for dinner and a quick sketch👍😁

10/07/2023

Two girls and a skateboard.
Who says Men can't multitask! Sketched this Cool Dad on Bristol Docks👍😁

03/07/2023

Even KP's need a fag break.
Watching the young kitchen porter sneak outside the cafe opposite in between washing up breaks. 👍😁