State Apartments again

Interesting when you go to the same location twice in a short space of time, how you see things more clearly. Or is just me? I find that when I go somewhere for the first time, or after a long absence, it's like my senses get overwhelmed, and I want to sketch/draw/paint everything - the big picture and every detail all at the same time. Not the best recipe for success.

I had been to the States Apartments with SPAB only a week before. So when I got there last Sunday with Dublin Sketchers, I wasted no time - it's like my eye was already accustomed to the view and I was able to quickly focus on the scene in front of me.

I worked with a brush pen, adding a little watercolour pencil while I was on site. And I got my watercolour palette out when I got to the Terrace Café.

The State Apartments are looking lovely at this time of the year, with their big Christmas trees. But they're well worth a visit at any time of the year! They're very much on the tourist trail, as they are a significant part of Dublin's history. The Castle Gardens are the site of the original Dubh Linn, literally Black Pool, where the Vikings settled until they were kicked out by the Normans, at the junction between the rivers Liffey and Poddle. So that's where Dublin got its name from. And another interesting fact is that the Chapel Royal was built using a timber frame because the ground was too soft for heavy stone. And even now, if any work needs to be done to it, extreme precautions have to be taken so as not to destabilise the structure. The State Apartments were the home and official rooms of the Viceroy, back when Ireland was a British colony! Hence the throne room.

This sketch is a breakthrough for me, with lost and found edges. It was a lot of fun to paint. And I was so glad I said yes to the marshmallows on top!

This photo just to show you the full spread. Maybe I need a little frame around the cup to separate it from the other sketch?