Yikes! I’ve been away from “the blog” longer than I anticipated being, but I admit I’m not quite ready to put together proper posts. (and there’s the not-so-minor problem that my August bookpost is now well past due, and I haven’t even written the briefest of responses in my handwritten Reading Journal).
What to do, what to do?!!
I have so much content (photographs, sketches, anecdotes and observations jotted down or simply committed to memory until I can find a few minutes). I landed in Rome’s heat almost two months ago, and since then we’ve spent a couple of weeks in England, Wales, and Scotland (escaping that Mediterranean heat and also conserving my Schengen days) — you can see some of what I did there by hopping over to Instagram, although I still have so much I hope to share eventually.
Next week, we’re off again to do some non-Schengen visiting; before that, I have a good friend (a very talented artist and teacher) coming to sketch Rome with me, and meanwhile I’ve started Liz Steel’s online Travel Sketching course. So lots going on, un sacco di cose!
And I thought to sneak myself closer to writing proper posts, I could just share my Travel Sketch Journal pages from yesterday and today, in which I’m trying out a method Liz Steel uses for getting a sketch started. More importantly, for getting it started quickly, as one so often needs to do when travelling, especially when accompanied. My guy is as patient as one could hope, but nonetheless it’s tough not to feel some pressure when you have someone else’s day to consider as well as your own. So it’s good to have one more arrow in my travel-sketch quiver.
Metaphors might be getting messy here, so no further ado (whatever is “ado,” anyway?). I’m just going to upload the sketches and let you read the text accompanying them. No need to tell you that I’ve Embraced the Wonkiness 😉
That was yesterday evening.
Today (a gorgeous fall day in Rome at 26C by midday but cool in the morning and starting to cool again now) I scooted down to Palazzo del Popolo and got Paul to meet me there after his daily cappuccino outing.
And by the time I got home, 7 kilometres later, having lost my man (he met up with our son-in-law and then his train was cancelled — he’s still making his way back across the city) but having lingered over a delicious Lebanese lunch of mezzes (there’s something about a “table for one,” good food, sunshine, people-watching, that is so bucket-filling indulgent!) , I had filled a few more pages.
and these half-page sketches — none of which took more than three or four minutes.
The collaged piece to the right is ripped from the placemat, reminding me of the name of the restaurant — I love the way it serendipitously complements the neutral colour of the fountain pen ink. The instructions were to stick with line for this part of the course and wait for the next unit to bring in the colour. I’m not cheating, but I like that boost of energy!
Okay, I’ve popped my head back in — perhaps you can catch me up on what you’ve been doing. I’m not likely to answer comments while life’s this busy, but I will read every one — and perhaps you’ll chat among yourselves. And I’ll be back as soon as I can manage.
Meanwhile,
xo,
wish you were here,
f
Very nice to find your post & I love your dome . I also love that you call your apartment ‘home’ , you’ve really settled in . We are still in Scotland having had an eventful few days . Our car conked out whilst we were travelling up the west coast , over 50 slow twisty miles from our rented cottage . Kylesku is incredibly beautiful & the sun was beating down so it wasn’t too bad spending a few hours there waiting to be rescued . The sports cars racing by on the NC500 ignored us but kind locals stopped to check on us & one man brought us water & sweets ( refusing our money ) . We travelled back in the rattling rescue vehicle, our poor car sitting behind us . It’s still waiting to be fixed , if possible & we spent today on a spectacular two hour train journey to collect a hire van to travel 420 miles home tomorrow. Plus we will need to come back to sort the car out . The joys of travel ! I’m looking forward to seeing where you are going next on your adventure . Hope it goes more smoothly than ours .
Author
Oh Wendy, I know I said I wasn’t going to respond to comments, but this one I couldn’t read without sending you best wishes for your car’s repairs. You two seem to have such a practical and positive approach to the travails of travel, but just the same, what an exhausting few days these will have been! Take some gentle care of yourselves now that you’re home for a bit (and good luck with that retrieval trip!)
Wendy,fingers crossed that everything goes well!
D.
Wendy, I’m glad my fellow Scots were helpful to you. Not surprised about the NC500 sports cars. The whole NC500 think is the bane of locals’ lives.
Back in May we went in and out of that impressive gateway on a daily basis, foot-slogging homeward each afternoon in the heat. How nice to stand there, sketching at leisure.
Your travel seems wonderful!
It is lovely to follow your sketching tour.
Here is a sunny day today,but September at the seaside (and at home as well ) is not nice as usual.
But,with severe flooding everywhere,we are lucky as it is
Dottoressa
Lovely to see you back in Rome! Such beautiful sketches! The quick nature of capturing those moments really appeals. For me, it seems to help with not overworking a memory.
I’m sure you’ll keep enjoying your time there. We loved ours and keep reminiscing but, oh boy, our time in Rome now seems like a lifetime ago!
I haven’t commented for ages, Frances. I loved your UK adventures on IG. What an adventure you’ve been on this summer. Are you planning an extended stay in your apartment in Rome?
As always, you inspire me to think of drawing more! I am going to look into this 7 line method when O get a chance.
The last three weeks have been very busy with moving into our home in Corvallis. I have taken a lovely small bedroom as my studio, which is exciting. For now, we are busy still with unpacking the last bits, hanging artwork, etc. But I expect to spend a lot of the long rainy season contentedly working out n my little room.
The suspense of wondering where you will go next!
I like the inscription on the school; that is the way it should be. (I know, it probably wasn’t like that. But some one thought of it, and had it carved there.)
It felt rude to say this about the inscription and just leave it at that! So I will try to translate roughly:
Enter joyfully, children
Here we teach, we do not torment
You will not be troubled by lies or vanity
You will learn useful things
For all of life.
Author
Thanks Georgia, for an elegant transcription! I translated it to accompany my sketch when I posted it on the Sketching Course photo gallery, and then didn’t here — partly remembering that when I’ve done that before, it’s spoiled your pleasure in working it out for yourself.
You’re looking very relaxed sketching as you lean against a handy ancient fountain! Schengen is a pain for those of us outside it (and we Brits are realising just how good we had it in the EU on this any many other aspects of life). But the positive for you is that your enforced travels are hopefully bringing you different experiences and new horizons.