Auckland Sketchbook

9/16/16

More MOTAT flying boats

It's the Short Sunderland at MOTAT again! I know I've drawn this beast before here but I'm drawn to the idea of flying into Pacific atolls way back in the days before proper airports. How cool would that be!

This plane did just that for decades with the RNZAF right up until 1966. One of only 5 left worldwide, it could land anywhere loaded with the personnel, accommodation and kit to keep an air force running far from home. It even had a galley with the ability to feed a big crew. The last flying boat I drew was the TEAL Solent in the main aviation hall, here.

And here's the workshop hanger, jammed with interesting old planes and paraphenalia, like a Lockhead Lodestar, various wings, fuselages, airframes, even a Huey being done up for Westpac rescue helicopter training. If you ask nicely the old blokes in there will show you around, and they're pretty knowledgeable too, some of them even having worked at TEAL, NAC, and Air New Zealand.

9/15/16

Brewing now on Albert Street

It'd be hard not to be a journo pub for like a century with the NZ Herald directly across the road, but the paper has now moved and underground works have started for the new underground city rail link.

Advertised as NZ's oldest craft beer brewery and they're probably right, I recall drinking their in-house wares back in the early 90's. The beer went a bit off there a while back but they're better now than ever, check out The Bard Pale Ale.

9/7/16

Drawing the news

An interesting lunchtime excursion to TVNZ to see Peter Williams read the national midday news live in the studio. A really interesting experience to see how it all works. That guy is a pro.

15 minutes sketching in the studio with colour added at home.

9/4/16

Featured in Portuguese newspaper Diário de Notícias

Pretty cool to be featured in Diário de Notícias alongside some pretty cool artists Tiago Cruz, Liz Steel, Rita Sabler, Bindi Nasasira and Arnaud de Meyer. Online newspaper version link here.