February 2019: Pah Homestead

The Pah Homestead in Hillsborough in Auckland has a little something for every Urban Sketcher who needs a break from the central business district. The gardens and grounds are expansive with plenty of paintable-vistas including mature trees and plants, expansive landscapes, and sculptures too if you want a juxtaposition of manmade surfaces and natural leaf-forms.

And of course, there is the Homestead itself. Organiser Eric Ngan had chosen the venue this month so we'd be able to sketch despite the dicey weather forecast.

Pah Homestead is a large 19th-century building set in the grounds of Monte Cecilia Park. The many rooms of the Homestead are filled with exhibitions of art and viewing is free. Many rooms mean interesting rooflines for those of us who appreciate practising our perspective detailing. A few chimney pots high up on the slate roof felt a bit Parisian for a minute there too.

The cafe seating along the terrace makes for lots of people-sketching which is something we all appreciate opportunities to work on.

Eric showing his subjects his work - they were over the moon that he had drawn them.

Nothing like catching up and finding out what everyone's up to.

We started at 1pm and sketched until 3:30pm. There were a few sprinkles of rain but not so much to drive anyone undercover for long. Lots of seating facing the building too which is always appreciated when dedicating a few hours to one drawing. The sky cast an even light on the homestead and shadows were soft and a bit hard to find, but all and all a perfect day for drawing and a wonderful venue to do it in.

Preparing for all weather is the secret of a good Urban Sketcher!

Murray Dewhurst using Posca markers on a grey ground.

Eric arranging everyone's work.

Everyone's work is so different and so inspiring.

Coming together at the end of the session to look at each other's sketches is always so interesting. We always have a few new faces and it's so great to see the venue through other people's sketches.


Photos of individual drawings on the Urban Sketchers Auckland Facebook page.

Pah Homestead, TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre from Wallace Arts Trust on Vimeo.