Autumn haiku - Congrats to Elizabeth

Today's is Elizabeth Perry's 1000th consequtive posting of sketches and drawings over at her blog Woolgathering and as part of her online celebration, I am posting my autumn haiku. Congratulations Elizabeth and we are looking for the next 1000 !

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autumn wind
colourfull leaves gently
sweeping through garden

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Coming down with flu

Rocks and gravel - Zen garden

An exercise in rock and gravel textures for Kate's online class. I must say it was a great fun.


17 x 24 cm, watercolors on Rubens 220g paper

EDM #135: Draw a salad (Shopska salata)

This drawings is in my sketchbook from last summer holiday in Bulgaria .
Cuisine of Bulgaria is a special subject. Because of its geographical position and long history Bulgarian cuisine is a mixture between the best parts of the Slavonic, Greek and Turkish cuisines. This country is one of the world leaders in number of long-livers. And the reason of such high life interval is first of all a healthy food. Bulgarian cuisine is quite heavily centred on salads, which are varied and tasty.In every restaurant in Bulgaria the first thing you will notice on the salad menu is Shopska salad which is Bulgaria’s most famous salad. It is named after the Shoppi, or natives of Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria). This salad is perfect in the summertime, when all the ingredients are freshly picked from the garden, but it is tasty and easy to make the whole year-round. It was my favourite meal during hot day.

Shopska salata is nothing more than diced tomatoes, cucumber and grated cheese (rather like Greekfeta) . Bulgarians have their own white cheese, Sirene . Sometimes is added baked and peeled pepper and onion,too. Salt, vinegar, oil to taste . Top with black olive. Enjoy !

Drawings is done in watercolor and inkpen in my sketchbook

Schoener Náci

You already know there are several goofy statues here in Bratislava , each of them has their unique story. Not far (maybe 40 steps) from Čumil you can pass by the another statue . It is well known Schoener Naci (here is the photo with my daughter).The Schoener Naci was a man who lived in Bratislava in the early 20th century, when Bratislava was called Pressburg. He was a poor, polite and always smartly dressed ( in worn out tail-coat, polished shoes , a top hat and noble white glows ) man who wandered around the Old Town during the day.They said to have become mad as a result of an unhappy love and therefore he daily for almost four decades walked the city with stick in one hand and a donated packet from some coffee and cake room in the other hand (It was rather effective advertisement!) He was ready to help everyone who asked and he was gallant to women he met on his route..."Kiss your hands" was his greatings to nice woman ! His real name was Ignac Lamar. "Naci" is the nickname for Ignac and "Schoene(r)" is the German word for "handsome".
It is not coincidence I mention it , because his remnants coming back after 40 years to Bratislava on last Sunday, where there was several hundreds people saying good bye to him !

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The statue itself is work of sculptor Juraj Meliš and was several times badly damaged by English "stag" parties. Drawings is done with Lamy pen and watercolor pencils

Coronation ceremony

Bratislava became a coronation city of Hungarian kings in times when Hungary lost its Coronation status due war with Turks. Old Bratislava became a meeting point of kingdoms, seats of kings and archbishops. In the St. Martin Cathedral in the years 1563 – 1830 10 kings, one ruling queen, and eight kings’ wives were crowned. The only ruling queen crowned was Maria Teresa from house of Habsburgs, she was crowned on the 25^th September 1563. The last coronation which took place in the city was on the September 1830 and it was Ferdinand V.

Nowadays traditions of coronations in Bratislava comes to life every year in the first weekend of September. Celebration processions through the streets but also night tournaments, puppet theatre shows, belly dancers and fire eaters offer an opportunity for fun in the streets of the old town. It is one of the biggest cultural events in Slovakia and helps to understand the historical coronation ceremony of Hungarian kings. According to historical documents in the Cathedral of St. Martin the ceremony of coronation itself is displayed written, during which the king is baptized and receives a coronation insignias: St Stephens Crown, sword, robe an apple and the staff. Then in the streets of the town the next parts of the ceremony take place: the knights of the golden spurs are knighted, an oath is given to the country, and the king rides up the coronation hill where he blesses all major compass points. In the framework of the coronation ceremony the representative of other king towns come to greet the king, workshops present their crafts, instead of water there is wine in the fountain, knights tournaments take place and a folk banquet takes place where there is offered roasted bull.

Today started 5th Coronation Ceremony of the Hungarian Queen Anna Tirol, wife of King Matthew II., crowned on the 25th of March 1613 in Bratislava. Despite of bad wheather it was spectacular performance. Ceremony was for the first time on main square , for the first time in Latin language and it last more than 1 hour !

King´s route from St.Martin Cathedral through the old town is marked .

Drawings done in daily sketchbook with Lamy pen and portable WN Cotman watercolor