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!