Hello! Long time, no Art Chat!
I’ve decided to rename the Draw Your Day posts to ‘Draw Your World’ because I feel like that is less restrictive in what I can draw and it fits well for the sketches to come from our New Zealand holiday.
I’ll be publishing New Zealand travel posts to cover the three weeks that we road tripped around the south island of New Zealand. Following those posts I’ll publish an ART CHAT post with the sketches I’ve done that corresponds with the prior travel post.
Last week my post was for Days 1-3 at Christchurch, so this week my Art Chat post will cover the sketches I did around Christchurch.
Before I share them though, I need to repeat what I said in my South of Island of New Zealand – 20 observations from a first time visitor post:
My plans to do my travel journal/art in the evenings kind of went pear shaped. I started strong in Christchurch and got quite a bit done. Where we stayed had a nice little table with two chairs and very good lighting. Also – I was fresh, and keen! Then the next place we stayed for one night at Hokitika had very poor lighting and it had been a big day and I was too tired so I did a pencil sketch and thought I’d catch up at the next stop. Next stop was Fox Glacier. Can’t remember what was the problem there but I’ve just written a little note on a page of what to draw and thought I’ll catch up on both at the next stop. Next we were at Wanaka. This time, regardless of the fact I was tired, I decided to do a couple of sketches to represent our stay in Wanaka while fresh in mind and get back to the others at another time. I did two sketches at Wanaka – one is ok, the other is not good at all (I was way too tired). After the Wanaka sketch I wasn’t happy with because I was so tired, I decided to give myself a break. It wasn’t as easy as I thought. We were having huge big days that were very physical (walking and climbing etc) and were exhausted at night and a lot of the places we stayed at did not have a suitable place for me to set up and/or didn’t have good enough lighting. I was also posting NZ highlights every evening on both my private Facebook and blog Instagram/FB pages which took up a lot of time and effort. So, my plan now is to continue my travel sketchbook at home from photographs I took. It will still get completed.
Please note that these travel sketches are not intended to be masterpieces. They are quick line and wash sketches to capture memories from my holiday. Not a lot of time is spent on them. These ones from Christchurch were all done whilst we were there, except ‘The Parque’ which though it was sketched while we were away, wasn’t painted until we were home. I really wish I had calligraphy skills! Maybe that’s something to add to my list of things to learn!
First NZ Coffee and Autumn Leaf
Victoria Street Clock Tower. I couldn’t fit the very tip of the tower on the page so did it beside it (lower right side of page)
Punting on the Avon and the Christchurch Gondola
The Parque Boutique Hotel
Till next time!
Ciao for now,
Linking up with Denyse Whelan’s ‘Wednesday’s Words and Pics‘
18 Comments
LOVE this!!!!
Thanks Jo!
I love these Min – and the fact that they’re “quick sketches” amazes me – they look like they would have taken hours and hours to have achieved. You’re definitely growing in your artiness in leaps and bounds. Nice to have some NZ inspo to add into the mix.
Thanks Leanne! It is always a shock to me to hear comments like yours because I have such a nasty inner critic. The thing with sketchbooks is that they are meant to be a playground to be free and loose and to experiment and play. It certainly tests the perfectionist in me, especially when I publish them!
These are fabulous, Min. I would consider these more mini masterpieces than quick sketches. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you got skillz!
Thanks so much Sammie! Not sure the word masterpieces, even mini, should be used to describe these but hopefully they are good practice and will help lead me to some great works of art at some point! lol
I love these Min as you have such a great eye. There’s a beautiful whimsy to them.
Thanks so much Deb – that’s so nice of you!
Whata truly gorgeous travel diary!! What a special way to capture the memories~! #WWandP
Thanks Lydia! It’s a first for me but hopefully worth it!
I love your quick drawings. Yes I always have good intentions when travelling of doing various things but – holidays!!
Thank you Sherry. Yes I had great plans but reality made it quite clear my plans were silly! My days were so full and busy and physical and I wanted to be present in them. My nights I was T.I.R.E.D plus I posted an update every evening which involved choosing photographs and writing my spiel etc. You live and learn! 😆
LOVE this and how you are combining written memories with art and more. You will be so pleased you have done this. And I hope keeping a record in a book or folder…. Goodness me, I am late in my reply to your post for Wednesday’s Words and Pics. Thank you so much for being part of the community! Denyse.
Thanks so much Denyse! I hope that I’ll be pleased I’ve done this. It’s eating up a lot of time but I’m enjoying it!
These are so good Min, you really are talented!
Thank you for your kind comment Debbie!
Better than a souvenir…this is such a precious keepsake and memento of your travels. Like homemade post cards. I always dreamed of packing a little sketchbook, pen and watercolor pencils to take everywhere I go. But seems pointless when the only places I go these days are doctors’ offices and Walmart. Although, there are some characters I could sketch at Walmart, for sure!!
Thanks so much Leslie! You need to get to more exciting places than Walmart and doctors’ offices! Even to the park would be nice! I haven’t sketched in ages which is bad. I’m so busy looking after Mum that it’s been hard to find the time or get in the right headspace.