One sketch #10 Espresso Bar Swansea

Yes, the fact is that I didn't get time to post yesterday. Ideally I would post the same day as I make the sketches, but I have to allow myself the leeway to post the next day, or as soon as possible, so long as I do actually make the sketch on the right day. In other words, it's my game and I'm playing by my rules. Here's the sketch: -

I've seen this building so many times, since it's almost directly opposite Swansea station. I like the mural painted on the side of the building, and it's own distinctive architecture. As for verse, well. . .

Pour me a cup of coffee,
Rich and deep,
Strong as you like, and bitter
Who needs sleep?

Actually, I do. I've had real problems getting a good night's sleep for a long time, and yesterday I started reading Matthew Walker's "Why Do We Sleep?" in the hope of picking up some ideas. One of the things I have found really interesting is his explanation of the effects of caffeine. So much so that I have limited myself to just one cup of coffee so far today. We'll see if it brings any benefits.

One Sketch #9 National Museum of Wales in Cardiff

My wife flew out to see her mother in Spain, who is undergoing medical treatment. I dropped her off at the airport, and then took my eldest daughter and my eldest grandson into Cardiff. Ollie likes dinosaurs, and so the plan was to take him to the National Museum so he could see the fossil skeletons.

Here's the museum itself: -

He rather enjoyed the trip. I'm a firm believer in introducing kids to museums and the like early - Ollie isn't 5 yet. You don't ram it down their throats - we didn't stay long - but you're at least showing them that these places are for everyone - not other people. The fact that entry is free helped too!

Verse

A dinosaur lover called Ollie
Thought seeing their bones might be jolly
I took him to see 'em
In Cardiff Museum
Which didn't require any lolly.

One Sketch #8 "Mortal Coil"

On Saturday's sketching trip to Porthcawl I sketched a statue by Sebastien Boyesen called "Secret History". I knew this was the work of Sebastien Boyesen before because he has two fine pieces of sculpture on display in Port Talbot, and elements of "Secret History" are similar to one of these, called "Mortal Coil".

This reminded me that I've been meaning to have another go at "Mortal Coil" for some time now. If you know anything about Port Talbot, chances are that it is home to a huge steelworks, and owes what prosperity it has to its long term connection with the steel industry. The town's connection with the steel industry is the inspiration for "Mortal Coil".

Here's today's sketch: -

As before, I don't claim to be the finished article. But I do think that if you compare this to the sketch I made in 2016, which was one of my very first line and wash sketches, you may just have to admit that I've made progress. Here's the 2016 sketch: -

In my defence I want to make a few points about this one. Firstly, I was only just starting. I'd made maybe half a dozen sketches using HB pencil, and a couple with biro, which is what I used for the lines of this one. This was the first time that I applied watercolour to a sketch, and the paints I used were from a child's paintbox. Also my scanner doesn't pick out blue colours very well. For all of that special pleading, though, it isn't great. . . but . . . you have to start somewhere.

So, I'm feeling quite pleased with myself. As for verse - well, this is more generally about the relationship the town has with steel - inspired by the sculpture rather than specifically about it.

The rolling mills roll on,
Like incontinent dragons,
The furnaces
Belch forth rusty smoke
Iron ore and coke
Run deep in the veins of this town.
Where will we be
When all of this is gone?
Look down, look down
And hope that the rolling mills
Roll on and on.

One sketch #7 Telephone Table and Easter Egg

Yes, no line and wash sketch today. It's Easter Sunday, and a family day. Pushed for time I sketched my telephone table. Here it is: -

The Easter egg on it was a present to the one of my daughters who still lives at home with us. Kit Kat - mmm. Sadly, all I can do is look when it comes to chocolate now. This verse should explain that: -

An Easter egg
Filled up with sweeties -
Shame about my
Diabetes.

Well, there we are, dearly beloved. One week done - 51 weeks to go.

One sketch #6 Porthcawl

I set off in hope rather than expectation today. It struck me first thing this morning that I have never yet sketched in Porthcawl, which is the nearest genuine seaside resort town to home. This is what I came up with:-

The Grand Pavilion, on the left of the sketch, is probably Porthcawl's most renowned building. Some of its architecture reminds me of the old Wembley Stadium, which is hardly surprising since they were pretty much contemporaries from the Art Deco period.

I didn't previously know the sculpture on the right, but I recognised it as the work of Sebastien Boyesen straightaway. The semi circular base is reminiscent of his 'mortal coil' which stands in the centre of Port Talbot where I live.

Difficult coming up with a verse, but this whimsical nonsense occurred to me:-

Seahorse, seahorse, don't you stop
Just let your flippers go flippety flop
Got no back legs, got no hips
Think I'd rather cod and chips.

Look, I never claimed to be Shakespeare, did I?

One Sketch #5 : Gower Heritage Centre

Today was the first day of the Easter Holidays from work (school). In a celebratory mood, I agreed when daughter number 3 rang up and suggested we take my granddaughter out for the day. We quickly recruited daughter number 2, and decided upon this, the Gower Heritage Centre.

The heritage centre is part museum, part working mill, part sort f rustic theme park. Mary and I used to take all of the kids there when they were all still kids, and we usually had a good time. I'm pretty pleased with the sketch that I've made here. On the left we have the entrance to the centre, then in the foreground a cockerel, whom daughter number three was rather scared to approach. The tractor is disabled, and it's there for the kids to play on, and my granddaughter duly did that.

I'm glad that I've been a wee bit bolder with colour here, since I'm still really trying to find my way with line and wash, and often my painted sketches tend to look washed out and pale.

I liked this sketch too much to spoil it with my rubbishy verse, but I have got one to accompany it, you'll probably be none too excited to hear.

Chickens are mean
I've never been keen
On these vicious and brutal
Egg laying machines
They can scare
with a stare
Which turns weaker hearts green
There's just no denying it
Chickens are mean.

Sorry chickens. Well, sorryish.

One Sketch #4: The World's Worst Phone

So today I had my last day in work until after the Easter Holidays. Yay! Nobody was hoe when I got back, so I settled down , made a cappuccino, and picked up a book. Then the phone rang. Now, that's a problem.

You see, our phone is awful. Oh, don't get me wrong, it looks great : -

It's a modern phone styled after an old American payphone from, I guess the 40s/50s. And when we first had it, it was fine. Over the years, though, it has become terrible. It is impossible to get through a call without having to apologise to the caller for having to continually ask them to repeat themselves because what they have said has been completely obscured by a crackle, a squeal, or any one of a bewildering variety of noises.

What made it worse today was that when I could finally make out what the caller was saying, he turned out to be a cold caller. A few years ago I took to telling them that I was the cat whenever a cold caller chanced his/her arm.
For example: -
Caller: Hello. I vant do speeek do Missis . . . .
Me: Missis . . . . not here. Did Mrs. . . . 's cat. My neem is Hero. I like feesh. Do you have feesh? I like meelk. Do you have meelk? : -
- and then every time they spoke I would mention another thing I liked and ask them for it. If you got as far as chicken, they were never going to hang up. Funnily enough, after the first time I did it we didn't have another nuisance call for weeks.

Well, anyway, here's today's verse
Compared to its crackles
Squeaks and squealing
Silence is rather
More appealing.