Urban Sketching in the Cityscape: June's Rooftop View Challenge

Finding the perfect spot for our monthly sketch outings is always a fun challenge for the Auckland Urban Sketchers' volunteers. This winter weather can be particularly unpredictable, so finding shelter from the elements is a top priority. Couple that with Urban Sketchers Prompts for July "Rooftop Views" and we find that car parks offer a unique solution! 

Multilevel city car parks can provide much-needed cover if the rain decides to join the party, plus a fantastic vantage point to capture the city from above. However, the downside can be the temperature. Let's face it, concrete jungles aren't exactly known for their warmth, and sometimes the chill can chase even the most dedicated sketchers away.

This was the case for our June meetup at the Downtown Carpark in the Auckland CBD. While our initial headcount promised a lively session with around 24 sketchers, the dropping temperatures and rain showers sadly whittled our numbers down to a determined dozen by the Throwdown - and no one can blame those who took an early exit - that temperature-drop was finger-numbingly decent.

The beauty of urban sketching is that there's always something to draw, no matter the location! 

The towering office blocks, charming old buildings, and townhouses provided a wealth of architectural details to capture. The expansive views of the harbour, the twisting tarmac of the multi-laned roadscape and even a peep of the bustling ferry landing added another layer of interest, and of course, the car park itself with its geometric concrete structures and parked vehicles offered a unique subject for those seeking a more direct approach.

The Throwdown, where sketchers share their completed works, truly highlighted the diversity of styles, preferences, and tools that come together in our group. Even a seemingly "uninspiring" location like a car park can spark creativity and lead to a fascinating range of artworks.

So, a big thumbs up to those who braved the mid-winter elements for our June meetup! Your dedication and artistic vision never cease to be amazing.

What are your thoughts on car parks as sketching locations? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned for the announcement of our sketching adventure in July! We're hoping for someplace warm :)

See more of the photos from our day at the Downtown Carpark on Urban Sketchers Auckland Facebook.

June 2022: Matariki Gate, Queen Street, Auckland CBD

Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori – "happy Matariki" in te reo Māori.

Matariki is a special occasion in the New Zealand calendar which marks the start of the Māori New Year.

Signified by the Matariki cluster of stars reappearing in our night sky, this is a time to reflect on the past year, celebrate the present, and plan for the year ahead.

newzealand.com

We came into the city's main street to draw the Matariki Gate - Te Wehenga. The gateway marks the point where the land once met the sea. Each side of the gate tells a different story:

• Face the gate looking down Queen Street, towards the sea, there are creatures of the harbour or moana on the waharoa (the blue side).
• Face up Queen Street and you look towards the land or whenua. Plants and birds cover the face of the waharoa (the green side).

Te Wehenga is part of a larger art walk by Auckland Council, Heart of the City, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and talented artists to celebrate Matariki: Māori New Year.

The Auckland chapter of Urban Sketchers scattered up and down Queen Street – some drawing towards the sea, and others drawing towards the land. The street was busy on Saturday with many stopping to watch us draw.

Get set to walk the footsteps of centuries past, feel the depth of our Matariki kaupapa and witness it in contemporary form. It’s all part of Matariki ki te Manawa - Matariki at the heart. OurAuckland

See more detailed photos and artwork in the Urban Sketchers Auckland Facebook album for Matariki ki te Manawa's Big Draw.

Government House Gardens

We had  a great day sketching the Governor General's house and gardens.
The message afterwards was that Dame Patsy Reddy was most impressed, and invited us to return in the Spring when the gardens would be blooming.

 

October 2019: Nuffield Street, Newmarket

One of the great parts of belonging to the Urban Sketchers group, apart from amazing people and great drawing opportunities, is getting to go to places in Auckland that are new. Nuffield Street is in Newmarket, Auckland. While it's a street running parallel to the main road, Broadway, it is certainly a street I'd never visited before. Thank goodness our event organisers keep their eyes out for treasures like this.

Jana, Louis and me outside Tasca Cafe and Bar, Nuffield Street, Newmarket.

Nuffield Street feels very different from the rest of Newmarket. The sunshine and dappled light might've had something to do with that feeling. I settled down outside the Tasca Cafe and Bar to draw the stores across the road.

What was neat was that there were other urban sketchers across the road drawing the cafe I was sitting at as I was drawing them sitting outside the stores I was drawing. Sketchers sit nice and still so make them easier to draw than busy shoppers.

Murray, Dianne and Jana

Murray Dewhurst sketching the Tasca Cafe where I'm sitting.

Me sketching Murray, Diane and Jana who were drawing the cafe I was sitting outside from across the road.

I loved looking up to see other sketchers looking back...

Murray, Michelle, Jana's drawings.

We gathered inside the Tasca Cafe to share our work and catch up. A really lovely day on Nuffield Street in Newmarket.

Urban Sketchers Auckland, family photo for October 2019.

The line drawing I took home after our Urban Sketching session...

... my drawing with watercolour added later in the evening.

Example of some of the work completed on and around Nuffield Street in Newmarket, Auckland.

More photos on our Urban Sketchers Auckland Facebook. 

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.

Down Dominion Road

I had lots of fun with this drawing a few months ago at a Big Draw meet up.

Leaning against a lamp post, trying to juggle the sketch and pedestrians and paints. I do find that when I paint to the edges of my book I end up with a more satisfying experience - so long as no one uses my drawings as gospel.