Bray Harbour

Lovely time in Bray - we sketched in Bray harbour, away from the busy promenade. Good place to practise boats! Done with Roman Szmal watercolours and colour pencils.

Sketchwalk in Bray

It was a wonderful change from the routine. Mandy, one of our sketchers, had seen that the Signal Arts Centre, a small gallery in Bray, were planning a sketchwalk on a Sunday, at the time we normally sketch. So we headed to this lovely seaside town. We normally go to Bray in the summer, but early February was cold and breezy, so the organisers decided to start in the gallery. The theme was the life of Lillian Lucy Davidson, an artist who was born in Bray in 1879. For me, of course, it was just an excuse to sketch, and being cosy indoors was an extra bonus.

After our first sketch, we moved up the town, but had to retreat to a pub, due to a heavy rain shower. Another great excuse to sketch. One of the lady organisers posed for us, and there was great banter, and talk of the suffragette movement and how women played a central role in the fight for Irish independence, only to be relegated to their homes afterwards.

And then we made it to a beautiful graveyard, right behind the main street. I worked in Bray for a number of years, but never knew about this hidden gem. After another quick sketch in the fading light, I rushed back to the seafront to catch up with the other sketchers. It was a wonderful afternoon, full of surprises and fun, and I felt a great energy enveloping me!