Thursday, April 9, 2015

A Bunch of Sketches & Visitors

 Yikes - it's April, and autumn already, and I've been so busy sketching and painting and thinking about what I want to/need to/have to do - posting it all has taken a back seat. To think I once started blogging to try and motivate myself to draw more... well, something's working at the moment!

We've had a couple of visits lately from sketchers from other parts of the country and the world. Ex-Joburg Sketcher Barbara Moore came up recently from her new home in Simon's Town in the Cape, and three of us had a relaxed morning catching up and sketching on a beautiful clear autumn day at Zoo Lake.
An icecream man pondering the lake with a beaded dragonfly mobile behind him
Waitrons and a mirrored angel - over cappucinos at Moyo restaurant 
A couple of weeks before that French urban sketcher Michel Davinroy was in town. He had been sketching prolifically on his own, but joined us at a Dance Umbrella rehearsal at the Market Theatre for the difficult challenge of capturing the unpredictable movements of contemporary dancers, mostly in the dark!


And yesterday, we arranged a mid-week sketching session in the nearby suburb of Melville to meet Brighton, England resident and world traveller Fiver Löcker.

It's exciting that we are so much "on the map" that sketchers from around the world are starting to seek us out to draw together, and enrich us all with their stories, sketches and enthusiasm! 
Car guards and basket ladies outside the Golf Tearoom in Melville
Fiver sketching on her iPad in the eclectic clutter of Antz café, Melville

12 comments:

Sadami said...

Cathy, your post is full of wonderful work and interesting writing!! I hope one day, I can see you. Take care not to catch a cold. Cheers, Sadami

dinahmow said...

Sometimes...so many other things snag our attention and the blogs languish.Well, mine does! But I do enjoy your posts. I love your contour drawings of dancers.

Cathy Gatland said...

Hi Sadami, I really hope we can meet one day - your work and writing often inspire mine, best wishes

Dinah, my blog languishes a lot - thanks for keeping on checking in here nevertheless!

Polly Birchall said...

What wonderful lively work. They say so much and tell a story

Cathy Gatland said...

Thanks Polly, I enjoyed doing these!

RH Carpenter said...

Your blog has pushed you into a new zone to draw and sketch and that's great - I love seeing your new work with so much color and detail!! WHEW! A LOT!! Your work is always amazing to me, but the blog is secondary to the drawing now and that's the way it should be :) Have a lovely autumn and stay warm. We are just fighting our way into spring here.

Unknown said...

What fun and great sketches.

Hope I can be one of your visiting sketchers soon.

Cathy Gatland said...

Hey Rhonda :) detail seems to be my default mode no matter how much I try to simplify and stick to the main theme. Hope you win the battle and enjoy a lovely Spring.

Sue, that would be wonderful, just name the date!

Cathy said...

Cathy your sketches are wonderful, as always!! I absolutely adore your page on the dancers! They are fantastic!
I love to follow your sketching sessions here and ther in Joburg, it reminds me of such good times in your company!

Cathy Gatland said...

Hi Cathy, thank you, the dancers were a challenge! We miss your company and input on our sketch crawls - maybe one day we'll get together again!

Ramblingroses said...

Such wonderful vignettes of Melville Cathy

Michel DAVINROY said...

So a nice souvenir my afternoon with Jo'burg sketchers at Market Theater (too short time !) Thank you Cathy for your "Welcome" and for your wonderfull sketches, hope tosee you next year !