De Hang van Laaksum

Sinds het laatste bericht over De Hang (op 17 april 2018) ben ik nog een aantal keren wezen kijken en tekenen. Er was door de rechter besloten dat de familie Smits uit Staveren (de eigenaar) een viswinkel in het gebouwtje mag vestigen. Men kon beginnen met de restauratie. De eerste keer dat ik daar dit jaar was, stonden de attributen die nodig waren (een schaftkeet, wc-tje, generator, afvalcontainer, etc.) er.

Ook de spullen die binnen lagen, lagen nu buiten op het bouwterrein. Ik had gelezen dat de werkzaamheden voor de zomer klaar moesten zijn.
Op 29 maart was ik er weer. Met mijn broer Jaap en hij heeft vastgelegd dat ik met de tekening bezig was.

Ik kon weer dezelfde tekening maken...

Op 17 mei, vlak voordat ik naar Chicago ging, was ik weer een paar dagen in Poppenwier en ging met dorpsgenoot Roelof Nap kijken hoe ver ze nu waren gekomen. Er was een groot bord verschenen. Nu wisten we in ieder geval over het hoe en wat, maar het zag er niet naar uit dat het project voor de zomer klaar zou zijn.

We zijn nu midden in de zomervakatie. Toen ik gister weer eens ging kijken, was het enige (uiterlijke) verschil een grote cementcontainer, een paar witte deuren, nieuwe raamkozijnen aan de achterkant en de grote houten wand aan de voorkant (vanaf de weg) was verdwenen. Naast de cementcontainer lag een stapel kalkzandsteen, de steen die gebruikt was in 1920. Er werd duidelijk gewerkt.

Terwijl ik aan het tekenen was, scharrelde mijn metgezel over het terrein en maakte foto's. Onder andere deze...

foto: Hettie Goverts

De grootste verandering en progressie bleek van binnen te zijn. Kennelijk is het de bedoeling van de architect dat de erosie van de stenen aan de buitenkant zichtbaar blijft.

foto Hettie Goverts

Je ziet dat de voegen nog staan en dat de stenen stevig uitgehold zijn. De kalkzandsteen lijkt me nu ook niet bepaald een geschikte steen voor een gebouw aan zee. Datzelfde geldt voor het glas dat een ijzer omlijsting heeft en nu volledig is verwoest.
Al met al is Laaksum een geweldige plek om een dagje door te brengen. Al was het alleen al om bij Terras Overwijk 'een vette bek' te halen. Zij zitten hier al zolang ik weet (40 jaar?) en op zo'n dag als gister, druk bezocht.

10th Urban Sketchers Symposium in Amsterdam

The 10th Urban Sketchers Symposium was from July 24 till 27th 2019. It was my second Symposium (my first was in 2016 in Manchester) and this time I was a volunteer.
I think we were with 75 volunteers and we all got a red T-shirt. My task was to sell merchandise for the Urban Sketchers Netherlands and accompany people on several sketch walks. There were about 500 people with a workshop pass from all over the world. For sketch walks people didn't need a pass and in the end photo we were with 1500 sketchers! The little red spot in the back is me!

Normally The Netherlands have a moderate temperature, but during this Symposium we reached temperatures of 100 F, so it was hard for everybody to make sketches and do workshops. However, nobody let the temperature influence the amount of sketches or the fun.
On my first day I had time to do 2 sketches in the neighborhood of the venue (The Zuiderkerk).

This was the Mozes and Aaron Church on the Waterloo Plein.

On the left is the tower of the Zuiderkerk. In front part of the Waterlooplein Market.
On the second day I was selling merchandise in the morning, but in the afternoon we had a Sketchwalk in the neighborhood of the Amstel and Amstelveld. I think there were about 50 people joining this sketchwalk. Natascha and me had some time before we met again and do the Show and Tell and make the photo. I made a sketch in my Little Sketchbook (the one I got at my workshop with Gabi Campagnario) from the terrace of Nel.

The morning of the 26th I also went to the Amstelveld to accompany the Sketchwalk people. This time I was with Claudia. I planned to make a sketch for the Silent Auction. This morning the whole Amstelveld was covered with stalls. There was a 'Brocante' Market. I found a nice shadowy spot on the other side of the Prinsengracht. Just at the corner of the Reguliersgracht.

The last day of the Symposium, on Saturday the 27th, I was happy to do a workshop myself with Ch'ng Kiah Kiean from Malaysia. He teaches to cut your own pen from a Jasmine twig and use Chinese ink to make the drawing. This is the result of my trial. I'll need more practice...

The yellow and red spots are the signs of the Canal Pride which was to be on this same day and the week after.
In the afternoon it was time to do the last Sketchwalk with all the participants (1500!). We were sitting all around the IJ near the Nemo Museum and the Scheepvaart Museum. There were sketchers everywhere you looked!

At 5.30 it was time to make the last photo (see above) and head to the Final Reception at the Bimhuis. There was also the Silent Auction and the announcement of the Symposium 2020.
It will be in Hong Kong!
For me it was over. I met a lot of new and old people, specially Mary Jo and Alex from Chicago. For me it was time to relax and digest the experiences of those days. We'll meet again, but I'm not sure it will be in Hong Kong.
I started my Symposium in Zandvoort where I did a workshop with Suhita Shirodkar and Marine Grachnek.

People Mania!

Chicago Urban Sketchers Seminar 2019

Because my son lives in Lake Bluff now, I was able to join the annual Urban Sketchers Seminar in Chicago. I could to subscribe for 4 workshops eg Amy Larsen for Procreate (drawing on your iPad), Shari Blaukopf for watercolor, Jenny Zhang for the skyline and last but not least 'Chicago in Your Pocket Sketchbook' by Gabi Campanario!
I didn't do so much with the iPad (yet) and the workshop by Shari Blaukopf had a lot of rainshowers, so I didn't finish the watercolors, but I learned a lot and I hope it will show later in my sketches.

This is Shari Blaukopf explaining to us the use of 3 primary colors to finish a sketch. For background you can mix the 3 colors to make a fantastic grey! This photo was during a dry moment.

Jenny Zhang 'Let the Lines Walk' gave us some exercises how to approach the skyline.

And make it more dynamic by splashing paint on the sketch.
On the right is a sketch I started the day before, during lunchtime. Grant Park is on the other side of the road from our hub: The American Academy of Arts.
I finished this sketch with the attitude Jenny Zhang learned us.










In the afternoon it was time to do the workshop by Gabi Campanario. We all got a little sketchbook (9 x 14 cm.) of the epsilon series from Stillman and Birn and two pencils. A 3B and a 4H.

He is a very good instructor. Het gave us a handout in the same size as the sketchbook and we all had to laugh because of the subjectfinder he showed.

To become a fearless urban sketcher,  ti's best to have a small, easy to carry notebook. It's ideal to make quick sketches when you don't have much time to spare.

He also gave the handles to sketch a whole street and skyscraper.  into this little book.

We made some sketches to practice and I had to get used to the small size, but two days after the Seminar, when I was meeting some ladies of the Chicago Urban Sketchers I had some time left and made a sketch of the Tribune Building (below).

Here's another sketch, but in a bigger (8 x 10 inch, 20,3 x 25,4 cm) sketchbook of Stillman & Birn (betaseries).

To finish this tale, a sketch in my little sketchbook of the place at O'Hara Airport where they serve the worst hotdog I ever ate...

Back in Chicago!

Every journey to the States start of course at Schiphol Airport. I didn't give myself much time to draw, so this drawing looks a bit 'shaken'. I had a wonderful seat with lots of leg room and a nice compagnion. The seat in between us was empty! I read half a book, saw 2 movies and a sitcom and we were in no time at our destination (after 9 hours!).

I'm visiting my family in Lake Bluff and also bought a ticket to the Chicago Urban Sketchers Seminar 2019, a three day event on May 31st and June 1st and 2nd.
But first I had to acquaint myself with the familiar places like the dog beach. When I arrived it was 28 C. Nice and warm.

Jake, the family dog played with his friend and took mouthfuls of water.
I decided to draw the village, starting with the Village Hall.

On Sunday the 26th of May we visited Nancy's friends in Barrington, als a little village in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. As they had a dog as wel we went to Bo's Dog Run Park in Hoffmans Estate. The dogs do their thing and their owners talk to each other.

On Monday it was Memorial Day. The day that the soldiers, fire-workers and policeman who died while doing their duty are commemorated. In Lake Bluff the fire trucks stood outside of their garage and I put my stool opposite the garage to draw them.

While I was drawing, a lady spoke to me who introduced herself as the President of the Village. She liked my drawings (I also showed her the drawing of the village hall) and she liked to put them up in the Village Hall. So I promised her to have prints made which I will take with me, the next time I come to visit.
In the afternoon Jelle and I went to Chicago. Later we heard that it was the rainiest day since 1895 and there was a tornado alert. I made a picture of the rain and the skyline...

We saw the Wave of Hokusai in the Chicago Art Institute and some paintings of Monet and Van Gogh I never saw before.