March 7, 2016 by Leonie Andrews

Urban Sketchers Canberra – March into Manuka

We had a solid roll-up of 12 people at our March sketchwalk, held in the shopping area of Manuka (Canberra’s most up-market retail centre). The cafes were alive with people eating, sipping coffees and catching up with the Sunday papers.
I only had to move a few metres to a convenient bench from where I could draw this couple sitting and reading. They were there for quite a while so I had plenty of time to sketch them.

Couple reading, Koh-i-nor Magic pencil, white chalk and graphite, 6 March 2016

I walked down a nearby laneway where I found some amusing quotations on the walls (tongues firmly in their cheeks).

Shopping, coloured pencil, white chalk and graphite, 6 March 2016

With only 20 minutes to sketch before our meet up time, I did a blind drawing of one of the sculptures on the footpath.

Gather by Matthew Tobin, 2007, ink, brush pen and coloured pencil, 6 Mrach 2016

Our ‘in house’ photographer spent the morning walking around capturing the crew in action. If you would like to see some of the photos or other drawings the Urban Sketchers Canberra Facebook page.

March 4, 2016 by Leonie Andrews

Concrete Cafe

In my first post knee-surgery outing (as opposed to doctor’s visits) we went to our local cafe. Changes, by way of a major upgrade of the pavement and landscaping of the shops, are well underway and the dinosaur is on a leave of absence. Instead there was a concreting crew waiting to pour several large slabs which will form the new, level area for seating.

Don’t forget to check your pens!

You can tell I’m a bit rusty because I made a real beginner mistake – I forgot to check my pens before I left. One was completely out of ink and the other has a dodgy nib that really needs changing.

It took a while to get going with the sketches as I fiddled around finding a pencil and approach that I was happy with. In the end I began by focusing in some of the boots that were sitting ready to be used.

Gumboots and smoothing the edge, graphite, white chalk and coloured pencil

Then the concrete truck arrived and before I knew it I had sketched a group of labourers that Kazimir Malevich would have been proud of.

Quick movement as the man spread the concrete.

By way of comparison here is one of Kazimir’s.

Kazimir Malevich, The woodcutter, 1912, Collection Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

There were several slabs to be poured so I managed to capture the action by loking for the repetitive movements.

Edge detailing and more work boots, graphite and magic pencil

I really enjoyed trying to capture the way the men moved, although clearly bad backs are an outcome of such work.

Spreading the concrete, graphite, magic pencil and white chalk

February 21, 2016February 21, 2016 by Leonie Andrews

Celebrations!

Playtime with Andy Warhol balloons at the NGV

Playtime with Andy Warhol balloons at the National Gallery Victoria (NGV)

I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to tell you that I have been awarded an Asialink Arts Residency in Tokyo!
This means that I have been given a grant to go and work on my art for two whole months (later this year) at the Youkobo Artspace in Tokyo.
Last week I was in Melbourne meeting with the staff from Asialink and many of the others artists, including writers, visual artists and curators who will also be travelling and working across Asia in 2016. It was great to meet the other artists and find out what they will be doing and also to hear from previous grant recipients about their experiences. It’s very exciting and at the same time just a bit daunting to be part of this program.

In addition to Asialink, the arts residency program is supported by the Australia Council for the Arts and also in my case by Arts ACT.

You can read the Arts ACT press release here.

A full list of the 2016 residents can be found here.

February 17, 2016February 17, 2016 by Leonie Andrews

Crows for Mo

By special request for Mo Crow, here are two crow prints, recently unearthed when my friend came over to help me sort out the disaster area otherwise known as my back bedroom (thanks M).

Both of these are mordant prints on recycled fabric, dyed with plant dyes. I’m assuming eucalypts of some sort but it was a while ago.

Crows and crosses, mordant print on cotton mix(?)

Crows and crosses, mordant print on recycled fabric

This is quite a pale print and I’m thinking that the fabric may be rayon, rather than cotton or linen which seem to work much better with this process.

Crow, mordant print on linen

This chap was printed onto fine linen and has come up much darker than the previous sample.

These pieces are still waiting to find their purpose in my work, but in the meantime I’m happy to just admire them.

February 16, 2016February 16, 2016 by Leonie Andrews

More faces

A quick trip to the National Gallery yesterday to see the small exhibition Black – more of that another time perhaps. En route passed this unidentified Indian goddess in the Asian gallery.

Unknown goddess (possibly Lakshmi or Gangaur), Patan, 17th cent. wood and pigment

Today I was back to play at the cafe again with my magic pencils and the odd bit of white chalk.

Two faces at the cafe, magic pencils Fire and America (left); Fire, America, Tropical and white chalk (right)

And some more.

Face, white chalk and magic pencils, America and Tropical

Obscured face, magic pencils Fire and America and white chalk