Kurio Up North masterclass in urban sketching

Slightly belated post but I had mentioned previously that I had been invited to run an urban sketching masterclass for the first Kurio Up North, a programme of events organised by Colebrook Bosson Saunders, an award-wining London ergonomic design company. This took place on Thursday March 14th, was facilitated by local creatives No Chintz, and the venue was Bench in the Northern Quarter (Manchester). Our audience was comprised of about 40 architects and interior designers. After my brief introductory talk about urban sketching, we set about doing a couple of hours of informal drawing and painting. After a couple of hours, a glass of wine or 2 and a pie(!) we shared our work and photographed it. A shortlist was picked and some rather splendid prizes awarded. 

What I really want to say is that it was great that so many people turned up on a chilly March evening and our drawing challenge was met with such enthusiasm. It proves there is a real interest in sketching and needless to say some lovely work was produced (as expected from a room full of architects and designers)!

Because I now teach, my days are filled differently and I have the time to be more creative than when I worked full-time in architectural practice, but I am fully aware that other people aren't afforded that luxury - of time to be simply creative. I was delighted, and quite astonished that people had made such an effort, and so obviously enjoyed the sketching part! It demonstrates there is a real appetite for urban sketching and hopefully we have a recruited a few new members for our Manchester urban sketching group.