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...
Our monthly sketch meet this month was the 'Old' railway station on Beach Road. Since it was wet and windy we all sketched
inside, which of course means attempting to sketch some form of perspective. In situations like these perspective drawing is almost unavoidable, with most of us attempting to sketch the vast entry foyer.
The spooky thing about the foyer is that it is eerily almost devoid of people! Once a busy hub for commuters to central Auckland until the powers to be deemed that the almost 1km walk to Queen Street was too far for our soft JAFA legs. The old Central Post Office was converted into the new railway station and the old railway station was converted into student accommodation. I got confused just typing that, and I'm sorry but it's also just plain weird.
Funny too, because it recently came to light that The Northern Explorer — that's the premier train service between Wellington and Auckland — the one that showcases our beautiful country to overseas tourists, doesn't even use the new Britomart station because they charge too much! So what are they do instead? They use one of the old train station platforms with a couple of containers plonked on it to service the tourists before they make the 1km walk to town with all their baggage.
The spooky thing about the foyer is that it is eerily almost devoid of people! Once a busy hub for commuters to central Auckland until the powers to be deemed that the almost 1km walk to Queen Street was too far for our soft JAFA legs. The old Central Post Office was converted into the new railway station and the old railway station was converted into student accommodation. I got confused just typing that, and I'm sorry but it's also just plain weird.
Funny too, because it recently came to light that The Northern Explorer — that's the premier train service between Wellington and Auckland — the one that showcases our beautiful country to overseas tourists, doesn't even use the new Britomart station because they charge too much! So what are they do instead? They use one of the old train station platforms with a couple of containers plonked on it to service the tourists before they make the 1km walk to town with all their baggage.
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