Between the Projects and the Rock Island Line

Normally, when I do architectural pieces I work from photographs, typically ones I or Vincent have taken. This is a preliminary sketch for a painting I'm planning which is based on another photographer's work. 

One of my favourite Flickr discoveries has been the prolific and wonderful Curtis Locke whose photostream Find A City To Live In is a daily must-see. He takes pictures of the built environment with an eye for the overlooked and neglected which is truly remarkable and he was kind enough to give me permission to make a painting from one of his photos.

This building is a central detail from that photo which I have been drawing to familiarise myself with it before I begin work on the canvas. I don't actually know what its function is, and I don't want to. The interesting thing about it for me is the enigmatic nature of this and the other structures in the shot, half-glimpsed among the weeds and chain link fences.

Go check out Curtis's photos while I go and do some work.

Mr Tumnus's Lamp

Okay, today's drawing is of one of the entrances to Miller Park. As you enter under the bridge there is a very large old tree and next to it a Victorian lamp post which always reminds me of the one in Narnia where the children first meet Mr Tumnus.

St Mary's Penwortham

On the other side of the river the land slopes steeply upward and was once the site of a Norman motte and bailey castle. There is now a parish church there, parts of which date back to the 14th and 15th centuries, and very attractive it is too.

Some photos and info here if you like snooping round old churches. 

 

The Ginnel

 

We live in a terraced (row) house which dates back to 1875. There are a number of streets all pretty much identical but with subtle variations in the architectural details of the houses. They were originally built for the dock and mill workers; we are very close to the river here and it was once a thriving port as well as an area teeming with cotton production.

If I sit on my bed and look out of the window this is what I see. This is the back of two terraces on the next road over between which runs a ginnel, or back alley, and it's today's daily drawing. Let me know if you've got one to share!

Daily Drawing - Come And Play!

Sometimes it seems like life is conspiring to get in the way of what I want to be doing. Right now I'm trying to get lots more books made for my Etsy shop and other goodies for PAD but 'stuff' keeps happening which makes me have to down tools and deal with it. 

In the midst of chaos, I feel like I need something with order to it. For a while now I've been thinking about focusing more on regular drawing practice, both as a meditative, relaxing thing and as a practical discipline. So, I am challenging myself to do some drawing each day in my sketchbook and post it here. The results may not always be pretty but I'm hoping they'll be worthwhile!

What would be really great would be if you'd like to join in and share your own daily drawings. Maybe you already do this, in which case please feel free to leave a comment and link so I can see what you're doing! If you've never really done much drawing before then why not give it a go? No fancy-schmancy materials needed, just a biro or a pencil, some paper and a little bit of time. It would be really good to have you involved for inspiration and companionship on this journey. What do you say?