From the sketchbooks.

Ali. Pencil, A6 sketchbook © Sue Pownall 2011

I'm currently working on 2 pen & ink drawings and so haven't posted for a while. Also, I'm trying to limit my computer time as it seems to aggravate my neck problems (so sorry everyone whose blogs I haven't seen nor commentated on). However, following a colleague asking when I was posting next I thought I should post the sketches I have done recently.  

Above - my student Ali working.

Below - 3 sketches from a dhow trip last weekend. I used pencil for a change in A5 sketchbook.

© Sue Pownall 2011

© Sue Pownall 2011

© Sue Pownall 2011

 Fyi the top deck of dhow, where I sketched, photo by M Thomson.

Finally below, from an expat band's performance. Ink in A6.

© Sue Pownall 2011

 btw I wrote this on Wednesday, but due to a problem with blogger I couldn't upload the images and then have had a busy weekend. Sorry for the delay.

Enlivening the canvas

Qatari Magazine Woman Today June 2011. Front cover mention & 3 page spread.

Back in March I got talking to a reporter at an International Women's Day event here in Doha. Shortly afterwards she contacted me wishing to do an article on my art and then at the beginning of April we met. I was very embarrassed to have my photo taken by the staff photographer in a local coffee shop and then felt like I stuttered through the interview. Whilst I talk about myself and my art here, in quite a personal way, face-to-face was a new experience. After a two month wait, it appeared in the new edition of the magazine yesterday.

My name is on the cover!

Due to copyright, I have made a collage of the 3 page article, but here is the link if you want to read it.

Woman Today June 2011

FYI some of the English in the quotes is not how I said it, and a few facts are off. Journalistic licence with the title too as I don't use canvas, but overall I'm really pleased with it. Well who wouldn't be? - a three page spread and my name on the cover.

Seemed to have cracked this PR thing, now if I could only get some commissions and I'll be over the moon.

If you do want to commission something, maybe a building, a landscape, or something else, please use the contact form at the top of this blog.

Off to sea...

MIA from Dhow © Sue Pownall 2011

aka not motivated to finish a drawing.

Dhow harbour, Doha. © Sue Pownall 2011

Yesterday, despite a huge art list of things I wanted to complete and start, I was not inclined to do anything and did not have any self-discipline. A last minute text message had me running away to sea, just for the afternoon, on a dhow. Despite the high temperatures there was a lovely breeze, so it was a great way to spend the afternoon.

Sunbathers in A5 sketchbook.

I tried to sketch some peps up on deck but they were all too young & active and would not stay in one place for long, so I abandoned my sketchbook.

Fun © Sue Pownall 2011

Dhows at Dusk © Sue Pownall 2011

In the news!

Gulf Times, Time Out section, 18 May 2011

Detail from article. Gulf Times 18 May '11

Yesterday, my interview for the Gulf Times appeared in the paper. Originally, it was only supposed to be a few column inches, but to my amazement I was on the cover of the Time Out section as the cover story, and then there was a double page spread inside.

Detail from Section Cover. Gulf Times 18 May '11

To say I was/am amazed by such a big spread is an understatement. The lovely journalist, Usha Desai, has written the article so well, I want to publicly say thank you to her. Usha contacted me after seeing a forum post about my SketchCrawl raising funds for Japan, if you missed the post it's here.

Gulf Times caption says: Sue Pownall and fellow sketchers show off their drawings outside a cafe on the Corniche during the benefit drawing marathon for Japan organised last month.

You can read the interview from this link:
http://www.gulf-times.com/mritems/streams/2011/5/18/2_435413_1_255.pdf

Finally, to quote artist Jenni Eden:

"See how the universe opens up such wonderful opportunities when you start concentrating on what you love!!"

I don't think Jenni is wrong.

Hot, hot, hot

Small Boab tree, A5 sketchbook, ©Sue Pownall 2011

Summer has arrived in the Gulf, and according to my taxi driver - and they are the people who know - midday yesterday was 46°C. However, when I ventured out after 4pm it had cooled to 42°C, but that was still too hot to sketch outside, so I went to the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA). It is a beautiful building, and I have posted photos of it before like this one over on my other blog.

Beautiful architectural detail inside MIA.

I went specifically for the special exhibition  The Golden Age of Dutch Painting, which finishes 6th June, and it was amazing to stand less than a metre away from Rembrandt portraits and other great paintings. After I'd admired the paintings, I sat in the gloomy exhibition hall and sketched the other visitors viewing the paintings.

Viewing Dutch Masters, A5 sketchbook ©Sue Pownall 2011

Next, I investigated a couple of the exhibit rooms, heading first to the calligraphy, but then headed outside to warm up. Note: Aircon is set to freezing here, so you need jumpers inside. Mathaf: Arab museum of modern art, has an extension building near MIA, so I walked across the garden to it. Amazingly, the temperature had dropped outside and when I spotted a beautifully architectural Boab tree I had to quickly record it - quickly because it was now sunset, and the cool was relative, so I couldn't stay outside too long. I love the looseness of my painting above and I am so looking forward to getting to Cuba (94 days according to the counter above) with its Caribbean colours and vegetation.

Boab

The Al-Riwaq Art Space looks like an aircraft hanger outside and is disparate against the beautiful gardens and building of MIA, however it has a great internal space for the two exhibitions told/untold/retold and interventions, both finishing at the end of this month. I am not a fan of video installations, however Sadik Kwaish Alfraji's made me stop, sit down and watch it. Also, I finally saw the installation by Lamia Joreige, whose talk I went to back in March, which I also liked and understood more for having attended the talk.

MIA from Al-Riwaq Art Space.

 What a fabulous arty day, both for viewing and creating, I need more days like this in my life!

31st WW SketchCrawl Doha: Japan Benefit

A selection of photos from the Doha SketchCrawl

Enrico Casarosa, who established the Worldwide SketchCrawl, suggested that this weekend's event should be a benefit drawing marathon for Japan. Here in Doha, I arranged an event for the day before as some people work on Saturday, including several of my architect friends - for most of us our weekend is Friday/Saturday. After setting up an event on facebook, I then posted it on some event forums, plus put up and/or mailed flyers around the city and posted here. I suggested a minimum donation to join in as it seem that many people here have already given to various charities helping Japan.  

ShelterBox emergency equipment © ShelterBox 2010.

I have donated through the charity shelterbox, who provide emergency boxes, with each box supplying an extended family of up to 10 people with a tent and essential equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless. Please check out their website. They are also in UK, shelterbox.org, and you can read reports about their work in Japan on both sites.

WIP. Pencil. A4 ©Sue Pownall

Enrico suggested us crawlers collect sponsorship, so I printed out some forms and asked my colleagues at work. Some gave a fixed amount whilst others offered to pay a per picture amount, motivation to draw lots on the day, however the storms of the previous days made drawing loads doubtful. One colleague took a form into his classroom and got some incredible amounts pledged. Yet another colleague asked me to draw a picture of his sons for “a large donation”. Whilst, I find pencil drawings a bit flat and boring, I of course started the drawing that night. It is still a work in progress (above) but will be finished before work on Sunday.

My 1st A5 sketch. Brunch in the Atrium. ©Sue Pownall

Friday arrived and it was pouring with rain. Here in the Gulf, in April, it is an unusual phenomenon, and we have had storms on and off for the last few days. I don't have an umbrella, so began to wonder how to draw and keep both me and my sketchbook dry. Our meeting point was the Atrium Lounge café at the Sheraton and I arrived early to get my first sketch done and to worry if anyone else would come out in the rain.

2: Orchids, coffee pot, dessert ©Sue Pownall

At 12.30, start time, S called to say he was on the way and arrived a little later with 2 others, and before them 3 of my good friends turned up. Drinking teas and coffees, which the lovely café staff brought with big smiles, we drew each other, hotel things, even the biscuits which came with the drinks.

3. F sketching me sketching him. ©Sue Pownall

We stayed there in case anyone else was going to show up and until we were out of inspiration, but it was only the 7 of us when we moved about 2.30.

5 .K & K with shisha pipe (no predrawing) ©Sue Pownall

Outside it was still raining and very windy, so a plan B was quickly hatched. Jumping into the cars we went to a local's cafe at the other end of the Corniche and secured a table outside, but under a straw awning. Sketching recommenced whilst more teas and coffees were drunk and some shisha (hubbly bubbly pipes) smoked. At one point, an Omani sat at the next table with his friends asked to be drawn so F & I obliged and then gave him the drawings in exchange for a donation to our drawing fund.

7. Khamis by me ©Sue Pownall

Khamis with Khamis by F

omg do I really pull such faces when drawing

Finally, around 5, we posed with our sketchbooks and said our goodbyes, promising to sketch together again soon. I hope so as it was a lovely afternoon, although tiring from the concentration of drawing so much.

31st WW SkC - Doha Sketchers

Thank you all for turning up and making it a successful afternoon. Our donation envelope held 330 Qatari Rial, about $90 at the end of the day. My sponsorship and the amount for the pencil sketch are still to be collected. 

Edit: A map of all the 31st SketchCrawls that took place and their results (currently a work in progress as the results come in)


View 31th World Wide SketchCrawl in a larger map 

In a rut

Light sticks ©Sue Pownall 2011

I am currently in a rut. I know what I want to draw and have 2 drawings with their pencil outlines started and tacked to the wall, but do not have the motivation to continue either of them. I'm blaming being sick this last week, although I'm feeling 90% better now. As a motivator, and because the weather is perfect at the moment, I took a late afternoon walk along the length of the Corniche, which I haven't done before. My sketchbook remained in my bag, but I took lots of photos. Here are some of them:

Contemplation ©Sue Pownall 2011

Fishing reflections ©Sue Pownall 2011

Dusk on the Corniche ©Sue Pownall 2011

Think ©Sue Pownall 2011

Realise ©Sue Pownall 2011

"D" ©Sue Pownall 2011

©Sue Pownall 2011

Water reflections red ©Sue Pownall 2011

Water reflections blue ©Sue Pownall 2011

©Sue Pownall 2011

CBD ©Sue Pownall 2011

Pots, animals and smoke.

Pots. Pen & ink. A5 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011

Yesterday, with friends I went to visit a Qatari farm. Naturally, I had my sketch book with me and whilst people chatted around me I drew a couple of the pots.

Qatari farm with desert scenery behind.©Sue Pownall 2011

Look at me! I am so pretty. ©Sue Pownall 2011

My best profile. ©Sue Pownall 2011

Earlier in the week, I was early to meet friends at Kempinski's bar, so whilst I sat in an alcove I sketched a man sitting on a bar stool smoking. As you can see, he finished smoking before I finished drawing that arm and he didn't smoke another until after my friends arrived.

Smoking in Kempinski's. Pen & ink. A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011