At rest on Christmas Eve
Sometimes you just need to take time out.
Tarragona, city of human towers
The lovely city of Tarragona was one of the places the human towers originated. No human towers today, but I was lucky enough to get free entry to the 1st century roman tower, as the city celebrates Tarraco’s 17 years as a World Heritage Site.
Stunning views and just time for a quick sketch of the cathedral before descending through the throngs of roman re-enactors!
Castellers in Catalonia
Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia teaching children to build human castles at the Jardins de Frederica Montsen, Barcelona.
House at the Black Madonna
An avant-garde moment at the cubist, Grand Cafe Orient, Prague.
The cafe is on the second floor of the House at the Black Madonna. Originally built as a department store, it now hosts two gorgeous cafe’s, the Czech Cubism exhibition and the most stunning staircase.
Brown nosers
David Černý’s brown-nosers is hidden away in the back garden of the quirky Futura gallery in Prague. There is a special treat inside each bum-hole!
From backsides, onwards to Černý’s pulsating foam and metal embryo sculpture, which clings to a drainpipe in Stare Mesto. You can just see it throbbing in the dimness, across the square from the cosy Tricafe.
Horsey horsey don’t you stop
I love David Černy’s satiric sculpture of King Wenceslas on his upside down dead horse, which dangles proudly from the Art Nouveau dome in the Lucerna Palace shopping centre. Very statesmanlike. The lolling tongue is a particularly nice touch!
Mahler’s 9th
The Prague Symphony Orchestra playing Mahler’s 9th symphony in the beautiful Art Nouveau, Municipal House in Prague.
A princely birthday
The urban sketchers are 10 years old this month. Today, in celebration, official groups around the world are sketching their cities, in a 24 hour ‘sketchwalk’.
Sadly there isn’t a group near Brighton, so I had my own, lone unofficial mini-crawl, starting in a damp Prince Albert Street.
I carried on the royal connection at George IV’s chinoiserie palace of debauchery, the Brighton Royal Pavilion.
The ice rink is back for the winter. I’m sure Prinny would have thoroughly approved!
Definitely not a mosque
Inktober 2017: day thirty one
For my last Inktober sketch, I wandered the residential streets of Brighton, hoping to sketch Halloween pumpkins in a doorway. Sadly it wasn’t possible without looking creepy, and not in a good way.
Pumpkinless myself, I was reduced to carving a Halloween papaya whilst watching the 1990’s TV mini-series of Stephen King’s ‘IT’. A true horror of everyday sexism.
Crimes against papaya
That Ketchup really came in handy over the last week!
I’ve really enjoyed participating in Jake Parker’s Inktober. It’s been a real challenge to produce and post something every day, as well as share work I’m not always happy with.
I’ve ruined a rucksack, a carpet and probably left unsightly stains all over Arizona, Nevada and Utah.
However, I’ve had a lovely set of supporters who have really kept me going, so thank you so much for your encouraging comments, views and likes!
I’m really looking forward to ditching the 3.5kg’s of ink bottles, pens and various sketchbooks I’ve carried everywhere this month. I’m going to be floating on air, with just one sketchbook, my tiny paint palette and a couple of pens!
Inktober 2017: day thirty
Paragliders over Firle, South Downs, from the Ouse river near Lewes.
cmoorelife 