Boats

This sketch is technically only half finished, but given my recent track record I thought it would be better to share it as is, rather than wait to finish it at home, something that may never happen. More and more often, I find I don't have the patience to improve or "finish" a sketch once I leave the spot where I did it.

Last sunday I spent the morning at The Madras Boat Club. The early morning rowing members were long gone and the boats that had been used were lying overturned sunning themselves by the river-side. They looked like giant blue porpoises.

While I did this my mum sketched me! You can check out her sketch here!

Surfs Up

Not many people know this but you can surf at the beach in Madras. Well, not technically Madras, but Kovalam. On proper surf boards with instructors to guide you and tell you about proper technique. Known as the Covelong Point Surfing School, its run by a vibrant new, young group of surfers with a strong connection to the local community at Kovalam.

Right now they just have a shade net propped up on a few poles but a new cafe with toilets and showers and a few rooms is getting built.

Many of my friends have made it a regular sunday outing and I finally went along the last couple of weeks. They surfed, I sketched.

Newcomers are given a tutorial and then made to go through all the motions on the board on land before venturing out. The location has a nice cove (hence the name) where the undertow we have along the rest of the coast is not as strong.

Its just the beginning of April and its blistering hot but there are dozens of surfers from various countries. Some staying at nearby hotels. There are regulars from the city and lots of locals. Young boys from the fishing community are the real pros. Its a real treat to just sit and watch them ride the waves.

Holiday in the Hills

Life and work has been pretty hectic. In the middle of all the madness it was really refreshing to take a much needed break and head out to the hills. We drove to Munnar which is a quiet sleepy town surrounded by vast tea estates. That's the view across the valley from our resort. Somehow the days were packed and hectic too but I managed to sketch early in the morning. I noticed that in some estates the tea bushes are planted along the contours while in others, like this one, the lines run perpendicular. Wonder why?

We only stayed two nights. This sketch was done early on the second morning. The path winding up to our cottage was really picturesque. Halfway up there was a little round viewing deck, although the real stunning view was towering over and behind it.