Travel Sketchbooks
Dec
2025
Porto (Portugal)
The plan had been to visit Porto in December 2024, but I left it too late and it got expensive. Anyway, I made sure to book in plenty of time this time around and continue my annual festive trip tradition that started in 2017.
So why Porto? The honest answer is that I just fancied it. I had enjoyed my trip to Lisbon a few years ago and was quite taken with the idea of revisiting Portugal. Even though it's abroad, it isn't too long a flight and is still in the same time zone.
The trip got off to a great start with a guided tour, tile painting and a cable car ride at sunset. Unfortunately, the trip took an unexpected turn when I started to come down with a bug on day two. I tried to carry on regardless, with a trip to Serralves, a contemporary gallery which had an art nouveau house and gardens with a tree-top walk and sculptures to explore (a cross between Modern one & two in Edinburgh, Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and Yorkshire Sculpture Park) and a visit up the Torre dos Clerigos with views across the city and an amazing light show in the cathedral next door. However, my plans were a little curtailed and a few of the things I would have liked to have done didn't happen, as I spent time in my sick bed.
However, I did enjoy strolling through the many streets, with the tiled houses and whimsical coloured plaster. There were many scenes to capture in my sketchbook and even though several drawings were completed on my return to the UK, I did manage to finish-off the travel sketchbook I started last year with many of the colourful sights from this interesting trip.
Jun
Jul
2025
A Scottish Adventure
Part Two
In 2024, I went on a Gran(d) Scottish Adventure, retracing a journey my Gran had completed in the 1950s, plus a few extra stops. To do this, I borrowed my brother-in-law's caddy camper called Colin. I had the most wonderful time, and along with my trusty sidekick Colin, I got to go on another magical adventure this year.
The first stop on this adventure was Uist in the Outer Hebrides, which was never the original intention, but the beachside camping spot and honesty box cake and craft stands at the end of islanders driveways won my heart instantly.
Following this, I took the boat to a wet and windy Isle of Skye. I spent several days here last year, however, on this trip it was a stop off on a much bigger plan to follow. However, I did manage a quick trip up to see The Old Man of Storr, with the rest of the tourists on the island!
The key reason to head via Skye, was to be able to leave it via the bridge, as I didn't have this opportunity in my previous trip. And just 24 hours later after arriving, that's exactly what I did and headed north to Ullapool, to visit a friend that I headed seen in several years. Once again my parking spot was right by the waters edge, which with the howling winds I'm surprised I didn't end up in. Even more surprising is that the Tentbox next door survived...the weather that night was a great advert for the brand!
Then it was onwards an upwards (literally) as I headed to the tippety top of Scottish Mainland, including both John o'Groats and the literal most northern point Dunnet Head. I was staying fairly close by, so wandered the 2 miles from the campsite in the beautiful evening sun (hooray).
Next day saw another ferry onto Orkney, where I used my Historic Scotland card to full effect, with trips to various neolithic sites including Skara Brae, Standing Stones at Stenness, Ring of Brodgar and on my return journey, Maeshowe Chambered Cairn. St. Magnus Cathedral, which happens to be Britain's most northernly was also a treat, especially as an accordian band was practising for a concert later that day. The Italian Chapel and The Gloop were well worth visits too.
The most exciting ferry journey came with the overnight ship to Shetland. And boy, was it bumpy, with a weather warning being announced just before boarding. However, I was pretty exhausted, so I slept fairly well in my sleeping pod. Upon arriving in Shetland, a friend had invited me to park on her driveway, so I headed straight there. Even better was that she had a spare room, and invited me in the stay. It was great to get washing done and let it get a Shetland dry out on the line as it flapped horizontally - serious pegs needed so it didn't fly into the sea! We even went to see the puffins at Sumburgh Head, I had my wooly hat on in July but the rotten weather meant that we had the puffins pretty much to ourselves...wow!
The next day, I headed back this way to collect another friend from the airport, and we had a camping pod booked in Scalloway for a few days followed by a couple of nights in a B&B in Lerwick. Experiences included watching the Petrel Storms return at twilight (midnight) on the Isle of Mousa, swimming in the sea at St. Ninian's Isle and the amazing tombolo (a sand bank with the sea of both sides) that you cross to reach the island. And meeting several shetland ponies on one of our walks. I would have happily stayed there all summer, but it is quite difficult to get ferries in the busy season and I needed to be back for a friend's significant birthday.
I do hope I can return one day soon...
Dec
2024
Lindisfarne/Holy Island (England)
I visited friends on Holy Island in Northumberland in November, and thought it would be a beautiful and calming place to return to. So, booking the same holiday cottage, I took a week long pre-Christmas trip reigniting a tradition I started a few years ago.
I might not have travelled as far as I usually would, but the inspiring landscapes, magical sunrises and festive feels the island provided a perfect location for some travel sketching.
Highlights included:
*spending time with one of my sisters, who joined me for the first part of the trip
*walking along The Snook beach, by myself, with no-one else about (& finding Snook Tower for my Mum)
*watching the sunrise (twice)...the first time it was the most amazing pinks, purples, oranges and yellows
*attending the Carols by Candlelight at the local Church
*having a festive film moment when a choir of carollers knocked on my door and sang to me
*eating tasty food at the local pub
*reading The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves (maybe not the best idea to read a murder mystery set on the island. but still a very enjoyable read)
JUL
2024
A Gran(d) Scottish Adventure
This was the year that I got to complete an adventure in the making for several years. On my bedroom wall, I've had a map that my Gran drew of a trip she did around Scotland in the 1950s and I've been waiting for my moment to recreate the trip. Well that moment arrived when my sister and brother-in-law got married and went travelling for 6 months and I got to use their caddy camper (called Colin) to follow in my Gran's footsteps. I had sooooo much fun!
I packed my sketchbook and captured my travels by drawing along the way...a true travel sketchbook done during the trip. I took Colin on ferries to Mull, Skye, Harris & Lewis. I watched sunsets, saw wildlife (puffins), listened to music (HebCelt Festival) and learned about Scotland's rich history.
And when I got home, my Mum found a postcard that my Gran had sent to her aunt from the trip...the date was 1954...serendipitous that I chose exactly 70 years later to do this amazing journey.
The drawings captured in my sketchbook shown here are:
Sunset at Fidden Farm, Fionnphort, Isle of Mull
Snapshots of the turquoise blue sea and Colin in Seilebost, Isle of Harris
Puffins on Isle of Staffa
Colourful Houses at the Harbour, Portree, Isle of Skye
Check out my instagram @graceful_squeegee to find out more about the trip (& the sketches I did along the way).
Jul
Aug
2023
Niagara Falls, Ottawa & Newfoundland (Canada)
The surprising part of this trip is that I did very little travel sketching whilst I was away, especially as I spent a week of it with my fellow artist, @thecritterco. However, I spent so much time exploring, soaking in the atmosphere, and genrally having a blooming good time, that no wonder I didn't really have much time to draw.
On my return to the UK, I took the opportunity to get to grips with drawing on my iPad using Procreate and had a lot of fun trying to develop the hand-drawn look using an apple pencil. You can see some of my attempts included here.
A few highlights of the trip included;
*walking around the Niagara Glen Trail - was very pleased that I carted a walking stick with me, even though I'm sure some people do it in flip-flops! Oh...I won a lucky duck and finally got over my fascination with Niagara Falls (however running at 6am on my first day without most of the tourists was a delight)
*a bike trip around Ottawa with Escape Bicycle Tours and then renting a bike to cycle along the canal...bliss
*the amazing light show on the parliament buildings telling the history of Canada. And the tour inside the Houses of Parliament (both free)
*Maman by Louise Bourgeois, the huge spider sculpture outside The National Gallery of Canada and the excellent exhibition called Uninvited, exploring Canadian women artists including Indigenous artisans.
*The Canadian Museum of History where I watched a film called 'Reasons for Hope' by Jane Goodall and wish I had several more hours to explore all the amazing rooms full to the rafters of everything to do with Canadian history...the good, bad & ugly.
*Newfoundland - this was the best bit of my whole trip! From the flight over, being met at the airport in the early hours of the morning by my friend, to journeying around Newfoundland in Sweetpea...Rachel's campervan - all planned by two amazing people, Rachel & Rebecca. We saw whales as the sunset in Twillingate, we splashed on the beach, learnt all about vikings at L'Anse aux Meadows and listened to some traditional music. We ate delicious food...including pancakes courtesy of R&R on the camping stove, chatted, wandered and laughed...girls what a joy!
*All the people I met, from the girl on the bus who I chatted to for 4 hours whilst travelling from Toronto to Ottawa (and recommended the Parliament light show), the guy from Austrailia who I met on the bike tour and had lunch with, and the guy I sat next to on the plane to St. Johns in NF, who probably just wanted a quiet flight but cheerfully chatted about the wonderful offerings of NF instead. And most importantly, Rachel who I have known for several years now and my new friend, Rebecca, who let me stay in her house in Newfoundland and then accompanied Rachel and I on our adventures around the island...you made the whole trip extra special.
Jan
2023
Budapest (Hungary)
My pre-Christmas trip make a move this year to a post Christmas and New Year trip. Heading to Budapest at the beginning of January resulted in a mixture of beautiful sunshine, pouring rain and a little snow. It was out of season, resulting in the only one on a walking tour around some of the many sites and sounds of the area on both sides of the River Danube, with various bridges connecting the flat Pest side of the city, with the more hilly Buda district. The Hungarian Parliament and Buda Castle are both grand buildings, with the former captured within my travel sketching. My tour guide even took me inside Szent István Bazilika (captured the domed roof in my mini sketchbook), Fisherman's Bastion where St. Matthew's quirky tiled roof makes quite the statement (also captured in sketchbook). Then pointed in the direction of some tasty Goulash (Gulyás) at a traditional eatery on the Buda side and finished the day at Strudel House, where you can watch artisans make the pastry, before tucking in on the Pest side.
On a particularly rotten weather day, I made a trip to one of the thermal spas which Budapest is famous for. The Gellert Thermal Spa has several of its pools inside intrically tiled interiors; from lovely warm offerings to freezing cold (brrrr)and everything in between. This was a surprise part to my trip, as my walking tour got moved, but I'm so pleased I had the oppotunity to experience this Hungarian pasttime. On my way back to the hotel, I even had a tasty funnel cake...yum.
In addition, I made it to a couple of exhibitions. One was all the illuminating artworks at The Light Museum. Followed by a variety of rediscovered works (including a few that were found in a cupboard during current renovations) by János Vaszary at the Hungarian National Gallery. Jesuit Garden in Lemburg, 1915, was a beautiful energetic charcoal drawing. Beach Scene, 1934 captured an elegant woman in a cobalt blue playsuit posing on the beach in oil on canvas.
I musn't forget the statue of Columbo and his adorable basset hound, known by the name 'Dog' on the show.
Jul
Aug
2022
Nazilli & Īzmir + many more (Turkey)
The creative residency which was supposed to happen two years prior, finally took place and it was well worth the wait. It's amazing to think about all the local and UK based adventures I might never have taken if this opportunity had taken place when it was supposed too. Some things are worth the wait...
The Erasmus+ Creative Residency hosted by Grampus Heritage was based in Nazilli, a town in the west of Turkey. Over 5 weeks, I got the chance to try out several creative activities including cross-stitch (kanaviçe), paper marbling (ecru) and felt-making (both wet and needle felting). I created a series of 9 felt squares inspired by the 'doors of Nazilli', beautiful wrought iron patterns to be seen in the old town. I did some quick sketching in the ancient city of Nysa, by far one of my favourite places to sketch. I also did cultural trips to Buldan (textile village) where I splurged on several peshtamel towels which the town is famous for, made and ate tasty gözleme in Sultanhisar (a filled flatbread) and got to roam around ancient cities including Ephesus and Agora in Īzmir. I drank delicious wine in the bright blue streets of Sirince, realised that I'm heavy handed when it comes to pottery and ate amazing delicacies with interesting locals. I kept an online diary on instagram so check out @graceful_squeegee for more of what I got upto!
May
2022
Margate & Broadstairs (England)
A year previous to this trip, I had considered visiting Margate, as I had heard good things (kind of a cheaper man's Brighton and home to Turner Contemporary) and thought it would be interesting to visit (especially as UK based travel was being encouraged due to the pandemic). However, I looked up photos of Margate's beaches and realised that it was going to be rammed and wasn't keen to travel all that way when I could stay in Scotland and experience quieter beaches. That year (2021), I decided to visit Kirkcudbright and Auchencairn. However, the thought of visiting Margate didn't disappear and so one quite blustery week in May, I travelled south for a few days to this delightful, if slightly dilapidated coastal town. Margate is certainly a town of two halves, showing off an impressive old town and contemporary gallery to one end and slightly more rundown seaside fare to the other. The walk along the beach to Broadstairs was a real highlight, capped off by the most scrumptious cake and copious cups of tea at a cute cafe bar whilst the heavens opened. I stayed in a top-floor apartment with amazing views across the sea where I watched the sun go down whilst eating fish and chips. And on my way home, via London, popped to the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow to see a splendid array of printed fabrics by Althea McNish.
April
2022
Lisbon, Sintra, Belém (Portugal)
Having spent two years travelling closer to home, I took my first trip abroad post pandemic to the beautiful country of Portugal. What a glorious place - beautiful views, friendly people and great experiences to be had. Within hours of arriving in Lisbon, I was on a walking tour wandering with a local and a bunch of other happy tourists through backstreets and alleyways sipping on the tastiest Vino Verde (green wine). I just loved all the peeling paint, patterned tiles, pokey doors and greenery found in these old streets. The energy and atmosphere made me super happy I'd chosen this as my first overseas destination in a couple of years. On day two I was painting traditional tiles with @_art.of.azulejos, and I was super happy with the result! A trip to Sintra provided the opportunity to take in the sites of Quinta da Regaleira and Pena Palace (Palácio da Pena), in addition to travelling to the most westerly point of mainland Europe and eating seafood in a cute restaurant by the seaside. I also made sure to take in plenty of galleries including visits to Gulbenkian Museum, Museum Nacional do Azulejo (Tile Museum) and Museu De Arte Popular where there was an exhibition on the history of baskets (the best bit was on how they intended to keep basket weaving alive and sustainable for future generations). In Belém I also visited the Castle and Monastery. What an exceptional trip!
July
2021
Auchencairn & Kirkcudbright (Scotland)
I had thought about going to Margate, but quickly changed my mind when I saw how busy the beaches would be! Instead, a friend suggested the artists' town of Kirkcudbright as close to the 'coast' and full to brimming with things I might like.
I ended up staying in a village called Auchencairn at a Vegan B&B hosted by the sweetest lady who cooked the most amazing breakfasts. Probably the first time I've ever had chia seeds! In Kirkcudbright itself, I was the lone tourist on an 'Art Tour', which took in many great sites and interesting facts. The guide took me into people's back gardens to show me the exact views from famous artists' such as Peploe. When she found out my interests, we even knocked on the doors of people she thought I would like to speak too! Including one of the organisers of the art week in the town. An exhibition at the gallery on Glasgow Boys and Girls highlighted how important parts of the Scottish Borders was during this time including Cockburnspath, a place I have done several walks from in the past couple of years and one unlike Kirkcudbright that has lost it's artistic temperament of the 19th Century...
"It was here" wrote the art historian, James Caw, "that for a few summers in the early (18)80s nearly every cottage had an artist lodger and easels were to be seen pitched in the gardens or in the square, in the fields close by, or near the little harbour in the rocks below the cluster of white cottages at the cove. At times almost every house in the village sheltered an artist"
2020
2021
Scottish Borders
Covid-19 will be not forgotten in a hurry and it forced me to find inspiration closer to home to continue my travel adventures. At times, having a reason to go on these mini local adventures by recording them in my travel journal was a reason to stay motivated. I even bought a new sketchbook from a local bindery (@butnbenbindery) - best purchase I've made during this time along with the new walking boots!
AUG
2020
Inverness & Highlands (Scotland)
This year, I was supposed to be taking part in a residency in Turkey. Unfortunately, Covid-19 put an end to that opportunity. Instead, I travelled north to the Highlands and spent a week exploring Inverness and the surrounding area. Not what I had planned in the slightest, but what an amazing opportunity to explore some places slightly closer to my doorstep. Turns out that creative adventures don't need to involve exotic overseas locations to be inspirational sketchbook fillers. To see more of the images from this adventure, check out my Instagram feed.
DEC
2019
Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
My annual pre-Christmas trip took me to Amsterdam this year. The reason for choosing this location was that my parents had gifted me a Rijks Museum Guidebook and said 'I must go!'
Surprisingly, the Rijks Museum was not my favourite of the trip. That would have to go to The Hermitage Museum, where there was a fabulous exhibition on Russian Jewels but even better I found a 'new' (to me) artist called Willem Van Genk, the exhibition was definitely my favourite of the entire trip.
Anne Frank's House was a poignant reminder of how horrible the human race can be to one another and a real insight into her life before and during the war. I also managed a trip to the Tulip Museum, Tulip Floating Market, Houseboat Museum, Botanic Gardens, Christmas Market, Stedelijk Museum, Canal Boat Trip, Orchestral Christmas Tunes at Concert Gebouw and Rembrandts' House. I only nearly got run over by a bike a handful of times, however I did get knocked over by a boy running away from a security guard after setting off a fire cracker outside the Rijks Museum. And had some significant bruises to prove it!
JUL
2019
Canada (Toronto, Peterborough, Niagara Falls & ...)
In the Spring/Summer of 2018, I had met a girl called Rachel in the Scottish Borders. She owns her own business called The Critter Co. (check her out on Instagram). She invited me to go and stay with her for a few days and do some exploring in her home town, Peterborough. So, I did just that!
As well as exploring Peterborough, I did some more exploring in Toronto (having visited only a few years previous, it was great to go back and do some other touristy things I had missed the first time around). I also made another trip to Niagara Falls (mainly because I was travelling with another friend, but also it gave me a brilliant excuse to see a friend who now lives in Buffalo in the USA). As I had visited here as well, this also gave a chance to see some of the other places and do some of the touristy stuff, I had not done the first time around. This included going on the boat to the falls and getting soaked and visiting Niagara-on-the-lake and doing a little wine tasting!
DEC
2018
Tallinn (Estonia)
So the pre-Christmas was truly cemented as an annual tradition in 2018 with a trip to Tallinn. Ever since a semester abroad whilst at University (in Finland), I had fallen in love with this part of the world. I've also made it to Sweden, Norway and Russia, so Estonia seemed like a logical next step. It was FREEZING but what I remember most of all is the beautiful cobbled streets, traditional Christmas markets and fantastic cultural museums and galleries. It even snowed, which made it so picturesque. I made a pact with a student that I would record the experience and she could have the sketchbook when I returned. It felt good to have a purpose to the sketchbook...but I did manage some photographs before handing it over.
DEC
2017
Florence (Italy)
Just before Christmas 2017, I decided to go on a trip. I'd never been away just before Christmas before (I have been away over Christmas previously) and thought a city break was just the tonic after a busy semester at work. This was the first time that I took a legitimate sketchbook away with me with the sole intention of recording some of the sites and sounds of my mini adventure. I was really into pen drawings and collage at the time (still am on occasion), so ended up packing a bunch of collage papers - I still wonder to this day what the cleaner thought of the scraps spread throughout the room! It was a magical trip which became a tradition to visit a new city just before Christmas every year.
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Other Travels
A few sketchbook pages from random travels...
