Monday, November 23, 2009

A Small Sketchcrawl

I didn't find anyone to go Sketchcrawling with me on Saturday, and I wasn't feeling very energetic after a week's sleep deprivation (neighbour's alarms and springtime sinuses taking turns to wrench me from my slumbers), so I just took a little sketchbook with me to breakfast at a little café nearby, and then to the delectable Cheese Shop next-door. I'm afraid they aren't very typical of Johannesburg, or South Africa, to represent this part of the world in my first contribution to this forum. By the time the next one comes along I'm determined to dig out some other sketchers in this city - there must be some!


I slept in the afternoon, to be ready to go to a performance of Cats at The Teatro at the Montecasino complex in the evening. It was a really fabulous production, I can't imagine that it was too much inferior to the original London one. I took just the black of my Elmer's Paintastics colour-changing markers (for kids really, but too cool for this grownup to resist), because it would be quick and easy to carry, then added more colours and the Magic Wand later.


We sat at the back, way up in the rafters, so the stage looked pretty tiny, but the performances, sets and lighting were BIG, so we enjoyed it nevertheless. It was pretty dark when I sketched the stage, and when I had a crazy attempt at the dancers, I couldn't see what I was doing on my page at all, so this is an - um - expressionist(?) rendition of a little bit of the movement.

7 comments:

Robyn Sinclair said...

Cathy, your colourful sketch of the theatre is great. It reminds me of Toulouse Lautrec. I love the calligraphy of your dancers too.

You are very brave to sketch in the cheese shop - it must be hard to blend into the background there. Lovely Protea too.

Anonymous said...

Love your Saturday sketchcrawls. I live in Pittsburgh Pa and don't know any one to crawl with so I just did alot of sketch pages myself. It looks like there were an awful lot of people sketching for that day.exciting to say the least.
Linda

Charlene Brown said...

Great job of representing Johannesburg all by yourself! This is a terrific presentation of your day in pictures, especially the Cats dancers. That one is brilliant -- minimalism at its best!

Cathy Gatland said...

Thanks Robyn - yes, they were very suspicious of me in the cheese shop!

Linda, I hope sketchcrawl will grow until everybody's got someone to crawl with!

Hi Charlene - a bit cheeky to post a 'blind' sketch, but I quite liked the marks I made in the dark, thanks!

RH Carpenter said...

An artist with a sketchbook and pen always causes consternation among some people :) I love the impressionistic dancers!! Wonderful movement and color there. Your Not Just Bread shop reminds me of one we had here recently called Nothing But Noodles. Strange name for a shop that did sell meals with noodles and salads and desserts and...it didn't last long (poor choice of name, I think! ha ha)

Anonymous said...

greart sketches and I love that pincushion! And you did great on the theatre sketching too with great movement in your quick and blind dancers-sketch. I just can't do it!
ronell

Gillian said...

Great post, Cath. Love the theatre ones too. Very successful 'blind' sketch. Must go make pies and stuff. Thanksgiving tomorrow... Bye for now. XX