WE HAVE MOVED

 We have now morphed into Urban Sketchers Taranaki, joining a worldwide global sketching movement. You are most welcome find us on Facebook under Urban Sketchers Taranaki.  Cheers.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/urbansketcherstaranaki

Moturoa

 

Even though I'm sketching at the Moturoa shops, this really is just a sketch of this awesome tree on the top of the hill.

Taranaki Sunflower Meadow

It seems that everyone from Taranaki that is on Instagram was at the Sunflower Meadow in the last few weeks. Since I also had those qualifications, I grabbed my sketchbook and checked it out too. While I was there I hammered out a pen sketch. It seemed like a good idea to colour it on the weekend that the rain flooded Auckland. It actually was pretty cool to see a field of sunflowers (and bees).

New Zealand Holiday Camping

 

Last sketch of 2022.

Taranaki Garden Festival 2022 (2 of 2)

 

Here's the second one that I did on the garden festival weekend but only just decided to watercolour it too. It was a breezy day and I found myself at this picnic area overlooking a stream that was out of the wind. After sketching this one, I noticed that this garden had a place where you could get scones with jam and cream. Will draw for food!

Taranaki Garden Festival 2022 (1 of 2)

I had seen that Theory Food was setting up a pop-up cafe in one of the gardens for the GardenFest. Of course I had to go and try all the cakes. While I was there, I hammered out a sketch too. I just used a pen, on location. Later, after it was sitting in my sketchbook for a while, I decided to give it the watercolour treatment on a rainy weekend.

Whanganui Street Corner

This one was done a couple of months ago on a weekend in Whanganui. I used my fountain pen and I thought the drawing was okay but didn't post it. On a rainy weekend at home, I remembered I had some grey markers. I gave them a try and it seems more finished now.

The Old Town Hall Tea Room Urenui

 

 Mad Hatters Tea Party

South Island Road Trip

 

Thomas Hanmer - Surveyor

WWII Exhibit Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre

On board Aratere

Queing for the ferry

Weta Workshops

Weta Workshops

Weta Workshops

ANZAC Sketching

 Being ANZAC weekend it was appropriate to draw a related sketch

Fountain Lake

When I drew this lake before, I didn't draw the fountain since I didn't really know how to tackle it. The water jets change as it does its cycle. When it stops, you have to wait for some kid to push the button again. (It goes for about 2 minutes each time.) The mist goes everywhere and it just 'looks like white'. So I sort of just tried to not really draw that area, and hint a little at what was behind the water, as the trees behind it appeared through it.

Liardet Street Projects

 The foodcarts in the Liardet Street Projects are humming.  A marvelous place to sketch, especially when Ricardo of Chiwi Catering kindly shouted us two rounds of delicious Chilean wedges.

Car Rally

 Proud owner, George with his 1928 Studebaker President.  He got married in it.

Below, Neville's beautifully restored Rolls Royce Phantom - only warranted the week before.

As part of its pedigree, a prior owner Grandma Brown came 5th in the 1957 10,000km Ampol Trial around Australia

The car competed three years running.

In the 1958 Ampol Trial, it experienced a rare mechanical failure - a piston burned out. The beautiful old engine ran very roughly on only five cylinders, and Granny's son didn’t like the vibrations running through the whole car. So, stopping in a small village in South Australia, he dropped the sump and removed the offending piston and connecting rod. Knowing the engine would then be seriously out of balance and would probably shake itself to pieces, he cut a piece from a farmer’s discarded ploughshare and taking a good look at the crankshaft, welded the piece onto the shaft to act as a balance weight. He then replaced the sump and pressed the starter. The old Rolls was back to its smooth self again - down on power but no vibrations!

I had a fraction of a second's fame on Seven Sharp just after the rally - me sketching, and a picture of my best side (my back).

Oakura Christmas

Another year without a white Christmas. What a bummer... it was horrible!

Jury Garden

This is a sketch from one of the gardens that was in the Garden Festival. It still seems intact after the crowds returned home.

Pekaren Pizza Bell Block

 

Rusting Trucks

 Charlie restoring Toyota Landcruiser - one of the sources

View in 2010 of rusting Fordson Thames Flatbed

Exactly 10 years later 2021 the same truck slumping from the onset of rust

Hurworth Cottage

Sketch 2021

Sketch 2010 

Ducks and Chooks

 

Art Deco House