Urban Sketcher - Kathleen Newman – an artist's journey

Urban Sketching

My latest sketches are on my Blog: Now is my Story (in Sketches).

During my travels in July 2012, I became an avid Urban Sketcher.

Their mandate is "see the world, one sketch at a time" and promotes sharing on-location sketches for artistic, storytelling and education.

Following the Urban Sketchers guidelines, all sketches were done on-location (addition of colours or touchups were often completed later).

I take my sketchbooks everywhere I go and they are a chronicle of my life.

Here are some old favourite sketches.

Canada/London 2014/15

Singapore/Australia 2013/14

Australia 2012

Waiting for news of the birth of my first grandchild. Darling Point Park, Sydney.

That baby is a long long time coming. Darling Point Park, Sydney.

I have a grandson! Is there anything more beautiful than Rushcutter's Park, Sydney on a sunny winter's day.

Taking a break at the Farmer's Market, Double Bay, Sydney.

View from my daugther's apartment, Sydney.

Taipei 2012

Taiwan is a cultural shock! The main street in my neighbourhood of Wenshan.

Side alley. Drew this from a cafe, sitting on a comfy chair with a nice grass jelly drink.

Experimenting with colour pencils. The easiest option when standing on the street.

Sitting under the shade of some trees after doing some supermarket shopping.

This empty space opened as a small restaurant soon after (selling roast duck and BBQ pork).

It took 2 cups of tea (on 2 separate occasions) to finish this sketch.

Mita is a newish pasta restaurant and bakery.

Taking a walk through National Chengchi University in my neighbourhood.

View from my apartment again. A convenient scene to draw on a wet day.

My favourite lane, actually a thoroughfare for scooters.

Typical neighbourhood frontage.

I could have stayed here all day it was so peaceful.

A very busy corner. I went back twice to finish this drawing. Oops! Just noticed I've got the month wrong, time is passing too fast!

Back to the same corner, this time looking down Alley 1 at the corner with Lane 45 (which comes off Zhinan Road). It's these alleys and lanes that are the main charm of Taipei.

I've been wanting to sketch this building from the first time I saw it. It strangely comes to a point.

Sketching on a park bench at the Jingmei River Park. Looking north to the city. The tall building with the spire is the famous Taipei 101 (101 floors!). Done on site, watercolour added at home.

When it rains in Taipei, businesses provide an umbrella rack outside their establishments for customers' umbrellas. These racks can be very varied in shape, sometimes just a bucket.

Above the sink in my Taipei apartment is a draining rack cum electric dish dryer!

The buildings in Wenshan district are mainly old and grimy with interesting facades of differing windows and criss-crossing wires.

Canada 2013

Waiting to have my snow tires installed.

My sketch with watercolour added. Done all on location, total 1 hour.

One and a half hours alone in this booth while the official went to photocopy and certify 194 pages of documents for my Old Age Pension application.

Still waiting...

The University of Alberta Hospital offers a free weekly Drop-in-Studio for patient,visitors and staff. Added the blue line drawing when I sat at the same place 3 weeks later.

Looking down on my neighbour's shed after the blizzard this week.

Capturing the shadows in my backyard after the blizzard this week.

Had 10 mins while waiting in the parking lot on 112 St. The big green building is the Mazankowski Heart Institute. A coldish grey day...again.

So many people in the library today. Maybe because it's warming up...finally!?

A big group for toddlers' sing-a-long session in the library.

Sketching with the Edmonton Sketchers at Government House.

Lunch at the Thai eatery at Southgate Mall, watching the long line of people.

The lady next to me was engrossed in a meeting.

Bearspaw Lake round the corner from our place. Geese come to spend the day here in the Fall though they mysteriously spend the night somewhere else.

The Anthony Henday Drive behind our house. Prairie skies always look *huge*.

More around the neighbourhood. South side, Edmonton.

My neighbourhood, south side, Edmonton. Trying out watercolour pencil with markers.

My neighbourhood, south side, Edmonton. Trying out watercolour pencil with markers.

Gave up after waiting for 30 mins to see the travel agent in Southgate Mall, Edmonton but at least it gave me an opportunity to sketch.

Edmonton is a city of festivals in the summer. I went downtown and chanced upon people at the Jazz Festival in the main square. Unfortunately I don't like Jazz.

Edmonton is a city of festivals in the summer. I went downtown and chanced upon people at the Jazz Festival in the main square. Unfortunately I don't like Jazz.