drawing
Mallorca Sketchbook 2014
Challenged myself to draw in my sketchbook every day while we were in Mallorca recently. I almost managed it!
Port de Soller
Cove below the Nautilus
Lunch at the Nautilus
View from the terrace
Sunset on the terrace
Museo del Mar
Las Delicias
Fornalutx
Can Prohom
Fishing in the cove
Lounging on the balcony
The locals catching up at El Moll
Serveis Nautics at the Marina
Placa Constitucio, Soller
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Stanage & Higger Tor (again)
I must have walked on Burbage moor a thousand times but I don’t think I’ve been on Stanage edge for years, which is pretty terrible considering how often I drive past it and subconsciously take in its outline. It was forecast to be a nice afternoon so I decided to remedy that. (Click on the panorama below to view larger!)
I walked along the edge and took in views of most of the walks I did last week, including the Great Ridge and Dennis Knoll which you might be able to make out on my sketch above. I don’t think either the sketch or my iPhone photos do justice to how beautiful it was out there today – there was a breathtaking view from the trig point as the sun came out which I failed to capture, but I’m glad I was there to see it!
Flat
Owler Tor from Stanage
The Great Ridge (left) from Stanage
To Higger Tor
Higger Tor
Burbage heather
Sketch done, I walked back along the edge, down from the trig point and across the road to Higger Tor before heading back through the blossoming heather to Burbage bridge.
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Mam Tor and the Great Ridge sketches
Friday’s jaunt took me to the summit of Mam Tor (don’t be too impressed, it’s only about a 15 minute walk from the car park) and eastwards along the Great Ridge to the top of what I’m guessing is Barker Bank. If you look very carefully at the panorama photo and squint, you can just about see the spot where we were for the Sketchcrawl at Edale last weekend in the far distance. No?
Anyway, it was a blazing hot afternoon so I sensibly took plenty of water. Right? Wrong.
Looking towards Hollins Cross. I love those cartoon clouds!
Sketching at Hollins Cross. Lose Hill in the background
Sketching Mam Tor from above Hollins Cross. Land slip and closed section of A625 on right hand side
Vale of Edale from Mam Tor
I forgot to take any water. So not only was I gagging for a drink the whole time but I couldn’t use much paint. Luckily I had a bit of emergency water in my water brush so I used soluble crayon for my sketches.
And so ends of my week off! I hope you enjoyed following me. I’m going to try to keep up the walking & sketching as much as I can, but this is where the posting every day stops :)
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Sketching at Ladybower
Yesterday I had lightly pencilled in a trip to the seaside to have an ice-cream with Sal off of littleblackheart. I dithered and dithered for several hours right up until the point where if I had set off right then, it would have been time to leave again by the time I got there. I’m so annoyed with myself. I am hopeful that she will let me reschedule our seaside friend-date for a future time when I intend to be 100% more brave.
Instead I went to the nearest thing we have to the sea, a reservoir: Ladybower. First I went for a hike up the hill to look at the view. It was stunning and peaceful for about 3-4 minutes until a bunch of other people arrived and decided to sit right next to me. It was the best spot for miles around, clearly. Look at all those lovely tors.
A couple of dodgy sketches bagged, I headed back down the hill for what I thought would be another 2 hour walk, but I took and accidental shortcut which only took 30 minutes. Oops. I did spot some heather in bloom, a couple of baby grouse and a bunny though, so all’s well that ends well?
Best viewing spot
Silver birches at the approach to Ladybower reservoir
More silver birches at Hurst Clough
Sketch in progress at the reservoir
I finished the afternoon by having a nice sit down by the water and imagining that it was Cleethorpes and that I had an ice cream and a friend.
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Sketching at Longshaw
On the way home from Eyam yesterday I stopped for a quick walk at Longshaw Estate. Longshaw Lodge was originally the hunting lodge for the Dukes of Rutland. I won’t give the game away, but it features in ‘The Secret Rooms’ by Catherine Bailey, which is a good read if you are interested in fancy houses and historical mysteries.
Brontë fans: if you fancy staying a few days at Longshaw you can rent the old gamekeepers cottage, White Edge Lodge which is a landmark in the area and was used in the 2011 (Fassbender) version of Jane Eyre.
Duke’s Seat is a lovely outcrop of rocks that is popular with swallows and sheep. It is also the perfect spot to sit and sketch the view :)
Stairway to Duke’s Seat
Sheep at Duke’s Seat
Sketch in progress
Woodland path
Next up: I don’t go to Cleethorpes
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Eyam Hall sketch
Don’t let the bleak images on the National Trust website put you off visiting Eyam Hall. The Jacobean manor house has been let to the Trust on a 10 year lease and the family apparently only moved out in February, so I think it was a rush job to get some photographs up.
Hall from the walled garden
Rose archway
Doorway
Bowling green
Front of the hall
Sketch in progress
It was just a flying visit today and I only took quick photos of the garden, but I am definitely planning another visit over the summer; if nothing else, there’s a lovely shady spot on the bowling green that I’ve got my eye on:
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Stanage/North Lees sketches
Monday: Day one of my holiday! Sketchbook in hand, I set out from Dennis Knoll, underneath Stanage Edge, on the short walk to North Lees Hall. I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t be able to see anything, because it started off really misty, but it soon cleared as I descended into the valley.
Stone waymarker
Possibly a very important note
Woodland is regenerating
North Lees Hall <3
Caution! Lambs!
Lamb danger
North Lees Hall was Charlotte Bronte’s inspiration for Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre. Apparently it was used in one of the many film adaptations too, but I’m not sure which one. You’re welcome. Google it? Anyway, it’s on my shopping list for when we win the Euromillions.
I stopped to attempt to draw the sheep on the drive back home. I probably didn’t take enough caution of the lambs though, as three of them had set up camp underneath my car by the time I’d finished.
Next up: I try to draw some pugs.
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Sketchcrawl: Edale
On Saturday, around a dozen members of Sketchcrawl North ventured out to Edale in the Hope Valley, Derbyshire. Having not been out with them for over a year (!), I am well out of practice at drawing around other people (and generally out of practice at doing things) but I was determined to get out and go go-getting. I am pleased/smug to report that I successfully navigated my way along the miles of winding road and around 100* cyclists (*estimated) all by mine self!
We walked up through the village and set up camp on the foothills of Kinder Scout, underneath Ringing Roger (ish). Following my success at getting to the venue I was puffy with confidence but, despite being pretty bold when sketching at home recently, I annoyed myself by immediately placing myself several feet away from the rest of the group and defaulting back to pencil and muddy greens. I knew I would. Oh well, I had a lovely morning and at least my horrible sketches are a record of the day. Better luck next time, hey?
I was sad to rush off after lunch because the others went back down the hill to draw the village in the afternoon, but I had to go and eat my own bodyweight in sausages, thrash the boys at ‘Cranium’ and then get a massive migraine. Anyway, as usual you can see everyone else’s sketches on the Facebook group.
