I wanted to share some sketches from a recent trip to England. My favorite thing to do in the world is take a few sketchbooks away on an adventure. This was a great trip! I got a lot of work done for an upcoming book project, but also had plenty of time to dream and sketch in London and the Cotswold countryside.
A Cotswold gatehouse – there is so much detail and exquisite beauty to these buildings, especially on the roofs, that they almost seem to pulse with energy. I wanted to capture how I feel or what I imagine with this building more than the details. Also the rooks are a constant inspiration to me. They caw and sing as if they are having great adventures in the sky above, like they are party to something we can not see.
I just wanted to really see all the detail of this building (Westminster Abbey in London). Stopping to sketch allows me to do that. But oh boy, the detail, it’s hard to capture! Really happy though to have taken the time to really explore this building through looking and sketching.
Chipping Campden- I love how the sheep wander around this abandoned gatehouse and cemetery. There is such beauty everywhere we turn here.
The clock tower in Chipping Campden, just a few steps from our tiny cottage. The rooks play constantly on the windy skies. Even on a blustery cold day, I am grateful to partake in their cheer.
We walked though Chinatown, (London) on a rainy day, heading to the British Museum. Even on such a gloomy day, the bright red of the lanterns makes it feel festive and alive. And of course, we had to stop for Dim sum!
Fleet Street – waiting for my meeting at my English publisher!!
A girl and her dragon – marble statue circa 1200’s. (Victoria Albert Museum)
London Clock on the side of a building. If I were a mouse, this is where I’d live!
Imagine – every single gargoyle and grotesque that adorns these buildings is a different creature! I am in awe of the creativity of those who built these fantastic buildings.
So much energy went into building these structures, it’s as if they were summoning the forces of nature to collect around them. This just captures how I feel looking at them. Would love to disappear into a dreamworld here and find a story.
Evening falls on the Cotswolds (Broadway village)