More sketching near home and away

I have been busy, but not that busy posting stuff here! So what's new? Well we were away in Anglesey for a week a little while back, when I endeavoured to find the time, inspiration and places to 'sketch away'. We stayed in a nice little village called Aberffraw on the south western coast (where the shell-shaped biscuits originate, if you've seen them).

So, here's Aberffraw village, which I drew as I was tucked in against the churchyard wall as it was rather breezy and chilly and was one of numerous occasions recently when the wind was trying to tear the pages away from my sketchbook as I worked.

There was this occasion on another day when I wielded an A3 sketchbook and drew this one in charcoal of cottages close to where we were staying, below. I managed to find a beached boat to lean on while I balanced the sketchbook on my legs.

And at about thirty yards from the premises we were stying in was the river estuary, where I completed  this view looking sea-wards, in biro. I seem to remember this followed a brief shower which sent me scuttling towards the cottage after completing the charcoal sketch above. The rain stopped again to give me a window in which to get this one done.

And closer to home and very much more recent - today in fact and following a few days away in Bath where I didn't draw much of great merit. I decided to go to Cilau, which is on the Strumble Head peninsula near Fishguard, and is close to the village of Llanwnda. I found a footpath from the hamlet towards the coast path which I found to be a bit of a trek, ducking under and climbing over fallen trees, only to reach the coast path at a rather uninspiring location. So I settled for a couple of spots close together and drew what was right in front of me. Rocks, fences, undergrowth etc.

This second was a bit tricky, having pulled out the A3 pad, I was battling the wind, which was trying again to prise the pages away from me as I drew and tried to jamb the pad against my body to prevent it - so it needed to be a fairly rapid one. It was nice to be out though and I enjoyed the juxtaposition of Cilau on the Pembrokeshire coast, which on a good clear day, would afford a distant view of Cilan on the Lleyn Penisula, about 65 miles away in North Wales - and where we holidayed as a family when I was a nipper.