Push and pull? I have to find my own way

I'm still exploring the idea of pushing and pulling to give my sketches more volume. This time, I used my favourite dishes (these are not kept in the kitchen - they are too pretty for the kitchen) again, but consciously added shading and darks to the areas I wanted to draw the attention to, and kept the bigger objects in the back just as a silhouette so they would recede. There are many ways to achieve this.  I chose this way in this specific instance.

PS: I enjoyed working with blue pencil. Less messy than graphite.

 

The Guinness Quarter

A bit of a walk from the city centre, but the area around the Guinness storehouse still smells of Dublin, the old Dublin - that smell was all around the city in the 80s, but now you only get it when you get close to the Guinness brewery area. I can't describe it, but the Google AI does a good job of it.

"The smell of Guinness in Dublin is a signature aroma, primarily from the St. James's Gate Brewery, a mix of sweet, toasty, coffee-like notes from roasted barley, rich malty scents from mashing, and a hint of hops, creating a warm, familiar scent that many Dubliners recognize as home, especially around The Liberties. " 

How many millions of litres of water did I use just for this?

Anyways, it's always a special area to sketch in, a mix of tall Georgian buildings that seem empty and some glimpses of industrial brewery pipes and containers. I would love to have access to sketch inside those forbidden courtyards! But with new apartments just across the way, there was steps that gave me a fairly good view. I was well wrapped up. It was cold. Thankfully it was toasty in the Guinness Open Gate Brewery pub. Sorry I didn't get to sketch the two musicians, I was too busy chatting.

Exploring shapes

Slowly emerging from the torpor of Christmas. Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas. But my body and my mind needs to move on. I just want to come back to the shapes and themes that inspire me. I want to draw and paint. I want the ocean, the waves, the rocks, the light. Loved our walks at Killiney beach and Bray over the holidays. They have stirred that need in me. So, I looked through my studio book and found a sketch I did in Allihies.  The shapes of those rocks and the fields behind. Time to explore again.

 

What's on my desk

It's like my brain is refusing to tidy my art studio for the new year. I keep finding more things to put on the desk. It's all part of the process for me, moving between drawing and painting. Ink is asa-gao (morning glory) from the Pilot range. And I love every object I have drawn here. Some hold more memory than others, but the act of drawing them creates a memory.

Christmas Eve outside O'Neill's

So happy that we had sketching organised for Christmas Eve. While everyone was busy shopping on Grafton Street, we were tucked away near Molly Malone, facing O'Neill's pub. It was cold, but I was well wrapped up. And I enjoyed listening to the great busker who entertained us while we were sketching. Not too many tourists, but more than I would have expected, given that Dublin closes down on Christmas day. The Luas was finishing at 8pm. But the Simon's Community busking event was also a great pull for the crowds, and Bono even made an appearance, after 29 other artists. No need to say that I was long gone by that time!

 

Grangegorman and Barber's Bar

We were blessed with dry weather on 21 December. It did get cool as the sun went down on the shortest day of the year. But we had a lovely pub to retreat to, The Barber's Bar. After working in watercolour and pen outdoors, I moved to pen and 2 black/graphite pencils indoors, as the lighting made it impossible to see colour. I practised the push and pull technique to give my sketch more depth. Really enjoyed it, I have to say, but will need to place a piece of paper to stop it from smudging. I had to use an eraser to remove all the smudge marks from sketcher hands (mine and other sketchers, as we look at each other's sketchbooks).

Flowing

Before we travelled to New Zealand, I made a few notes in my studio book, so I would have an anchor when coming back. So glad I did. It felt like I had just gone out of the room and come back in. I don't think I've ever been able to jump back in with such ease after travelling.

All 3 done on quarter sheet Fabriano Unica print paper, while catching up with Shelley.

 

Pencils4Tea 11 December 2025

It was so sad to hear of Abhinav's sudden passing. He was so young. So the first sketch we did was from a photo of him. I loved his eyebrows!

Doheny and Nesbitt

Some of the sketchers in Dublin Sketchers are exloring the pubs of Dublin at the moment. I join them when I can. Doheny & Nesbitts is a classic. On the day we were there, all I cared about was the Christmas tree on the façade and the numerous decorations and signs. The result is chaotic, but it is how I see the world. I often feel I should sketch something that makes more sense, but then, I remind myself that all I want to do is show how I see the world. Other sketchers can do accurate and pretty sketches. That's simply not me.  And lettering is something I'm simply not interested in, but I did try! I started with tempera sticks, and added pen, watercolour and colour pencil. For the indoors sketches, I added colour when I got home.

When we went inside for lunch, there was so much more to sketch. It was overwhelming, so I decided to do vignettes and connect them on the page with colour and a little bit of text. By the time I got to sketch some of my friends there, my energy levels were too low, but I kept going anyway! The sketches are a record of my impressions and my feelings.

As done on location:

At the Hairdresser's

The many faces of me, at the hairdressers. So lucky to have a wonderful hairdresser, Eddie Doyle in Blackrock, who is happy for me to sketch while he cuts my hair, and with whom I can chat about art and Science Fiction movies!

Travel Sketches - Melbourne

Melbourne was great. Got to sketch with a few wonderful women from Urban Sketchers Melbourne. Weather was great. The food was amazing. Loved Matcha Kōbō and Omi 380 in particular. Only had half an hour to sketch Findlers Street Station. That was a bit ambitious. And got to meet up with Jill again at the Asia food festival. And also sketch on Guildford Lane.

Travel Sketches - from Queenstown to Melbourne

After a night on the outskirts of Queenstown, and waking up to a sprinkling of snow on the mountains, we were on the move again. Next stop Melbourne.

Travel Sketches - Butchers Dam and house between Alexandra and Clyde

Quick sketches here, done while standing at Butchers Dam, and a quick one of the vineyard from the b&b between Alex and Clyde. The town of Clyde was very sketchable, but I would have needed more time to do the historic buildings justice. 

Travel Sketches - lovely house near Cromwell

We rented a lovely house on a small vineyard near Cromwell. It was gorgeous, so much space for just the two of us. And a wonderful garden. I immediately set to sketch the irises. Didn't manage to capture the California quails, nor the rabbits, as they were too skittish.  And we got to meet my distant cousin Rob and his wife Marion, and their children. It felt very special. Both my Dad and David would have been very happy to hear that we are keeping up the family connection.