Conquering Arthur's Seat

        After all those Scotland related GrC posts I figured I'd show off some of the country's breathtaking beauty. One of the best experiences of the weekend trip had to be the hike up to Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park which afforded a view that can't quite be described in words. Everything was vibrant and heightened there--with skies that were incredibly blue and lush grass that was so soft it would've been nice to lie down for hours in perfect peace. These weren't the highlands either as it was in the middle of Edinburgh, but it was still a wonderful taste of a wonderful place.

*Paintings from the Scottish National Gallery

 

These works of art may not necessarily qualify as design, but my love for fine art with intricate details could not resist displaying these beauties! The line of paintings above are from the Landscape Masters section which containing absolutely stunning pieces from nature.

One of the other pieces is a work by Scottish painter, William Bell Scott, with the 1860 piece, Ulna and the Lion, which I am particularly fond of because "Ulna" seems to be almost alive in her expression and pose.

This third piece I enjoy for its classic style, its realism and the appearance that the woman in the painting is staring straight at you--piercing your soul. Her looks also remind me of several actresses.

Swords of Scotland

 

**All of the below are from the Scottish National War Museum in Edinburgh Castle

Scottish Highlander

Scottish Shenanigans

Good pairing of graphics with a gradual decline in font size. This is a risky choice but works in this scenario because the most important heading--the shop's title "Museum Context" is the biggest and contrasted against the large "do not be afraid" message.

This is decorative rather than functional writing--it's handwriting script style and is part of the wall's decor to be aesthetically pleasing--and add a bit of Scottish slang.

Both of the above are from the same coffee house and I found the design to be simple, but very effective. The light bulbs were a repetitive element above the seating as were the coffee bean bags that were actually on the ceiling. I particularly enjoyed the bags, which had interesting type on even more interesting objects! The minimalist prints were nice additions displaying tools of the coffee making trade.

I liked this restaurant's use of a design that is well adapted to fit the round sign. They cleverly used two different font types, but signaled their relationship through the unified color scheme.

Moseying in Museums

Lion Recruitment Poster

WWI  Kischtner Recruitment Poster

Signs Damaged in WWI

These posters from the Imperial War Museum represent the use of typography, principles of design (like contrast and repetition) and messaging to achieve their goal--increased enlistment into the British army. Both of the above combine familiar or evocative images to capture the attention of passer by and encourage them to pay heed to the included message.


The bullet riddled signs displayed are examples of a variety of fonts and were displayed in the First World War exhibit in a rather poignant manner.

Sketches n' Doodles

More Sketches!! Slow to complete and slow to post currently, but I should have more time on the train to Scotland tomorrow!! :)

Big Ben, Palace of Westminster

Testing 1...2...3... GrC posts to come...

         
       Today was incredibly busy with two tours and many sights to see in the span of one afternoon! Needless to say, our feet are now very sore, even though our spirits are ever lifted.
       In the morning, we experienced a coach tour conducted by a peppy and knowledgeable lady where we saw many key London landmarks including: Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and several more. We got out on two occasions--to take pictures at the abbey and to witness the end of the changing of the guard at the palace. Both were many times more awe-inspiring to view in person than any mere picture.
       After the tour some of us elected to stay in Central London since we had a tour of the Houses of Parliament (aka Palace of Westminster) soon after. We got some lunch and then spent an hour in the grand buildings. The picture to the right is from the outside of Parliament after we exited. 
       An interesting aspect of this jaunt into the center of London was that a huge protest (75,000 strong!) was going on just outside and we had to weave through the masses of people to get onto the very congested Tube. We did eventually return to the flat to decompress for several hours of well-deserved rest. Ended the night with a trip to another nearby pub "The Prince of Wales," for an evening drink. I am excited to try some more traditional pubs elsewhere, since these ones are part of a single chain and tomorrow I plan to visit several museums for a day of viewing and sketching!
          NOTE: Much more drawings will be posted in the future--just got to play some catch up! Cheers!

Pen Sketches 

         Yesterday's events involved a lot of orientation, a lot of walking, and plenty of architecture appreciation--which is hard to miss in London. I'll probably go back and edit the above sketches, but for now these will have to do!

        The interesting bits happened in the evening and in quick succession. First, was a visit to a Dutch pancake place on High Street, which were basically giant, delicious crepes that tasted more like a dessert (pear and cinnamon with ice cream) than a dinner, but oh well! It was worth it. 

        After getting back to the flat, I ended up accompanying some of the others to a pub and club outing. We went to the pub "Queen's Arms" (yes, "arms" seems to be a common way to end a pub name around these parts) and enjoyed a drink just outside in an interesting side street nearby. The club, however, didn't really happen. This was probably for the best because it was only really the second full day since we arrived and required--for me at least--a bit more preparation and liquid courage.

       The weather was very pleasant on Friday and I'm starting to get in the habit of drinking tea in the morning with breakfast.

Tea Pun For London

I arrived in London yesterday morning (June 18th) much too exhausted/excited to submit a new blog entry, so I'll recap on the first day's events before talking about today's in a different post...

We arrived early and quickly made our way through the labyrinth that was Heathrow airport and made it onto the Picadilly line of the Tube. The journey had gone pretty smoothly up to then and I was feeling pretty good despite having gotten little to no sleep in the past 12 or so hours. However, my suitcase betrayed me, and not once, but twice.

First was when the Tube began moving, and, as a slip in awareness on my part, I neglected to have a hand on my blue behemoth of a suitcase. As a direct result, it went skittering down the length of the car despite my attempts to catch it--right into some poor man's legs! That thing was 50 pounds, so I was impressed he seemed less upset (and damaged) as I apologized profusely and retrieved my traitorous bag. I must also admit that I was relieved to discover that he was not a Londoner--at least going by his American accent. That would have been a terrible first interaction with the locals.

But, my luggage was not through torturing me yet. As we tried to get off at Gloucester Road station, only two of us made it off before the Tube's door closed to leave part of our group stranded. Make that two people plus my suitcase.

The rest of us got off at South Kensington and managed to make it to Metrogate to fetch the keys for our residence as we hoped to meet the lost duo there. They made it, and so did my bag despite its best attempts to escape my grasp and taint the trip.

The rest of the day was wonderfully long as we teetered on the brink of unconsciousness while grocery shopping and exploring a bit of the borough. A few of us also managed to take a leisurely stroll in Hyde Park just next door, before wrapping up the day with a walking tour and then visiting "The Gloucester Arms" (a local pub). Not a bad way to end a first taste of London!

Watercolor Moleskine and Waterbrush

Tomorrow I embark on a six week study abroad adventure in London which I shall chronicle on this blog through pictures, descriptions and illustrations/sketches collected in a more traditional travel journal (see above). It should be both a memorable and enlightening experience that I hope to capture well. Off I go to travel and explore!!