Sketching at South Brisbane Qld Australia

Sketching in South Brisbane

Gargoyle on South Brisbane Town Hall.  This building had many wonderful relief's and wall decorations..  I twas built in 1882

During World War II the old Town Hall and the neighbouring Cumbooquepa (now occupied and enlarged by Somerville House school) were occupied by the American Armed Services

 In 1904, Australia's first electrically-driven clock was installed in the tower.

Southbank Bougainvillea Arbour

The Plough Inn -  Built in 1885, the pub is a Brisbane landmark

Drawing Sydney in my lunchhour

Drawing Sydney in my lunchhour

 

I have been working  at an office near Macquarie Street, Sydney for the past three weeks. I took the opportunity to go out in my lunchhour and sketch some of the historic sandstone buildings.  Macquarie Street is one of Sydney's oldest government districts with a number of heritage buildings built during the city's early colonial years.

 

The weather has been the warmist May in many years, so it has been lovely to sit in the sunshine and sketch with my watercolour pencils.It is little capture of the buildings. I made a conscious decision to draw the buildings and not include the busy street life and am pleased with the result.

 

 I usually spent about half an hour on each sketch .

I sketch with watercolour pencils in a Moleskine watercolour sketchbook

 

 

Sydney Eye Hospital and Sydney Hospital

 

Sydney Eye Hospital and Sydney Hospital

St James

Hyde Park Barracks

 



St Stephens Uniting Church

 

 

State Library of NSW

 

St Annes, Ryde, one of Sydney's earliest suburban churches, built in 1826. The overcast day meant there were no interesting shadows, but the colours on the gravestones and the roof were still very appealing.

Interestingly, it is also the place where the lady who developed the renowned Granny Smith apples was buried. The festival of the same name is celebrated every year in the local area.

Two weeks in Japan, two urban sketch catch-ups

I visited Japan for a two week holiday and had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with the Tokyo urbansketchers organised by the ever generous Kumi-san (see her sketches here).

Urbansketcher Session 1 - Kumi-san, Hoso-san, Miyu-san and Lionel-san (below)
We visited the Yebisu Beer Museum with beer tasting. I would never have picked going to a brewery as I went to so many of them as a uni student for our studies. But the tour guide gave a good coverage of not just the way that they made it but why it got to be so popular as Japan adopted Western culture. 

It was great to see the different sketching style of everyone and as we had lunch and sketched around the table, we got to chat about interesting things at the same time.



Solo sketch 1 - Asakusa (below)
The sketch below is of Asakusa's Kaminarimon. I struggled with sketching it in the light drizzle but I love the effect it had on the page. I balanced the palette on a fence and had to keep adding the colour as it ran down the page.  

Solo sketch 2 - Kamakura (below)

The shape of the roof of the temple/shrines aren't square so it was tough to get the shape and proportions. This shrine was engulfed by greenery and was very peaceful. A little cat wandered across which I have captured in the sketch on the right. The paper on the left hand side came out with the Mattcha and sweet at the Bamboo shrine. I am loving how you can use the pocket in the back of the Moleskine to store these tickets and ephemera to stick in once you get back to the hotel. 

Solo sketch 3 - Rikugien (below)

This was my second attempt at the Matsu tree. As I am not used to sketching this kind of tree, it was a bit difficult to get the spiky look of the leaf. You can also see the "inkan" or stamp I bought at Sekaido (Art shop in Shinkjuku). 

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Urbansketcher Session 2 - Kumi-san and Taizo-kun (below) and later with Ina-san, Tetsu-san, Takashi-san and Keith-san
The second urbansketch catch-up with Kumi-san!! It was the Sanja festival in Asakusa. Lots of people in Happi (top) and went up and down the street carrying the Omikoshi (a mini shrine). The lantern at the Kaminarimon was raised to allow the omikoshi to pass under it.  

An amazing fun day. We had lunch at the restaurant overlooking the Kaminarimon followed by a jazz session by Akiko-san and Ikemen-san (sorry I don't remember the guitarist's name and this is what Akiko-san called him). 

Although I was born in Japan, I don't get to go back as much I like. It makes it so much more enjoyable to visit a town, when guided by such kind locals such as Kumi-san. 

I hope you all get to sketch with the Tokyo Urbansketchers some day - as I had a ball.

The rest of my sketches are on Flickr (see here). 

A

Urban Sketches Event in Launceston

I am very pleased to announce details of  our upcoming Urban Sketchers event in Launceston- Monday (Public Holiday) 09 June at 10.00am meeting outside  Birchalls Books, heading down Cameron St and meeting back at QVMAG Royal Park Cafe - everyone welcome!




Also today we had a stunning morning of sketching at Hobart’s first Urban Sketchers meeting. Will do a full report when I get home but here are some photos from the day.

Sketchcrawl at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

We had a nice day in Melbourne last Saturday – just perfect for our sketchcrawl. It was neither cold nor windy.

Some of us found some nice seats outside a cafe for coffee, scones and mulled wine. This area is by the Yarra River, with lots to draw – buildings, boats, ferries….

I did not complete my sketch. I returned to the same spot after lunch to fill up the bottom of the sketch but unfortunately, I had to give up as there were too many people walking past and lingering. Maybe I will return there sometime during the week when it is less busy. But for now, this is it.

The building with the yellow on the top is Eureka Tower with the famous attraction, Eureka Skydeck on level 88. In front of it, is Crown Hotel (the green building). The building with the cranes on the top is Freshwater Place, a residential building. In front of it is the yellow slanting roof of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Building. The Melbourne CBD is just on the left of the bridge.

Heading to Tasmania - Urban Sketching Events Hobart and Launceston

Well…this is not a sketch from Tasmania (Old Ryde Courthouse) but I think that it is similar in character to what we think of Tasmanian buildings.  I am very excited to be going down for a few weeks from next week  -  not only to have the chance to go back to a part of Australia that I love…but to see if we can establish some USKer groups down there...so....




I am very pleased to announce an Urban Sketchers event in Hobart next Saturday 24 May at the Hunter St Wharf area. Details above.

This is a free public event open to anyone interested in sketching! If you are free and in the area please join us!

Parking: Metered Parking available along Hunter Street and Evans Street..Please note: some repairs to footbridge may alter approach if arriving by car.
Special thanks to Gerard for helping organise the event.

Also: Urban Sketchers event in the Launceston Area on Public Holiday Monday 9 June. More details will follow soon!

I will also be sharing my essential urban sketching tips at a number of workshops in both cities. More details on my blog
Or email Liz

USK SYD Event Saturday 14 June - QVB

Lets sketch Queen Victoria building!
Choose from exterior views and how it sits within the city, or the grand interior and dome, or elaborate details,  or fancy shopfronts and shoppers.
What does QVB mean to you?  What story do you want your sketch to tell?

Sketchcrawl in Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne

It was a cold and rainy day, but urban sketching went on with over 20 sketchers gathering in a rotunda in the gardens looking out or sketching each other. A few went to sit outside under umbrellas!

It was another fun session with awesome results.

I found it a challenge sketching in the gardens – plants are not really my thing – but I had fun anyway. Here is my piece, below, sketched with a stick dipped in ink, and watercolour.

Customs House Brisbane - Built in 1889

 Brisbane was declared a port city in 1846. In 1908, seven years after federation, the building was acquired by the federal government

The Kokoda Track to Rivendell

Another great morning with the USK SYD gang - this time at Rhodes



We started the morning at the Kokoda memorial trail during a quick sketch in 45 minutes - most people sketching the Memorial Centrepiece.



Then we headed to Rivendell - Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital. Chris gave us a great introduction at the gatehouse before we headed on down to the main building. A magnificent Free style Classical mansion on the shores of the Parramatta River..and a wonderful spot to spend the rest of the morning sketching.



Wonderful show and tell at the end of the morning as well!
A special thanks to Chris H for organising!
I have written a little more about the day on my blog