Sketching at the Iveagh Gardens

Probably one of the last nice days of the season. We sketched in the Iveagh Gardens, just off Harcourt Street. I brought limited supplies - a small set of watercolours, a handful of acrylic markers, 5 colour pencils and my Sailor Fude. I normally carry more with me, but my physio says I can't use a backpack over my left shoulder or hang my handbag across that side either, as I could destabilise it again. So, limited supplies it is. And no umbrella, even!

 

Grand Canal Dock

Just as well I brought minimal supplies, as it turns out I partially dislocated my clavicle. I don't know about the partially, actually. It's sitting above one of my ribs, so I personally think that qualifies as a full dislocation. I'm writing this on 30th September, so if you're seeing this on Instagram in November, I haven't dislocated again. Although it's entirely possible that I will dislocate it again, apparently! Anyways, my minimal supplies were not very well thought out. A bunch of acrylic markers, a pink pencil, a thick black Posca, and watersoluble graphite crayons. I did try to apply the acrylic markers on top of the graphite. It gave a nice subdued colour, but made the markers really dirty. I think that if I had brought my black Fude pen, I could have done a lot more with these sketches. 

 

Mountjoy Square

Mountjoy Square is not a part of the city where I spend much time. Always good when there is a group of us sketching in the one location. Safety in numbers and all the rest. It was a beautiful sunny day in mid-September. The clouds were gorgeous and I was sorry I didn't bring my watercolours. But it was a good practise in using a small set of acrylic markers, which was my intention.

Sketching on Meath Street

Another beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon - third Sunday in September - we're lucky with the weather. One of my favourite areas of the city, Meath Street. Still feels very much like the Dublin I came to forty years ago (October 1986!!). Yet, we can see with the work on the footpaths that it's in the process of being gentrified. Even the pub we went to, Lucky's, is more of a cool place than a neighbourhood Dublin pub. Thankfully very few tourists in this area still. I started with this tall house that I had noticed a few months ago, on my way back from Nuala Clarke's workshop nearby. I often know straight away what I want to sketch, and this was it. When I was done, I wandered about for a bit, and I was attracted to the chaos of the work in progress on the footpath. Two very different sketches. PS: loving the Tombow lavender marker for shadows. Must check what number it is so I can order it again.

Our Lady of Lourdes on Sean McDermott Street

An interesting part of town - Sean MacDermott Street. Not somewhere I normally hang out. But strength in numbers, plus we were on church grounds and somehow it seemed to help keep the scooter skangers away! It was 16 of September and first day that it felt colder sketching out, despite my puffer jacket.

 

Dublin Sketchers at Grangegorman

Lovely Sunday afternoon on the campus of the university at Grangegorman. Very quiet on a Sunday, but I've grown to like the place in the few years we've been going there. It's handy for me, being on the Green Luas line (tram). I had prepared two spreads in my sketchbook, one with Japanese papers and one with acrylic. It's the theme for the month of September with Liz Steel's community on Patreon. She's always coming up with great ideas to push us beyond our comfort zone!

The house on the blue and white page got barely drawn and one side of acrylic marker on location. Added more acrylic marker when I got home. The tree was done fully on location. Someone commented that the dots on the tree reminded them of Yayoi Kusama. I was delighted some noticed!!

Next time we go to that area, I think I will focus around the area of the Barber's Bar. It's a lovely little junction with interesting houses. And the pub itself is very nice.

Sketching in Liberty Park

OK, Liberty Park, at the back of Talbot Street, would not be a place I would go to on my own. Not safe, even during the day. Some areas of Dublin are like that. But fair play to the City Council, they've organised a lunchtime event every Wednesday for the month of September, with food trucks, cool music, and lots of organisers in pink hi-vis jackets, so the skangers stay away. We had a great time sketching there on the first Wednesday in September. And I enjoyed my pizza afterwards. 

Botanic Gardens in September

Dublin Sketchers hadn't been in the Botanic Gardens all summer, or maybe I wasn't around? Anyways, I was delighted when it was picked as the location for the first Sunday in September. I prepared my pages with green splashes and pink splashes in the spirit of the theme set for the month by Liz Steel on her Patreon. I was a bit worried about the pink, given that I work mostly in watercolour, but it all worked out. It was a gorgeous day, warm, but no sunshine. Everybody had a great time. Head to www.dublinsketchers.com to see everyone's sketches.

Around St Stephen's Green shopping centre

I'm probably one of the few people that doesn't particularly care whether the Stephen's Green shopping centre stays or goes. It's a New Orleans style in the middle of Dublin. I never really liked it. That said, it will be a shame when it's replaced by a bland office building. What I will miss the most is the access to the top car park, with gorgeous views of the city. So I took the opportunity to sketch the view one more time before it disappears. And when I was done with the view that I wanted to capture, I went down to street level and did what I love even more - sketch people while standing on the street. The hungry customers queuing at Bambino's (a place where you can buy slices of pizzas) were easy pickings. The queue actually extended to the end of the street. Everyone tells me the pizza is delicious, but I don't understand why anyone would want to eat pizza while standing on a narrow busy street. Call me old-fashioned! And yes, when I'm walking through the area, I find it annoying that there's all these people standing on the narrow footpath, queuing and eating pizza!

 

Wolfe Tone Square

You know summer is over when you're sketching outdoors and you have to grab your sketchbook and gear in a hurry when it starts raining out of nowhere! We were on Wolfe Tone square, always an interesting location, looking towards the dome at Penneys. Thankfully, I had done my ink sketch by the time the rain came - I would have liked to add more detail on the wall in the middle but I didn't have time, plus it's a pretty bland wall anyway. We took shelter in the Church pub, where we had the opposite view of the square, which I ignored completely, as the people hanging out under the tree were much more interesting. I finished that sketch on location. And when I got home, I added colour to the one with the dome. And I got to practise drawing a bicycle, as the chap was standing there chatting to someone for ages, with one leg on the ground and the other leg on the pedal.

A little zine of random people

Had a frustrating few days before this, so my energy levels were low. And was feeling no energy whatsoever from my surroundings. Should have headed to the Fleadh instead! But I had my little folded piece of paper - folded from A4 to A6 spreads, meaning each rectangle is A7? The place I was in was not great for sketching people, a few lost tourists on the way to nowhere. Yes, definitely should have gone to the Fleadh instead. Next time I will check what's on in Dublin and go where I please!

Down the river

It's a long time since we had rain on a Sunday afternoon. We were not mentally prepared. The forecast only showed a 3% chance, but it happened. Not enough rain to green the grass. And I did find shelter and sketched some more. In my last sketch of the day, I actually included a little bit of the Jeanie Johnson. If you want to see better version of the boat, head to www.dublinsketchers.com!

Sketch Hunt

We were inspired by Urban Sketchers Seattle, so we organised a sketch hunt of our own. We had 20 prompts and two hours to complete the hunt. And we even had prizes afterward! It was so much fun!

 

Fitzwilliam Square

I do like a good construction site. And I'm sketching a good bit these days, making the most of the summer, before things get busy again in September. And also you could say I'm in avoidance mode. I haven't painted much in the last few months. Fear obscures the path.

Clearly I was interested in the red of the side of the building and the steels. I didn't even notice the slight proportion issue compared to the building on the left! The light kept changing, between sunshine and a few drops of rain. I might change that sky. Some colour pencil maybe?