Written by My name is Chris Haldane and I’m from Sydney, Australia. I’ve loved drawing since I was a little girl. My mum used to say that if she couldn’t find me, all she had to do was go to the bookshelf, and there I’d be hiding, drawing in her books! But as I grew up, studies and work became so time-consuming that my art took a back seat until about 6 years ago, when I resigned from a busy teaching career and enrolled in art study. I’m currently working towards an Advanced Diploma, majoring in painting and drawing.
At that time I was thrilled to become one of the founding members of Urban Sketchers in Australia. I am currently the Sydney organizer, and love meeting so many likeminded and passionate people as we get to know our environment better by drawing it.
My favourite subjects are urban/ industrial, especially demolition sites. I think I’m drawn to any subject with an interesting social or historical past, and I feel my work helps to document these fast disappearing sites for posterity. In my local area, I’ve sketched the actual demolition process over a few days of two large factories, which are now being developed into highrise buildings. I find the stories behind these sites and the people who worked in them fascinating and love to record them with my sketches.
But I also love construction sites, particularly the cranes that hover over them ( I have recently been nicknamed Chris Halcrane!). Over the last three years, I’ve done about 40 sketches of Barangaroo, Sydney’s biggest building project down by the Harbour, which is transforming the foreshore. It’s been fascinating to record the changes as the towers soar ever higher, and I plan to continue this project until it is completed in 2020, so I’ll be busy for a while yet! One of my earliest sketches of it is probably my favorite. I called it Dance of the Cranes.
I’ve also recently become interested in visiting remote parts of this vast country, and sketching aspects of our rural or mining past that are so little understood by many city dwellers. In fact, I returned this week from the remote town of Broome in Western Australia, with a unique pearling history, which challenged me to work with a different colour palette to capture its rocks and beaches. And who doesn’t love recording their overseas travel adventures?! I’m looking forward to a trip to Manchester and Ireland in a couple of months’ time to immerse myself in more travel journaling!
My sketches are done on site and watercolour is my favourite medium; those ‘happy accidents’ are so addictive! I use Winsor & Newton with some Daniel Smith favourites like Transparent Red Oxide, and generally work in A4 or A5 Moleskine journals, although I must say I also like the square Handbook. I use Micron pens and a Lamy pen with De Atramentis ink when I want a more definite outlined look. I really enjoy sharing my passion on Flickr, Instagram and Facebook and you can follow along with me at the links below!
Chris Haldane
Flickr
Instagram
Facebook
Wonderful sketches! Thank you. 🙂
Thanks very much Rebecca. Glad you enjoyed them.
Wonderful work! 🙂
So happy you liked Chris’ work, Sibella! 😃
It’s truly amazing! I love that ‘loose’ painting style! 😀👍
Thanks so much for your comment 🙂
Love this works! I like how sketchy and how beautiful they are. And I love the colours, makes you think that the world is really a colourful place! It was awesome ti read about you
Thanks for commenting, Wendy! So pleased you liked the feature! 😃
A very lovely common thanks Wendy! Across the worked we are all he same … we all love colour!
Hahaha! That its so true!
Your drawings are simply awesome! I’m always impressed by how artists can take a very mundane subject — such as cranes — and turn them into works of art.
Great stuff, isn’t it? So thrilled to feature Chris. Thanks! 😃
That’s a lovely comment thanks Moon in Capricorn . I love the angles that are created by them.
Beautiful work! Love your ocean waves 🙂
So glad you liked these Jessica! Thanks! 😃
Thanks so much Jessica. It’s interesting visiting beaches …you have no choice but to try to paint them!
So beautiful, that one of the Sydney Harbour Bridge is stunning!!!
Isn’t it? I loved that one as well. So glad you liked Chris’ feature, Laura! 😃
Glad you likes it Laura. Can’t be a Sydneysider and not do the Bridge!
Very true! I will be visiting sydney for the first time since I moved 2 and a half years ago. I miss how beautiful Sydney is!
Awesome urban sketching! Awesome!
So glad you enjoyed Chris’ feature Teri! 😃
Glad you found it interesting Teri.
very lovely to see! and nice to feature great Australian artists work too!!
Much appreciated thanks:)
any time I see a fellow Sydney – ite I smile!! 🙂 no worries!!! cheers, Debi
So happy you liked this feature! Thanks Debi! 😃
Hello and thanks!
Beautiful work! I particularly love the cranes.
Likeminded then , heh?! Another crane lover!
Thanks Jen! So glad you liked Chris’ feature! 😃
Thank you Chris for sharing your fantastic art and story. Thanks Charlie.
You’re welcome Sharon. Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks Sharon! 😃 So glad you liked this feature!
Lovely work!
Thanks so much Anna.
Glad you liked Chris’ feature, Anna! 😃
Such incredible and inspiring artwork. I love the overall feeling! Thank you Chris and Charlie!
Thanks Cathe! So happy you liked Chris’ feature! 😃
Your work makes me wonder if there is an urban sketcher club near me. Wonderful work and I love how you are documenting change!
You should totally check to see if there’s a local Urban Sketchers group near you, Beverly! So thrilled you liked Chris’ feature! 😃
That’s lovely to hear Beverly. You would really enjoy belong to a group. At least follow them online. Or start a group!
Very Inspiring work Chris! Started follwing you on IG 🙂 Thanks Charlie 🙂
Thanks Snehal! yay to the follow! 😃
That’s nice Snehal. See you there!
Wonderful work!!1
So glad you liked Chris’ feature, Magny! 😃
I appreciate that Magny.
Fantastic watercolor sketches/paintings. It really takes talent to make urban construction look so beautiful as shown here. Wonderful feature post, thank you for sharing.
Thrilled you enjoyed this feature! Thanks Haunani! 😃
That’s such a lovely comment . Glad you liked looking at it.
Chris, I like the way you tell the stories of the buildings being demolished and of the people who once worked there.
Your art fascinates me, the way you compose each painting, capturing color and texture.
So happy you liked Chris’ feature, Sharon! 😃
I really treasure your lovely comment Sharon. I’m so glad you took the time to read some of that. I find it fascinating to know the history of the things i draw.
Amazingly brilliant!!!
Very kind of you!! Thanks so much.
Such beautiful lines…fresh and free! (K)
Thanks so much. Very nice of you.