July 2019: Silo Park

It was a deceptively cold day to draw at Silo Park in Auckland on Saturday 27 July 2019. The sun was shining, casting strong shadows that were far too cold to draw from for long. One of the hardest things, I think, about being an urban sketcher is learning to dress for the conditions. I could have done with a one or two more layers on Saturday, not to mention a couple of bulldog clips as the breeze that picked up later in the afternoon.

I’m not really complaining, it was a fabulous day of drawing with lots of new faces along for the ride. 

Silo Park is part of the renovated Wynyard Quarter. Situated between Jellicoe and Beaumont Streets in inner-city Auckland, the area is named for a number of cement silos that can be seen from the park. As well as views of the prominent silos, there are views of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, Westhaven and Viaduct Marinas, as well as tall buildings and water views as backdrops that will keep most urban sketchers very happy, busy and challenged.

We had a number of new people thanks to Murray Dewhurst’s Let’s Sketch Backwards workshop last weekend. It was quite a healthy turn-out all-in-all.

I was trying Murray’s technique of using tinted paper and paint-pens this month. It really did knock me out of my comfort zone. For one thing, I completed four A5 drawings when normally I’d only do one A4 with pen and wash. I was pretty happy that the technique of blocking in large painted shapes first then working my way out to pen-work really has loosened up my results.

I’m not sure about anyone else, but I was acutely aware that Erik Ngan, one of our intrepid organisers was at the annual international Urban Sketchers Symposium in Amsterdam. It was an awesome feeling to know that one of our own was on the other side of the world drawing (well probably sleeping, actually given the time-difference, but you know what I mean) while we were doing the same in Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland, New Zealand.

You can see more photos from the day on the Urban Sketchers Auckland Facebook page.