I dont know what it is about cemeteries that I enjoy drawing but Rookwood has always been on my checklist of places to draw, so when the Sydney Sketch Club headed out for its Open Day I thought it was a great opportunity.
Although I never managed to actually meet up with the other sketchers (due to my inability of reading maps and understanding bus shuttle services) I headed up to the older Anglican section. Many of the graves in this area dated around the early 1900s and many seem to be neglected, which from an artistic point of view, is appealing.
As sad as it may be, some of the graves I saw had flowering trees growing from it which I thought was really heartwarming, and the weather was so perfect it was really peaceful and pleasant sketching away from all the noise. I couldn't think of a more idyllic location.
The last place I visited seemed to be an area dedicated to fallen Australian soldiers with a simple, but striking memorial called The Crown of Thorns. It goes to show how big Rookwood is, I used to come quite regularly with my family, as part of my culture's customs, but I never knew of this area.
The deceased are just as interesting as the living.
