"Time for Pears"
"Room with a View: Glasgow"
Glasgow's classy shopping street
Monday drawing class and some new challenges. We worked two days on the piece shown. Bob wanted us to get over being timid about darks. The still life was backed with dark fabric. Bob first had us use charcoal to take the tone of the paper to the proper value, like an underpainting in oils. Then we applied charcoal. He also challenged us not to rub the pastel into the surface, especially in the last layers. I am addicted to rubbing, so this is a good challenge. If you love that left pear, I can't take full credit. Bob sat down to add a few finishing touches to show me how to achieve that wonderful texture and light without rubbing!
Back to our September travels in Europe. Glasgow was our first resting place in Scotland. We took the train from Belfast to Larne, then a large ferry across the Irish Sea to Troone Scotland. It was raining en route, so the views were muted as we approached the shores of Scotland. It was also late and as we searched for the train station, we watched the train head off to Glasgow. Fortunately, another would be along in an hour. Our chipless US credit card was pesky and the machine would not take it. A fine young man bought tickets for us and Bob gave him a generous couple extra pounds.
By the time we arrived in Glasgow and walked to the hotel, it was approaching 10 p.m. Rick Steve's, the travel writer, says it's a gritty city, but we loved it. Really pretty, a practical working city, and lots of culture. We got a smoking deal at a 4-star Carlton hotel because I couldn't find a B&B to my liking. We got a complimentary bar in a handsome room, and breakfast at the beautiful rooftop restaurant.
Glasgow from the balcony of the rooftop restaurant
compliments of the waiter
However, the room viewed an inner air shaft, so not much going on. We were charmed by the Scottish plaid in the bathroom, and my sketch is just that. We stayed until late in the day, taking a Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus and enjoying a lovely lunch at a pub in our hotel. The misty rains continued. Bob tried the Hagis stuffed chicken, but I don't do Haggis (it's a mental thing).
One final note on my previous post of the collage. My granddaughter was so amazed that she asked to use the painting as her Facebook profile pictue. It was fun reading the comments of her friends who were trying to figure out if it was a painting or something else.
