London: Big Ben Image #1
I recycled a 1940s book on Elizabeth I that I bought in the basement of a bookstore on Charing Cross Road in London for 1 pound - and added several different types of watercolor paper in the signatures. During our regular visits to our family this year, I filled one journal page each day in Cachet Linen Watercolor Journals, so I needed to figure out how I was going to use this alternate journal. I sketched Big Ben from a photo that I took during our visit, but then never painted it - no time vs no interest vs fear of failure or combination of all of these reasons. This week I finally decided that I would use this London journal to do a whole series of sketches of Big Ben - close up, far away, from Victoria Street, from the bridge, from the Banks of the Thames at Somerset House where it was just a silhouette in my photo, etc. We will visit again in June/July so I can increase my photo collection even more. When I exhaust ideas for this image, I'll move on to another London icon and continue to play. That will make this journal different from my other 3 - and I feel good that I finally have a plan!
Comments
Oh Shirley this positively glows - just gorgeous!!
Posted by: Sandy | May 24, 2007 6:47 PM
another nice one...like the soft colors that you use...
Posted by: Margaret Hunt | May 24, 2007 7:23 PM
Very nice too Shirley! I'm sure I've said it before but I really love your use of colours. I saw Big Ben for the first time quite recently (in the last couple of years) it really is a wonderful sight. You see it on tv, film and photos but it's one of those iconic pieces of architecture that really needs to be seen 'in the flesh' don't you think?
Posted by: andrea joseph | May 24, 2007 7:52 PM
SUPER SUPER JOB, SHIRLEY!! Great job on all those fine details!
Posted by: linfrye | May 25, 2007 12:08 PM
Shirley, I'm new to EDM, and am loving browsing othere people's journals. The sketch of Big Ben is lovely, and reminded me that I have never had the time/nerve to sketch in London, even though II have been there several times (I had a pen friend for years, and we went to visit). Your sketches are charming and give a wonderful picture of your home and travels. I'm inspired by all of it, the architecture, figures, and your comments. I look forward to reading more from you.
Sherry
Posted by: Sherry | May 28, 2007 3:22 PM
This is splendid Shirley. I've eyed Big Ben up a few times but never got round to drawing it. The time I wanted to most was when I was at a conference in the Westminster Conference Centre (just across the green) and we were on a level with it!
Posted by: Katherine | June 2, 2007 4:21 AM
This is beautiful. I love the colors you used anbd the way you painted it, it looks like it contains all the detail of the original. I really look forward to seeing your other versions of Big Ben. Sounds like you had a wonderful time in London.
Posted by: Sherie | June 2, 2007 1:25 PM
Yay for the Olympics! Never mind which country loses and which wins, never mind who wins or loses any individual competition, while these fabulous times are with us we're all of us winners! :-)
Posted by: Jean Dupas | August 3, 2012 8:51 PM