Harold's Cross

I love it that life is full of connections. So I was delighted when Dublin Sketchers were invited to sketch in Harold's Cross and exhibit their sketchbooks during the Harold's Cross Festival! So, we've been there for one outing on a Sunday, and two more on Wednesdays. The Sunday was bitterly cold but the two Wednesdays were gloriously sunny and the first one was actually warm. It's funny how you forget that it's actually wonderful to sketch outdoors - I need sunshine on my skin and heat on my bones! Being an urban sketcher in Ireland is a challenge, no doubt. And I can't complain - Dublin is actually a lot drier than many other parts of the country!

We'll have one more outing in April and then we'll be exhibiting our books in HX on 18th and 19th of May. As always, I've been quite prolific - I might go back again a couple of times on my own. There are some little corners of the place that really appeal to me. It's fascinating how what looks at first like a fairly plain suburb of Dublin is actually full of history and stories and architectural gems!

Here is what I've drawn so far (and I haven't sketched in the cemetery or Mount Argus park yet!):

 Love this little alleyway right off the main street. It leads on to a quiet cul-de-sac.

Nosh became our de facto headquarters on that cold Sunday afternoon. Great spot for sketching people!

Did you know that Harold's Cross Park, the little triangular-shaped park that divides the main road in two, is like a Tardis - definitely a trick of space-time the minute you walk in. It even has a pond with a waterfall and ducks!

That was the last sketch of the first day I sketched there. The trees caught my eye, and the mountains in the distance too, of course.

 A pot of tea in HX 46. Love their teapots, and cacti!

Such a fascinating building, this one. An old Quaker house. On the main street. I had never noticed it before. It's just been sold.

 I was full of joy and energy when I sketched this view, so my line danced on the page! Russian Orthodox church, trees, entrance to Mount Jerome Cemetery, and flower vendor.

The Hoover Centre that was featured in the movie Once. If you need your vacuum cleaner repaired, this is the place!

I had to use my Koh-I-Noor Magic pencil for this drawing - the colour of soapy suds! Gorgeous little building on the main street. A busy launderette.

This is the peaceful little street at the end of the laneway beside the Centra. I love the house at the end, the cables that criss-cross the street. And that I managed to draw cars that actually look like they're not floating mid-air (I really concentrated and remembered that the rules of perspective apply to cars too, something that normally eludes me!).