Thursday 20 October 2011

Secret Spots (Arthouse Sketchbook Project 2012)





Here are a couple more pages for the Sketchbook Project 2012.   My theme is Encyclopedia of secret places  and so far I have drawn mostly gardens and buildings, castles etc, but you can't get away from the sea if you live on an island.  These are some colourful traditional fishing boats which are still used in smaller fishing villages.  If you go down to the seafront about lunchtime you'll always find someone mending nets, or preparing their boat.



My second secret spot is another little village by the sea and is one of my favourite places to go late on a Saturday afternoon in the summer.  It's a popular place for wedding couples to have their photos taken and sometimes there are 2- 3 couples (and photographers and videos) on the beach as the sun starts to dip behind the sea.
We sit with ice-creams and watch the show...Italians really dress up for weddings and a late afternoon wedding calls for cocktail or evening dresses at the very least!

19 comments:

Ann said...

Fantastic pages! I want to be there...

bettyfromtexas said...

You are really "building" a beautiful story for your sketchbook project book!! These pages are really wonderful!!

Anonymous said...

This really is going to be a great book. It would be nice to see it all in one go, in the flesh/paper.
Stew.

Anonymous said...

I want to join you and watch the wedding guests in all their finery!!

Cathy Holtom said...

Stew - This year the Sketchbook Project will be coming to London and showing all sketchbooks from Europe:)

Sasa Saastamoinen said...

Love your color scheme!

Sara said...

Wonderful! And I like your Sketchbook theme! (although I didn't see that when I signed up - might've picked that myself!). I also like your take on the IF 'Scattered' theme. ~ Sara

Sandra said...

Lovely paintings!

Unknown said...

These are great! I especially love those boats!

Clare said...

Cathy- Beautiful sketches!

Bei Price said...

I don't ever get tired of the beach, what wonderful sketches!

Lucia B. said...

I like the way these paintings communicate an idea of peacefulness, they remind me how beautiful can be staying by the sea in autumn and winter...

Gillian Mowbray said...

Beautiful sketches. I particularly like the closely cropped format of the boats - you have a great instinct for composition. x

Carin Winkelman said...

Beautiful sketches. Very calm atmosphere. I like them a lot!

Kayleen West - Children Author/Illustrator said...

Great idea for the project.

Anonymous said...

great SBP cathy, I feel like I've been on a holiday looking at your pages. Love the story about the two italian lovers, and your disappointment with the bloody hand.
meegan

Anonymous said...

great SBP cathy, I feel like I've been on a holiday looking at your pages. Love the story about the two italian lovers, and your disappointment with the bloody hand.
meegan

Alex said...

These are just lovely! =) They both have this calming effect to the beholder

Dan Kent said...

Well I tried to leave a comment on my phone today on this post, not realizing it wasn't the most recent one. I was eloquent, and then it vanished. Can't get the knack of these fancy phones.

Anyway, I am commenting again, because I love these pictures - they take me away. The boats are like the ones Van Gogh painted. These are places I would definitely want to escape to. Beautifully painted.