Holiday in Saumur (1)

 

I just returned from a nice holiday in France, the Loire valley. A camping site near Saumur. It was very hot, unrelenting high temperatures. This is a view of the centre of Saumur, with the beautiful castle on top of the hill. I drew this from the bridge over the river Loire.

Maastricht, Boschstraat.

 This is the little square in from of the Matthiaskerk in Maastricht. Or should I say very wide street? Anyway, it has some of the best terracec in Maastricht, on which we ended our afternoon.

Platinum carbon black ink, Lamy calligraphy fountain pen and watercolour in a Khadi sketchbook.

The Hague Cityscape

 

Abother drawing of the National Dutch Urban Sketching weekend.In the Hague on Saturday, I made another Illustrated Cityscape drawing like I did last April in Gouda. I made a foldout that fits my drawing board. I used a sheet 55x65cm bamboo paper, the watercolourpencils are Derwent Inktense. THey are really good for this kind of work.

 It is the square in front of the Royal palace "Noordeinde", and even though it was hot (we have a heatwave now) there was a large tree so I could stay in the shadow, 

Scheveningen Kurhaus

 

I helped organize a National Dutch Urban Sketching weekend. Saturday 20th in the Hague, Sunday at the beach in Scheveningen. It was really hot there, we have a record breaking heat wave at theis moment.

After managing the central meeting post, I had some time left to make this drawing on the Boulevard, at the seaside: the old Kurhaus building. Ink and watercolour in my Khadi sketchbook.

Valkenburg: USk.

 

The Maastricht Urban Sketchers met today in Valkenburg. The group was about 12 people, we even had three from Eupen (Belgium) with us. The weather was lovely. I managed to make 3 drawings, this is one of them.

 

Gouda: sketchday

 

Last Saturday I helped organize a National Urban Sketching Netherlands day. This time in Gouda. I had visited Gouda for preparation purposes early March (see some of the sketches below), so I figured I would try something else now.

As it happened, last week I read the Thesis of Tania Cardoso "The illustrated cityscape: Imperfect lines of urban exploration", a very interesting scientific text on illustrating the urban environment.

I used her methodology to make this drawing, on a 50x70cm piece of paper. The cross-form was based on the fact that my backpack can only handle a 25x30cm drawing board and drawings. In this way I could fold the paper to that size. I used Inktense watercolour pencils, which I found to be quite suitable for this purpose. I hadn't used them fo maybe 10 years.....

Anyway, an experiment worth repeating. 

St. Servaas, Maastricht

 

We had a meeting with the Maastricht Urban Sketchers last Saturday. a few hours of drawing, end then a nice beer in one of the cafés.

My previous sketchbook was full, so I tried a new one. Usually I use Moleskine ART (watercolour) sketchbooks A4 and A5. But this time I thought I would use something else: a Khadi sketchbook, 210 grams all cotton paper. I behaves totally different, it takes the watercolour in a different way. I kind of like the effect, but it needs adapting.  

Gouda Goud Asfalt

 

Quick sketch across the canal in Gouda, and asphalt company unloading into ships.

Gouda, museum harbour

 To prepare for an Urban Sketching meeting in Gouda, on April 18th, I visited potential locations to sketch. This is along one of the canals, at the museum harbour, full of old ships.

Maastricht Ceramique

We had an Urban Sketching Meeting in Maastricht, yesterday. Thew sun shone, it was cold evn though it improved during the day. This was made behind the glass of the library, with a view between modern buildings towards the old city center.
 

 

Utrecht: Museum Speelklok

 

I am secretary of the Association of Dutrch Urban Sketchers. We have 2 new boardmembers, and one leaving, to get o know each other we had a lunch in Utrecht. Unfortunately it was too cold to sketch outside, so we went to a museum of automated musical instruments, like pianola, streetorgans, carrilions and clocks. The top one was cute: an automated Van Gogh puppet, who paints sunflowers every hour. And when he is finished the sunflowers turn around in the painting :) .

Amersfoort, USk-NL day (2)

 

Forgot to post this one. Not 100% content, but that's okay. My aunt lives in Amersfoort, she is 99 years old, will be 100 in November. She has a painting of this scene hanging in her apartment, dating from about 1940 or so. But even though that one is a winter scene, nothing much has changed since then.

Amersfoort, USk-NL day

 

We organized another National Urban Sketching day in Amersfoort. There were about 300 sketchers in town. Even gthough it was quite hot (>31 degrees Celcius), we had a great day. But it is a beautiful old Dutch town. With canals, tiny streets, ancient gabeled houses, and these kind of old fortifications. I tried watercolour pencils (W&N) on toned paper, with some parts in white gouache.

USk Maastricht: Faliezusters

 

Another one from the Maastricht Urban Sketching meeting. Het Faliezustersklooster. Made rather quick, maybe half an hour.

Enschede (2)

 

Drawing of the side of the Jacobuskerk (Jacob church). It was a secluded little square, quite popular to draw.

Enschede: café Moeke

 

I just had a great weekend. Not only did I visit my good friend Igor (which I hadn't seen since my study days, 35 years ago) and his lovely partner Wilma, but the Urban Sketching Netherlands organized a Saturday of sketching in Enschede. This is café Moeke, where all 220 participants assembled before we went into town to paint and sketch.

Den Bosch: St Janscentrum

 

Last saturday there was a coördination meeting with the local Urban Sketching groups, in Den Bosch. After exchanging views and brainstorming on new ideas, we all went out into the cloister garden to draw. The magnolia trees were almost popping out in beautiful blossom.

Spoorwegmuseum

 

A locomobile, as on display in teh railway museum, that we visited a week ago. It was a quick one, I had only half an hour left before we had the final closing meeting.

Spoorwegmuseum

 

Urban Sketchers Netherlands (of which I am boardmember) organized an event in Utrecht, at the Spoorwegmuseum (railway museum). There were numerous trains to paint and draw. And we had 350 sketchers joining us, a great event. I made three drawings. One of them was a total failure, which I destroyed immediately. The other two were fine. This is the front part of a huge Scottish steam train, exhibited because it played a role in the liberation of the Netherlands, 80 years ago. black ink on toned paper, with white gouache.

Den Bosch St Jan

 

Also painted on location, acrylic gouache on toned papeer, the cathedral of 's Hertogenbosch.