Some time ago I found an old wiro notebook in a drawer. A scruffy wiro bound notebook with a photo of 2 men in a kayak with a bear on the front cover. In that notebook I found terrible sketches drawn in pencil made while travelling in 1991. One sketch leapt out at me. It was a rough pencil sketch of Mt Ararat from a backpacking trip to eastern Turkey. The sketch really surprised me – it was a very basic pencil sketch, drawn using a .5mm technical pencil on a cheap notepad. The sketch is just black and white… To my surprise the sounds and smells of the day came flooding back. Meeting some Kurdish goat herders and their flock near the base of Mt Ararat, about 10km from the Iranian border on a bright sunny but cool, alpine day. Along with memories of driving across the mountain steppe in an old Renault 19 and the smells of chai and coffee in a Doğubayazıt pasta solunu. It all came back come flooding back! Why did it evoke such vivid memories? I’m not really sure to be honest. Maybe t...
Our small group met at Auckland's waterfront, a focal point for much of the Rugby World Cup 2011 festivities. It was nice to meet a few new sketchers, very hard to get into sketching though with the huge crowds (made up mostly with visiting French, South African and Welsh supporters), and so to look at with street performers, Māori Kapa Haka performances, carving and art displays, and the visiting luxury yachts and cruiseliners in town for the event.
One of the street artists drawing a crowd, Marcus Winter, was entertaining the French and Welsh rugby supporters. Terrific artist and we enjoyed his hilarious welcome speech, '...the best show you'll see in Auckland today before lunchtime' he informed us (it was about 8 minutes from 12 at the time)...
Rotorua carving school, Te Puia, had a carving display in full-swing...
Sushi for lunch...
Face painting in the shopping centre, a bit biased this particular stand - any colour available so long as it's black - perfect for NZ supporters. It strangely seemed to be an all ages thing...
Ta Moko artist Matt Smiler at work on French rugby fan Clement at Kura gallery. It looked painful but he was doing a great job of not showing it...
One of the street artists drawing a crowd, Marcus Winter, was entertaining the French and Welsh rugby supporters. Terrific artist and we enjoyed his hilarious welcome speech, '...the best show you'll see in Auckland today before lunchtime' he informed us (it was about 8 minutes from 12 at the time)...
Rotorua carving school, Te Puia, had a carving display in full-swing...
Sushi for lunch...
Face painting in the shopping centre, a bit biased this particular stand - any colour available so long as it's black - perfect for NZ supporters. It strangely seemed to be an all ages thing...
Ta Moko artist Matt Smiler at work on French rugby fan Clement at Kura gallery. It looked painful but he was doing a great job of not showing it...
It's hard to believe this event will all be over next week. Auckland will return to it's usual quiet state, which will be fine of course — so long as the All Blacks win this weekend!
Comments