The White Hart

 The White Hart Hotel next to the clocktower.

The Good Home Rooftop Bar

Govett-Brewster Art Gallery

This was done over multiple lunches at about 15 minutes per day. The first day, there was a car with a roof rack. Being finicky, I didn't want to draw that so left the bottom for tomorrow. The next day, there was van with a roof rack. The third day, 6 out of the 8 vehicles had a roof rack. I was able to wrap up the cars and the people on the fourth day but it seemed like there was a conspiracy.

Downtown New Plymouth

It's starting to feel like the beginning of winter sketching in New Zealand.

Colourize Project: Len Lye Centre & the White Hart

Some people have seen this colour version of this sketch but I haven't uploaded it here until now. This is when the Len Lye Centre opened and they closed down the street so that everyone could take selfies in the stainless steel walls for the first time. This was also done before the White Hart Hotel had the glass put in on the balcony so it's still a bit more old-timey in this sketch.

Len Lye

After one year, it's still quite popular to take a selfie against the stainless steel walls on the Len Lye Centre.

A bit of a catch up.

It's been a busy few weeks, so not much sketching work has been getting done. Here's a bit of a catch up:

29th October 2016

Tupare:

Last Saturday we went to Tupare. It was a little cold and windy, so I found a nice sheltered spot and this old lamppost.
I decided to try something a little different this time and did a pencil drawing of the lamppost, and then finished with watercolour. I used plenty of water and let it run.

8th  October 2016

White Hart Hotel:

The White Hart Hotel. Now restored and looking great.

Pen and wash.

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

Pot Pourri

"Rusty Az" playing on the back of a truck at the East End Truck Show

Social Kitchen bike

Social Kitchen game - in window

Drawn with our other sketchers sheltering from the squalls - an ideal dry spot and still get the job done.

Wet White Hart Hotel

This wasn't my first choice of what to draw this week but the rain made us find shelter to draw. Trying to stay dry, I made a few mistakes in my slow and careful drawing style. Instead of ripping out the page and starting again, I went back into it with a heavy pen and saved it.
This thing really is brutal to draw. With so much repetitive detail in the building, even I have trouble not getting bored with it all. I have to say that I didn't mind sketching this after I started to let go a bit and draw it loosely.

Last weeks sketch and this weeks sketch.

So the meeting place today was by the clock tower near the new Len Lye Centre that's being built. We looked at the new building, it's starting to look spectacular with it's stainless steel skin going up. No idea how to draw that!

The Clock Tower reflected in the new stainless steel skin.

So here is my sketch. The old and the new. The White Hart Hotel and the scaffolding over the Len Lye Centre.

 And last Saturday. 14/03/2015.

Last week we went to Brougham Street and I sketched the lovely old building that used to be Andre's Restaurant.