Elite women cycle leg, ITU World Triathlon 2014

My attempts to capture the Elite Woman's cycle leg during the first leg of the World Triathlon champs.

I had strategically positioned myself at the top of the climb on Victoria Street as I figured they would be going their slowest here and would be easier to draw, wishful thinking though because these girls were absolutely flying up the hill. My sketches ended up looking more like blind contour drawings as I tried to get them down on paper.

At this stage of the race two kiwis, Nicky Samuels and Kate McIlroy were leading a breakaway bunch of 3 which included the eventual winner, Jodie Stimpson from Great Britain.

Readers

Rawhiti

Spotted this at the Boatright yard the other day. Viewed from below it's pretty hard to tell what you're looking at, but iturns out it's one of NZ's most famous yachts, Rawhiti. Designed and built by the Logans in 1905 and is apparently apparently their last and biggest racer at 54ft (despite looking a lot smaller up on the dry).

Read an interesting article on Rawhiti and it's recent restoration here...

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1vnw3/ClassicBoatFebruary2/resources/30.htm

Buddhist temple an enlightening sketch destination

This place is a real surprise. I had no idea it existed, so when Eric posted that the monthly sketch meet would be held at a Buddhist temple in Flat Bush - not far from East Tamaki, a part of Auckland better known for commercial factories and warehouses, I wasn't expecting much. A small shrine in a nice garden perhaps?

Well was I wrong or what. Entering the Fo Guang Shan temple is like being transported to another continent, and it's big, I felt like I was entering somewhere exotic like the Lama Temple in Beijing (never been, but you get the idea) so definitely a new experience for me.

I particularly enjoyed sketching the view through these big doors to the buddhas when this little girl ran through, she was obviously very excited to be in such a big fun playground, and appeared to bring a smile to the buddhas faces.

Park Life

There's always something going on in
Victoria Park. Some quick sketches
done on my way home, graphite and
watercolour in the little A6 

Hahnemühle sketchbook.

How to treat the Waitangi Treaty Grounds?

No really, how do you treat the treaty grounds? As a sketcher you kind of want to capture the essence and atmosphere of one our most important places, the place where our founding document was first signed by Maori chiefs and the English crown on the 6th of February 1840. It's also a place of drama every Waitangi Day as media whip up some nationwide alarm when sparks fly between protesters and politicians.

But I'm here today with the sketchbook, there's no drama at all, only sunshine, people playing cricket on manicured lawns, restored treaty houses and stunning views to a parasailer being towed slowly past a cruise ship moored in the glistening bay.

I decided I would have to cheat with this one - I wanted to fit it ALL in. So this is my attempt to try and squeeze Busby's house in on the left, the Meeting House square in the middle, the grounds with cricketers, the cruise liner and parasailer and even Russell township across the water, sadly the scene has lost some bush in the middle!

Hole in the Rock

Probably one of the most touristy trips you could take in New Zealand, but what's not to like about a 4 hour cruise around beautiful islands and beaches checking out pods of dolphins, the odd whale, historic Cape Brett lighthouse and gliding underneath the hole in a huge rock?