Zombie walk #AtoZChallenge

I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. Many people, amazingly made up walking on a route through town. It happens each year in Peterborough to raise funds for charity. I think those taking part have a pretty wacky time too. Since I’d been sketching for a while from benches I asked if they minded me trying to sketch them as they passed a bench or two that I was going to sit on. I had no idea what I was letting myself in for.

I’d already done four sketches of another event before this one started on a normal Saturday afternoon. Some of us found our spot early. I must have sat for about an hour or more.. It’s not like there’s not enough benches in Peterborough and at one point I worried that I was on the wrong side of the street.. as you do when the zombie walk’s in town.

What I didn’t expect was that I’d become a target of interest or that I’d know so many who took part. I’ve never been good with people dressed up as I have such a vivid imagination. It was pretty hard sketching while being rather frightened at the same time so I didn’t manage to make as many sketches as I’d hoped. While sketching one of these I had people behind me taking pictures of what I was doing as well as some of the Zombies stopping and taking pictures of me sketching them.. One of the most bizarre experiences of my life.

That’s it for AtoZ’s from me for 2015. Many thanks to all who’ve popped by, to the organisers for yet another wonderful AtoZ experience and to all those who came up with posts for me and others to enjoy along the way and last but not least to my friends and family who coped with me happily hiding away for another month, did I miss anything… Each AtoZ is a bit different for those participating, I’ll now do a little pondering on what I got out of this years ready for my AtoZ reflections post..

My AtoZ Blogging Challenge was all about sketches I’ve done this past year and some benches I’ve met along the way. Most but not all of the sketches were done from benches during my walk to work and around town where I shop.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post why not see what others have done too during 2015 AtoZ Blogging Challenge.

As I do each year, I’ll try to blog more for the rest of the year but for now I’ll zzzzzzzz

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Yellow benches #AtoZChallenge

There’s two yellow benches in Peterborough.

I’d never noticed them really, no idea how they merge into the wall. And yet there they are..

The two yellow benches in Peterborough sit side by side in front of a brick wall at the back of the market and I sketched from one of them in December. When I went to sketch from the other on Saturday I realised I couldn’t tell or remember which I hadn’t sketched from so did one from each.

I got distracted when a photographer decided I’d be a good subject and we had a good chat about capturing the moment.

My AtoZ Blogging Challenge is all about sketches I’ve done this past year and some benches I’ve met along the way. Most but not all of the sketches were done from benches during my walk to work and around town where I shop.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post why not see what others are doing too during 2015 AtoZ Blogging Challenge.

X marks the spot #AtoZChallenge

How do you know which benches you’ve sketched from? How do you remember which ones you’ve still got to sketch from? These are the two questions I get asked when I talk about my sketches of views from benches on my usual walks around Peterborough.

Perhaps, if I’d started this as a project to sketch from all the benches in Peterborough I’d have set maps and a list of the order I’d do them in so there couldn’t be any confusion. Whilst I don’t use X to mark my sketching spots (I use arrows) it seemed relevant to this heading. Creating these paintings has a huge air of spontaneity and I rarely know which benches I’ll sit on till I’m there sketching.

I keep a note as best I can on each sketch of where it is sometimes. I also have a bit of a map of Bridge Street, remember B the street that has 46 benches in it? And bizarrely, I can remember most of them and know which one’s I’ve still to do. Tomorrows post will talk about the confusion when two benches are next to each other and the view’s not that different.

Then there’s the sketches that have an unusual view.. My pet hate is when marquees are placed directly in front of a bench I want to sketch from. Mind you, I usually can’t stop giggling while I’m sketching the block of colour, love the reaction of anyone who sees me sketch the back of a marquee and of those who wonder why I did it when they see the final sketch. These can be the hardest to remember where x marks the spot was..

The sketches also have hints in them. Take the market ones, there’s ten in two circles and I use the one’s I’ve already done to help work out which I’ve still to do. If a sketch has other benches in it it’s much easier for me to confirm those I’ve completed. Working out which sketches to use for this post I’ve realised there’s over thirty which have  benches within the sketch.

Sketches made during events can be tricky to work out where they were done from as the buildings usually give the clue. This is where the other street furniture which is linked to the benches helps.

And finally.. As we’re getting close to Z, here’s the first in my latest sketching series that I’m so excited about! I thought I’d be sketching from station benches in order as I could see immediate problems with working out which bench I’d sketched from or not and if I went in a set route I thought it would give me a bit of helpful routine. That’s not going to work as I’ve already done two from one bench and sat on platform 6 before finishing all from the benches on platform 7, though I might manage to stick to two platforms at a time..

My AtoZ Blogging Challenge is all about sketches I’ve done this past year and some benches I’ve met along the way. Most but not all of the sketches were done from benches during my walk to work and around town where I shop.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post why not see what others are doing too during 2015 AtoZ Blogging Challenge.

Waiting to watch the world go by #AtoZChallenge

The benches I’ve had to wait for.

[STOP PRESS: The bench I sketched this featured image from wasn’t there today.. It’s been completely removed and no replacement bench put there. There was nothing wrong with the previous one which I had to go in early to get to sit from it… I don’t know what to say..]

I’ve mentioned in some of my earlier blogs this month that some benches in Peterborough are very sought after. These tend to be where they’re the only one in that location or they’re near something specific like the chippy.

I’ve already included some of the most sought after locations in other posts (see I and F) but here’s another few that I’ve had to wait to sketch from as each time I passed them by they were occupied. These are three of five that are close together and always occupied. One of which I’ve still not managed to sketch from yet.

My AtoZ Blogging Challenge is all about sketches I’ve done this past year and some benches I’ve met along the way. Most but not all of the sketches were done from benches during my walk to work and around town where I shop.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post why not see what others are doing too during 2015 AtoZ Blogging Challenge.

 

Views #AtoZChallenge

This was the last post to be written. Surely I have lots to say about views but I didn’t and I had no idea what images I’d use here.

As I was looking at the list of my draft blog posts, wondering what on earth I’d say about views, there was a picture staring at me from a draft I never finished. It was a view I rarely see, one I might not see again, of people who get views I will never see. Cryptic or what? Here’s the pic.

The airshow I love viewing annually is not on this year so I’ll be searching for some views elsewhere. The views we get are, hopefully, the ones we choose, of the places we decide to live and visit, of the people we spend our lives with, of the things we surround ourselves with. I’ve been sketching many views over the past year and hope to continue to do so. The process of sketching them often changes my personal view of them.

Here’s a sketch I did when visiting a friend of their view from their office, their cat was also enjoying the view.

While writing this I paused to think, looking out of my back door window and got an amazing view. My garden is laid out so I can get wonderful views while sitting here writing.

What views do you give yourself? (please be clean)

My AtoZ Blogging Challenge is all about sketches I’ve done this past year and some benches I’ve met along the way. Most but not all of the sketches were done from benches during my walk to work and around town where I shop.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post why not see what others are doing too during 2015 AtoZ Blogging Challenge.

Unusual umbrella views #AtoZchallenge

Usual, unique.. no.. It’s got to be.. Umbrellas. There must be lots in my sketches from the past eight months.. ahhh not really and one of yesterdays True to the view blog pose images had umbrellas in it limiting my choice.  I don’t sketch in the rain much, watercolours get a bit soggy and pencils stop working.. so it’s unusual for me to sit and see people with umbrellas.

Here’s a few times when there were umbrellas for me to sketch. The lengths we go to for our art.. .

My AtoZ Blogging Challenge is all about sketches I’ve done this past year and some benches I’ve met along the way. Most but not all of the sketches were done from benches during my walk to work and around town where I shop.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post why not see what others are doing too during 2015 AtoZ Blogging Challenge.

 

True to the view 10, 20, 30 #AtoZChallenge

Like S I’ve got lots of ideas for T.. TLC – there’s a few benches in need of some Tender Loving Care. I need to work out who looks after them or not as the case may be. Most of the benches have been replaced in recent years but there are a couple which could do with a bit of a repair as their wooden seats are broken.

TWIN benches.. I have started wondering about benches in other Peterboroughs in the world. Is there a bench where I could draw the turtles crossing the road for example in the Canadian Peterborough which has to cope with Turtles emerging and migrating to their breeding places. Imagine if I could sketch native Turtles from some Peterborough benches, how exciting would that be!

And let’s not forget.. Trains! I can’t wait to sit on Peterborough station and sketch trains. I’m trying to get through as many of the benches views on my daily journey as I can before I start that mega project as I’m sure it will become my next obsession.. Just warning you. I want to do it when it’s a bit warmer too.

I’ve posted my tenth, twentieth and thirtieth and want to mention that when I sit I do try to be true to the view of what I’m looking at and what passes in front of me. Some of the benches make that a bit harder as being true to the view could mean any of a myriad of views since many benches in Peterborough are curved. It’s not like the straight benches where I can sit straight and look ahead. With a curved bench I can still stay true to the view but the true view options are many.

My AtoZ Blogging Challenge is all about sketches I’ve done this past year and some benches I’ve met along the way. Most but not all of the sketches were done from benches during my walk to work and around town where I shop.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post why not see what others are doing too during 2015 AtoZ Blogging Challenge.

Soup nights, Social commentary, 16, 17, 60,70 and a Self portrait #AtoZchallenge

I had lots of ideas for S as you can see from the title. I’ll try to cover them all while keeping my text brief..

On 3 March I was the first recipient of the Soup money.. I proudly showed my first sketch book of these latest obsession from benches and explained that it had been wonderful and had helped my wellbeing and I’d come across the Urban sketchers (see U) and wanted to start my own group.

We turned up, put £5 into a soup bowl, took a bowl of soup with some bread which we shared with others while talking about various art activities going on or that we’re currently involved with. Then anyone who wants to, pitches for the pot of money for something they want to do. I’m still working on the details of the Peterborough Urban sketching group that will start in May.

Someone the day after said ‘did you pitch before or after having a glass of wine’.. Come to think of it, afterwards.. hmm.. Well I did fancy being part of a sketching group without having to go to Cambridge. When I first moved to live in Peterborough everything seemed to happen in Cambridge that is no longer the case.. As S will be posted on 22nd I’ll have been to another soup night on 21 so please check out the idea1 calendar if you want to know when the next soup night is or use your social media contacts to see if there’s a soup night for you to support near you. I’ll be posting the urban sketch group details there too.

I hope you enjoyed my sixteenth, seventeenth, sixtieth and seventieth sketches and spotted a sneaky self portrait amongst them. As for social commentary I’ll leave that for you to contemplate.. though a councillor did look at one of my sketches with someone cycling in it and said ‘that sketch is very controversial’. Little did I realise I was providing a social commentary to life in Peterborough when I sat on a bench and started sketching.

My AtoZ Blogging Challenge is all about sketches I’ve done this past year and some benches I’ve met along the way. Most but not all of the sketches were done from benches during my walk to work and around town where I shop.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post why not see what others are doing too during 2015 AtoZ Blogging Challenge.

River sketches #AtoZchallenge

You’d expect river sketches to be picturesque, cheerful and  beautiful. What can I say, this is Peterborough’s river which doesn’t have much say in where it goes or how it looks..

I’ve only done a couple of river sketches so far. There’s lots of benches I’m still to sketch from but with only the odd swan coming to see what I was up to I didn’t find them the most enjoyable of views to sketch. It was a bit chilly and I’m using that as my excuse as to why these sketches look a bit bleak.

My AtoZ Blogging Challenge is all about sketches I’ve done this past year and some benches I’ve met along the way. Most but not all of the sketches were done from benches during my walk to work and around town where I shop.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post why not see what others are doing too during 2015 AtoZ Blogging Challenge.

Quest #AtoZChallenge

Before I get to my quest I’d like to mention another Q. We only got to C is for carrots and chickens before the master of illustration, Quentin Blake, was mentioned in the comments. I love his work and am amazed my sketches get likened to his. Thanks, I’ll take being reminiscent of Quentin’s work any day. When I started sketching much more over the past few years, adults and children mentioned Quentin and Roal Dahl books frequently when they saw my work. I had to look into Quentin’s process to see how similar we were. I can see the resemblance at times  and I love his work but our process is different .

What was my Quest again? I can only say I’m still on my own quest. We can always learn and I’m always practicing my art. The sketches on this page show that more than most.. This one in particular was one I struggled with but looking at it now I can remember how difficult it was to do so I’ve decided not to colour it and finish it as is to remind me it was a freezing day and I needed a hot mug of chocolate.

My quest to sketch the view from every bench I regularly pass in Peterborough. As for my choice of sketches they’re not my most skilled but if I spoke French they’d fit with Q.. 86 and 92 and they’re some of the harder sketches I did along my quest because once I got to 80 the 100th seemed so close yet far and I gave myself a harder time than I should have when getting from one sketch to another.

That’s quite a quest given there’s around 144 and I’ve done about 100. There’s still 44 to go.  What quest are you on?

My AtoZ Blogging Challenge is all about sketches I’ve done this past year and some benches I’ve met along the way. Most but not all of the sketches were done from benches during my walk to work and around town where I shop.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post why not see what others are doing too during 2015 AtoZ Blogging Challenge.