36th Worldwide Sketchcrawl at Pyeongchang-dong Art village, Seoul

Gana Art Gallery, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

Seoul Auction House Gana Art building, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

approaching Gana Art Gallery, pen and watercolor. 21 x 29.6cm

viewed from outdoor stage in Gana Art Gallery, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm 

'Appolo' sculpture by Armand Pierre Fernandez, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm 

Total Museum, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

Kim Chong Yung Sculpture Museum, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

a cafe building, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

neighboring houses, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

distant view of Pyongchang-dong village, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

Yeonhwajeongsa Temple, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

a stone Buddha at Yeonhwajeongsa, pen and watercolor, 21 x 29.6cm

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Pyeongchang-dong is located at the foot of Bukhansan Mountain in Seoul. It has long been considered as the village for the high society of Korea. Not only a number of luxurious and high guarded villas, but also well-known temples and high-class cultural facilities including Gana Art Gallery are nestled under the hill of the Mountain. Last Saturday, I sketched such colorful sceneries here and there with Seoul sketchers in a comfortable atmosphere.

#36 World Wide Sketchcrawl at Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul

Above drawing at Pyongchangdong Gana Art Center

Above drawing at Yeonhwajeongsa Temple

The view from Yeonhwajeongsa Temple was beautiful with great scenes

because it was located very high in the mountain. 

#36 World Wide Sketchcrawl at Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul

looking at the 'gana art center', 22.9 x 30.5 cm

looking down the beautiful houses of the village, A 4

looking down the street near the gallery, A 4

at Yeonhwajeongsa (temple), A 4

Buddha inside the temple, A 4

at Kim Chong-Yung Museum, A 4

Gana Art Center(left) and Seoul Auction House-gana art(right)

Lee Yong Hwan sketching at Yeonhwajeongsa

Jung Kyoung Won sketching at the temple

my mother walking around the temple

a photo taken by my mother(91 years old)

It was a fine day though in spite of a rainy season. YH Lee, KW Jung and I participated in. The village is famous for the rich one surrounded by Bughansan Mountain. These days big and small galleries with pretty cafes settled into the hill. We started to sketch at Gana Art Center and Total Museum. After having lunch we went up to the Yeonhwajeongsa(temple) where we could see the excellent view from top. The scenery was gorgeous. And the atmosphere of the garden inside the temple was so quiet that we enjoyed sketching very much. While sketching a woman who was tracking Ollegil of Bughansan Mountain asked to see our sketches with interest. We shared and encouraged her to join us someday. We moved to Kim Chong Yung Museum. The sculpture museum was fantastic with the placement and the design of building. Water from the mountain flowed under the lawn to the little pond inside the museum. Because we had not enough time to sketch more and it began to rain at 5 pm, we ended there. We hoped to sketch later in beautiful autumn. Thank you, KW Jung, YH Lee and my mother who accompanied us!

Around Gwanghwamun

A4  pencil

Bukjeong-dong Seong buk-gu Seoul

watercolor, watercolor pencil, A4

watercolor  A4

watercolor  A4 

watercolor  pen  20x20cm

pencil   20x20cm

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 

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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.