Sketcher’s World: Drawing in the Arctic, Royal Art, Books

Sketching in the Arctic

When Memphis-based painter and sketcher Elizabeth Alley learned about  a unique artist residency with the Arctic Circle program, her imagination was captured in a surprising way. Sketching on location is crucial to her studio art practice, she says. “I knew if I spent my time sketching during this residency on a ship in the Arctic that it would have a huge impact on the artwork I make in my studio,” Alley said.

The two-week residency, which took place in May, brought together international artists of all disciplines who collectively explored the high-Arctic Svalbard Archipelago and Arctic Ocean aboard a specially outfitted expedition vessel.

“The residency allowed me to expand my current painting focus on landscapes where different elements intersect (water’s edge, rivers, mountains, walkways, bridges, roads), incorporating the vocabulary of the Arctic,” said Alley, who gave a lecture about her experience at the recent Urban Sketchers Symposium in Poznan, Poland.

Making headlines

• Jenny Jing Zhang’s sketches of Chicago reflect a well-rounded city, reports WGN, a TV station covering the Chicago region.
• Jackson’s art blog went inside the sketchbook of James Hobbs, author of Sketcher Press’ “Sketchbook Reveal.”
• Nina Johansson was interviewed in the May issue of Situation Stockholm. 

Mural Beat

Patrick Vale’s sketchbook drawings and interviews with locals conducted during a series of outings on foot in Philadelphia’s Center City became the basis of “Some of the things that I saw and learnt on 4 walks around Philadelphia,” a subway stop mural commissioned by the owners of the Lit Brothers building. Watch Philly’s art blogger Conrad Benner, of StreetsDept, interview Vale on the spot.

Coronation Artists

In late spring, the artists from the Royal Drawing School who documented the Coronation of King Charles in May 2023 finally shared the final results of their once-in-a-lifetime assignment.

Phoebe Stannard created a series of monotypes documenting the experience outside Westminster Abbey.

Fraser Scarfe wrote that his oil and acrylic painting “Saluting the Crowds,” started “as small painterly notes made in the rain and were later reworked and changed in the studio over a number of months.”

Gideon Summerfield’s on- the- spot work during the Coronation evolved into a triptych titled “The Coronation – Back to the Palace.” 

“Inviting artists to sketch, paint and draw scenes from the Coronation, reflects Their Majesties’ shared appreciation of, and affection for, the arts and creative industries and continues a long tradition of such commissions by other Monarchs,” reads a statement from the Royal Family shared along with this video where you can see King George admiring the artists’ work.

Print matters

Andrew James, an illustrator and sketchbook artist based in Wellington, recently tagged along with The Capital Kiwi Project, a local conservation agency, to document the release of 11 endangered kiwi birds into the wild. His graphic story was published in The Post’s Your Weekend magazine and online.

Amsterdam-based Kay Van Bellen has released a new issue of her sleek fashion reportage magazine, The Visual Anthropologist. Van Bellen is usually found drawing stylish folks live at international fashion events such as Pitti Uomo, Denim Days and Kingpins Amsterdam.

Books

“Liège de dessin en dessin,” by Liège architect and illustrator Fabien Denoël, came out in the spring. Denoël’s beautiful watercolors follow a journey through the city starting from its historic core and continuing to the banks of the Meuse, the suburbs, the industrial landscapes and the surrounding countryside. Belgium TV l featured him with a video and an article about the book. 

James Richards’ new book, “Travel Artist,” comes out in October. Carmine Iannaccone reviewed it for On the Spot.

“Discovering Dubai,” by Manupriam Seth, founder of Urban Sketchers Dubai, includes more than 200 sketches of the United Arab Emirates city known for its modern architecture and traditional desert culture.

A new paperback edition of “Dublin in Sketches and Stories,” by Irish sketcher Róisín Cure, is now available. The book includes more than 125 ink and watercolor illustrations created on the spot.

Arnaud De Meyer, an architect and urban sketcher living in Luxembourg, has published a new book, “Days in Japan.” The beautifully produced hardback includes a collection of sketches made in Japan over the past twelve years and during a recent architectural assignment for the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka Kansai.