More random stuff

 SQ Grand Mosque © Sue Pownall 2012

It's that time of year when I hit exhausted, which here in the Gulf is not helped by the heat - officially 48c as I type. It can't 'officially' go over 50 because work has to stop, this crazy temperature is NOT the reality. Feels like 41? No way more like feels like 51!!!!

Anyway it's been a strange few weeks. After the radio interview, which I shared in my last post, I was interviewed about my sketching for Y Magazine. The edition came out last Tuesday and below is the double page spread. The Pdf is here: http://www.y-oman.com/issues/224.pdf

With both the radio and the magazine interviews focusing on my sketching I thought I should do some, so on Sunday I went to Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. I was meeting a friend there who had never been. I arrived early in order to do the outside scene; sat in my car out of the heat of course. Top and below.

© Sue Pownall 2012

Whilst my friend wandered around, I found a spot to sit on the carpet and tried to capture some of the beauty of the mosque. However a quick sketch can hardly do it justice, so I must return with a whole morning to spare.

© Sue Pownall 2012

Finally, as my friend listened to a man talk about the mosque and Islam, I spent a couple of minutes trying to get an impression of the chandelier.

© Sue Pownall 2012

Drawing in an A5 sketchbook can only begin to capture it because:

The largest chandelier known in the world, weighs 8.5 tons. Made of Swarovski crystal, has gold plated metalwork, and hangs down for a length of 14 meters.  Source Ministry of Information & Swarovski Architecture.

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Sketch Muscat for NACA

Merchant House on Mutrah Corniche, A5 sketchbook ©Sue Pownall 2012

After arranging to raise funds for Japan's Tsunami relief last year, I decided to do something annually choosing a different charity each time. So this year, I organised Sketch Muscat in order to raise funds for Oman's National Association of Cancer Awareness. I chose a cancer charity as I have a friend who is going through treatment for breast cancer and it is partially due to her awareness and quick action (& good medical treatment) that she has recently received an all-clear.

Sketch Muscat took place on Thursday, a week before the 35th Worldwide SketchCrawl as I have to go to a work conference then, but was based on the SketchCrawl concept. You can read more about SketchCrawl here. The meeting point was the Cornich Cafe next to Mutrah Souq and after drawing in and around the souq area, we then worked our way along the Corniche. Our final sketches were made near the Al Rasood Al-Azam mosque. It is something I have always wanted to draw, but after an unsuccessful morning (drawing-wise) I chose to draw the old French merchant building next to it. I will return another day to attempt it.

After starting this post with my last sketch, here are the others. 

First a 5 minute sketch whilst waiting for hte Cornich Cafe to open, drawn from the stairs.

A5 sketchbook ©Sue Pownall 2012

 Then I drew the view from the table. My perspective and scale was diabolical, so I added strong watercolours in an attempt to disguise it.

A5 sketchbook ©Sue Pownall 2012

 Feeling disheartened with my beloved pen, I switched to pencil for this portrait of Ibrahim working on his first sketch.

A5 sketchbook ©Sue Pownall 2012

 Next, I drew inside the souq. Aziz, one of the sketchcrawling photographers (3 joined us at various times) took some photos, mainly of me sketching. I think I'll add colour to this sketch one day, although I'm concerned the shoe salesman may fall over backwards.

A5 sketchbook ©Sue Pownall 2012

Me by Aziz

 As we left the souq, our two youngest sketchers joined us, brought by their father of course, who is the photographer Ahmed S Al-Harthy.  Here is his website.

The young sketchers hard at work.

Sulaiman and his flying fish.

Finally, four of us posed with our sketchbooks before heading out of the heat and treating ourselves to a well-deserved juice.

 I'm still hoping to collect a few more rials, but this morning's total was 166 Omani Rials/ $431 /£270, which I shall take the the NACA office in a few days time.

Thank you everyone who turned up and to those who contributed too.

Finally, this was in the Omani press yesterday saying I was the organiser, a member of OSFA, and other stuff.

I was interviewed for the Times of Oman too, so hope to see that tomorrow.

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.

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.