Return of the Gallery

The re-opening of the Govett Brewster Art Gallery, including the new stainless steel Len Lye Centre. They closed the streets around the building for the opening ceremony (but mostly so that everyone could get photos and selfies in the mirrored steel outer surface). The White Hart Hotel, one of New Plymouth's oldest buildings, is an interesting neighbour for it. The old and the new, both very challenging to sketch. The White Hart just has so much detail. If you don't draw it all, when do you stop? And the Len Lye Centre, is just plain weird. It's like trying to draw a Photoshop filter. I sat on the step across the street for several hours while trying to figure out where it all goes.
#LenLye #LenLyeCentreOpening

48th Worldwide Sketchcrawl Day.

Today was the 48th Worldwide Sketchcrawl Day and it just happened to coincide with the opening day of the multi million-dollar Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/70477064/rome-wasnt-built-in-a-day-nor-was-the-len-lye-centre.html

This is New Zealand's first gallery dedicated to a single artist and the opening festivities kicked off at 9am with a powhiri (prayer). Doors opened to the public at 10am.

A little bit about it's construction:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKtt5mvNHLQ&feature=youtu.be

Our theme for the day: The Old and the New.

The new? The Len Lye Centre. The Old? The Len Lye Collection.

One of our sketchers Trevor Davies was interviewed by the local newspaper:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/70540737/public-get-first-glimpse-of-lauded-len-lye-centre 

And on the national TV3 news:

 I don't have the video yet, but I'll put it up if I can.

Here is Trevor's sketch:

Here is my sketch:

Here is Norah's Sketch of the people outside:

More sketches from Trevor:

Old Chinese vase:

More Photos:

On Sunday the public coloured this exhibit in:

Sketch crawl-  the new Len Lye Centre building and the Govett Brewster Gallery . MLB

'  Old and New ' - our theme for the Sketch-crawl .  The Repertoire Fashion shop is housed in a 110 year old building in New Plymouth NZ .  MLB

Worldwide Sketchcrawl Day 25th July.

Here is our plan:

http://www.sketchcrawl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=75&t=12798

Prow Head

This canoe prow figurehead in Puke Ariki museum depicts North Taranaki style carving.  Te Atiawa, from the early 1800's

Mini Me

The first minis came out in 1959 by the British Motor Corporation as the Morris Mini-Minor, then morphed through Leyland, Rover, British Aerospace till 1994 when BMW took them over.  The new generation began a year before this one was produced.  They were the British contemporary of the Beetle.

Cold King

Cold winter sketching standing in the shade. I wanted to draw down the street showing the slight s-bend. There are times when only that certain viewpoint will do, so it was nice to thaw out in a cafe after this one.

Ozone Coffee Roasters

Outside the ozone Coffee Roasters Cafe are two large stone lions. I decided to try a pencil sketch of one of them today.
Here is my sketch:

Be strong and courageous. Be strong and very courageous.

4th July 2015 Huatoki Stream

A lovely afternoon last Saturday sketching at Huatoki Plaza.

Here is my sketch of the Huatoki Stream:

Bird of Paradise

Sketched by Patricia

Winter in Huatoki Plaza

It doesn't take much sun to change Taranaki people's minds to get outside. A break in the rain and everyone's walking in different directions like they're on a mission. I've drawn the Huatoki Plaza in New Plymouth a number of times. I was looking at my sketch archives and noticed that they are pretty much all done in the winter. So here I am again. I was on a mission too.

Pukekura & Huatoki

Pukekura Tea House

Huatoki Plaza Market

Pukekura

Sketched by Patricia

Trevor's pose