Having drawn 1 or 2 disappointing night sketches in Auckland over the years I wasn’t expecting much of this sketch of Our Lady of Dolors, the largest church structure in Asia*. To make this sketch read correctly you need to capture the basilica in context . It's an impressive structure to record but without placing it into a bustling Indian street scene is a bit 1 dimensional – it could be anywhere. I was standing in a continuous stream of cars, motorbikes and people steadily coasting past... horns were beeping, it was hot, people were brushing past me constantly and neon lights were glowing, so adding suggestions of these was important because they added context that helped to tell a story about the look and feeling of the place. Back to my expectations around night sketching. As I expected I was feeling suitably unimpressed with my effort on the night. I was happy with how elements like telephone wires, neon lights and buildings framed the basilica and even helped lead th...
I always enjoy sketching at Waikumete Cemetery, in Glen Eden, our largest cemetery and a sort of catalogue of New Zealand history. So much fun to capture crumbling masonry, moulding marble and rusty ironwork set amongst the lush green grounds.
Waikumete Cemetery is officially now 'full', so you will find it rammed with ornate headstones, mausoleums and memorials to unfortunate world events and their dead such as the 1918 influenza epidemic, dedicated areas for servicemen from both World Wars and even some of my family have plots here.
As one of our largest parks it also features acres of bush, and even a stream, so its worth a visit just to walk and enjoy some peace. This is the Chapel of Faith in the Oaks behind the headstones above. All sketched with Urban Sketchers Auckland the visit gave me an opportunity to continue experimenting with a more painterly approach to sketching.
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