return from holidays

I have returned home after three weeks holiday in London and Barcelona.
For those who have been following my blog, you will be aware the BIG lead up and trip prep that occurred – including the weekly “drawing on an envelope” to my mum, who was my travelling companion and lives interstate, here is the notice board at her house with all my envelopes pinned on it.
 
all of my weekly envelopes to Mum from the 10 week countdown
The holiday exceeded all of my expectations and was filled with amazing experiences, sights, people, events and sketching.
 

Here we are in London outside the National Gallery – permanent grins on our faces
 
 
 
me sketching the Royal Albert hall from the steps in front of the Albert Memorial
 
I had always planned it to be a sketching holiday and much of the lead up was about my sketchkit,  as well as being a tourist and going to the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Barcelona
I filled two Moleskine watercolour sketchbooks with sketches on my three week holiday.
34 pages in Barcelona and 86 in London.
I have scanned and uploaded the Barcelona sketches and photos to flickr and USK BCN facebook photo album .
I will put a few up here on the blog

from the wonderful Luis Ruiz Workshop “Actors and Stage“



and lunch after the workshop – Tapas



Santa Anna 13th Century church – sketching early one morning before a Workshop



About 250 of us gather at the Barcelona Arc de Triomphe for a group photo & sketch

Sketching doorways on my own
 
 
I have lots of other blog posts to come.
  • My sketchkit and travelling – lessons learnt
  • London sketches
I am not sure about how to go about releasing my London Sketches . I may do a few at a time chronologically through the trip. It is a lot to scan and add commentary and a lot for people to read.

UPDATE all London sketches are being put in the SET one or two a day
www.flickr.com/photos/alissaduke/sets/72157634899452853/

I hope you enjoy sharing my adventure  .It was truly amazing

8 thoughts on “return from holidays”

  2. MILLY

    So pleased to hear you had a fantastic holiday and it lived up to all your expectations. Your sketches are wonderful and I have been longing to see what you captured during your days. I did see the Flickr set and looked at some of the Urban sketching Symposium blog. for a flavour of your time in Barcelona. Glad you enjoyed your trip Alissa. Looking forward to seeing lots more. Millyx

  4. Alissa Duke

    Thank Millys for looking through my sketches and your comment.
    It was all wonderful. London put on some lovely weather for us. Blue sky and sunshine everyday. As I could spend a bit more time on some of my London/UK sketches, I have more “drawings” from there. Everytime I was in a park, I was looking on the ground for nature objects to draw , (as well as trying to absorb all the sights around me). I drew some feathers and a seed pod. Teh squirrels were far to fast and I did a page of quick scribbles I took lots of photos of squirrels for reference for drawings later

  5. Jodi Wiley

    Fantastic! Love this taster – I had a scan through your flickr set the other day – fantastic stuff. Want to go back and have a proper look when I have a bit more time. Looking forward to hearing more too. Sounds like it was a wonderful three weeks. You certainly got a lot of sketching done!!

  6. Alissa Duke

    Thanks Jodi . I raced to get the Barcelona Symposium sketches and photos online, so that I could add the to the post-BCN buzz that is happening and so that other participants could catch up with what I did.
    The remaining London sketched will be scanned and added gradually. I am going to do the flight sketches to London (7 pages)this weekend. An opportunity to re-live my holiday ! I hope to see you soon in Melbourne

  7. Neta

    Dear Alissa,

    it was so great to see you in BCN, where the virtual reality meets real life 🙂
    thank you for the gumleaf postcard, it’s nice to read the post you wrote about getting it from moo, while seeing it on my desk 🙂
    what a great adventure it was! the beauty of the city, the market, cortado coffee, sangeria and the tapas… I still have goodies I haven’t used yet, and allot of tipps I want to try out. I’m curious of what you’ll come up with next as you improve your pencil wrap prototypes… love your blog! Neta

  8. Alissa Duke

    Great to meet you too Neta! I am still reliving it each time speak to someone about it , or look at my sketchbooks. or scan them. Do you fell them same?

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