Why sketch?

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...

Waipapa Marae, Auckland


Waipapa Marae, Auckland
Originally uploaded by Mr Dewhurst
Waipapa Marae, Auckland

The marae at Auckland University carved by legendary tohunga whakairo Pākariki Harrison.

The sketch doesn't start to do the subject justice - there is so much detail - something you don't appreciate until you sit down and try to capture it all on paper! I must go back with more time and do a more detailed study.

Check out a bit of background on Waipapa Marae here...

http://www.arts.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/home/about/departments-and-schools/maori-studies/waipapa-marae

and here...

http://gallery.arts.auckland.ac.nz/ies/ies_005/Waipapa+Marae+1+University+of+Auckland.jpg.html

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