256. Manchester Art and Jazz - Business Cards and an Interesting Encounter

Business Cards from three of the many interesting people we met

What's the odds of meeting someone in Manchester, from Hong Kong, currently living in Texas, and who had been taught bookbinding in London by the same teacher as me? Small world!

Didn't get around either to riding or sketching a tram so a photo will have to suffice.

255. Manchester Art and Jazz - Alongside the Canal and Yummy Food

Pilot G-Tec C4 pen in

re-cased Seawhite sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5" (x2)

We decided to take an alternative route back to the hotel and discovered the Gay Village - very colourful with lots of bunting and lively people.

Later, we saw the Lauren Kinsella Ensemble - really thoughtful lyrics, beautifully sung against lovely music.

We went for quite a long walk afterwards and then sought out a vegetarian/vegan restaurant. Apparently there is an 1847 restaurant in Brighton too - will definitely be checking that out! Highly recommended! 

254. Manchester Art and Jazz - Nino De Elche

Pilot G-Tec C4 pen in

re-cased Seawhite sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5" (x2)

This was not an 'urban' sketch because I only wrote the script above while we were out. The lead musician just poured out his soul and I felt it inappropriate to sketch while he was giving such a poignant performance. I just took a sneaky photo and drew from it on my return.

This gentleman spoke only in Spanish but I was able to understand a lot of it from my little knowledge of Italian. He, too, read some poetry but mostly sang, cried, gasped, etc., throughout the concert. 

The guitarist created amazing sounds by attaching little portable fans to the guitar and varied the effects by switching them on and off and changing the speeds. Molto interessante!

253. Manchester Art and Jazz - Thankful and Pear

Pilot G-Tec C4 pen and Neocolour II wax pastels in

a re-cased Seawhite sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5" (x2)

Love pears and these didn't disappoint. A juicy pear each morning followed by a couple of jazz concerts - great menu!

252. Manchester Art and Jazz - Turtle Bay Caribbean Food

Faber-Castell 0.7Grip Plus in

re-cased Seawhite sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5"

Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! I had Vegetarian 'Rundown' which was absolutely yum! I sketched the salt and sauce bottle while we waited for our meal.

I'm so glad I popped to the loo as the whole of the upstairs area was decked out to look like Jamaica and the loos were a tribute to Bob Marley.  It totally put me in the mood for my upcoming trip to Jamaica in mid-August.

251. Manchester Art and Jazz - Alabaster Deplume

Pilot G-Tec C4 pen in

re-cased Seawhite sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5" (x2)

OK, now this was different! Gus (in the middle) offered up very interesting poetry as well as playing the saxophone. Paddy (on the right) had various percussive instruments all of which he used.

250. Manchester Art and Jazz - James Beckwith Trio

Pilot G-Tec C4 pen in

re-cased Seawhite sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5" (x2)

Another great set and it was evident that these guys were good friends as they seemed to get on really well with each other. I was taken up with getting the piano right and also the Manchester Jazz Festival logo so didn't get around to the other two musicians.

249. Manchester Art and Jazz - At the Peveril of the Peak Pub

Pilot G-Tec C4 pen in

re-cased Seawhite sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5" (x2)

I shouldn't laugh really but the guys on the left were so drunk! The one facing us was an older gentleman in a very snazzy suit who 'danced'(!) and sang very loudly to all the songs - yep, he knew all the lyrics - all night long! The two young guys were at the bar just long enough to buy their drinks.

Everyone was sketching everything!

248. Manchester Art and Jazz - Sketching Outside the Pub

Pilot G-Tec C4 pen in

re-cased Seawhite sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5"

It was a pleasure to run into James ("Jim") Richards outside the Peveril in the Peak Pub - one of the two pubs where the sketchers met up in the evenings.

I have his Craftsy video and watch it frequently; it is well worth a look as his sketches and paintings are so cheerful as well as skilfully executed and he's a very good and popular tutor. My husband enjoyed chatting to him about New Orleans jazz and blues because that's the reason he came with me to Manchester! 

247. Manchester Art and Jazz - Peter Edwards Trio

Pilot G-Tec C4 pen in

re-cased Seawhite sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5" (x2)

This was the first concert we attended - the guys were great so we bought their CD. You can see the 'set' down the left hand side. Afterwards, the Peter (at the piano) asked if he could photograph my sketch and he also signed it - great!

246. Manchester Art and Jazz - Real Pizza

Pilot G-Tec C4 pen in

re-cased Seawhite sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5"

 
Well, excitement on top of excitement - we went to Manchester because the annual Urban Sketchers' Symposium was being held there at the Manchester School of Art. In addition, the Jazz Festival was on at the same time, together with the Beer Festival. This meant that Manchester was buzzing and around every corner at various times of the day, there were sketchers, music lovers and beer drinkers - sometimes all three were combined!

We were amongst the many that did not have a Symposium ticket but went along (so glad I did) as there were several sketch crawls and so much to sketch in the city centre.

This is the first of a few sketches I did - mostly at the jazz concerts - it is unfinished because we wanted a front seat at the concert where I could sketch the musicians and their instruments with a clear view.

245. Sketchbook Transformation

Re-cased shop-bought sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5"

I asked my husband: "Why do you think I've never used this sketchbook even though I've had it over five years and like the size?"  His reply: "Because it's boring??"  I didn't need any further encouragement...

Case removed and lovely bright bookcloth added.

Japanese 'wove' paper added then re-bound and pressed for 12 hours.

That's better!

(Posted later.)

244. Paint Fix

Pretty pastels

Wonderful watercolours

When life gets in the way of my art, I sometimes take a look at the delicious colours and have a sniff of my watercolours - no sniffing those pastels though! Stroking brushes helps too...

(Posted later.)

243. Sneaky Cheeky Sketch

Digital drawing using 'Skitch' on HTC Smartphone

I was sitting way too close to to take out my sketchbook and draw this lady having lunch with her friend at the Mary Ward Centre, London,  so I sneakily sketched her using a drawing app that came with my phone.

(Posted later.)

242. Gift Sketchbook for RM

Hardbound, hand-made Sketchbook bound with

various types of paper for drawing and painting, A5

Got this stitched, cased and pressed in the nick of time! I made the bookcloth as I'd seen and liked this fabric quite a few months ago.

(Posted later.)