Workshop four: urban sketching at Union Corner
This workshop introduced psychogeography, that of walking within and observing a landscape through drawing, to look at familiar scenes of Plymouth anew. Along the walk where short drawing exercises, such as continuous line drawings. The photos and drawings taken on this walk was then used to paint a scene that the group felt in need of highlighting. A place overlooked and forgotten that can be brought to life.
We looked at the Dartmoor myth of Scorhill Circle that is rumoured to be protected by a giant (British Folklore, 2023). We then answered if these easily missed parts of the city, are in need of a giant protector? How can we act as the giants of Plymouth to protect them?
Some of the participants said…
“It's very enjoyable to make art as a way of engaging with and responding to the environment”
“Plymouth's landscape is wonderful because of the difference between past and future. It'd be a shame if it was lost.”
Restoring the old
This painting features a giant who is busy restoring the facade of the new palace theatre. You can just see their hand and paintbrush as they are finishing writing the word 'Plymouth' on the building.
Sunshine
This is a creature with a sunshine-like head, a ray of sunshine protecting the smaller looked over parts of a relatively busy city, to focus on and make the little things more impactful.
Giant of growth
This is a giant who is restoring the abandoned buildings and taking what is urban and mixing it with renewed greenery, changing concrete into colour.
A visual summary of the urban sketching art workshop held in partnership with Nudge Community Plymouth.