Sketches around Jangchungdan Park, Seoul

a street scene viewed from the entrance of Jangchungdan Park, pen and watercolor, 

(54 x 72cm)

a sketch at the beautiful courtyard of Caffe Bene, pencil and watercolor, (36 x51cm)

.sketching on the flower bed at the entrance of the park

Last Saturday, in the scorching heat of early summer, we usk Seoul members gathered at Jangchungdan Park for a regular sketch meeting. Located at the foot of Namsan Mountain, which gives a feeling of warmth to Seoul citizens, Jangchungdan Park is a convenient place for transportation and is close to the city center. Like any other park in Seoul, it is a cozy and fresh resting place with pine trees, various broadleaf trees, lawns, outdoor stages, and sports facilities for citizens. In more than 120 years of history,
statues of ancestors, various cultural assets, modern architecture and symbols around the park are precious family parks that live in the hearts of Seoulites.
The places wherever I have sketched many times have the pleasure of finding a new feeling on the spot. At first, the bustling streets and the surrounding buildings seen from the entrance of the pleasant park caught my eye. After lunch, I was attracted to the beautiful courtyard of Caffe Bene as a comfortable place for sketching.
It was a useful day drawing the large-sized watercolor sketch to capture the new feeling of the scene around Jangchungdan Park.
------------------------------
장충단공원 주변의 푸르른 신록은 뜨거운 여름을 식혀주는 도시의 청량제와 같습니다.
교통이 편리한 가족공원, 성곽길 따라서 남산의 정취와 서울의 경관을 만끽하며.....
관광호텔과 캠퍼스, 체육관, 각종 맛집들, 전통문화와 볼꺼리들이 어우러지는 주변 속에서
여름 땡볕을 막아주는 네거리의 교통섬 그늘막이 장충동의 포커스처럼 눈길을 끌었습니다.

sketches at Seoseoul Lake Park (서서울 호수공원)

entrance of the park

Recycle Garden (재생정원)

panoramic view of the park

Culture Deck Plaza (문화데크 광장) on the side of Central Lake

Visitor Center building (관리사무소)

pergola in the sky garden(하늘정원) decorated with remains of the old plant 

Mondrian Garden(몬드리안 정원), modeled on the abstract artist Mondrian's 

composition techniques 

open garden remodeled of the old plant 

.

( pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm sketchbook )

.

Few days ago, I visited Seoseoul Lake Park located in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. In October 2009, the park was opened after the Sinwol Water Purification Plant, was remodeled into an eco-friendly park involving the theme of water and regeneration. The plant was transformed under the themes of “water” and “recycling” and reused some of the existing piping and filtering tanks. When making the park, the designers recycled many materials from the old water plant facilities, particularly the water pipes. 

The park entrance signpost, bicycle racks, benches on hiking trails, and sculptures in the grass area were all made with recycled material from water pipes. 

I was impressed by the exquisite harmony of the park's natural and artificial grafting.

It was a fine autumn day, I enjoyed  strolling along the Central Lake and sketching various scenes in and outside the garden facilities.

--------------------------------

아름다운 호수가 있는 서서울 호수공원~~

낡은 신월정수장을 '물'과 '재생'을 테마로 한 시민의 쉼터로

웰빙과 스포츠, 호숫가의 문화데크와 수생식물, 

벽천과 소리분수, 몬드리안 정원과 재생정원.....

자연과 인공을 절묘하게 조화시킨 독특한 테마공원입니다. 

44th World Wide SketchCrawl at Marronnier Park, Hyehwa-dong

conte, pen, pastels, A 4

new comer Noh Jin-yung

sketch of Noh Jin-yung, 23 x 14 cm

sketch of Noh Jin-yung

sketch of Hong Jin-kyoung

new comer, Lee Jung Ah

sketch of Lee Jung-ah

It was so humid and hot day. The park was crowded with people. Arko Art Center and Gallery locates in the park, where lots of performances are held. In the outdoor stage or in steps outside musicians play music freely. A day was not enough to capture all those scenes, so we couldn't go over to nearby places such as Korean National Open Univ., Seoul Nat'l Univ. Hospital museum, Hongik Univ. Daehangno campus, etc. The street seems to pull people with endless attractiveness. 

Thank you all the participants : YH Lee, SH Kim, YM Ham, YS Yun, KS Song, YH Kim, KH Kim, YS Yang, KO Kwon, KY Lee, BH Yoo, especially we welcome new comers; Lee Song-woo, Lee Jung-ah, Kim Eun-kyung, Noh Jin-yung, Hong Jin-kyoung. 

at Dream Forest(former Dream Land)

scenery from the La Foresta Cafeteria in the Dream Forest

scenery from the observatory tower in the park, pencil, watercolor

mom and kids in the observatory tower

A 4 sketchbook

Last month I visited the Forest Park located at Weolgye-ro, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul. I went there with family long since when it was an amusement park as Dream Land(1987 -2007). The new park opened on 2007. The park was good for people to walk and rest. Kids were playing under the fountain water or in streamlet in park. Cafeteria, Chinese restaurant, gallery were located in too. The observatory tower was fantastic to see the cityscape. In Autumn the scenery will be beautiful with cool weather. 

예전에 자주 갔던 드림 랜드가 북서울 꿈의 숲으로 바뀐 후 몇년만에 처음으로 가봤습니다. 넓직한 공원으로 바뀌었더군요. 전에 눈 썰매장으로 쓰이던 곳에 전망대가 있었구요. 여러 단계로 올라가서 보니 참 시원했습니다. 후덥지근하고 비가 오락가락하는 날씨에 전망대 안은 시원해서 좋았어요. 가을이 오면 단풍든 모습이 아름답지 않을까 생각했습니다.

at Children's Grand Park, Neung-dong (어린이 대공원, 능동)

parasols at convenience shop in the park

animal cages in a row

pencil, watercolor, 33 x 23 cm

It's very hot these days. I go to park or temple in Seoul for rest and sketching. Park was crowded with students, kids from kidergartens, and children with their parents. It was sunny and breezing. I enjoyed all the environment there sketching and walking all the park.

요즘같이 더운 날에는 서울 시내의 절이나 공원에서 더위도 피하고 그림도 그리며 보냅니다. 서울...참 좋은 곳이라는 것을 자주 느끼게 됩니다.  잘 다듬어진 산사의 풍경을 보며, 공원의 꽃들을 보며 감사하는 마음이 듭니다.

at Dongguk University & Jangchung Park, Pildong, Jung-gu, Seoul

새로 오신 임민정 선생님 첫 작품입니다.

연필, A 4

sketch by Lim Min-jeong, new comer, Welcome!

Lim Min-jeong

new comer, Kweon ki-ok

유병화, 동국대학교정에서, 24 x 32 cm

lotus lanterns at the campus

어제 장충동, 동국대학교에서 스케치 모임을 가졌습니다.

참석자 : 임민정, 권기옥, 이용환, 유병화

신록이 아름다운 공원과 교정에서 봄을 만끽하였습니다

첫 참가하신 두분 환영하며 감사드립니다.

sketches at Son gi-jeong Memorial Park, Malli-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

 Statue of Son gi-jeong, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm 

 Statue - running with all his might, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

 construction field around the Memorial Hall, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

entrance of the Memorial Hall under remodeling, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

 playing soccer at the lawn ground inside the Memorial Park, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

 Pin Oak tree was planted in memory of Son, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

 old fashioned Yangchung High School buildings with a history, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

 Son gi-jeong Cultural Sports Center with creepered bricks, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

 control office viewed from the Gate of Memorial Park, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

 control office of the Memorial Park, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

neighbouring village viewed from the hill inside the park, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm 

.

This Memorial Park was prepared in memory of Son gi-jeong (1914 -2002) who was the gold medalist in 11th Berlin olympic marathons establishing a new world record on 1936. Therefore Son gi-jeong became the first gold medal-winning Korean Olympian, so he continued to have his pride as a Korean until his last days. 

He was born in Sinuiju, and was educated at Yangchung High School with a history of 100 years in Seoul. Some time ago the school was relocated to Yahgchon-gu, and the site was transformed into Son gi-jeong Memorial Park. Recently, before the 100th anniversary of his birth, Son's Memorial Hall building with red bricks is under remodeling for better than ever. 

Last Saturday I visited the Memorial Park with our USK Seoul sketchers.  While sketching, I looked back upon the history of 1930s and his outstanding achievement in enhancing the national prestige.