Saturday, June 26, 2010

Marimba Band


Here are sketches I did a few days ago that I've been hestitating to post because they are just so rough and scribbly - a quality I really like in a lot of other people's sketches, but to me it just emphasises the agitation I was feeling at the time - trying to be inconspicuous, annoyed that what I was trying to achieve and show wasn't happening... maybe I'm just too shy to sketch in public... or maybe it's that I need to do it more... I was happier with the second sketch on the right than the first one, and maybe if I'd done a third...? Anyway! Enough with this introspection and the constant self-criticism (I truly am not fishing for compliments, which my blogging friends are always so generous with, it must be getting quite painful - will get over it soon. Maybe.) This was a lovely sunny happy group called the Soweto Marimba Youth League playing outside the African Market in upmarket Rosebank, one of the entertainments put on for World Cup visitors, who were actually the subjects I was after at the time. There were a few foreign languages and accents around and beaming faces thrust into the band for photographs, but they didn't look too different from any other shoppers. I'm going to have to daringly go into one of the fan parks or towards one of the stadiums before a match to catch them fully decked out in supporter's gear and filled with the Fever. This event is changing Johannesburg and South Africa in that most of us middle-class, middle-of-the-road citizens who don't venture anywhere unless it's in the seclusion of our own cars into a secure parking lot, are suddenly taking buses, trains and walking, walking! If the services continue and the 'gees' continues (you have to say that with a guttural gghhh and to rhyme with fierce, it means spirit, goodwill, vibe), I sure hope it does.

18 comments:

Robyn Sinclair said...

And the wonderful spirit of freedom is in yor sketch, Cathy. :)

Charlene Brown said...

Oh, to be able to scribble like you... There is a lot of coverage of South Africa in the newspapers just now -- and not just in the sports section -- but none of the photographs capture details and expressions like your sketches!

Sandra Busby said...

Well you definitely had no reason to hesitate. Like me you are shy at sketching in public, but ultimately you get out there and do it, unlike me who is still finding any excuse not to do it! If I had done these from life, out and about in public, I would never look back and it would give me the confidence to do it ALL the time!!!

Art with Liz said...

This is so wonderful Cathy! If this is scribbling, then I wish I could scribble like this!!

Unknown said...

Do more and post more - they are fab!

I loved them when I saw them on USk earlier. I think they are vibrant and catch the atmosphere, but definitely not scribbly.

Suzanne McDermott said...

Before I read your text, I was thinking how amazing it is that you capture such movement and chaos in your outside sketching. Sketching on the street can be so annoying with all the distractions and weather and what-not.

I know how you feel about wanting to put up (what you think is) your best work but I've been posting whatever I have of late (and can self-criticize those efforts quite well) but first, it's the doing that's most important and second, you'll never forget the details of your experience because of the sketching. We all love to see them, whatever you do, and thoroughly appreciate them. Oh, here's a third thing - if you feel dissatisfied with your results (and who doesn't?), what a great prod forward!

Helen Percy Lystra said...

I love rough and scribbly... these are wonderful sketches.

Debbie Drechsler said...

I'm glad you went ahead and posted these, Cathy! You've captured the energy and music with your "scribbly" sketches. The colors and movement are just wonderful!

A Brush with Color said...

These are wonderful!! I would never have guessed they came hard to you--they look so free and fresh and colorful. Awesome!

Teresa said...

Gosh, Cathy, you are hard on yourself! (and I thought I was bad!). You truly do a wonderful job on your sketches (wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it). Consider how much information you're working with in such a short time frame... and a lot of that information is moving! I'd consider myself lucky to get one person drawn - much less an entire band!

laura said...

I never had any inkling at all that you were shy about sketching in public--I'm so surprised: you do much more in public than anyone I know of, and you do it so very well: you capture all the life, movement, and color ... if only you could draw sound!
(Thanks for your lovely comment on my blog too!)

Laura said...

These are so wonderful, Cathy--so masterful, really. I don't see any flaws in them whatsoever. And let's hope the spirit you describes lasts and lasts!

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Just had three days by the sea sketching with Anita and Oh how I wish I could do 'scribbly' sketches of people like this. They are so alive and full of interest and colour. Wonderful.

Liz Steel said...

oh cathy! I think these are really wonderful!!! I hope that you can come back and look at these again (without the memory of what you felt at the time) and see how great they are!!!

Cathy Gatland said...

Thank you SO much everybody - I've been head down doing work drawings, and also an undersea internet cable was damaged so access to the blog erratic - but will be back soon.

jyothisethu said...

cathy,
beautiful work...
congrats...

BARBARA WEEKS said...

I love the immediacy of these sketches!

BH Yoo said...

Interesting caps and lovely drawings. :)