Here's my drawing from the afternoon (too much talking...much of it about urban sketching rather than drawing in my case!) and also a photograph of us with our finished drawings in the sunshine.
Sunday, 27 April 2014
Urban Sketchers Manchester draw at Chorlton's Big Green Happening
Urban
Sketchers Manchester were invited to sketch at the 'Big Green Happening'
festival in Manchester yesterday. It was at St Clement's church, which
is in Chorlton - a leafy cosmopolitan south Manchester suburb, and the
event was about promoting sustainability and a greener way of life. Lots
of really interesting eco-businness in attendance including quirky
craft stalls, delicatessens, vegan food, craft beer, organic wines,
bicycle repairs and ethical fashion…and as the website says the event
was promoting...'campaigners, makers, doers, growers, educators and
builders'. It was a really friendly family orientated event...how nice
on a lovely spring afternoon which was perfect urban sketching weather!
Here's my drawing from the afternoon (too much talking...much of it about urban sketching rather than drawing in my case!) and also a photograph of us with our finished drawings in the sunshine.
Here's my drawing from the afternoon (too much talking...much of it about urban sketching rather than drawing in my case!) and also a photograph of us with our finished drawings in the sunshine.
Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Welcome to Urban Sketchers Manchester
Welcome to our Urban Sketchers Manchester blog. Here you will find information about us and our events, the next of which is at Chorlton's Big Green Happening at St Clement's Church, Edge Lane, Chorlton on Saturday 26th April. Meet us outside the church at 2pm. All welcome, no experience necessary, just bring drawing materials. We'll be refining the blog over the next few weeks so please bear with us until we're completely up and running. In the meantime if you wish to contact us please email urbansketchersmanchester@outlook.com
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Sketching the BBC Philharmonic.
Caroline had allowed her collage/drawing of Ordsall Hall to be used by the BBC Philharmonic for a poster and flyer of their upcoming local events, and so in return she has permission to spend a couple of days drawing the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in rehearsal, at their home in Media City, Salford. I'm her plus one.
For those who haven't attended a performance, the studio is a tall, cavernous white space, large enough to hold 60+ musicians comfortably, with a bank of seating for a small audience. The orchestra are in rehearsal, so the atmosphere and clothing is informal, although there is a tangible sense of their professionalism and concentration in the air. The conductor, a flamboyant Italian, is an old friend of the orchestra and popular with the musicians. There are fascinating hierarchies at work. Rehearsals begin with short passages, instructions to sub groups flying in a mixture of English and musical Italian.
To begin with we draw from the seating, self consciously nervous of dropping pencils or making loud noises with our paper, but welcoming smiles from the musicians put us at ease. In a break, a kindly violinist, who we've met before, takes us for a tea in the band room, and on a lightning trip in the lift to the top of the building. We look down on the new Coronation Street set, now visible across the Ship Canal. Despite my fear of heights, this would be a great place to sketch from!
Time passes too quickly, and the first day's efforts don't feel like anything special. There is such a clutter of chairs, coats, music stands and instruments that it feels difficult to focus.
On the second day we're aware of the public queuing for recordings of the Jeremy Kyle show in an adjoining studio- from the sublime to the ridiculous! Working on larger paper helps, with the confidence to add some colour, and I move down nearer the double bass players for a different perspective, the power of the music is overwhelming. Yesterday Strauss, today Tchaikovsky.
The musicians make kind comments about our work, and recognise each other in our sketches. I feel that a week or more would be needed to get to grips with such a wonderful subject, and we hope to return at some point.
Alastair Price.
For those who haven't attended a performance, the studio is a tall, cavernous white space, large enough to hold 60+ musicians comfortably, with a bank of seating for a small audience. The orchestra are in rehearsal, so the atmosphere and clothing is informal, although there is a tangible sense of their professionalism and concentration in the air. The conductor, a flamboyant Italian, is an old friend of the orchestra and popular with the musicians. There are fascinating hierarchies at work. Rehearsals begin with short passages, instructions to sub groups flying in a mixture of English and musical Italian.
To begin with we draw from the seating, self consciously nervous of dropping pencils or making loud noises with our paper, but welcoming smiles from the musicians put us at ease. In a break, a kindly violinist, who we've met before, takes us for a tea in the band room, and on a lightning trip in the lift to the top of the building. We look down on the new Coronation Street set, now visible across the Ship Canal. Despite my fear of heights, this would be a great place to sketch from!
Time passes too quickly, and the first day's efforts don't feel like anything special. There is such a clutter of chairs, coats, music stands and instruments that it feels difficult to focus.
On the second day we're aware of the public queuing for recordings of the Jeremy Kyle show in an adjoining studio- from the sublime to the ridiculous! Working on larger paper helps, with the confidence to add some colour, and I move down nearer the double bass players for a different perspective, the power of the music is overwhelming. Yesterday Strauss, today Tchaikovsky.
The musicians make kind comments about our work, and recognise each other in our sketches. I feel that a week or more would be needed to get to grips with such a wonderful subject, and we hope to return at some point.
Alastair Price.
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