How do you know which benches you’ve sketched from? How do you remember which ones you’ve still got to sketch from? These are the two questions I get asked when I talk about my sketches of views from benches on my usual walks around Peterborough.
Perhaps, if I’d started this as a project to sketch from all the benches in Peterborough I’d have set maps and a list of the order I’d do them in so there couldn’t be any confusion. Whilst I don’t use X to mark my sketching spots (I use arrows) it seemed relevant to this heading. Creating these paintings has a huge air of spontaneity and I rarely know which benches I’ll sit on till I’m there sketching.
I keep a note as best I can on each sketch of where it is sometimes. I also have a bit of a map of Bridge Street, remember B the street that has 46 benches in it? And bizarrely, I can remember most of them and know which one’s I’ve still to do. Tomorrows post will talk about the confusion when two benches are next to each other and the view’s not that different.
Then there’s the sketches that have an unusual view.. My pet hate is when marquees are placed directly in front of a bench I want to sketch from. Mind you, I usually can’t stop giggling while I’m sketching the block of colour, love the reaction of anyone who sees me sketch the back of a marquee and of those who wonder why I did it when they see the final sketch. These can be the hardest to remember where x marks the spot was..
The sketches also have hints in them. Take the market ones, there’s ten in two circles and I use the one’s I’ve already done to help work out which I’ve still to do. If a sketch has other benches in it it’s much easier for me to confirm those I’ve completed. Working out which sketches to use for this post I’ve realised there’s over thirty which have benches within the sketch.
Sketches made during events can be tricky to work out where they were done from as the buildings usually give the clue. This is where the other street furniture which is linked to the benches helps.
And finally.. As we’re getting close to Z, here’s the first in my latest sketching series that I’m so excited about! I thought I’d be sketching from station benches in order as I could see immediate problems with working out which bench I’d sketched from or not and if I went in a set route I thought it would give me a bit of helpful routine. That’s not going to work as I’ve already done two from one bench and sat on platform 6 before finishing all from the benches on platform 7, though I might manage to stick to two platforms at a time..
My AtoZ Blogging Challenge is all about sketches I’ve done this past year and some benches I’ve met along the way. Most but not all of the sketches were done from benches during my walk to work and around town where I shop.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post why not see what others are doing too during 2015 AtoZ Blogging Challenge.
lynnelives 