Sketch book by tim baynes

Drawings, ideas, sketches,pictures and paintings. The stuff of art and creativity

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LONDON   

the excitement of Soho, wonders of the British Museum and all the treasures inside. London, the world's biggest construction site. Small churches cuddle up to sky scrappers

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LOIRET  Two hundred miles south of Paris and right in the heart of the countryside this is, Loiret, one of the original Departments created during the French revolution.

  This is exceptionally green countryside with quiet roads and small farms; flocks of sheep the shelter in fields bordered by lovely woods.  These woods seem to stretch right up through the region to the area of Fontainebleau. This is a geography intersected by rivers and a canal system, originally built to transport wine up from the Loire vineyards.

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NORFOLK BROADS 

The Norfolk Broads comprised of 200 miles of Fenland walk away.

  These waters are homes to the direst looking boats you will ever see on any water. Thankfully The Broads are also home to some of the prettiest. I of course include my friend Richard’s boat in the latter category.

  Last week I got the call that the tide and weather conditions were right to move the boat  - yacht called Aerial to more conducive waters, a part of the boards that would be more fitting for a boat so pretty (see footnote).

  We drove up to Essex in Suffolk and late Monday evening was on the boat having watered and any diesel ready for a very early start the next morning.

  Tuesday morning Dawn bright and clear and we were soon out with them all through the waterways of the river Yare with its reed banks stretching miles in each direction from the bank.  The occasional dilapidated windmill, once employed to drain these waterways or keep them in good condition stood sentinel-like on our banks. There was not a soul about as we motored quietly into the sun. We crossed that broad expanse Breydon Water and on through Great Yarmouth and back round on ourselves to another river, the Bure.

  Mid morning and we were ready for breakfast so pulled up at the lovely Stokesby and had a hearty meal in the Riverside Tea Rooms and Stores. Fortified, we went forward along the river Bure.

  We took a small kip on the boat and then on the River Thurne to Potter Heigham with its impossibly low medieval bridge. This gave us cause to tie for an hour or so waiting for the tide to drop. We eventually passed under this bridge famous for being the most difficult to navigate in the Broads. Phew!

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HARWICH AND FELIXSTOWE

All wonderful sea ports and shipping   Gateways and gangways 

Boats and ships 

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CANVEY ISLAND   ENGLAND 

We went to Concord Beach, on the Eastern Esplanade. It was alive with families having fun. The Concord Beach Café provided excellent fish and chips and cups of tea; Trevor’s treat in lieu of petrol money.

  We sat back to enjoy the view, and with T’s camera on self-timer we hold the moment; the sounds of kids, mums and grandparents drift across our table.

  Canvey Island is a self-contained place, and out of the wind, it is warm and lovely as anywhere. We looked across the estuary towards Kent, with its containerships, a Thames barge, and various freighters jockeying for position on the water, this is still a working river.

  ‘Oh I do like to be beside the seaside’

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Dusseldorf and Munich

I am lucky to travel. Dusseldorf has a new look in some parts of the city

And that wonderful Munich, we are out of the city into the country side real quick 

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MADRID AND MILANO

Great cities full  of energy and experiences

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ESSEX 

Flat country and broad skies   The edge of England by the sea

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LINOCUT PRINT MAKING : the wonderful world of lino cut printing with its 'woodblock' and a curious and very attractive retro 1950s feel.  Part of the excitement is  taking a complicated line image and reducing it down to its minimum to make it work as a graphic illustration

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HAMPTON COURT

All red brick Tudor at the front. All Baroque at the back, this is Hampton Court Palace.

  It was built by Cardinal Worsley by the side of the River Thames and promptly appropriated by Henry VIII.

  The royal beasts guard the entrance.

  We walked through the kitchens, room upon room of cooking paraphernalia all of which could feed up to six hundred people. It was claimed the servants could get a meal from the kitchen to the King’s table in less than two minutes.

 The Royal Apartments were "wallpapered" with rich tapestries and portraits-royal. We went on through to the cavernous royal bedrooms where one is invited to sprawl upon huge mattresses look up to the ceilings for some strange light show.

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PERSHORE ABBEY

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Linocut Prints   Limited edition prints  email [email protected] for more information  Each one is a work of art.

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Chris was just back from Tokyo and I just back from Delhi, bleary eyed we rose early and met up with Skipper Tom for a couple of days aboard his boat, the good ship Ragdoll; a 47 year old, 28-foot masterpiece of yacht building is widely acknowledged to be the prettiest boat on the Solent.

  Noon on Thursday we were just about off the mooring out of Emsworth (Chichester Harbour). Even with two reefs in the sails we seemed to skim across the Solent towards Isle of Wight. A couple of rain showers and a good wind and we put Bembridge by late afternoon and enjoyed a later lunch.

SAILING ON THE SOLENT 

Bembridge and St Helens on the northeast tip of the island are very pretty.  Skipper Tom route-marched us up and cross the to far tip of Bembridge to the Crab and Lobster for a pint and some delicious crab. A local cab with chatty driver ensured a quicker journey back to the boat and supper.

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VILNIUS

The following week the familiar route to the hotel

Again smiling sweetly for a sandwich and a beer before bedtime.

  Vilnius and I am aware of this extreme youth and boutiques on the main street,

Gediminas Avenue.

  A small time before leaving for the airport and home:

 A visit to the Russian Orthodox Church - The Church of Blessed Virgin Mary

On the hill and by the river

Hearing the closing words and chants of the service as I draw

I am the last to leave this lovely place

A smiling lady locks the great door behind me.

  I had soaked the label off the bottle of beer and put it in my book the night before

Now pasted the same spread as my drawing of the church,

Of itself the label looks apostolic, its colours with gold leaf surround.

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BOMBAY

Stayed at the MCA Mumbai Cricket Club

I survived my stay on some excellent food and Kingfisher beers each evening. The staff were most attentive, to extent that the room service boy stood holding the plug in position in the power socket whilst I ironed my shirt (neither of us could figure out where the loose connection was).

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VIETNAM  Ha Long Bay 

Three days motoring gently  across calm waters  Sun and mist and spectacular sun sets   People living by fishing  Dark blue clothing against pale blue waters 

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Singapore again