Urban Sketching – Page 6

The not so Common Market – 04 February 2017

Posted on February 4, 2017February 5, 2017 by Zogman

Madeleine found one of the ‘singing frogs’ in the shower this morning and managed to capture it in a jar. It’s a tiny wee thing, no bigger than my thumb nail and that’s it fully grown. After its photo call we let it go back to rejoin its midnight choir.

Just a coffee for breakfast this morning because we were going to the Green Market and Madeleine said we would get something to eat there.

I didn’t realise it was so far away, almost halfway to Yves’ house, or so it seemed. When we got there the market was in full swing and there was lots for these Scottish visitors to gawp at. Dasheen, Yams, Cassava and real live cocoa pods. An amazing variety of fruit and veg that we had only heard about or read about in books sitting on benches right there in front of us. After a quick walk through, we went looking for that breakfast. We all had Empanadas – that’s fried corn bread ‘rolls’ with a variety of fillings. I had beef, Scamp had chicken, Jaime had pork and Madeleine had cheese. While we were sitting there stuffing our faces with these fatty foods, a lady from a local surgery was explaining how high cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension are all caused by obesity and too much fatty foods. I don’t think this was the best place to be putting out that message – or maybe it was! I was amazed to find Ortaniques (a cross between and orange and a tangerine) for sale on one of the stalls. I remember getting them in Larkhall away back in the 1960s. I haven’t seen them for years. Three for a pound was a bargain too good to pass up. Another stall was selling juices and they were lovely. Scamp had a mixture of ginger, melon and coconut water. I had passion fruit.

When we were done there, it was back in to town and a visit to another market. This one called the Up Market. It was a sports hall filled with stalls selling lots of different crafts. I bought myself a copper bracelet to ward off rheumatism and Scamp got a pair of maracas to use with Gems!

After that it was time to go home. Nobody really wanted lunch, but there was a good selection of fruit so we had that. You see, maybe that lady’s talk did sink in after all. After the fruit fest, Scamp went out to read in the garden and I staked my claim on a place to sketch Jaime’s hut. Possibly the neatest hut ever. Madeleine says it’s not so neat inside. I’m not sure I believe her. Anyway, this was a pencil sketch for a change. Unfortunately my Staedtler pencil was loaded with 2H lead, not 2B so tone was difficult to achieve. But, like yesterday’s, it’s done.

Tonight J&M took us out to a Chinese restaurant for a meal. The meal was delicious, but the way it was organized with veg being ordered separately from the meat was very strange. Good food and good company. You can’t beat it!

Third Time Lucky – 03 February 2017

Posted on February 3, 2017February 5, 2017 by Zogman

We were driving down to Chaguaramas, on the north western tip of the island, for a stroll on the boardwalk, but when we got on to the highway, Jaime discovered that he’d forgotten to take his pills, so we turned at the first available place and headed back. On the way we stopped to get some fresh fruit from a stall at the side of the road. At the house Jaime and Madeleine went in to drop off the fruit. Then it was back to the highway again. It was then that Jaime discovered that he’d dropped off the fruit, but forgotten to take his pills, so it was back round the loop for a second time, and this time he did remember to take his pills and we headed back on to the highway for the third time that day.

When we got to Chaguaramas we parked and took a walk heading east along the boardwalk. The boards themselves are not made of wood, but of plastic coated MDF. A strange choice for a walkway open to the ocean because it soaks up water, expands and breaks apart, but I suppose costs must be cut somewhere. The area around the boardwalk seemed to be in a state of flux and it wasn’t clear if the area had been developed then fallen into disrepair or if it was still being constructed. I would venture to say it was the former. When we stopped to admire a Tamarind tree two Indian blokes came over and spoke to us. It turned out they were putting in a quote to renovate the boardwalk area and this confirmed my suspicion that maintenance is the problem here. As we were heading back to the car, one of he security men came over and talked to us and almost his first question was “What do you think about Theresa May?” I have to say that most of the people we’ve met here have been very friendly and interested in these Scottish visitors.

The short beach at Chaguaramas is well used mainly by coloured bodies. I think we were the only white faces to be seen. It’s quite an industrial looking area, but the water was clean. Apparently the beach is man-made. Nobody seemed to mind that and lots of folk were out enjoying the water. All except one wee toddler who wasn’t enjoying being washed in a cold foot bath outside the toilet block.

When we left there we went to the Cruise Inn where the other three had the strongest sangria I’ve ever tasted and I had a Heineken ‘Green Tea’. We were going to have lunch there, but Scamp suggested we go back next Sunday for dinner and that seemed to satisfy everyone.

On the way home we stopped to buy some Hops Bread which is like a soft roll with a light crust on top. It’s got a very yeasty smell and tastes lovely. I’m intending to try making some when we get home.

After lunch which was the recycled remains of yesterday’s curry with a slice of reheated shepherd’s pie for me I started on today’s sketch. What you see is the second one as I wasn’t happy with the result of the first one. I’m not terribly happy with this one either. It’s a bit squint and not all that interesting, but it will have to do. It’s a sketch and it’s done in time.

Madeleine and Jaime were busy all evening trying to cut through the red tape that ties up all passport applications for Venezuela. I wish them luck in their quest.

Up in the hills again – 02 February 2017

Posted on February 2, 2017February 5, 2017 by Zogman

It rained overnight although neither Scamp nor I heard it. We were well into dreamland at the time. However, the raindrops on the myriad of leaves in the garden gave me a chance to grab some early photos. We had breakfast in the garden. Back home in February, if you tried that, the men in the white coats would come to drag you away. Either that or the paramedics would drag you away to try to cure the hypothermia. But this is not Scotland, so it was a comfortable breakfast.

Later, Jaime drove us up into the Northern range again to visit Mount St Benedict monastery where he had worked as a teacher some years ago. The road there was one hairpin bend after another. It was a bit like climbing up the Quairang but with about five times that number of corners. The view from the top was worth it. A beautiful panorama right over the centre of Trinidad. We met the some of the monks and got a quick tour round the buildings. With its remote situation it makes an excellent retreat centre if you can drag yourself away from the views.

As Jaime drove us back down and through the university grounds, Madeleine phoned up an order for lunch which we picked up on the way home. Lunch was Indian with Curried Mango, Channa and Aloo, Pumpkin Curry, Curried Chicken, Spicy Bodi beans and Daal. All mopped up with Paratha. Curried Mango was my favourite followed closely by Spicy Bodi and Pumpkin Curry.

After our carry-out lunch, we were far too full to do anything strenuous, so we lazed around the garden for a couple of hours. We watched two iguanas climbing the mahogany tree in the park behind the garden. I sketched the new house next door. There were too many different angles to make it look realistic and I got the perspective wrong on the door. Never mind, it’s all a learning experience. I finally after about three bum steers got it posted on FB in 28 Drawings Later.

A Stay at Home Day – 01 February 2017

Posted on February 1, 2017February 5, 2017 by Zogman

Today we all agreed would be a stay at home day. A day of relaxation for us all.

After breakfast, Scamp settled down to some serious reading and I wandered round the garden looking for inspiration. Apart from Ori the dog, I couldn’t find any. I settled for some flowers later – oh no, not flowers. Normally that would be my response, but here, flowers are a much more interesting option.

I had decided to take on the challenge of one sketch every day in February and today was the first day. The subject was Madeleine’s bird feeders and nesting boxes. It took a little time because the subjects had very few straight lines, but the result works for me. Micron 0.3 pen on Moleskine sketchbook.

After the sketching session Scamp and I walked down to the supermarket just to check out the goods on sale there and to make sure that they still stocked chickens feet.

Just a nice lazy day in the sun.

Cauld day in the Toon – 13 January 2017

Posted on January 13, 2017January 13, 2017 by Zogman

We went in to Glasgow, drove into Glasgow. The ring road was still being dug up and we weren’t sure the buses were running normally and besides, we didn’t want to be sitting in a bus whose heater was pumping out cold air for 45minutes. That’s one of the reasons we bought a car.

I bought myself some interfacing for stiffening the cloth I’m going to make a bow tie with. Got it in JL (didn’t get it delivered!) for £1.50! The bowtie itself, the prototype, will be made from an old pillow case. That’s the essentials bought. This weekend I’ll try to put it into practice.

After JL we walked down Bucky Street and on to Argyle Street, then up Miller Street to Paesano. For the first time ever, we had to wait for a table. When we got one five minutes later the food was just as good as ever.

After being fed, we went for a coffee in Café Nero in St Enoch’s. Scamp went to wander round the St Enoch’s Centre and I went to do a quick sketch of the suspension bridge over the Clyde. It’s rough, but it’s done and it’s on time.

When we got home, Scamp realised that she had fogotten to post a card in town, so I volunteered to post it in Condorrat. I took my camera of course and that’s where the sunset shot came from. It’s more a gloaming shot really. Gloaming means more than sunset. It’s that golden hour before the sun sets and it’s also the afterglow from the set sun.

Gloaming. Make it a word you use some time today, in its correct context.

First sketch of 2017 – 3 January 2017

Posted on January 3, 2017January 3, 2017 by Zogman

Ordered a sewing machine last week to progress my dressmaking skills. Ordered it from John Lewis in Emba because the Glasgow shop didn’t have it. I thought it could be delivered to the Glasgow store and I could pick it up from there. No, they couldn’t do that because the machine was in the Embra shop, not in a warehouse (?) Maybe that’s a logical reason to JL, but it made no sense to me. Anyway I wasn’t in a rush to get it and there was no way I was going to drive through Embra to pick it up. I was told it would be delivered within five working days. I phoned the Embra shop this morning to find out which day it would be delivered. Here is a synopsis of the conversation after I’d explained that I wanted to know which day it would arrive:

“It will be delivered within five working days”
“Could you be more precise” I asked?
“Eh no. We don’t actually deliver it. Because it’s a small article, it will be delivered by a carrier.” *
“So will I get a phone call or an email to tell me which day it will be delivered?”
*“No, but it will be delivered either today, tomorrow or the next day”
Now surprising as it might seem, I can count to five and then add on the extra days for weekends and holidays.
“So you’re telling me that in a company as large as John Lewis, and in this day and age, you can’t tell me the DAY that my sewing machine will be delivered?”
”Yes, that’s correct.”
“Well, that wasn’t very helpful at all.”

Now, remind me. This is the 21st century, isn’t it? Imagine if I was working and had to take five days off my work on the off chance that my sewing machine was going to be delivered that day. I’ve bought a lot of stuff from JL in the past, but I’m afraid those days are now in the past. I had thought of buying an iMac from them because they offer an extra year’s warranty, but as their delivery methods are so archaic, I think I’ll shop elsewhere.

Out at lunchtime for coffee with Fred. No Val today as he was otherwise engaged. Good natter with lots of laughter.

Walked over to St Mo’s when I came back and got the first sketch of 2017 completed in about 15 minutes. I keep meaning to time my sketches. Must do it with the next one. Two wee boys were passing St Mo’s when I was sketching. I heard them laughing and looked up to see one of them posing for me. I laughed and so did they. Just wee boys. An old man passed behind me soon after and he seemed to be struggling along with a stick. He seemed bemused and looked as if he was wondering what I’d found to draw in this urban landscape. But that’s it. It’s Urban Sketching.

I got some sunset shots with the Oly 5 and processed them according to Laura Shoe’s video and was quite impressed with the effect. I’ll use that method of combining basic adjustments with an overlay of graduated filter.

June came over for dinner tonight and she and Scamp had a good gossip about everything and anything.

Tomorrow? Don’t know. Haven’t seen the weather.

Walkin’ on Sunshine – 1 December 2016

Posted on December 1, 2016December 1, 2016 by Zogman

What a difference a little bit of sun makes and we had a fair bit of the big white ball in the sky today. The grey had gone for a wee while at least.

We made the most of the sun by getting the bus in to Glasgow. Actually, we took two buses in to Glasgow. Scamp went in early and I fitted the new wipers to my car. Surprisingly, it only took me a few minutes. Sometimes it pays to buy the posh, Bosch wipers because they are so much easier to fit than the cheapo alternatives. After fitting the wipers, I just managed to catch the bus, a different bus, in to Glasgow. On the bus I discovered that I’d left my Kindle at home. Worse than that, I’d left my headphones in my other jacket, also at home. With nothing to distract me, I sat in the front of the bus and soaked up some of that sun.

I went to Millers art shop to get a couple of pens. Before that I got myself an emergency pair of earbuds from HMV. Skullcandy were always the cheap end of the market as far as I was concerned until I had the same problem I had today and had to buy a cheap pair of earbuds and succumbed to Skullcandy. They were brilliant. They are much better than my Sennheiser pair which are way to harsh and tinny sounding. After this spending spree, I met up with Scamp and we went to lunch at The Italian Kitchen in Albion Street. It was outside TIK that the reflections on the Herald building attracted my photographic attention. After lunch we went our own merry way again. Anyone watching would be wondering if we had fallen out, but that wasn’t the case, it was just about giving each other space.

I wandered around the city centre to get some more photos and even got a sketch of sorts done from the GOMA, then I wanted a look at a 21” iMac in the Apple shop. The newly designed Apple shop, where there are no sales counters. The Apple shop where a sales person was hogging the 21” iMac I was wanting to look at while she sold an iPhone. Now I realise that the purchase of an iPhone is important, but wouldn’t it be a much better idea to have a sales desk where this transaction could take place. It’s a bit of a barn of a place and it gives you an idea of the way Apple want things to go.

No Genius Bar
No sales desk, as I’ve mentioned
No Techys desk
No place to queue or sit while you wait to speak to a Techy

The other thing I noticed about this newly designed Apple store is the proportions of different machines on display. Lots of space given to iPads and iPhones acres of deskspace given to Apple watches and entire tables given over to Macbooks of various kinds. Only five desktop computers on display, and that space itself being used as a sales point It looks looks as if Apple don’t want/need to sell desktop computers any more. Not a comforting thought.

Just managed to sneak on the X3 as it was about to leave and it turned out that Scamp was on the previous one, so we were running along behind each other heading for Cumbersheugh! How sweet.

Hoping for another sunny day tomorrow, but today was good, so I shouldn’t be greedy.

An Early Rise – 25 November 2016

Posted on November 25, 2016November 25, 2016 by Zogman

Up and out of bed before 8.00 this morning, but it wasn’t the desire to take photos in the frost that was sparkling in the morning air that got me up, it was someone knocking the front door. It turned out to be the wrong address. The gas man was actually looking for the bloke next door. However, it did get me up and that led to me achieving yesterday’s target.

Walked through St Mo’s and got a few photos, some of which are in the matrix above. There was quite thick fog when I left the house with a temperature of -5.6ºc, but when I reached St Mo’s a few minutes later, the fog had gone, taking with it my chance of some ethereal early morning shots. I did see a deer, but it was far to far away and moving like the wind.

By the time I got home, Scamp was scraping her car and since I was meeting Fred for coffee later, I decided to clean mine too. The joker who lives a couple of doors down had parked next to me last night and left my car in the shade of the early morning sun that I’d hoped would have thawed it out. People should think before they park next to me. So it was frozen hands for me before lunch, but at least the windscreen was clear.

Met Fred for coffee and swap shop. 2 CDs from him to me. 1CD from me to him. Not a lot to discuss today and I think the cold is getting to all of us. He’d done some sketches of course and so had I, but not as many from each of us as we’d had in the past.

Fred had to leave early so I did too. I walked along the Luggie again and, probably with the thought of sketching in my head, got a quick sketch of a bridge done. Not the most beautiful structure, but architecturally interesting and demanding from a perspective viewpoint. It’s not quite finished, but it was quite cold and my fingers were getting numb and I’d got a likeness of it. I had my leather gloves with me, the expensive ones. Two pairs for a fiver in Perth one year! I should have worn the fingerless gloves Hazy gave me to keep my hands warm but my fingers free. They’re not just for FOTO GRA4s! (in joke). They’re going in my jacket pocket tonight. I got some photos down the Luggie too.

From the 44 photos I took today, I whittled them down to 14 and from that I chose my 5 favourites. That’s what you see above in the matrix.

Be careful how you touch the blog today as it might still be a bit greasy, that’s because dinner was a small fish supper for Scamp and a special fish supper for me (fish in breadcrumbs) eaten with the fingers of course. I was feeling generous, so I shared my special fish with Scamp.

Looks like it won’t be quite as cold tomorrow. Ice is nice as long as it doesn’t stay too long.

Flying Home. Going Home – 10 November 2016

Posted on November 10, 2016November 11, 2016 by Zogman

Breakfast and final packing, Scamp couldn’t find the padlock for her case. I went out to see if I could buy one at the nearby shops, but got a text from her to say all was well, the padlock was found. Handed in the keys then a final shandy for me and a prosecco for Scamp to send us on our way. Even managed to get a sketch done while we were sitting. This sketching is addictive.

Taxi to the airport and first in the queue! Straight through to security and then into Duty Free. From there we had an early lunch of fish and chips washed down with Fanta. Prosecco to Fanta. Sublime to the ridiculous. Sitting in the airport waiting to be called to board and watched an old man who wasn’t at all well looking sitting with his wife. Two girls asked if they could help, but he refused with a grim smile. Eventually his wife went looking for help and they walked off together later. I still wonder if he was ok. It’s at times like that I wish I’d kept up my first aid certificate. Maybe I should.

Flight was slow boarding, but after we were settled, we stayed pretty much to schedule. As we were making our decent across the Irish Sea from Dublin, the Captain came on the intercom to give us an update on weather in Glasgow with “If you don’t wish to know the temperature, look away now … It’s two degrees!” Nicely done, I thought.

That was about it, just one final thought, and it’s about temperature too. One night in the restaurant, I heard this large English woman asking one of the waiters where the microwave was, because “This soup is Cold!” I couldn’t believe it. Maybe she’d never watched Red Dwarf.

Little Mices, Spies & Statues – 8 November 2016

Posted on November 8, 2016November 9, 2016 by Zogman

This morning after breakfast and while Scamp was off sunbathing, I wrote up yesterday’s blog in the cafe area just outside the Asian restaurant. The sacrifices I make for you, my readers! As I was finishing, the kids club had just started and the goofy member of the animacion team was trying to instil some discipline in his charges. He started by suggesting they get something to drink some of them wanted juice, some wanted wine and some wanted beer. Since all of them were under 12, and most were extremely precocious and noisy, this was a difficult task. At first he told them they had to be “as quiet as little mices (sic)”. This seemed to work for the younger ones, but it just made the older ones even noisier. He then changed tack and told them they were to be spies and to hide in the shadows as they were not to be seen by anyone. They were to make guns from their hands and creep down the corridor. That seemed to satisfy everyone. Once they’d gone, I packed up and went searching for Scamp. When I rounded the first corner, I heard the command “Quiet! Statues!” and all the little spies stood stock still in the shadow. As I passed them I heard the leader say “You see. He never even saw us! Now we are going through the jungle area.” The jungle area was an inside planted area open to the sky. Probably a great place for spies to hone their skills.

After I found Scamp we set off for Puerto del Carmen to get Scamp a new charm for her bracelet, only Scamp had forgotten to wear her bracelet, so while she went for it, I did some sketching, much to the consternation of the oldies in the coffee place who thought I was casing the joint. Maybe they thought I was one of the ‘spies’ especially because I was sitting very still, almost like a statue. Scamp returned wearing the bracelet, I finished the sketch and normal life in the coffee place resumed.

Walked in to PdC and Scamp got her charm. Got some photos of the scenic part of town and then headed back to the hotel. Scamp had more sunbathing to finish and I went for a walk before dinner.

After dinner we listened to an awful guitarist playing and ‘singing’. Even the barmen serving drinks seemed decidedly unimpressed with the noise coming from that area. Who knew that John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ could sound so bad. Thankfully we’d arrived more than halfway through his set and he packed up and left. Some of the hard of hearing shouted for an encore, but he wasn’t listening. Thankfully.

Went and watched Goofy whipping the kids club into a frenzy as he dispensed certificates and medals with a large dollop of sarcasm that went right over the kids heads. Reminded me of Robin Strong at school, many years ago.

The main entertainment for the night was a Magic Show. Scamp rates ‘magic’ with ‘humour’, ie, Does Not Compute, so we were heading to the room when I was sure I could hear drums. We followed our ears and found a Samba Band practising across the road from the hotel in a concreted display area. They were quite excellent and were a fitting end to the day.