Queen Street

I have to say I like Dublin when it's old and gritty. But, sometimes, when an area is changing, it's not all bad. There are a few hotels popping up at the back of Smithfield, behind Bargaintown, for instance, near Queen Street. And with those, new bars and restaurants are appearing too. 

It was a rainy Sunday, so I had to find shelter indoors. I picked WokeCup café on the corner of Queen street where it intersects with the Luas line. I got a matcha latte and started sketching what was in front of me, including the big orange coffee machine. But then they told me they were closing in about 20 minutes (but staying open for take-away - it makes no sense to me), so I rushed the rest of the sketch. Someone told me that they are closing down soon. A pity, I would have liked to go back and sketch that street corner.

So I looked across the road, and I saw the Fidelity Bar, as in High Fidelity. Big windows, cool decor, lots of cocktails and great views of the street across the way. I opted for a mocktail - no idea what it was, but it was delicious. Frank Ryan's bar across the way only opened at 4pm. And the vegan place with a picture of a chicken in the window (go figure?) wasn't open either. But I was happy at the Fidelity bar, cool music, not too busy, very comfortable. The kind of place I would love to go back to. Queen street is a pretty busy road, so I added a car to my sketch and called it done.

And then it was time to meet the other sketchers in the Hendrick hotel lobby. Not busy and lots of quirky details to sketch. Most of the sketchers were still busy putting the finishing touches to their sketches, or drawing each other, so I sketched too. But at that stage, I like to look at people's sketchbooks and chat. The problem is that you can't look at someone's sketchbook if they're still working in it! Must find a way to break that pattern! I'm a social person. I miss the chat.

PS: I'm working in a Strathmore Watercolour sketchbook, new to me. It's not the easiest. It needs a few glazes before the colours pop. I don't have enough patience for that!!

Without text:

Urban Sketchers work-in-progress shot: