cSpace is a building that breathes visual art. I ended up sketching the sketchers! I think we should someday revisit the building.
On a cold day in May we sketched indoors in the now half empty Eau Claire Market.
It was a good weather day to sketch the Peace Bridge! I added the geese later because they are so much a part of the river’s banks….and to have a little fun!
Keep Sketching!
Rod
I thought it was a great event and so good to sketch outside again!
I’m getting used to working on my 11″ x 15″ pad. With more paper to cover I try to set up my composition quickly and then draw like mad to capture the scene.
Looking forward seeing everyone at tomorrow’s session at C-space!
Rod
Hi Sketchers!
In July we can exhibit our work at the Public Library where a logo and contacts sign would identify us.
These are sample USK logos from the groups in other cities.
It would be nice if we had one too! The logo could go on a business card, could be a rubber stamp on sketches, for sure on our website or even on a banner for our group photos.
There is so much talent in our members so I am making an informal call for submissions: ideas and sketches.
Thank you all,
Rod
My wife and I stayed in a town called Hoi An in Vietnam for a few weeks in March to have a leisurely escape from winter and to experience this beautiful country. For me it was a wonderful opportunity to have time to sketch every day at an unhurried pace.
Many mornings I would get up early and walk into the old town with my stool, my bag of drawing stuff and my coffee thermos. The streets would be quiet before the hordes of tour groups and the local residents would be starting their day. Most of these were done in two consecutive mornings because I didn’t want to miss the hotel’s breakfast.
The motor bike is the family van and the pickup truck of Vietnam!
Doing this sketch by the river was particularly relaxing and the chicken was one of many seeming to live in the strip park along the river.
Sometimes I would try to focus on architectural details. The yellow wash on the buildings is the signature colour of Hoi An Ancient Town.
Sketching in the comfort of an open air coffee shop with a delicious Vietnamese black coffee or a local beer is ideal.
Buildings don’t move and are easier to capture than people but it’s the activities of it inhabitants that define it’s culture.
The women of Vietnam work hard and long, especially in the markets. Their skin is completely covered because the dark tanned skin is undesirable, a young lady traditionally is less acceptable for marriage. Ironically, I was happy to get some tan!
The straw hat is made of palm leaves and a bamboo frame. It is very light, reflects the hot sun, repels the rain and is made from local materials. However, it did not seem to be worn by the younger generation. Traditional and practical are just not “cool”!
An hour from Hoi An lie the thousand year old ruins of My Son, a complex of Hindu temples from the Champa civilization. They were abandoned 500 years ago and rediscovered by French archeologists just over a hundred years ago.
Dining is delightful in Vietnam and the street food is everywhere. The food carts are mobile and the competition for a good location is tough. The mostly women sellers work long days and into the night.
It was a wonderful place to vacation and each sketch is a memory.
Happy sketching!
rod
Hi Calgary Urban Sketchers,
The new public library has a wall dedicated to the “Calgary Story” and they would be quite happy to display our sketches of buildings and scenes of the city. The wall space is on the third floor. This would be nice publicity for us personally and for urban sketching in in our city.
Here is a photo of a current exhibit of photographs. The pieces are suspended from a bar on wires so there are no wall mounting hooks required.
This is wall available for us.
I recently had a request for copies of my Hong Kong sketches. Staple print services will scan your sketchbook and make pretty good prints. I was reluctant to rip the pages out of my sketchbook and this allowed me to keep the sketchbook intact..
In the two photos below Staples printed the sketches on foam board with a glossy finish. One is 8 1/2″ x 11″ and the other 11″x17″. Scanning, printing and foam board mounting on the larger size was under $10.00.
The exhibition display wall is available in either July or August of this year so there is time to organize your submission. I shall issue a reminder in early June.
Keep Sketching!!!!
Rod
The longer I live the more behinder I get! Its been a while since I have posted sketches.
When I came back in November the new library had just opened and our first sketchcrawl was eye-popping. We returned many more times and it became a default go to place. I had to make one visit without a sketchbook just to look at the books! I tried to capture some of the interaction between the people and the architecture.
This is one of my favourite sketches. Sketchers in a sketch. the cat was there only in my imagination.
Last Friday evening we were permitted dry media only in the designated heritage building of Knox United Church. This sketch was done from the upper floor balcony and the woodwork of the trusses and rafters was impressive! I had sketched the church from across the street just before Christmas so seeing it on the inside was a great opportunity.
Happy Sketching!!!
Rod
Hi Sketchers,
Registration for the event begins February 2, 2019.
I have cut and pasted the following info.
There is a link to frequently asked questions about the event:
The 10th International Urban Sketchers Symposium will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, July 24 – 27, 2019.
The main venue will be at the Zuiderkerk
The Zuiderkerk (“southern church”) is a 17th-century Protestant church in the Nieuwmarkt area of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. The church played an important part in the life of Rembrandt and was the subject of a painting by Claude Monet.
To stay abreast with Symposium news, check
Symposium webpage
http://www.urbansketchers.org/p/usk-amsterdam-2019.html
Symposium Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/usksymposium/
Symposium FB group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/uskamsterdam2019/
You can subscribe to Drawing Attention for updates:
http://urbansketchers.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=dfc36f57fa5fee8d596b5391a&id=e68e24d1e0
