Drawing Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Nearly every day for the last thirty years I have jumped on the number 11 tram to travel down Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. I have wandered along the shops, eaten kebabs, and enjoyed cappucinos and eggs benedict in the cafes. But it took a trip overseas for me to come home and truly “see” Brunswick Street. Now I notice the shapes of the rooftops, the ghost signs, the towers and the cast iron lace. I can’t believe all this beauty has been here in front of me for so long and that I have simply taken it for granted.

No longer. I have challenged myself to a very long term project of drawing the buildings along Brunswick Street. As a librarian I also want to research the history of the area so that I can learn more about the people who lived here in times past. I want to learn more about this local community of mine, and discover how I fit in. It’s going to take a very long time – years in fact – so that in itself will be a lesson in patience and mindfulness for me. If you would like to follow along with me you can keep an eye on this blog, or follow me on Instagram .

Collection of prints showing buildings and street fronts from Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Acknowledgement of country

Before going any further, I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land around Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, the Wurundjeri people, and to pay my respects to their ancestors and elders both past and present.

My drawings highlight a fairly recent urban history, only since the 1850s, and I’ll be getting my stories from passers by, vintage photos and old newspapers. The indigenous history of the area is much better described by people other than myself, and you can read more about it here – https://aboriginalhistoryofyarra.com.au/ and https://www.wurundjeri.com.au/

Drawing Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Videos about my Brunswick Street sketches

Blog posts – sketching in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Proud to be a featured artist in Stephanie Bower’s “World of Urban Sketching”!

Proud to be a featured artist in Stephanie Bower’s “World of Urban Sketching”!

1 Jan 2023

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...

Artist feature at Pedestrian Space

Artist feature at Pedestrian Space

23 Aug 2021

I was pretty chuffed when I was recently approached by Annika Lundkvist to become one of the Friday feature artists on her website, Pedestrian Space. Obviously I checked out the other artists and...

Brunswick Street Brick by Brick – Exhibition at the Black Cat, 4-17 July 2021

Brunswick Street Brick by Brick – Exhibition at the Black Cat, 4-17 July 2021

3 Jul 2021

After many postponements due to Covid lockdowns, the opening of my exhibition at the Black Cat, 252 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, is ON for 4pm on Sunday 4 July 2021. Hooray!! I can feel that glass of...

Sketching pigeon portraits above the Black Cat, 252 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Sketching pigeon portraits above the Black Cat, 252 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

3 Jul 2021

"Did you see the man feeding the pigeons on the roof?" asked a passer by as I sat sketching in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. I looked up from my drawing and sure enough, there they were in the distance...

Sketches and history of the Belvidere Hotel, 77 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy

Sketches and history of the Belvidere Hotel, 77 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy

13 Jan 2021

I was caring for my dad when I first started drawing Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. It was late 2018. Dad lived in Bourke Street, right near Parliament House, and our family was taking turns supporting...

Sketching Brunswick Street, Fitzroy: signs of the times, cancellations, click and collect, black lives matter

Sketching Brunswick Street, Fitzroy: signs of the times, cancellations, click and collect, black lives matter

14 Nov 2020

Walking down Brunswick Street from Alexandra Parade (still in my 5km limit), I tried to spot signs specific to Melbourne in 2020. Situations we could never have imagined – such as long postponed acts at the Evelyn Hotel, or closed shops with instructions on click and collect. The Black Lives Matter posters on the walls of the fire brigade credit union stayed long enough for me to capture. A few days later they were gone, showing just how important it is to record these moments in history.

Instagram – #helendrawsbrunswickstreet

helenwildingart

Australian artist, urban sketcher, librarian with a long term project to draw all of Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Prints available through my website.

The corner of Victoria and Young Streets, Fitzroy,

The corner of Victoria and Young Streets, Fitzroy, on a toasty 30 degree Melbourne Cup Day. There was a very large praying mantis watching over me. Can you spot it? It was a surprisingly peaceful spot to draw from. I was in the shade and had excellent company, with just the occasional passer by. This took me about 2 hours, which was quick for me. I always know when it's time to move on, because the bathroom calls! #melbourneurbansketchers #urbansketchers #usk #fitzroy #panorama #streetscape #bockingford #watercoloursketch #citysketch #melbourneartist

This is how much I can scribble in about an hour a

This is how much I can scribble in about an hour and a half. It needs more (is that blank paper on the right??!) and colour, but that would have to be another visit so may never happen. I have absolutely no interest in drawing from photos, so that's not an option. I was sitting out the back of the Eye and Ear Hospital in East Melbourne, on Morrison Place, just near the interestingly named Bionic Ear Lane. It was a very blowy morning, but I was protected from the wind and may even have caught some sun, which was unexpected. To the right is what has been described as a Swedenborgian Church built by Lloyd Taylor 1872-73 and out of sight to the right is St Patrick's Cathedral. It was a nice spot and quiet - except for the regular ambulance sirens. #melbourneurbansketchers #usk #urbansketchers #urbansketch #sketch #penandink #bockingford #deatramentisink #twsbieco #eastmelbourne

Absolutely YES to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Absolutely YES to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. No queues at our voting place, and it took less than a minute. Fastest and easiest vote ever. #australianreferendum #yes

The Tin Pot Cafe, on the corner of Scotchmer Stree

The Tin Pot Cafe, on the corner of Scotchmer Street and St George's Road, North Fitzroy. I spent a lovely day sketching, chatting and munching with @katiebkitchen from Adelaide and @jodiwileyart - the Melbourne weather played along in a good mood, lots of people stopped to see what we were doing and chat about art, and I was even recognised (!!) which I always find surprising :) #melbourneurbansketchers #urbansketchers #usk #fitzroynorth #sketching #bockingford @tinpot_cafe #scotchmerstreet #penandink #pendrawing

Yes, these Brunswick Street sketches of mine do te

Yes, these Brunswick Street sketches of mine do tend to get rather long. So long that it is really hard to show in an upright phone format, but see what you think. As usual this was drawn over several mornings, in all sorts of weather, and with all sorts of vehicles parking in front of me! You can see why I don't try adding colour to these ones in the street when they are likely to blow away :) #helendrawsbrunswickstreet #brunswickstreetfitzroy #usk #melbourneurbansketchers #urbansketchers #bockingford #streetsketch #panoramasketch #pendrawing #streetscape #fitzroy @creaturesofhabitbar @brunswickstreetbookstore @ricepaperscissors_ @hdchairdressing @achillesgreekstreetfood @loreperfumery

Added degree of difficulty this morning on Brunswi

Added degree of difficulty this morning on Brunswick Street. I wanted to fill in some 'bottoms' which were previously blocked by parked cars. I was going ok, then this .... who can relate? #truckintheway #helendrawsbrunswickstreet #urbansketching #urbansketchers #melbourneurbansketchers #usk #bockingford #brunswickstreet #sketchingonlocation

Today I finished drawing the section of Brunswick

Today I finished drawing the section of Brunswick Street between Alimentari and Madame Saigon - numbers 251 to 261. I thought I'd try to be all modern -like and try my hand at video editing so you could get an idea of the process not just today but over the many weeks it takes me to complete one of these streetscapes. Today I returned to the area to fill in the bits I missed earlier due to trucks and parked cars, only to find myself dodging a big rubbish skip! Ah well, such is the challenge of sketching in the real world! Regardless, it had the bonus of chatting to one of the guys filling the skip, as well as a lady out with her baby, a postie doing his deliveries, and even a lady who kindly parked her car specifically not to block our view :) I will add watercolour at some stage but that will be safely in my studio! #helendrawsbrunswickstreet #melbourneurbansketchers #urbansketchers #usk #urbansketch #melbourneartist #brunswickstreet #brunswickstreetfitzroy #fitzroy #melbournestreetscapes #bockingford #melbourneheritage #victorianarchitecture #architecturesketch #archisketch @alimentari.est1998 @skinandthreads @madamesaigon_fitzroy @hemleystore.au @olgadepolgaclothing @hemleyskateboarding

The United Firefighters Union in Brunswick Street,

The United Firefighters Union in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy on a freezing cold Melbourne morning. I drew this a while ago but had my proportions so wrong that I needed to revisit. This is my husband's union so I'm glad I could capture it, even though its 100 year anniversary billboard is long faded - not surprising as the centenary was 12 years ago now, in 2011! #helendrawsbrunswickstreet #melbourneurbansketchers #usk #urbansketchers #brunswickstreet #brunswickstreetfitzroy #bockingford #tradeunion #unitedfirefightersunion @ufuvic

Brunswick Street prints

SHOP BRUNSWICK STREET PRINTS

4 Comments

Dennis Toth on 8 November 2019 at 11.11 am

I like your sketches
Reply
- Helen Wilding on 8 November 2019 at 8.06 pm
  
  Thanks Dennis 🙂
  Reply
Jennifer Dawson on 22 July 2023 at 9.39 pm

I love your print of Bruswick st specially 483 as I lived there as a young girl..I was there from when I was born in 1944 until about 1952 when my family split up. I also visited the Town Hall house as my Grandpa worked there as the caretaker in about the same time frame. Several houses in Rae street were also family homes.Numbers 14 (demolished) 18 and 91..
I would love to revisit the area but I’m a bit old now to travel. Keep up your great work..
Kindest regards..Jenn.nee Carter..
Reply
- Helen Wilding on 22 July 2023 at 11.00 pm
  
  Thanks so much for your stories – it’s really lovely to hear a little about the people who lived in the area 🙂
  Reply

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