Sketchcrawl in Melbourne

Earlier in the month I was in Melbourne for a weeks holiday - sketching as much as I can as usual. I timed my visit with the international sketch crawl and it was a great opportunity to meet a whole bunch of wonderful sketchers in Melbourne at the one time.



Here is a photo of the happy bunch and group photo of the sketches done on the day.

Exciting news for all Melbourne sketchers - there are plans in the making for starting regular Urban Sketchers events …so watch this space for more news.

And finally here is my full book of Melbourne sketches ... I did a number of posts on my blog sharing my addiction with sketching Flinders St station and all the various water soluble tools I used during the week. I love Melbourne SO MUCH - and cant wait to get back again!

Better late than never

Hello everyone,

I've been caught up with other art projects and forgot to upload some outings over the last month.

Gastropark Game of Thrones dinner

Some friends booked a table at Gastropark in Sydney - its a resturant that's won several awards and is know for its gastronomic inventive dishes. The owner and chef is a big fan of this fantasy tv series and celebrated the release of the second series by creating a menu inspired by the show.

So everything had a viking-barbarian-knights of the round table feel to it. As I was sharing the food with others I had to quickly draw everything, so I'm not sure if its all accurate and discernible in my sketches.

Taronga Zoo

I went on my own international sketchcrawl to the zoo. I went in the afternoon with a friend who wanted to spend some time patiently photographing animals, so it was good to go to the zoo with someone who didnt necessarily want to check list all the enclosures, but sit and study a few.

If you would like to see more sketches from both of these outings, please visit my flickr site here.

Thanks,

Meegan

The Teacher

This is 'sort of' Peter McBride who is a WHS teacher. I had to do a course on Working at Heights because occasionally I have to photograph on building sites and the laws are very strict now.
This was sketched in the first 5 minutes in a outside environment. A little glare and I took this pic with my phone so please excuse the lack of reproduction quality. The course soon turned to be very interesting and quickly finished. Biro on bond.

USK SYD May - Cockatoo Take 2

A number of people were disappointed to miss out on the Cockatoo Island event in March and it was such a wash out that we thought we would try again before winter starts. Hoping that it will be better weather this time.

Suggested options for ferries – check 131500.com.au for more details
Parramatta River ferry:   Dep: 8:52am  Circular Quay, No. 5 Wharf, Arr: 9:13am Cockatoo Island
Balmain ferry: Dep: 9:10am  Circular Quay, No. 4 Wharf, Arr: 9:39am Cockatoo Island
Parramatta River ferry:   Dep: 9:52am  Circular Quay, No. 5 Wharf, Arr: 10:13am Cockatoo Island

If you missed out on seeing this…. Chantal made a brilliant video of the day in March. Thanks Chantal!


USK Sydney at Cockatoo Island - Crane Crawl. Saturday 02 March 2013 from Chantal V on Vimeo.

39th International Sketchcrawl, Sydney 13.03.2013

Powerhouse Museum, Ultimo

We were about 50 sketchers. Great day! 

To see other cities http://www.sketchcrawl.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=65

39th WORLDWIDE SKETCHCRAWL 13.03.13

Trip to Canberra and Adelaide

Back in March, another urban sketcher, kaz e dru, and I took a trip to Canberra and Adelaide to see the Toulouse-Lautrec and Turner exhibitions in each respective city. While I didn't draw anything from the two exhibitions, we found other places, especially outdoors, to draw.

CANBERRA

As always, the Australian War Memorial provides ample inspiration for any sketcher. This trip we stayed outside and had a look around the Sculpture Garden.

ADELAIDE

We spent more time in Adelaide as we had both never visited this city before. It is so different from any Australian capital I've been to. It's close to being pure vintage, particularly its architecture. We spent a day at the Botanic Gardens and I painted the Palm House a few times.

Then another day I ventured out and around the city and did my own sketchcrawl.

Another day was spent at the zoo. Always a challenge to draw moving animals but always up for it.

We ended the trip by having a wonderful, scrummy meal at Ruby Red Flamingo in North Adelaide. A very laid back atmosphere and very colourful setting.

This is only a small selection of my sketches from this trip. I cannot upload them all here as there are too many, but if you would like to see the rest and with some detail on the hows and whys of my artwork, please click here and visit my blog.

Thanks,

Meegan

USK SYD Newtown Photos

Great day on Saturday despite the rain in Newtown...here are a few photos.

The hardy sketchers sat out the little shower under their umbrellas, others went to the nearby Pie Shop,. At 12.30 we had another wonderful show and tell session - we shared our work standing around in a circle (like the NYC group do) and then got the group photo of the combined sketches afterwards.

It was time then for us all to get out pies (please note these are MEAT pies - yum! they were great) and then a number of people were to be seen in the local art store!
Great day- thanks to all that came and made it such a success!

BTW- Saturday 13 is the International Sketchcrawl and I will be in Melbourne. If anyone in Melbourne is interested in coming along we will be meeting at 10.00  at the giant 'wave' sculpture in between the Art Centre and Hamer Hall. Thanks to a number of local sketchers for helping in the organisation of this. Leave me a message or email at lizsteel (at) gmail (dot) com if you want more details.
attempt at a second one that I didn't finish) This is the most outrageous building! Love it!

Sydney International Chess Tournament

Hi, Friends, did you enjoy a weekend? 
I enjoyed sketching "Sydney International Open Chess Tournament" held from 10-15 April in Parramatta Town Hall. The sketches were done by the courtesy of Mr Shane Burgess, vice president of NSW Chess Association. 66 players had battled everyday from morning to evening for prizes. 
Friends, shhhh, later, I'll tell you how to beat an opponent with "tricks."ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ

My first impression. A player's concentration was astonishing. Crashing an opponent is an ultimate goal in a tournament. Huge pressures are on players. In high tension, each player's body language told me very well about what was going on and who was a winner or a loser. I was quite empathic for a loser. 

But a player told me, "No! Body language does not always match a player's thinking. Chess is much like a poker." Then, the giggling female player whispered me two tricks.

Trick1 : Pretending! A player pretends perfectly ok at a bad movement and puts pressures on an opponent. Or a reverse, "smokescreen," a player pretends as if he has made a great mistake, in fact, a very clever movement. Or another player always keeps "smiling" in any context.
Oh, I see! Chess certainly is a psychological game!

Trick 2 : Maximize What You Have?!
Another trick I heard was, a woman's "sexuality show-off," = put on a very pretty and low cut shirt to show your "milk-tanks." It distracts a male player. Male players told me, "And they (=women) lean forward, while they are struggling. Once, they feel they can win, then, they will not show it any more!"  Players and I chuckled together!
Friends, if you play chess with a male friend next time, go for it. You may beat him, "Checkmate, daarrrling"?! ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ Or, gentlemen, when you play chess with women, look at a flat chess board, not at "two mountains." Otherwise, you'll be led into a death valley.

By the way, chess players and visual artists have similarities in socio-economic aspects. Financially, chess hardly supports a player. Many chess players have day jobs or teaching others chess for income. Also, a social status is low for chess players as well as artists. It is a great shame neither chess players nor visual artists are respected well. An artist once said to me, "Think this -- society without art! Where's happiness and joy? We, visual artists have to do strike!" I'd say the same is true of chess players in society.

Ultimately, chess is interactions between two people. After the game, both sides shook hands and smiled at each other, which touched me, too. Wonderful! Players know very well each other. The tournament is a "chess lovers community" and "socialisation."    

It was so lovely to make friends with chess players, who respect a visual artist. Finally, I'd say special thanks for Mr Burgess and his staff or backstage players who organised the event. You're great!!

(*Three other chess players sketches are available at my blog, "Sadami's Graffiti.") 

Friends, Happy Painting!!

 "Parramatta Town Hall"

The pink building in Newtown

It is nearly impossible not to want to draw this magnificent example of the architecture (and services) of the back lanes of Newtown. This was my effort from todays wonderful (but rain affected) USK SYD event.

Cockatoo Island and the Pipes Book

 I spent last Saturday at Cockatoo Island. We went out on an early ferry and though it was a beautiful day, it was cold on the ferry. A sign that autumn is coming.  I wanted to do some more work on my Pipes Book. I started it nearly a year ago, but a lot has happened since then. You can see what the cover looks like and read more about it here. It has ten pages in a concertina format and this image is of five of them, pretty much complete. I am keen to get back there and sketch some more, though with winter coming it gets cold out there on the harbour.

I have located many wonderful pipes in my local area, and the book is not totally devoted to Cockatoo Island, so as long as I can sketch outside I can proceed with the book. The trick will be to know when I have finished and leave enough white space, balanced throughout the ten pages.

Just time for another sketch before catching the ferry back to Circular Quay. The sun was hot by this time and we needed to be in the shade, so went inside the Industrial Precinct to sketch another one of the machines there.