Sketches at Naksan Park, Seoul

a cityscape viewed from Seoul Fortress Trail, pen and watercolor (54 x 72cm)

Guldari-gil, alias Ewha Snail Road, pencil and watercolor (21 x 29.6cm)

a scene of the old houses , pen and watercolor (21 x 29.6cm)

an access road up from Chungsin-dong, pen and watercolor (21 x 29.6cm)

a scene overlooking Ewha-dong from Naksan Park, pen and watercolor (21 x 29.6cm)

.
Since last January Seoul chapter did not have regular monthly meeting due to pandemic. And a plan for meetup on May 16th was delayed by two weeks because of infection cases linked to some clubs in Seoul.
During months I tried to avoid going to public places for sketching. But spring came and the fearful contagion seemed to decrease people began to come out to breathe fresh air. Days ago I went Naksan Park near Dongdaemun Gate to see the Seoul City Wall drawing some.
Seoul city has been redeveloping the area of Changsin-dong and Ewha-dong around the Naksan Mountain Trail, east part of Seoul City Wall. Old and new buildings are mixed in the area. The villages became a favorite touring place for foreigners and citizens by the panoramic city views with old wall. Small village bus makes people access to the summit of the wall. Therefore I could carry a big canvas(54x72cm) for a watercolor work easily without walking upward all the way. Old brick houses remained around the wall looked very attractive to me. Every sight could be a subject for drawing by the features piled up through years despite the city redevelopment plan. I sketched several attractive scenes around Naksan Park all day long.
All of us wish this pandemic to be ended soon.
------------------------------
코로나19로 인해 몇달간 스케치 모임이 없어 아쉬웠지만
청정하고 매력적인 스케치 장소인 성곽길 낙산공원에 올라갔습니다.
낡은 동네를 감싸는 언덕의 고층아파트와 매력적인 골목 카페들~
멀리 동서남북으로 내려다보이는 도시의 파노라마 장면들이 어우러진
재개발과 보존을 둘러싼 도시재생의 살아 숨쉬는 현장을 만끽했습니다.

Doing art at Ttukseom, Seoul

Lee Yong Hwan, scenery captured at Ttukseom resort plaza, pen, watercolor, 54 x 72 cm

Lee Yong Hwan

Yoo Byung Hwa, conte(sepia, sanguine), pastels, 29.5 x 42 cm

.

YH Lee and BH Yoo  visited the Ttukseom resort again for sketching. But the very spot we planned to sketch near the entrance of the caterpillar tunnel was closed firmly since Feb. 25 by the Corona19 policy. We should have called the information center. We had to go down to the plaza. It was not a fine day but cloudy, blowing and even drizzling for a while. To take shelter from rain we took seats on a stone bench under the overbridge for subway line no. 7. Though rain stopped soon it began to blow strongly. I felt very cold for I did wear somewhat lightly expecting hot weather of previous days. Despite of bad weather people came there with their friends, families, kids. They were enjoying talks, riding bicycles, walking along the Han River after months' restraining themselves from outdoor activities. But most of them wore facial masks though. Just all of us hope this situation to be ended as soon as possible.

오늘 뚝섬 자벌레관에서 큰 종이에 다시 그리려고 방문했는데 자벌레관 출입문이 굳게 닫혀 있어서 하는 수 없이 광장으로 내려가니 비가 슬슬 오더군요. 그래도 전철 교각아래는 비피하기가 좋아 돌의자에 앉아 그림을 시작했습니다. 비가 더 오기 전에 매력적인 장면을 잡아 같이 그리게 되었어요. 사람들은 좀 많이 나온듯했어요. 워낙 요즘 썰렁한 분위기였는데 전과 비슷해보이기도 했습니다. 그래도 어린이 날이라고 생각하면 예전 분위기같지는 않았어요. 비는 곧 그쳤지만 바람이 심하게 불고 강가라 그런지 더 추웠습니다. 그래도 마스크를 쓰고라도 그림을 그릴 수 있어 좋았어요. 깔깔거리는 어린 학생들의 웃음소리가 어찌나 즐겁던지요. '참 좋은 시절이다...'하며 절로 미소가 지어지더군요. 공부다 뭐다해서 저희들은 또 괴롭다 하겠지만 모여서 숨넘어가게 웃을 수 있는 그 시간이 얼마나 귀중한지 아이들이 알았으면 했습니다. 코로나가 하루 빨리 종식되기를 바라며 오늘 그림을 마쳤습니다.