Sketchers worldwide celebrated Lunar New Year, which coincided with the 54th World Wide Sketchcrawl. Urban Sketchers Regional Chapters from around the globe were invited to submit their sketches and word narrative of the festivities and glimpses of Chinese culture in their communities. There was a huge response with many, many submissions from our prolific global community of urban sketchers. Here are a few colorful scenes from the dawning of the Year of the Rooster.
Lisbon
As part of the 54th World Wide Sketchcrawl, the Portuguese Urban Sketchers assembled in the most international square in Lisbon to join and sketch the Chinese New Year celebrations. There is no formal Chinatown in Lisboa, as opposed to many other cities in the western world where the Sketchcrawl took place. But the Martim Moniz square (above and below) is doubtlessly where the Chinese community is most present in the country. What stops it from becoming a proper Chinatown is that many more immigrant communities share the square as a hub, and they all add to the cultural mosaic that Martim Moniz is today.
--Pedro Loureiro
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Pedro Loureiro |
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Pedro Loureiro |
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Pedro Loureiro |
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These images were done in Yokohama Chinatown in Japan's Kanagawa prefecture. Not only people from local community but also many visitors enjoyed Chinese New Year ambiance by going to restaurants, visiting Chinese temple, and having fortune telling in the palmistry places.
Kanteibyo temple (below) was built in 1871, had been destroyed by Great Kanto earthquake in 1923, suffered damages by allies air attack in 1945, was stricken by lightning in 1981, had engulfed by fire in 1986, and the reconstruction was completed in 2000.--Kumi Matsukawa
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Yokohama
These images were done in Yokohama Chinatown in Japan's Kanagawa prefecture. Not only people from local community but also many visitors enjoyed Chinese New Year ambiance by going to restaurants, visiting Chinese temple, and having fortune telling in the palmistry places.
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Kumi Matsukawa |
Kanteibyo temple (below) was built in 1871, had been destroyed by Great Kanto earthquake in 1923, suffered damages by allies air attack in 1945, was stricken by lightning in 1981, had engulfed by fire in 1986, and the reconstruction was completed in 2000.--Kumi Matsukawa
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Eriko Kawamura |
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Kazunori Hosouchi |
Seattle
Seattle's International District (below) is probably my favorite place to sketch. Somehow when I roam the streets and alleys I feel the history and get a sense of a thousand, thousand stories. When the lunar new year rolls around I love to take in the extra-colorful, extra-loud festivities. The noise and color is a stark contrast to some of the history that immigrants experience to get to this place physically and metaphorically. This year celebrating the strength and diversity of our communities seems more important than ever.--Jane Wingfield
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David Chamness |
I had a great time smelling all of the great food and hearing the fire crackers (below).--David Hingtgen
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David Hingtgen |
Orlando
This sketch was done at the China Pavilion at Epcot Walt Disney World. --Kim Minichiello
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On this day we followed our Chinese friends from the Orlando community into their sacred place where they find peace praying and meditating. We were invited by the Abbot of the Wat Florida Dhammaram of Kissimmee Temple (below) to join them in sketching as they believe art is one of the components that connects ones emotions and soul into its being, reflecting it out in a creative art.
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Noga Grosman |
We as a small group of urban sketchers felt truly connected with ourselves that day while capturing in line and color our observations on location.
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Mary Hense |
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Viviana Castro |
The Chinese New Year celebrated around the globe opened a window to our sketchers into a magnificent culture that is peacefully preserved all around the world but also at our own city: Orlando, "The City Beautiful".--Noga Grosman
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Melbourne
It was the Year of the Rooster Worldwide Sketch Crawl in Melbourne, Australia. This sketch was started in Chinatown before capturing the rooster at Queen Victoria Market. Great day was had with the local Urban Sketchers chapter and some very welcome visitors.--Alf Green
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Hsi Lai Temple is a spectacular Buddhist Temple on a hilltop in Hacienda Heights, California. This is a view from the courtyard during the Chinese New Year celebration. The weather was magnificent and the crowd joyful.--Debbie Thornhill
Alf Green |
Los Angeles
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Debbie Thornhill |
A giant rooster sculpture sat in front of the temple to mark the first day of the Year of the Rooster. --Shiho Nakaza
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Shiho Nakaza |
It was such an awesome experience to be amongst those celebrating. People were very welcoming to see us painting the festivities. The curiosity of the children and their families was heartwarming.
--JJ Jorgenson
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JJ Jorgenson |
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Gail Buschman |
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Beijing
Visiting Hangzhou
July |
Playing mahjong
Xiao Zhi |
Brick and concrete cooking area inside house in a rural area in the north. At same time, it is heating for the house. They burn corn stalks as the fuel.--Flora Wang
Cindy |
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Dallas/Ft. Worth
--Sudeep Kumar
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Herb Reed |
Can I have a picture with Royal Family please?
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Margöl SReinaldo |
A wish for prosperity and blooming life
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Sudeep Kumar |
People people everywhere
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Dalynn Montgomery |
O'ahu
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Sebastian Sievert |
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AJ Tauber |
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Ivan Kaisan |
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Harald Ebeling |
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Canberra
The Canberra Beijing Garden was officially opened in 2015 by the Prime Minister of Australia, The Hon. Tony Abbot and the Chinese President Mr. Xi Jiping.--Leonie Andrews
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Mandy Cox |
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Chris Slotemaker de Bruine |
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Leonie Andrews |
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Terry O'Brien |