Runner – acrylic on canvas, 305 x 255 mm, 2013. SOLD
November is a crazy month… and it just got crazier. I have decided to take some of my art to a local craft fair (details below). It’s a real first for me as I’ve never offered my art for sale before. The fair is next Saturday (23rd)*. If you happen to be in the neighbourhood, it would be so very cool to see you there.
Halswell Lions Club Craft Fair
Saturday 23rd November, 9 AM – 1 PM
Halswell Hall
Halswell Road
Christchurch (New Zealand)
P.S. For the curious among you, the Runner image is based on this doodle.
* PLEASE NOTE: Unfortunately, the craft fair was cancelled. Organisers say there were not enough stall holders to make it worthwhile holding the event.
This adorable little building is Shand’s Emporium. I remember it as a magical place packed floor to ceiling with antiques, collectables, jewellery and books. Built in 1860, it is one of Christchurch’s oldest commercial buildings. It was meant to be demolished in the late 1970s (to make way for a new telephone exchange) but was saved by petition and while the more modern buildings surrounding it have been taken out by earthquakes, somehow Shand’s has survived. It has had some repairs since then but it needs an estimated $250,000 to fully restore it. The building is going to be relocated to prevent it from being damaged by nearby construction work. The owner is, in fact, giving the building away in an attempt to preserve it ― and yes, I was a little bit tempted, but I didn’t think we’d get it down our driveway. Shand’s will probably be in its new home by Christmas.
P.S. There are plans to move Shand’s to the delightful suburb of Redcliffs (by the estuary) early next year. It has been reported that a local man is prepared to spend the best part of a year restoring the building ― although it will depend on the city council’s master plan for the area. Here’s hoping this story has a happy ending. December 2013
The sketch is originally from this student project (click on the link and scroll down). The photographs were taken last month. Ben Heine’s ingenious Pencil Vs Camera images were my inspiration. This is my third ‘pen vs earthquake’ ― below are links to the first two.
Redwoods – acrylic on canvas, 255 x 305 mm, 2013 (sold)
I started my Shoot it, Sketch it posts a year ago today. Yes, a whole year has gone by! Some have been In the style of… posts, inspired by the work of some amazing illustrators, and in total there have been 50 of them. The only two weeks I missed were when I was away on holiday ― taking more photos to sketch, draw and paint : ) When Bec from Clouds of Colour and Alana from The Little Leaf started this feature, I had no idea that I’d still be going a year later. No wonder I’m running out of room in my little studio! Today’s painting was originally done with pastel on card and posted here.
Pen vs earthquake #2 – The Octagon, Design & Arts College and the Hotel Grand Chancellor, 2013
The beautiful building in the foreground, formerly the Trinity Congregational Church, was a restaurant and live music venue (Octagon Live) when this sketch was done. Built between 1873 and 1875, it sustained a lot of damage in the 2010/2011 earthquakes. There are plans to restore the timber interior and the 1871 pipe organ (thought to be one of only three of its kind left in the world).
The building to the right of the church was my old art school (you can’t tell from the photo but it’s in a very sorry state ― it was deemed unsafe following the February 2011 earthquake and put on the city’s ‘partial demolish’ list). The building on the left, the one on a bit of a lean, was the Hotel Grand Chancellor (now demolished). The hotel was built in 1986 and was Christchurch’s tallest building for more than 20 years.
The sketch is originally from this student project (click on the link and scroll down). The photographs were taken last week. Ben Heine’s ingenious Pencil Vs Camera images were my inspiration. This is my second ‘pen vs earthquake’ ― below is a link to the first one.
St Germain and the Tree – ink and watercolour, 297 x 210 mm, 2013
St Germain – Christchurch, 2010
If this looks a little familiar, that’s probably because the reference photograph was taken right next to the one I used for last week’s sketch. This time I used watercolour pencils and my trusty Staedtler pigment liners and took inspiration from one of my favourite illustrators, Maurice Sendak. You can see the early stages of my sketch below. (St Germain is the name of the restaurant in the photo.)
Work in progress #1 – watercolour pencil sketch Work in progress #2 – after adding water
Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak – illustrations from Where the Wild Things Are (1963) Images from http://mrbiggs.com
Everyone has heard of American illustrator and author Maurice Sendak (1928–2012), haven’t they? And even if you don’t know his name, I’m sure you’ll be familiar with his wonderful book Where the Wild Things Are.
In the style of… appears occasionally instead of my regular Shoot it, Sketch it posts. Using my own photographs as a starting point, I’m drawing inspiration from some of the world’s greatest illustrators. It’s not about slavishly copying someone else’s art; it’s an experiment in seeing things differently.
Anna Cull ~ Art & Music 