It’s a pretty special feeling to be included in Stephanie Bower’s new book “The World of Urban Sketching”. It’s filled with lots of artists who I have admired for a long time, so even to be considered at all still blows me away, to be honest. There are over 150 urban sketchers from forty countries, and Melbourne made it!!

The book was released in late 2022, so I only recently received my copy and am still slowly making my way through, savouring it all. In the meantime,  I thought some of you might be interested in seeing my original artwork that is featured in the book, and hearing a little of their stories. My original artwork is on such a different scale to the little pictures on the page!

The video goes for around 6 minutes so if you have a short attention span you might want to fast forward. It seems I had more to talk about than I expected, which is part of the magic of sketching on location – you never forget the day you were there and what was happening around you.

Subtitles are available by clicking on “CC” at the bottom of the video.

There are quite a few Australians featured in the book, all with a unique way of looking at our country. Check out their Instagram pages!

Melbourne

• Angela Williams, super speedy live event sketcher who can fill a sketchbook before I fill a page – @lunchsketch
• Anna Wilson, magical children’s illustrator and storyteller, currently in the UK – @abottlefullofrain
• Helen Wilding, slightly obsessed with panoramas, detail and Brunswick Street, Fitzroy – @helenwildingart

Sydney

• Rooi Ping Lim, watercolourist who sketches far and wide with two pups in tow – @treksketcher_rooism
• Peter Rush, with a cereal packet there is no need for a sketchbook – @peter_rush_drawings
• Chris Haldane – oh her trees …. you could just sit right there in the shade of the branches – @chris_haldane
• Richard Briggs, master of linework – tapes urban sketches to the actual urban environment  – @richardbriggs_artist
• Liz Steel, super famous workshop teacher who needs no introduction in the urban sketching world – @lizsteelart

Canberra

• Girish Toraskar – multi skilled visual artist sharing rich watercolour landscapes to caricatures – @girishtoraskar

Brisbane

• Alan Innes, architecture mixed with warmth and wizardry – @alaninnes.art
• Peter Richards, urbanism, architecture, and so much detail! –  @pr_designthinkingdrawings

Have you seen the book? Has it inspired you? Is there something you especially want to share about it? Please do tell!

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