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)

Turquoise

Winter sketching means having a cooked breakfast in a warm cafe and sketching from the window.

Pre Dinosaur - Permian Period

Pre-Dinosaur - Permian Period 260 million years ago - Puke Ariki Exhibition

Permian Period

Permian Period creatures - Puke Ariki

Sketched by Patricia

The Messenger House

Architect Frank Messenger built this home for himself.  His uncle put the road through over Mt Messenger, and some of the timber from the road clearing is used in this home.

Arno Stone Carving

Arno on his next work.  Check out his non rocking rock chair for sale here https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1658937210&ed=true

Michigan & Texas

The Dinky Drum Co playing outdoors to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts patrons

Items at the Houston museum of Fine Arts

Bugatti at Henry Ford Museum of Innovation - Detroit

Cross between a Traction Engine and a Train.  Who knows what happens at night in the museum.

New Plymouth Airport (NPL)

If you are ever sketching people at an airport and you hear someone using a phone say, "Where are YOU?.. I'm at the airport... You haven't left yet?" This means that they are there way too early and are about to not only move, but go back home.

Len Lye Selfies

What to do on a New Plymouth weekend? Take a selfie in the stainless steel surface of the Len Lye Centre. (Long exposure, above, and short exposure, below. The third one was from about 18 months ago.)