Thursday, October 6, 2011

A Portlander in Scotland

As my fellow Portland urban sketchers are aware, I have just arrived back home after a wonderful 3 week visit to Europe. It had been many years since my last serious vacation and what might once have been a travel bug had swelled into a travel mammoth! It felt so good to be back in that traveler's mindset, thinking only about the day. What shall I sketch? What would I like for dinner? Perhaps I shall have a beer? I'm pretty sure I went at least five days in a row without once remembering that I work for a living - the traveling lifestyle swept me up that entirely.

The first two weeks were spent in Scotland, and have been reported extensively at my blog. Here are some sketching highlights from that time.

I flew out of Portland on September 1...

Day 0/1 - Flying to Glasgow

Made my "base of operations" in Glasgow (which I love), and managed to meet up with awesome Glasgow Urban Sketcher Stuart Kerr...

Glasgow near cathedral Necropolis Great Western Road, Glasgow Stuart with some of his commercial work

Did a couple of day trips to Edinburgh, which is possibly the most beautiful city I have laid eyes on (though my heart belongs to Glasgow)...

DSCI0054 Edinburgh, Fleshmarket Close

Then took train and bus to the Highland fishing village of Ullapool, where I did some hiking but also had wonderful views from cafes and pubs when the weather turned wet...

Ullapool from Shore Street Ullapool hillwalk Ullapool - thistle Ullapool Shore Street

Traveled to the Isle of Skye, which was mostly a lost opportunity because weather was bad and most of the dramatic vistas were obscured...

Portree Talisker Distillery

Continued by bus, ferry, and train to gorgeous Glenfinnan, also in the Highlands and currently gaining some notoriety as a Harry Potter filming location...

Glenfinnan monument Glenfinnan Monument and Loch Shiel

After that, I visited with friends in London and then continued on to Belgium... but more on that soon!

4 comments:

  1. I'm still really enjoying looking at these sketches. Great selection! You've captured the picturesque urban scenes, the incredible landscapes and skies, and the delicate flowers. Lovely!

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  2. wish i could've made it out last night to see this in person, but i must commend you on some great travel sketching. totally fun to look through your sketches. oh... and have you used the new noodler's brush pen yet? it's pretty rad.

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  3. Kalina, i believe you are infecting all of us with the sketching travel bug! Thanks so much for posting these terrific sketches. You have talent!

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  4. Your love of the place shows in these drawings....your use of the brush pen and color are exceptional. Every line has so much expression.
    It's hard to have favorites but because I totally agree about Edinburgh those are the drawings that I have the biggest emotional response to.

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