I was delighted to be asked to make this charcoal portrait of a photographer taking a photograph of a photographer.
I worked from a photograph…
…the stages are shown above.
And here she is resplendent in a frame.
Portrait of a Lady
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Tag Archives: drawing
Bar Día – A Love Story
I was asked by José to make this pen and watercolour drawing as a wedding present for Blaise and Letitia, to celebrate their first ever meeting.
José wrote this poem to go with the drawing
Se dice que fue como un relámpago,
en cosa de un segundo,
segundo y medio a lo sumo,
un estallido de rosas cayendo de su pecho
al albur de unos ojos,
un traqueteo de piernas,
el suspiro de un miedo
y un miedo vencido con solo una palabra.
Se dice que alguien se enamoró aquel día
como tantas otras veces otras gentes
pero yo que he visto conozco esta historia
puedo dejarla escrita en estos versos
puedo decir seguro
que mereció la pena.
Which translates as
It is said that it was like a lightning bolt,
a matter of a second,
a second and a half at most,
an explosion of roses falling from his chest
to the fate of eyes,
a quiver of legs,
the sigh of fear
a matter of a second,
a second and a half at most,
an explosion of roses falling from his chest
to the fate of eyes,
a quiver of legs,
the sigh of fear
and fear overcome with only one word.
It is said that someone fell in love that day
like so many other people at other times
but I’ve seen, I know this story
I can leave it written in these verses
I can say for sure
that it was worth it.
Obviously it was impractical for me to travel to Mallorca to draw the bar so I worked from a photo that José found on the internet, rendering the outline first in pencil then in pen (above left and right) before applying the watercolour (top).
Pear Sketch
These gorgeous pears are splendid with autumnal colours which lend themselves beautifully to be rendered in watercolour. They’re also bound to be delicious!
Corredera 55
I was delighted to be commissioned to paint a pen and watercolour sketch style ‘portrait’ of the facade of the beautiful Corredera 55 restaurant in Vejer de la Frontera.
I worked from photos as there was an element of surprise involved in the project.
First I roughed out the composition by making a preliminary sketch (right).
The bike is part of the exterior decor!
Then I made a more careful drawing in pencil on 300gsm watercolour paper with deckled (hand torn) edges which I retraced loosely in waterproof pen (below).
Next came the watercolour painting…
And here’s the finished piece…(click on the image to enlarge)
With a couple of details singled out below…
If you’re ever lucky enough to find yourself in Vejer at any time of year the Corredera 55 restaurant is well worth a visit.
The food is a clever and delicious blend of the homely, exotic, luxurious and healthy; the wine list is extensive and expertly composed; the staff are incredibly warm and hospitable while at the same time being efficient and savvy; the outside terrace is sunny, shady and breezy with wonderful views over the surrounding countryside (Vejer’s perched on top of a steep hill, 200m above sea level); the interior is cosy and gorgeously crafted from reclaimed materials (by Retro Nuevo) and houses an extensive collection of Vejer themed paintings by local artists.
As the sign says Comer – Amar – Vivir = Eat – Love – Live
This is a delightful place full of loving touches.
Flower Sketches
I have no idea what this plant is…it looks just like grass growing in a pot on the roof terrace but it has these lovely little white flowers and seed pods shooting out of it…
Here’s another version…
Cherries!
Cherry season is almost over so I thought I’d better immortalise these tasty beauties in pen and watercolour before it’s too late. Yum…
Noises in the Attic
For a few nights last week there was a high pitched squeaking noise emanating from the roof above my bed in the attic…was it a bird or a rat?
I was locked out of the house one night so had to beg the use of a neighbour’s sofa and when I returned the next day I found this on my bed and the mystery was solved…poor little bat baby…
A pretty gruesome find you’d think, but according to this page
“Bats represent social relationships, communication and motherhood
The bat is a symbol of communication; Native Americans observed bats to be highly social creatures with strong family ties. They are nurturing, exhibiting verbal communication, touching and sensitivity to members of their group. Bats are sensitive to their surroundings and are seen as intuitive, with the ability to see through illusion and discern truth.
Eastern cultures view the bat as a symbol of wealth, longevity, peace, good health and a good death. In China, the symbol for bat is “fu” — which is also the symbol for good luck.”
I chose the colour combination because there were tinges of them in the poor little creature’s body and they’re reminiscent of the bougainvillea petals that blow into my attic on the gusts of ‘levante’ wind from the most enormous plant of its kind I’ve ever seen, which grows up through the open patio of a neighbour’s house.
Peas!
Peas! Yum…nuff said, spring is in the air…
Selfie 1 – Sleepless
I’m not a good sleeper.
The other night I was restless and wide awake in bed so I decided to get up and draw myself:
On seeing the drawing the next morning a visiting friend asked “Who’s that?”
“It’s me” I replied.
“No!” he said, “That’s nothing like you…”
Which is strange because every time I see the sketch I absolutely recognise it as me..
Alcázar de Jerez
Last Saturday morning I joined the Xerez Sketchers and Vejer Sketchers in the Alcázar de Jerez, a former moorish fortress. We spent a couple of very happy hours sketching, chatting and comparing techniques and results.
And we were featured in an article in the newspaper Diario de Jerez entitled ‘The Mysticism of Drawing’
