more ireland sketches

I always have good intentions about filing my sketchbook when I travel, but often the pressures of time and other people limit what I get done. This time in Ireland things worked much better. I carried a small kit and plunked myself down whenever I could. I always got the ink down and on good days the paint as well. I absolutely love seeing things with a pen in hand. I ‘get’ so much more. So I did fill a sketchbook and here are some of the pages…

After three days in Dublin we did a five day tour of the north in a small bus. We were on the move and time was short, but I was pretty determined. Here are a couple. Our first stop was Belfast to visit the murals and the Titanic Centre. I sat outside on a bench and tried to capture the magnitude and brilliance of the design. The following day in  Derry we walked the wall and when it started to rain, we found a small cafe right in the wall and I sketched the view out the window. 

More cold and blustery weather in Galway but I sat on a bench at the harbour and sketched this row of houses.
After the tour, we set off on public transit for Enniskillen. We stopped for lunch in a bustling spot. The owner was intrigued with the sketch and asked if she could put it on their Facebook page.The weather was wonderful in Enniskillen and I spent time outside sketching in the sun. Here I have paints balanced on the wall to complete a sketch of the Town Hall. I was enchanted with that building and painted it twice, the second time standing outside the bus terminal before we left.

For this one, I balanced things on a garbage can, ink at the time, paint later.And I can’t leave out my coffee sketches. You know, they are not an indulgence or a quirk. They are actually a great way to loosen up and get ready for sketching.

The sketchbook is full and the memories are strong. I highly recommend sketching your holiday away…