To be clear.. this isn’t about me getting to live to 100 or about any illegal substances.
My first sketch from a bench was created on 28 August 2014, then I got hooked on benches, bench views and sketching them. Since I was zooming through them during the first month I was convinced I’d easily manage to sketch a hundred views from Peterborough benches within 6 months. I got to 80 in December so it would be a doddle. Then I had a bit of a stumbling block, ill health and not wanting to sit outside in the cold.
Why didn’t occur to me I wouldn’t want to sketch outside in winter? There are some hardy souls who wouldn’t flinch, these days I’m less and less like them.
Now we’re into April, it’s a bit warmer and I have high hopes I’ll have reached my hundredth view from a bench by H. I’m drafting this on 5 April and have three days to get from 90 to 100. Now I know why I’ve been eating those chocolate eggs.. Trying to store up some energy for lots of sketching in the cold.
It worked! The warmer weather helped me get through the last ten sketches and doing some as a zoomed in image helped me do them them quicker. I’m now left with many sketches that need colouring and finishing and will look forward to finishing those. For my hundredth, I meet up with some friends for lunch, we had a great time and I completed my hundredth sketch from a bench. It was 17 degrees, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, I saw my first butterflies (mainly peacock), the blossom was out on all the trees in front of me as I sketched and there was even a bench to sketch and add into my 100th view from a bench, what more could I want?
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.
lynnelives 
Sounds like perseverance paid off! Unfortunately, winter decided to show its head again this week. In some parts of Japan, there was actually FROST on the cherry blossoms. Poor things!
Alex Hurst, A Fantasy Author in Kyoto
A-Z Blogging in April Participant
Thanks for being the first to comment on my 100th sketch Alex. It’s such a shame when there’s frost on blossom. There was so much blossom in this view that I struggled to show it.
Hi Lynne
what an amazing challenge. I didn’t realise you were doing this til I saw it on good old facebook!
Are you aiming for 1,000 sketches now?
Brilliant.
Mary x
Thanks Mary
There’s so much going on these days, it’s great. I wasn’t even aiming for 100, more like trying to have better lunch breaks. You know, I might get to 1,000 one day but for now I’ve got another 50 to do to get through the benches in town then I’m heading to another location which I can’t wait to sketch from..
Many thanks for popping by and commenting x
Love your sketches, Lynne! They’re eclectic and fun… glad to meet you through the A to Z Challenge!
That’s what I love about AtoZ. People pop by, take a sideways glance through the door and decide if they like or not.
Amazing praise from a fine arts professor!
Just catching up on comments and other blogs, pootling my way through your AtoZ.
A-Z really is a fun way to discover new blogs out there that we might never come across otherwise!
I don’t blame you for not wanting to sketch in the cold and wet. I’ve been trying to get back into the habit of taking early morning walks with the dog. When it’s dark and cold and wet it’s hard to summon up the enthusiasm to head outside. Now that we’re seeing lighter days and warmer weather it’s much easier to stay on track!
I agree. Talking of which I might head into work a bit earlier today there’s a bench or two which still need my time..
And this was the day I got my Hundredth follower of lynnelives!
I love the idea of your A to Z Challenge posts! 🙂 There was a time when i was sitting on a bench everyday in my live. I wonder why i stopped. I spent these times reading, writing or sometimes only observing my surroundings.
Todays sketch is beautiful. There are many details to discover 🙂 And celebrating the 100th sketch with friends is a great idea 😀 Why not go on untill the 200th bench? 😉
Thanks Marie. glad I got you thinking about benches again. Hope you work out what changed and manage to change it back.. I’m sure I’ll get to 200. There’s about another 45 to do of this series and ssshhhush don’t tell anyone but today I started my new series and there should be about another 50ish so by the time I’ve finished that series I might hit 200.. Not thinking about it now as I’m only on number 2 of that series of bench views..