English translation: click here.


door Linda Toolsema

Het jaar 2019 zal voor Urban Sketchers Nederland de boeken in gaan als ‘het jaar van het symposium’. Het internationale Urban Sketchers symposium zal in juli as. plaatsvinden in Amsterdam, en bij de organisatie daarvan speelt Gail Howard een grote rol. Reden om haar uit te nodigen voor een interview.

Gail in actie in Rotterdam (foto: Zoe Lewis)

Gail komt oorspronkelijk uit Engeland. Ze spreekt inmiddels ook Nederlands, maar heeft onze vragen in het Engels beantwoord, en daarom laten we de citaten in die taal staan. Gail groeide op op een boerderij op het Engelse platteland en ging al op jonge leeftijd naar de kunstacademie. Daarna reisde ze korte tijd. Ze landde in Duitsland, waar ze vele jaren gewoond heeft (haar zoon van 26 woont er nog steeds). Ze werkte daar met kinderen en studeerde er voor kunstdocent, totdat ze in 2009 verhuisde naar Amsterdam. Daar werkt ze tegenwoordig parttime bij Idea Books, een gespecialiseerde groothandel en distributeur van boeken over kunst en design. In haar vrije tijd zit Gail ook niet stil: ‘I organize drawing events, run life drawing groups and paint and draw for my own pleasure and sometimes on commission. I am also a qualified Raja Yoga teacher.’

Mijn favoriete schets 1 – Amsterdam with bike. I like this sketch because it’s one of the more typical scenes of Amsterdam and reminds me of a lighthearted and carefree hour with a good friend.
 

Schetsboekjes en potloden

Al sinds haar kindertijd houdt Gail van buiten schetsen, tekenen en schilderen. Daarbij gebruikt ze het liefst potlood en aquarel, en soms een fineliner. ‘I have realised that keeping it minimal works best for me at the moment. Over the last couple of years I have discovered that even if I do take more supplies with me, I tend not to use them anyway.’ Vaak werkt ze daarbij heel klein. De reden daarvoor is dat ze altijd haar schetsboek bij zich heeft in haar handtas, waar ze ook heen gaat.

Gails favoriete schetsboeken zijn de Hahnemühle Travel Journals, in twee maten: A5 en A6. Om praktische redenen gebruikt ze vulpotloden (Pentel and Faber Castell 03 en 07), omdat je die niet hoeft te slijpen en ze een ingebouwd gummetje hebben. Eigenlijk zou ze liever een gewoon potlood gebruiken, de klassieke 2B, voornamelijk vanwege het milieu – ‘but I do keep breaking them!’

Mijn favoriete schets 2 – Porto street. This sketch was done during the symposium in Porto in 2018. I didn’t manage to produce many sketches I am satisfied with, but the week in Porto was magical and this sketch captures the light and the winding, hilly nature of this beautiful city.
 

Natuur en de stad

Doordat Gail is opgegroeid op een heel oude boerderij, houdt ze van het buitenleven en van geschiedenis, maar in contrast daarmee ook van de stad met al haar gemakken. ‘This mix is reflected in my sketches, I like to draw nature in the city trees, parks and the green that residents plant on their doorsteps. It shows how much we need a little nature with us wherever we are, that we are not totally disconnected.’

De huizen en boten van Amsterdam zijn een favoriet onderwerp, er is altijd iets nieuws te ontdekken en de geschiedenis is fascinerend. Gail zit vooral graag bij mooi weer op een terrasje te tekenen, naar mensen kijken op soms intieme momenten in het bruisende stadsleven. Helaas is het weer vaak onvoorspelbaar, dus vaak zit ze binnen, in de cafés. In haar ervaring zijn deze altijd gastvrij en open naar eenzame schetsers die soms uren zitten te tekenen, maar ook naar groepsbijeenkomsten die met name in de winter plaatsvinden.

Mijn favoriete schets 3 – Turkey. I like this sketch very much as I am happy with how I have captured the light a carefree atmosphere of a holiday in Turkey a few years ago, without overworking it. One of my all time favourites.
 

Magie

Aan de ene kant houdt Gail van het spel van licht en schaduw, en texturen. ‘I try to create a sense of depth and reproduce a sense of atmosphere of the moment.’ Ze vindt zelf dat dat niet altijd lukt, omdat ze regelmatig in de valkuil van ‘overworking’ trapt.

Aan de andere kant kan ze ook erg genieten van het moment als ze schetst: ‘I can delight in the moment, be mindful, slow down and soak up an atmosphere. The moment is somehow magically captured in my mind and when I look back into the sketchbooks the memory comes flooding back of the moment, who I was with and when and where I was sketching.’
Gail neemt altijd haar schetsboek mee als ze reist. En als het zou kunnen, zou ze graag veel vaker reizen en nieuwe ervaringen schetsen!

Mijn favoriete schets 4 – This sketch was a breakthrough for me, as it reminded me how well I can sketch with just pencil if I want to. Again, it’s not overworked and captures the light play and a typical scene of Utrecht, and a memory of sitting together with a very good friend and sharing the moment.
 

Symposium

Zoals hierboven genoemd, speelt Gail een grote rol in de organisatie van het symposium in Amsterdam. Zij is één van de hoofdcoördinatoren van het symposium team, samen met Ruud Otten. ‘We are working hard with our dedicated volunteers to create an exciting symposium with a very local flair.’ Amsterdam is natuurlijk een uitermate pittoreske en historische stad, met een overvloed aan mogelijkheden voor schetsers. ‘We are very excited to host everyone here and see all the wonderful sketches that they make during the event!’

Mijn favoriete schets 5 – Venice. A week with urban sketchers from all over Europe who I had never met before I got there. A wonderful experience and probably one of the best holidays I’ve ever been on. I made friendships for life and memories to treasure forever. Venice is full of shapes, layers and textures. I have to return to capture more of it very soon.

Dank je wel voor je verhaal en je prachtige schetsen, Gail. De volgende keer maken we kennis met Arnold Vermeeren, zowel een ‘Zen-zien-tekenaar’ als een urban sketcher.

English translation


USK Interview: Gail Howard

Gail Howard plays a big role in the organisation of the symposium. Together with Ruud Otten she is one of the main local coordinators. A good reason to introduce Gail to all of you.

Gail in action in Rotterdam. (Photo: Zoe Lewis.)

Gail is originally from the UK. She grew up on a farm in rural England. She studied at art school at a very young age and afterwards did a short bit of travelling. She landed in Germany where she lived for many years (her son still lives there). Gail worked with children and studied art teaching in Germany before moving to Amsterdam in 2009. Presently she has a part time day job with Idea books, a specialist wholesaler and distributor of books on art and design in Amsterdam. In her free time she keeps busy too: “I organize drawing events, run life drawing groups and paint and draw for my own pleasure and sometimes on commission. I am also a qualified Raja yoga teacher.”

My favourite sketch 1 – Amsterdam with bike. I like this sketch because it’s one of the more typical scenes of Amsterdam and reminds me of a lighthearted and carefree hour with a good friend.

SKETCHBOOKS AND PENCILS

Since her childhood, Gail has always enjoyed sketching, drawing, and painting outdoors. She mainly uses pencil and watercolour, sometimes a fineliner. “I have realised that keeping it minimal works best for me at the moment. Over the last couple of years I have discovered that even if I do take more supplies with me, I tend not to use them anyway.” Gail likes to work small, because she likes to always carry her sketchbook in her handbag, wherever she goes.

The Hahnemühle travel journals are Gail’s favourites – in two sizes, A5 and A6. For convenience she has begun using mechanical pencils (Pentel and Faber Castell 03 en 07) as they don’t need sharpening and have built in erasers. In fact she would prefer to use a standard pencil, always a classic 2B, mainly for environmental reasons – “but I do keep breaking them!”

My favourite sketch 2 – Porto street. This sketch was done during the symposium in Porto in 2018. I didn’t manage to produce many sketches I am satisfied with, but the week in Porto was magical and this sketch captures the light and the winding, hilly nature of this beautiful city.

NATURE AND THE CITY

Coming from a very old farm has made her a lover of the outdoors and history, but also in contrast a lover of city life and all its conveniences. “This mix is reflected in my sketches, I like to draw nature in the city trees, parks and the green that residents plant on their doorsteps. It shows how much we need a little nature with us wherever we are, that we are not totally disconnected.”

Gail really likes to draw the houses and boats of Amsterdam, there is always something new to discover and the history is fascinating. But she particularly enjoys sitting at street cafés and terraces in good weather, observing people in intimate moments within the vibrancy of city life. The weather in Amsterdam is often unpredictable, so she often finds herself inside the cafés. They are always welcoming and open to solo sketchers sitting for hours and also to group gatherings during the winter.

My favourite sketch 3 – Turkey. I like this sketch very much as I am happy with how I have captured the light a carefree atmosphere of a holiday in Turkey a few years ago, without overworking it. One of my all time favourites.

MAGIC

On one level, Gail likes the play of light and shade, and textures. “I try to create a sense of depth and reproduce a sense of atmosphere of the moment.” In her own opinion, she is not always successful in this because she often falls into the trap of overworking the sketches.

However, on another level as she is sketching she can delight in the moment: “I can be mindful, slow down and soak up an atmosphere. The moment is somehow magically captured in my mind and when I look back into the sketchbooks the memory comes flooding back of the moment, who I was with and when and where I was sketching.”

When Gail is traveling she always takes her sketchbook with her. And if she could, she would like to be able to travel and sketch new experiences much more often!

My favourite sketch 4 – This sketch was a breakthrough for me, as it reminded me how well I can sketch with just pencil if I want to. Again, it’s not overworked and captures the light play and a typical scene of Utrecht, and a memory of sitting together with a very good friend and sharing the moment.

SYMPOSIUM

As mentioned above, Gail is one of the main coordinators of the Amsterdam symposium team along with Ruud Otten. “We are working hard with our dedicated volunteers to create an exciting symposium with a very local flair. Amsterdam is an extremely picturesque and historic city with an abundance of offerings for sketchers. We are very excited to host everyone here and see all the wonderful sketches that they make during the event!”

My favourite sketch 5 – Venice. A week with urban sketchers from all over Europe who I had never met before I got there. A wonderful experience and probably one of the best holidays I’ve ever been on. I made friendships for life and memories to treasure forever. Venice is full of shapes, layers and textures. I have to return to capture more of it very soon.

Thanks for your story and your beautiful sketches, Gail.