One Sketch #12 In the Barbers

Yeah, I'll be honest, I found it very difficult to get any energy to do anything today. Since reading "Why We Sleep" I've really tried to cut right down on the amount of caffeine I'm drinking. I did sleep longer than 7 hours last night, but I've just not had any oomph today - caffeine withdrawal? Still, next week I'm heading off to Kaunas in Lithuania for a few days, and I wanted to get some Euros for the trip. While I was out, I popped into the barbers to get my hair cut, and made this very quick, surreptitious sketch while I was there: -

As you can see, it's just a very simple line drawing made very quickly on the spot, but sometimes you've just gotta work with what you've got. I remember having my hair cut in the same place this time last year, while I was off work with depression, and talking with the barber about my upcoming trip to Prague. It was while I was in Prague that I started to feel just a little more like myself - so a good memory.

As for verse. . .

It don't take long
To cut my hair
Each time I go
There's less hair there
I'm not quite bald
I think that's fair
But on top there's
More skin than hair.

One Sketch #11 - Chartist Commemorative Sculpture, Newport

I like Newport. There we are, I've said it. Sue me. Newport has only been a city for a few years, but it's a city I like, and so when I was at a bit of a loss where to go today, I thought I could do a lot worse.

Newport is rightly proud of its connection with the Chartists. Chartism was a very serious working class movement in Britain from the late 1830s, which called for, amongst other social improvements, universal male suffrage. Needless to say, the 'ruling classes' were a) scared witless by Chartism, and b) determined to oppose the Chartists at all costs.

In November 1839 up to ten thousand Chartists marched on Newport. Their purpose was to free fellow Chartists who were believed to have been imprisoned in the town. Troops were called, and opened fire, killing over 20 demonstrators.

Today I sketched a part of the Chartist Commemorative Sculpture by Christopher Kelly, which was erected in the early 1990s.

The law don't help poor working folk
But it taught us, if we rise
That the rich don't take no prisoners
And they don't apologise
It's blood of honest working men
That stained the gutters red
And the ruling classes slept more sound
For the twenty who lay dead.

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?