This is my second sketch based on photos I took on my way to LUXcity in Christchurch last year. It is the companion piece to City Lights. The end result is not quite what I had in mind when I started sketching. It’s full of unexpected outcomes — and I’m okay with that.
Other bloggers taking part in Shoot it, Sketch it are Clouds of Colour, The Little Leaf, Lunch Sketch, Poppytump, Two Scamps, Breana and 30 Minute Art.
Today’s Shoot it, Sketch it offering is based on a photo I took on my way to LUXcity last year. For one night, Christchurch was illuminated by 16 light installations created by architecture and design students from across New Zealand. The event provided an opportunity to visit a part of the central city that many of us hadn’tseen since the earthquake in February 2011. An hour before the event, the Great Airbrush Artist in the Sky painted a breathtakingly beautiful sunset and stole the show.
Also participating in Shoot it, Sketch it are Clouds of Colour, The Little Leaf, Lunch Sketch, Poppytump, Two Scamps, Breana and 30 Minute Art.
These photographs were taken at Luxcity, an event that brightened up the skies of central Christchurch last October. The event provided a great opportunity to visit a part of the city that many of us hadn’t seen since the earthquake on February 22nd, 2011 (yes, that was two years ago today). For one night, the city was illuminated by 16 light installations created by architecture and design students from all over New Zealand.
Getting these photos was quite a tricky undertaking. My camera couldn’t really cope with the lighting and even if I had remembered to take my tripod (!), I would have struggled to use it because the streets were so crowded. Besides which, it was more about being there than getting the shot of the century.
One of the main reasons I wanted to go to LUXcity was to see my old design school again. A beautiful Art Deco building in the heart of our munted CBD, it has been badly damaged by the quakes and faces an uncertain future. Design & Arts College has now relocated.
This is me getting a bit arty with some of the shots: capturing the shadow of a bystander in #4 and making a reasonably successful composite of two photos in #5. Thank you, Christchurch, for a brilliant evening.
This week’s Shoot it, Sketch it painting is based on the photo I used for last week’s post. When I decided to paint this beautiful little house, watercolour and ink seemed to be the obvious choice. Then my husband asked for an acrylic version. It turned out to be quite a challenge for me because I didn’t see it as an acrylic painting — at least not at first. But who am I to disappoint my biggest fan?
What a week I picked to use acrylics though! The weather in Christchurch has been rather warm and so the paint has been drying on the palette really quickly. It’s given a whole new meaning to the term ‘dry brush’! Click on the image(s) below to see more detail.
Others taking part in Shoot it, Sketch it are Clouds of Colour, The Little Leaf, Lunch Sketch, Poppytump, Two Scamps and Breana.
I’m going away on holiday in a couple of days (yay), so my next Shoot it, Sketch it will be 25th February.
I drew a quick sketch of this historic Akaroa house a couple of years ago (see below) and thought it might be fun to revisit it — figuratively and literally. The photo was taken a few months ago with this Shoot it, Sketch it project in mind. Windermere was built as a boarding house in 1877.
Can you spot the subtle difference? The house no longer has a chimney (the earthquakes that have rattled the Canterbury region over the last couple of years are probably to blame — an awful lot of chimneys and brick buildings were damaged in 2011).
Others participating in Shoot it, Sketch it are Clouds of Colour, The Little Leaf, and Poppytump.
One evening last October I noticed a strange light coming in through the window. When I went outside to investigate, I was met with this beautiful sight: a double rainbow over the neighbouring rooftops. These are my three favourite shots.
I drew the houses and trees with an Indian ink brush pen and the rainbows and sky were painted with my trusty Neocolor II watercolour pastels to give the rainbows a naïve, childlike quality. I really like the way they’ve picked up the corrugated texture of the watercolour paper.
Others who have been participating in Shoot it, Sketch it are Clouds of Colour, The Little Leaf, Lunch Sketch and Poppytump.
See you in the new year : )
Anna Cull ~ Art & Music 