Douai

This is Douai Abbey near Beenham in West Berkshire: the interior and exterior of the Abbey Church, drawn in Molotow markers

Woolhampton, West Berkshire: Green People carvings on St. Peter's Church

We found these delightful carvings on the side of St. Peter's Church in Woolhampton today: a green man and his lady apparently surrounded by vine leaves. I used a 2B pencil to draw them. Time was moving on and it was getting cold, so I left the lady's leaves unfinished.

See also The Woolhampton Green People on my main art blog.

Newbury, Berkshire (skyline)

Urban panoramas are a bit tricky. You've got to get all the roofs to line up and be the right size, and sometimes you run out of paper on the right hand side.. (especially if you are right handed).

But Newbury has a wonderful skyline. Some fascinating roofs: ancient, modern and inbetween.

I was standing on the top floor of a multistorey car park, awaiting my family's return from an extra bit of shopping, so I knew I didn't have long. Having run out of paper before including the church, it was a relief to find that I had time to do a separate drawing, and a bonus to be able to add the pen clarifications below the first drawing, which was made in 6B graphite stick.

Thatcham, Berkshire

The Bluecoats School on the A4

Roof line of Thatcham House

Two of the most interesting buildings in Thatcham, sketched quickly in sepia calligraphy ink, black rollerball and with, in the case of the Bluecoats sketch, a Derwent Drawing pencil sky added later.

Fallen Trees in the Woods on Greenham Common

A little on the blue side because of the lateness of the hour that I took the photograph, this is the first sketch in a new sketchbook (a Seawhite "Popular" book - 250 x 190mm), and the first of several that I made on a circular wak on Greenham Common today. It was made in indigo calligraphy ink using the Sailor Fude de Mannen fountain pen that I imported from Japan.

St. Mark and St. Luke, Avington

Church vertebrae? - 6B Graphite stick

A sketching expedition in the rain; an intriguing little 12th century Norman church. Made for each other