Posts from the ‘Urban’ category

Number 1 –  Arthurs Seat

Arthurs Seat was damp and so was mine, after sitting in a puddle sketching this.

Dunsapie Loch and Portobello. It may look peaceful, but Arthurs Seat behind me was so busy there was even a busker entertaining the crowds.

Number 2 – Calton Hill

Evening view from Calton Hill

Calton Hill from near St Anthony’s Chapel ruins

Calton Hill from the Iron Duke

Number 3 – Waterstones Cafe Princes street

In Waterstones, I looked on with envy at the people languishing in the premium, bay window tables. Still, I did manage to wedge myself between a smaller window, the staircase and a discretely placed rodent trap to sketch the castle.

That view was wasted on him

Edinburgh castle

Wedged in the window sill

Number 4 – National Museum of Scotland

Great museum with loads to see, including the Millenium clock. When it strikes the hour, Bach blares through hidden speakers and this 20th Century dedication to human suffering becomes a strange technicolour, rotating beast. 

Edinburgh university from the roof

The Millennium clock – when death started swinging gleefully on the pendulum, I just had to sketch it!

Number 5 – The Royal Mile

Sunny and *not* raining at the same time

Bonus view

The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ‘2’, currently showing the ‘True to life’ exhibition. Well worth a visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All images © Claire Moore and cmoorelife, 2017

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Washington services on the A1(M) is a bleak, lonely place. I made the six hour drive from Brighton to enjoy a junk food dinner and fulfill a personal dream of sketching the motorway from a creepy footbridge. Both lived up to expectations.

Goumet dinning at the Washington Travelodge

7:30am on the A1(M)

 

 

 

 

 

Coincidentally, just up the road is Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North. It may be of the most viewed pieces of art in the world, but on this sunny Sunday morning, there was just me, and a man releasing his pigeons for their first flight home.

A satnav haunting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My next stop was Lindisfarne Castle, but the satnav led me astray, so I overshot the view I was looking for, ending up on the causeway to Holy Island. Time for a sketch in the drizzle, with one eye nervously on the tide, listening to Sue Perkins on Desert Island Discs. I assume this is the hut you have to break into when the sea covers the road.

After all that lapping water, I needed a toilet stop, but the satnav struck again at the nearby Barn and Beal. “Slide right! Slide right!” She shouted from my pocket. One flush and several startled patrons later and I was on the road to Portobello, a lovely coastal suburb of Edinburgh.

You have arrived at your destination, all is forgiven

A damp and peaceful evening on Portobello beach

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After 45 hours sketching on the streets and 40 miles of walking, my sketchathon finally ended today with Rose, at the Amex stadium.

One sketchbook, one Snowdog per page, no pencil, no second chances and an awful lot of coffee.

I’ve sketched all the Snowdogs by the Sea to raise money for Martlets Hospice and the Brighton Housing Trust. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far. If you’ve enjoyed these sketches, you can still make a donation to Martlets Hospice or the Brighton Housing Trust.

Rose, Amex Stadium

12:20pm This one is for Stella

Not very good at selfies

A bit about the process…

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Trusty sketching kit

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Challenging line of sight

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Left out in the cold

 

Thanks to Stella, Amelie, Isabelle and Mary for your inspirational enthusiasm!

© Claire Moore and cmoorelife, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Claire Moore and cmoorelife with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Day five: 9 hours of sketching and stalking Snowdogs.

Fourty-four dogs sketched, only one to go! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far.

If you’ve enjoyed these sketches, please do make a donation to Martlets Hospice or the Brighton Housing Trust.

8:15am An early start with Smart Vibes

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9:30am Beautiful Bobby

Brighton Belle, British Airways i360

11:15am True wonderment

Snowdowns dog, Old Steine Marine Parade

12:50pm Very excited to meet Judith Berrill, creator of the fabulous ‘Horatio’ and ‘Patch’, whilst sketching Southdowns dog!

Legal Beagle, Old Stieine Castle Square

2:15pm Amazingly intricate Legal Beagle

Snowman's nightmare, Brighton Library

3pm The Christmas Market huts are moved around me in a particular nightmarish way!

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4:05pm An early finish as the evening sun sets on Merry-go-round

Many thanks to all the artists who gave their time to create these fabulous dogs. Please donate now! One more dog to go!

My justgiving fund raising pages are: Martlets Hospice & the Brighton Housing Trust.

© Claire Moore and cmoorelife, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Claire Moore and cmoorelife with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

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Day four: 10 hours of sketching and stalking Snowdogs.

Additions to my kit: A tiny stool to sit on, more blue paint, new Aqua brushes.

I’m sketching the Snowdogs by the Sea to raise money for Martlets Hospice or the Brighton Housing Trust. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far.

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8:05am A stunning morning

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9:20am THE Snowdog

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10:30am Dudley you nearly broke me. Bitter winds blow my paints away.

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12:20pm Gizmo picks up some tricks at the skatepark.

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2:35pm Bella looks longingly at the fishing boats.

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3:35pm Process pup. The second time I’ve been filled with dread at the prospect of painting all those tiny shapes!

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5:30pm Glimpsed ‘Newshound’ between the commuters. Are we nearly there yet?

Many thanks to all the artists who gave their time to create these fabulous dogs. Please donate now! Only 8 dogs left …

My justgiving fund raising pages are: Martlets Hospice and the Brighton Housing Trust.

© Claire Moore and cmoorelife, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Claire Moore and cmoorelife with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Day three: Nearly 10 hours of sketching and stalking Snowdogs.

Additions to my kit: An extra hat, another jumper and two pairs of gloves.

If you enjoy what you see, please make a donation to Martlets Hospice or the Brighton Housing Trust.

 

Splashhound, Unitarian Church

8:10am Paint doesn’t dry when it’s this cold!

 

Frank, Gloucester Road

9:10am Frank looks a bit stressed, due to the man just out of view, shouting into his mobile phone for a very, very long time.

Blot the dog, Churchill Square

10:00am Terrifying!

Neon Camo Snowdog of hope, Brighton & Hove High School

11:35am A tranquil spot.

Clifton, Montpellier Crescent

12:30pm SNOWDOG! SNOWDOG!

Marty, Hove Park

13:40pm Surely there can’t be any more?

Mod dog, Churchill Square

3:30pm A popular meeting place, so lots of ducking and diving to see this one.

Disco dog, Duke street

5:00pm Half a shandy and a packet of crisps with Disco Dog at dusk.

Many thanks to all the artists who gave their time to create these fabulous dogs. Please donate now! More to follow…

© Claire Moore and cmoorelife, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Claire Moore and cmoorelife with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Day two: 9 hours of sketching and stalking Snowdogs.

For all my sketches, I’ve followed the urban sketcher manifesto, so there was no sneaking off to a warm café to touch up from photos. I’ve also put them straight down on the page in pen and wash, no pencil outlines or practice runs.

Feeling like the world needs a little love right now? A donation to a good cause, like Martlets Hospice or the Brighton Housing Trust, might help ease the pain.

Marty, East Street

8:50am They’ll never let you in to French connection dressed like that Horatio.

 

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9:30am Ryuichi Sakamoto’s, ‘Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence’ plays on an endless loop in my mind. It could be the cold, but for the first time I think this might be madness. I can’t feel my hands.

 

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10:20am Donatello staff eye me suspiciously, as they set out tables. I can’t feel my legs.

Roodle, Brighton Dome

10:55am Lurking silently in the corner in the cosy Dome porch, I learn that this is the dog most people want to steal. It really is fluffy.

Dave the dog, Floral clock

12:23pm Finally, a bench to sit on.

Max, Brighton and Hove Museum

13:30 A heavy night on the town for Max

 

Boomer, Big Beach Cafe

2:45pm Right here, right now.

Snowbrador

3:40pm The wind blows rust in my face.

Pebbles, Hove Promenade

4:20pm Thanks to the nice woman who encouraged me to post these sketches online

Flower, Brighton Bandstand

5:00pm Pedestrians step on me in the twilight.

Many thanks to all the artists who gave their time to create these fabulous dogs.

More to follow…

© Claire Moore and cmoorelife, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Claire Moore and cmoorelife with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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8:15am It’s a doggy!

Thanks to Martlets Hospice and Wild in Art, you can’t walk down the street in Brighton and Hove at the moment, without the hearing excited shouts of SNOWDOG! SNOWDOG!’

After weeks of procrastination, the enthusiasm of the small people in my life, inspired me to commit to a long distance, urban sketchathon, to capture all 40-odd Snowdogs by the Sea before they go to their kennels on the 27th November.

If you enjoy these sketches, please make a donation to Martlets Hospice or the Brighton Housing Trust – it’s cold out there.

 

Smiley, St George's Church

8:50am Just before the café door obscured the view…

Seagulls of the south, Seafront/Bristol Court West

10:00am A quiet moment

Bow wow, Brighton Marina

11:00am Didn’t know what time it was my face was odd odd odd…

Snowman and the Snowdog sand sculpture, Marina Square, Brighton Marina

11:45am Pit stop

Brighton Rock (Rocco,) Brighton Marina New Boardwalk

12:30pm Too darn hot!

Bone China, Brighton Marina, New Boardwalk

1:00pm GET DOWN FROM THERE NOW!

 

Patch - the unfinished quilt, Seafront/opposite New Steine

2:00pm The sight of this filled me with dread

Under the sea, Sea life centre

3:00pm Small people dressed as witches, staring silently at you are unnerving

GRRace, Brighton Pier entrance

4:00pm Crimes against music on the pier

Palace pup, Brighton Pier

5:00pm No… get down … NOW!

 

Lola, Theatre Royal

9:00pm Using my palette from memory in the dark

Many thanks to all the artists who gave their time to create these fabulous dogs. Donate now! More to follow…

 

© Claire Moore and cmoorelife, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Claire Moore and cmoorelife with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Whitstable Old Neptune

The Old Neptune pub, Whitstable

Why? Because it’s the finest place on the North Kent coast. Although, I will admit it’s the only place I’ve ever been to on the North Kent coast.

When I set out with the intention of sketching in Broadstairs, somewhere on the M2 I fell into a deep trance. I heard a ghostly rattle of oyster shells, the distant creek of beach hut doors, then a faint aroma of dead fish, and knew… Broadstairs would have to wait.

Whitstable oysters

Mounds of empty Oyster shells rise out of the mist. Known as cultch, they are put back in the estuary, providing an ideal surface for the baby oysters to attach themselves to, helping to form new oyster reefs.

I last visited Whitstable about 10 years ago, arriving in a sleepy little fishing town and waking up to the mania of the Whitstable Oyster festival. The town has lots of hidden nooks and crannies, and some of the best bits are easy to miss, so use a map.

The sea looked so inviting on that trip, so I bought a hideous yellow speedo swimming costume from a bargain bin, only to find that the sea was ankle deep, even half a mile out.

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Whitstable. Bring your own swimwear.

2015-04-13 Whitstable acrylic

The cement factory. Something completely different. With beach huts.

To learn more about Whitstable, read Sarah Waters’ novel ‘Tipping the Velvet,’ there’s only a brief mention, but you may learn something new.

The Oyster festival is on between 25th and 31st July 2015.

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Adelaide Crescent

How much is that doggie in the window? Adelaide Crescent.   (Sorry pooch lovers, there isn’t really a dog in this picture, no matter how hard you look)

It’s February and it feels like it’s been dark forever! To combat all those winter blues, I decided to add a bit of Naples yellow and Permanent Rose to my palette.

These chaps must have been feeling the same, as they completely removed their windows to let in more light.

Seems a bit drastic, particularly with snow predicted. Still, those Regency enthusiasts know what they are doing.

If you are feeling a bit ‘grayscale’, I recommend taking a walk through Hanover. It has more colour than a Dulux swatch.Hanover Hanover

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