old and new buildings at Seochon village, Jongno-gu, Seoul

a traditional house, Tongui-dong, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

a Hanok ( Korean traditional house) Guest House, Tongui-dong, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

The House of Lee Sang (a famous poet), in Tongin-dong, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

Woori Bank Hyoja-dong branch building, Tongin-dong, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

Paiwha Girls' High School Main Auditorium, Nooha-dong, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

 Paiwha Girls' High School Gymnasium, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

Paiwha Girls' High School Dormitory, pencil and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

Paiwha Girls' High School Main building, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

Paiwha Girls' High School Science Center, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

Paiwha Girls' High School Science Center and kindergarten, pencil and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm 

Sajikmun (gate) at Sajik Park, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

an old fashioned complex building, Pilun-dong. pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

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Seochon, an elegant village stretching from the west wing of Gyeongbok Palace to the base of Mt. Inwang, is a place with a background of the 600-year historic city of Seoul. Besides Seochon is well known as a famous historic village where traditional houses and modern architecture coexist. This village is full of subject for sketching, such as, traditional houses, government office building, convenient faciIities etc. Especilally there are some cultural properties, for instance,Sajik Park built around a stone altar called “Sajikdan (Historic Site No.121)”, Paiwha Girls' High School and College with a history of 100 years.

Last Saturday, I enjoyed strolling around Seochon village and sketching the variegated sceneries with Seoul urban sketchers all day long. It was a valuable experience at the familiar atmosphere!

some sketches around Anyang Art Park

Multi-faceted Masterpiece, Alvaro Siza Hall, pen and watercolor, 24.5 x 35.2cm 

a side view of Alvaro Siza Hall in the park, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

an observatory building, designed by MVRDV located at the summit of the park, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm 

looking up at inside the observatory, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

overlooking the park scenery from the obsevatory, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm 

open-air stage connected to the sky bridge, 21 x 29.5cm

YuYu Industrial building, scheduled to remodel into Kim Joong-eop museum, pen and watercolor, 24.5 x 35,2cm 

a scenery of old fashioned factory buildings, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm 

YuYu industrial factory, designed by Architect Kim Joong-eop at first, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm 

a fun building in front of the Gwanak Station, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm 

an office building in front of the Gwanak Station, pencil. 21 x 29.5cm

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The Anyang Art Park is located near Gwanak Mountain, about equal distance from Gwanak Station and Anyang Station, in the city of Anyang just south of the capital Seoul, Korea. The Park set in a wooded valley along the northeast edge of Anyang, and has a lot of interesting formative arts, famous buildings, some cultural properties, well-maintained Buddhist temples, and so on.

Last Saturday, and besides Children's day, the weather was so good for outdoor sketching mixed with crowd and nature. Seoul urban sketchers, including four new comers, had a pleasant sketch time in the fantastic art park. I sketched variegated sceneries around the park to my heart's content excitingly.
Thanks to Choi Seung-won for kind invitation and sharing a meaningful time with all!

The 35th World Wide SketchCrawl at Bukchon Hanok Village, Jongno-gu, Seoul

a traditional Korean house at Gahoe-dong, pen and watercolor, 24.5 x 35.2cm 

a scenery of Bukchon Hanok Village at Gahoe-dong, pen and watercolor, 24.5 x 35.2cm 

the distant view of Inwang Mountain from Samcheong-dong, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm 

a scenery of Bukchon Hanok Village at Samcheong-dong, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm 

a scenery harmonized with the modern architecture, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm 

a small shop and vintage cafe in an alley, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.5cm

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Bukchon Hanok Village where traditional Korean houses called hanok form a group, which encompasses Gahoe-dong, Hwa-dong, Jae-dong, and Samcheong-dong in Jongno-gu. This village has been a
traditional residential district for more than 600years of the history of Seoul. The day for the 35th World Wide SketchCrawl, we faced up to an unexpected difficulty. The stormy weather went on all day. In spite of the wet conditions, we had a pleasant sketch time enjoying cultural walks around Bukchon Village. Bukchon particularly, is my birthplace where I was born. While sketching some familiar sceneries lasted a long time, many memories of my childhood were brought back in rapid succession.

some sketches at Korean Orthodox Church located at Ahyeon-dong, Seoul

a complete view of the Korean Orthodox Church, pen and watercolor, 24.5 x 35.2cm

a near view of the church, pen and watercolor, 24.5 x 35.2cm

viewed from the approach, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

a scenery around the church, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

a Russian cute girl, pen, 21 x 29.6cm

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The Korean Orthodox Church (St. Nicholas Orthodox Church) is an Eastern Orthodox church in Korea. Built in a Greek style, although not that big, the church’s oxidized copper-green dome and matching cross are easily noticeable from the approach and the surroundings. Though it was a bit cold and windy on the street, inside the courtyard of the church it was shiny and seemed to be so peaceful. I sketched the elegant and beautiful church here and there in earnest. New participants are welcome to join our Seoul urban sketchers! Thanks.

sketches at Saemal Cafe, Hannamdaegyo of Han River, Seoul

a panorama of Sinsa-dong viewed from Saemal Cafe, pen and watercolor, 24.5 x 35.2cm

another sketch at the same spot, pen, 24.5 x 35.2cm

a panorama of Hannam-dong village viewed from the cafe,  pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

a panoramic view over Hannamdaegyo in front of the cafe, pen,  21 x 29.6cm

a complete view of Hannam Saemal Cafe, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

a scenery from beneath the bridge, pencil and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

a scenery of the supports for the bridge, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

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Hannam Saemal Cafe, which was the first completed Hangang viewing cafe, and is the ideal place to rest on a river walk. The cafe building is four-stories high with public spaces on the first two floors and the cafe itself on the third and fourth floors, the latter of which is an indoor viewing deck affording wonderful views of the Han River, Hannamdaegyo Bridge and Namsan Mountain.
The weather was so good, and I sketched a lot of attractive sceneries around the cafe here and there excitingly. Welcome to new participants and hope to continue seeing!

some sketches at Ssamzigil building, Insa-dong, Seoul

Ssamzigil building viewed from the court-yard, 21 x 29.5cm

another view of the Ssamzigil building, pen, 24.5 x 35cm

another view of the Ssamzigil building,  21 x 29.5cm

overall view of the Ssamzigil building, 24.5 x 35cm

Folk dancing musicians playing in front of the Ssamzigil building at the Insa street, 21 x 29.5cm

 a portrait of  Mr. Lee Jeong-woo (florist), pen, 21 x 29.5cm

 looking down the court-yard from the roof terrace, pen, 21 x 29.5cm

neighboring buildings over Ssamzigil building, pencil, 21 x 29.5cm

The Central Temple of Chondokyo and Soowoon building viewed from the Insa Art Center located across the Ssamzigil, 21 x 29.5cm  

YMCA Building (completed in 1967) located on an approach to Insa-dong, 21 x 29.5cm

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The Ssamzigil is a square building, not a street. It has four floors and is consist of a Korean rice cake shop, a paper hanger, an antique shop and Korean restaurants, etc. It's a quite low rise structure made out of concrete, metal, glass and wood definitely feeling modern yet warm and approachable by having open ramp style passage ways with a very slight slope. It is seen as a Korean culture complex, what is more it's so unique and has set a sort of new direction for good old Insadong.

The weather was so fine and we amused ourselves by looking on the variegated sceneries and sketching here and there in the fantastic building. Welcome to join the usk Seoul, Bahk Joung-yeon and Han Jeong-seon!