Occasionally Auckland Sketchbook escapes the city to somewhere interesting — and close. This time the sketchbook got a workout in The Bay of Islands . Only 3.5 hours by car and a world away from work. The sketch above was made in down-town Paihia, it doesn't look it, but it is literally behind the main street. The view is the back of an old homestead called Williams House . I was attracted by the orchard of very old fig trees on the left that had me imagining eating juicy ripe figs. Sadly they weren't in season but it must be a fun place at harvest time. Right over the other side of the bay you will find his falling down old house on Matauwhi Bay. For a while there the water had a turquoise glow until the sun went into hiding. This is Pompallier House and Clendon Cottage in Russell sketched with my back to the sea. I may have used a little too much artistic licence in moving them close enough together to fit on my page so don't look too closely. Anyway, I have sketched Po...
The current school holiday's found me at Ohakune for 2 days with a bunch of kids desperate for their first proper ski experience. Of course I was secretly hoping the mountain would be closed so I could visit Smash Palace at Horopito.
I've probably wanted to visit since watching Steve Millen driving the Smash Palace race scenes in a Formula Pacific Ralt RT1 at Bay Park in 1981 (I had to check that, I thought it was David Oxton). Well I sort of got the best of both worlds with an hour sketching outside Smash Palace from the safety of a warm car (freezing outside), and a day of skiing once the mountain opened (happy kids = happy sketcher).
Looking forward to next time when I actually have time to go inside the place! The sketches are, top, a snow covered Mk I Jaguar, and a Rover P4 Cyclops, Austin Sheerline and Humber Snipe at the bottom.
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