DOGS

The Taranaki Sketchers did a 'DOGGIE' day - so while in Hamilton I got these down . Some dogs sat still , others did what most dogs do I guess . Some I completed with the help of my phone camera like the dog in the car window ( apologies to the purist artists ) . And I watched where I walked !  MLB

HAMILTON GARDENS

A few days in Hamilton so visited the Gardens . Each section themes a country. Well done and a nice day out .

Ava the greyhound

At the 'We Love Dogs Expo' I was drawing the dogs that I loved the most - the greyhounds.

PUKEMARA GARDEN

Alan Morris'  garden , PUKEMARA. Alan is one of the Taranaki Sketchers and offered us the chance to draw in his  New Plymouth garden - see it in the upcoming 2018  Taranaki Garden Festival 

Rover 3500

I was talking to the owner of this car as I drew this. He said that he bought the Rover 3.5 brand-new in 1972. He's also had several cars since then, but always kept this one. I really liked it too.

Vintage and Classic Cars

Great day out, sketching  cars at an event to raise funds for the Cancer Society. Fast and furious , no detail as such ….and then gave away better ones where owners wanted something to take home !

Hong Kong Fast Food

A couple of sketches ago I posted the Broadway Fast Food in Stratford. Today, I'm bringing you the Hong Kong Fast Food from New Plymouth. I don't know why it's called that really. They specialise in meat and potato roast dinners. (Just like the ones you can get in Hong Kong?)

New Plymouth Coastal Walkway

"...and at the first sign of sun, the urban sketcher leaves his studio of hibernation to once again draw and paint the world." (It seems bit early for weather this nice, but I'll take it.)

Broadway Fastfood

This is a sketch of the signage for a takeaway restaurant in Stratford. My favourite part is the hand-painted signage since we're seeing that kind of stuff less all the time. Most businesses these days have computer printed signs and the hand-painted sign is a bit of a lost art. My second favourite part is the claim of the "Great Tasting Healthier Takeaway". That seems a pretty gutsy, yet hard to prove, boast. Finally, the fact that this place is "Fully Licensed". So basically if you're there to pick up some fish & chips, you can probably get a gin & tonic.

Moturoa BP

Five years ago, I did this sketch of a weird BP service station in Moturoa. Since it was kind of a house with fuel pumps in front of it, I wondered how long it would last in today's safety regulated world. It turns out, about 2 years. The new modern replacement looks like any other in the world and has a bit less charm. It does have a small cafe inside the kiosk though, in case you want to sit around and watch people pump gas*. 

(*like me)