Port Seton

Just posting this before our next outing tomorrow to South Queensferry - got diverted by the hot summer and the garden.
It was a productive outing in spite of bracing weather. I particularly enjoyed the colours at the harbour.

Long time since I managed to get to a sketchers day out, but despite the weather enjoyed losing myself in drawing again. Great day out with great company.

Port Seton on a grey day

We almost called it off today as the weather forecast was so bad. But when we got there, it started to clear up.  I had decided the lobster pots were for me, so boldly went in with a scratchy pen.

 I think I exhausted myself doing this complicated drawing, cos it was downhill afterwards...
One of the non-working boats in the harbour - 'Swift Sure'  - I love the lines of this boat.

And the dark harbour with Fife peeping over the top - I thought it would be better in graphite....

And I was watching the men painting the big boat, so I sketched it in pen

And when I got home I added some watercolour, while the image was still in my mind. Big improvement!

On my way home, I stopped the car to do a couple of quick pastel sketches.  I was fighting against the wind, which had become rather fierce, and maybe you can see this in the sketches.  This is looking towards the Pentlands.

 
And this looks towards Musselburgh from the same spot (the red is from poppies!). I spent even less time on it, but the field of barley in the foreground looked amazing (have not done it justice).

Looking forward to seeing Mhairi's and Elspeth's sketches!  Next trip on 2nd August, no venue yet decided.....

Part of Aberdour Castle sketched on a sunny day from a conveniently positioned bench!

Aberdour...for more than half an hour

We had a really good day sketching in Aberdour yesterday.  A sunny day, but very windy, so OK for sketching.

Here are the sketches I did, starting with my favourite - the view back to Edinburgh with the storm-tossed boats in the middle-distance.

And a wee quick sketch of Inchcolme

And a charcoal sketch of the wider sea view

I also did some buildings and trees.

 I particularly loved this tree, with its rather severe haircut!

 And this curious building....

Bit of a gap with the posts, girls. We should be doing better.  This was a good sketching venue (well, it suited me) and the weather was good, so maybe it will inspire us further.

Outside Ocean Terminal

Decided to brave the weather outside and draw some boats and cranes.

I wanted to get the line and the composition fixed, but really it was the colour that was so interesting....

Then I did some little ink drawings like this....

But after lunch I stayed inside and had a go at the view from the cinema over the open ground outside Ocean Terminal and the ponding on the blaes surface.  Nice feeling of desolation...

But this effort is not nearly as good as the sketches of this view done by others - I hope they post their sketches here too!

Ocean Terminal 19Oct12

Had a great day at Ocean Terminal. Started outside with the Royal Yacht.......

Then inside....lots of shops.....and finally, lunch, of course!