Its nearly Christmas and the family is visiting from interstate. We went up to our local cafe during the week, but instead of just me, there were three of us drawing. It all became a bit self-referential as we drew each other’s books into our own drawings!
Triple play drawings at the cafe, 17 December 2014
For the record here’s my offering.
Cafe setting 17 December 2014, pen and ink
Thanks for all of you who were following my drawing travels through China in October and November. I have finally gotten organised and have set up an album on Flickr with the full set of drawings on display. You’ll be in for a bit of a session as I ended up with some 60 plus pages – no one was more surprised than me.
If you’d like to take the trip again you can find the album here.
Sketching in Guilin
My partner and I caught the bus up to Sydney yesterday, so we could see the Chuck Close: Prints, Process and Collaboration exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The weather was vile. Rainy with strong gusty winds so inside a gallery was just the place to be.
We were a bit stunned, when we arrived, to find out that it was a single entry ticket to the show, so our plans to take a look, retire for a restorative coffee and then re-enter the gallery for a second look were shot. Having decided that caffeine fortification was in order, prior to entry, we went to the 4th floor cafe, with its marvelous terrace with views to the Opera House, only to have to sit inside because yes, it was raining again. I took the opportunity to quickly sketch this sculpture of a ‘child’. When I finally dashed out to get a look at the title and artist’s credit I discovered that the head, turned away from me is that of an extinct and ancient fossil fish!
‘to be carried away in the current, to be dissolved in the Other’, Sangeeta Sandrasegar, 2014, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. Copic multiliner, 11 December 2014
I won’t say much about the exhibition, other than its great if you like Close’s work, as he is happy to not only reveal, but hang on the walls, examples of the processes he uses to make his work. This includes the actual woodblocks etching plates and forms he uses. I love seeing these objects as much as the finished work itself. There was so much to take in so I was thankful that the catalogue does provide lots of close up detail so you can examine the work again in your own time.
Given that we ended up spending less time at the gallery than anticipated we still had some time to expend before we headed back to return bus. My partner suggested finding somewhere to perch ourselves and draw. We walked to the eastern side of Circular Quay and found a bar on the Opera Walk where we had a good view of the Harbour Bridge, albeit from underneath the shelter of the bar’s umbrellas.
The Harbour Bridge from the Opera Walk, Circular Quay, Sydney. 11 December 2014, Copic Multiliner
Back on the bus and through the rain to Canberra. I was jolted awake as a brilliant light shone onto my face – the sun had broken through the clouds. I spent the next half hour enjoying the special sunset effects. This is one I tried to capture on my phablet, an impression of the small scraps of cloud catching the last sunlight.
Cloud study, late afternoon, e-drawing (Photoshop Touch), 11 December 2014
Here are some more tiny and fast drawings from my rearview mirror series. (These are drawings made from images in the various mirrors of my car, often drawn on the back of parking vouchers).
Woden, ACT, behind the post office, ballpoint pen
More recently.
Multi-storey carpark, Canberra, 5 December 2015, ballpoint pen
Latest.
Scary self-portrait, ballpoint pen, 9 December 2014
It’s been awhile since I drew the dinosaur (replica) that resides next to our local cafe, so here she/he is.
My local dinosaur, pen and ink, Kambah, ACT, 10 December 2014
leonieandrews 