Urban Sketchers Sydney – September Sketch-meet!

Yesterday, myself and approx. 50-60 other Urban Sketchers attended the September Sketch-meet. Our destination was the Sydney Opera House, which in a month’s time will have been open for 50 years.

I remember watching the opening in October 1973 on a Black & White TV set from our home approx. 13km/8 miles from the Sydney CBD. I still remember running up to the bridge over the railway line half-way between my suburb and the next so we could see a whole mass of balloons being sent into the sky from the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Of course we could not see the bridge itself, but we did see the the a mass of balloons rise in the distance.

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most uniquely designed structures in the world.

I must say I was very pleased to attend this Sketch-meet as this the first standalone Sydney Sketch-meet I have been able to attend this year.

Rather than try to sketch the whole building, I chose to do a section of it and am very happy with the result.

As you can see from the first photo, it was perfect weather and it was quite a relaxing experience. I find the whole experience of sketching/painting, meditative, particularly when I do minute details, like the tiles in the ‘Sails.’

One of the things that I really look forward to at the the Sketch-meets is the ‘Throwdown’ as seen in the photos below. It’s wonderful seeing all the different styles and mediums that people use to create their Art. So inspirational.

All-in-all it was a great morning of sketching. It is so great to get together with a group of creators.

The ‘Urban Sketchers’ are a world-wide movement which is in over 60 countries, 394 cities with over 120,000 members. For more information, check out their website https://urbansketchers.org/ so you can find a chapter near you.

Till next time – Happy Sketching!

Written by David Johnson

3 September 2023

4 Years and Counting…

I’m a bit late getting to post about this as there has been a lot happening in our Family and Life in general over the past three weeks…

On Australia Day, 26 January 2023, I achieved somewhat of a milestone with my Watercolour Sketch a Day project.

On the above date, I had completed a Watercolour Sketch a Day, every day, for 4 years. As of today, it is 4 years, 17 days.

As the 4 years straight of Watercolour Sketch a Day fell on Australia Day, I chose to do a Line and Wash sketch of a mammal that is unique to Australia, the Platypus.

It was my first attempt at sketching/painting this subject and I found it rather challenging!

I feel sure that I will attempt this subject again.

For more information on this unique creature, visit the following link.

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/platypus/

Written by David Johnson

12 February 2023