Sunday, January 31, 2016

BRISBANE USKers JANUARY ROUNDUP By JJ Bell



What a great start to the year!  We have had a lot of new members join the group  and come out with us this month.  Fabulous. 

We have TWICE Weekly meetups, and this month we had a total of 9 sketchouts!!  Awesome.  We have sketched all over the city. Our city is very diverse and there is always something for everyone in our sketchouts.  















 COLLECTORS CAFE










DOCKSIDE










Below are the places we have been this month..
South Bank
Queen Street mall
Dockside
Park Road
Fortitude valley
South Brisbane cemetery
Roma Street Parklands.
City Botanic Gardens
Collectors Café at the Qld Museum and Sciencentre on a very rainy day








 PARK ROAD











You can find us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/usk.bne/
We also have an email list. Just email me laudesan@gmail.com if you would like to be added.

We have a load of exciting things planned for this year, and we welcome suggestions too.  

HAPPY SKETCHING

 SOUTH BANK

Friday, January 29, 2016

A step back in time on the road to Canberrra

I recently stopped off at one of my favourite places, Marulan, a little village off the main highway between Sydney and Canberra. It has some interesting history, including bushrangers holding up traffic travelling north to Sydney from the Southern goldfields. Each time I stop there I take the chance to draw some of the historic buildings on its main street, adding to my Marulan set in an 8 x 5” Moleskine.










I can never resist a tin shed something about the rust? Certainly they have character! And I love the old Billy Tea signage on it.





The buildings that make up Baldock's general store are classic Australian style with the galvanised shed alongside the shop and residence. It was built in the 1870s with a well at the back that was one of only three that were Marulan’s main water supply in those days.





The Marulan Butchery, built in 1878, has been a butcher’s shop ever since! At one time it was Feltham’s Butchery and apparently Granny Feltham was still a good butcher at age 93!
 The Victorian Stone Shop beside it was a grocery store, with a blacksmith’s at the back. The front gable has a window used when heavy stores were winched to the loft from the horse drawn wagon below. I read that at one time there was even a skating rink at the rear of the shop!


There are still more buildings for me to draw next time I pass through a good excuse to go on a road trip again!






Thursday, January 14, 2016

Awesome Recycled Architecture Fair in Sydney Festival

Roll up, roll up! Any family, come, join "Architectura de Feria" = "Architecture Fair" in Prince Alfred park in Parramatta from 7–26 January. All the rides are free and run by manpower -- on nothing electronic! Parents and children play together from rides, shooing, a bicycle racing game to fascinating machines in a fairground. An artist, Jordà Ferré has recycled materials and turned objects to surprising machines/architectures. I sketched most of the works! They have classical, yet, unique, elegant and amazing shapes and brilliant functions! What an ecological and environmental friendly “Antigua I Barbuda Catalonia Australian Exclusive”!
A very sophisticated art work I realised is at the entrance of Riverside Theatres opposite to the Prince Alfred square, below.
Friends, can you guess what that machine (above) is for? Can you tell how it works? “For a dentist use,” a lady said – Na! What else? Any one?
It’s a wine server! How graceful it is! Can't you believe it? Here we go, its YouTube. A distinct and incomparable concept is the key of all the art works created by Jordà. 
I met the artist Jordà in person, while I was sketching a Ferris wheel. Lovely Jordà is a Catalan speaker. Come on, Spanish and Catalan speaking blog readers. Let’s have fun!  
This Ferris wheel is run by a mom or a dad’s hands! Children ride on toilet seats. Hilarious and a wonderful humour! Of course, riding children are so happy. Look at this smiling boy. Only the shame is that I cannot enjoy it because of my weight (max. weight 45kg). Lovely staff always asks audience and children to put hands together for a volunteer's vigorous exercise at any machine. The art work and the event are very heart warming, comical and entertaining as well as serious and beautiful. 




All the staff centralise children and respect them as well as parents. The children and disadvantaged people are heroes and winners in the event. Parents wind up handles or spin pedals to work these machines for children. Below, at the right side of the Ferris wheel, you can find two tyres and a belt. THERE, a volunteer cranks a handle. Parents, it's a good exercise and sure, you'll be fit! 
But also the artist and the team have set special seats for exhausted parents like the rides offered for children. Only parents may take comfy big seats and children move fans, in turn of their parents’ hard work after all the rides! How’s that! How well-organised event this is! It is wonderful to see a sweet interaction between parents and children in family. I’d like to say special thanks to the staff, especially, the team who came a long way from Spain. It is their sensitive and enormous efforts that run this wonderful family event successful and happy for anyone! Children, please handle the staff with care, because they are fragile and easy to be broken. 
Let’s try another ride of a merry-go-round. Each ride in it is has a unique shape designed for a parent/carer and a child. Yes, the artist designed two seats for children and parents to have fun together. I love to watch each “art work” in carousels. I like the double seated red airplane most! Originality is outstanding. If you like, you can try another carousel. It has a cool airplane, a funny crocodile, a rocket and so on. Children, people, all cheer up Mom or Dad working hard for carousels!   
Ok, would you like to try something different from a ride? Here’s the shooting for children. You can try three times at a bicycle bell. Do you kne? The bullets are pits of olive! Each time, a child must EAT up an olive. Excellent humour!! According to staff, “No one has ever shot three times. Only twice. If you can make it, you’re the champion!” Kids, go and try! You may become a world record holder. What a clever setting! An out of mark hits piano wires and makes a dramatic and formidable sound in a low key. Another fun game is a bicycle race like "Le Tour de France"! Two people on station bikes move their miniature and tiny bikes in a course on a big table. We cheer up participants around the table! Children, go for it! You may beat adults! I love all the games and to hear people's hot cheers and big laugh, here, there, everywhere. 
Parents, children, you can't miss this fantastic and free event. Come and say hello to the wonderful team from Spain and locals. A local Sydney Festival staff talked to me and enjoyed a chat. His say was my great reward. Children, too, talked to me. 
Oh, yes, nice live music is also free. The machines are beautiful in lights at night and in a comfortable cool weather. (*we're in summer!)  

Finally, I'd say special thanks for all the staff, anyone involved with the event and children and parents. You've brought us such a wonderful event freebie! You've also cheered me up to keep on these sketches. Thank you for your friendship! My own blog is here, "Sadami's Graffiti," in which my hands think and I particularly love drawing us, people. 
Friends, Happy Painting!