The 100 Churches Project

I started this in a small way, recording churches close to home, but it has grown into something much bigger, that involved lots of research and driving about, and encompasses temples, mosques, synagogues and other sacred places. Brisbane is full of such buildings that embody powerful spiritual meaning and are the focus of community sentiment.

These are places where people celebrate life, be it marriages, births, and deaths. People bear witness to loving unions; we mourn our departed loved ones. But these places are often just landmarks that we drive past, and they are not really in the public consciousness.

I wanted to record these places with integrity, just the fact of the place, and how it looked on a particular day, with weather, cars, people, traffic lights, no frills or “best face”. It became an obsession there for a while. I had to stop at 100 but I could have kept going. There are many I missed but I did my best.

The 100 Churches Project by Robyn Bauer

1. St John’s Anglican Cathedral, 373 Ann St, Brisbane Q.4000

2. St Nikolas, Serbian Orthodox, 6 Ross St, Woolloongabba Q. 4102

3. St Francis of Assisi, Dutton Park Catholic Parish, 47 Dornoch Terrace, West End, Q.4101

4. Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Parish, 36 Broadway St Woolloongabba. Q.4102

5. Brisbane Mosque, Islamic Society of Holland Park, 309 Nursery Road, Holland Park, Q.4121

6. Rosalie Baptist Church, 97 Fernberg Road, Paddington, Q.4064

7. Windsor Road Baptist Church, 16 Windsor Road, Red Hill, Q.4059

8. Mary Immaculate, Annerley Ekibin Catholic Parish, Ipswich Rd and Ferndale St, Annerley Q4103

9. St Brigid’s Church, Catholic, 78 Musgrave Road, Red Hill, Q.4059

10. St Barnaba’s Anglican Church, 28 St Barnaba’s Place (Waterworks Road) Red Hill, Q. 4059

11. Annerley Baptist Church, 556 Ipswich Road, Annerley, Q.4103

12. St David’s Uniting Church, 68 Orange Grove Road, Cooper’s Plains, Q.4108

13. St Stephen’s Chapel, Catholic, 249 Elizabeth St, Brisbane Q.4000

14. All Saints Church, Anglican Parish of Brisbane, 32 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, Q.4000

15. St Columba’s Catholic Church, 170 Kedron Brook Road, Wilston, Q.4051

16. Sacred Heart Church, Catholic, 369 Given Terrace, Paddington, Q.4064

17. St Finbarr’s Church, Jubilee Catholic Parish, 202 waterworks Road, Ashgrove, Q.4060

18. St John’s Lutheran Church, 24 Levington Road, Eight Mile Plains, Q.4113

19. Our lady of Victories, Catholic Church, 29 Cintra Road, Bowen Hills, Q.4006

20. St Mary’s Catholic Parish, 1 Bromelton St, Beaudesert, Q.4285

21. St Andrew’s Uniting Church, 299 Ann St, Brisbane City, Q.4000

22.St Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 25 Wickham Terrace, Brisbane, Q.4000

23. Graceville Uniting Church, 215 Oxley Road, Graceville, Q.4075

24. Sri Selva Vinayakar Temple, Hindu Temple, 4915-4923 Mt Lindsay Hwy, South Maclean, Q.4280

25. Iglesia ni Cristo, Church of Christ, 65 Orange Grove Road, Cooper’s Plains, Q.4108

26. Logan Bosnian Islamic Centre,2674F Logan Road, Eight Mile Plains, Q.4113

27. Ithaca Presbyterian Church, 100 Enoggera Terrace, Paddington, Q.4064

28. Fo Guang Shan, Chung Tian Temple, 1034 Underwood Road, Priestdale, Q.4127

29. Redeemer Chapel, Our Saviour Lutheran Church, 745 Rochedale Road, Rochedale, Q.4123

30. St Luke’s Church, Anglican Parish of Ekibin, 193 Ekibin Road, Tarragindi, Q.4121

31. Brisbane Sikh Temple, 2679 Logan Road, Eight Mile Plains, Q.4113

32. St Stephen’s Cathedral, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, 249 Elizabeth St,     

       Brisbane, Q.4000

33. The Brisbane Synagogue, Brisbane Hebrew Congregation, 98 Margaret St, Brisbane, Q.4000

34. Bulimba Uniting Church, 216 Oxford St, Bulimba, Q.4171

35. St John the Baptist, Anglican Church, 171 Oxford St, Bulimba, Q.4171

36. St Patrick’s Church, Roman Catholic, 58 Morgan St, Fortitude Valley, Q.4006

37. Macedonian Orthodox Church, Nativity of the Holy Mother of God, 142 James St, New Farm,  

       Q.4005

38. Holy Spirit Catholic Parish, 16 Villiers St, New Farm, Q.4005

39. St Michael and All Angels, Anglican, 655 Brunswick St, New Farm, Q.4005

40. City Tabernacle, Baptist Church, 163 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, Q.4000

41. West End Uniting Church, 11 Sussex St (cnr Vulture St) West End, Q.4101

42. Uniting Church in Australia, Kennedy Terrace, Paddington, Q.4064

43. St Paul’s Anglican Church, 10 Jubilee Terrace (cnr Waterworks Rd) Ashgrove, Q.4060

44. Ashgrove West Uniting Church, 491 Waterworks Road, Ashgrove, Q.4060

45. St Mary Magdalene, Catholic Church, 51 Cecil Road, Bardon, Q.4065

46. Pilgrim Congregational Church, Episcopal Church, 163 Simpsons Road, Bardon, Q.4065

47. St Francis Theological College Chapel, Chapel of the Holy Spirit, 233 Milton Rd, Milton, Q.4064

48. Church of St Thomas More, Jubilee Catholic Parish, Chapel St, Petrie Terrace, Q.4000

49. Christ Church Milton, Anglican Church of Australia, 9 Chippendall St, Milton, Q.4064

50. Ann St Presbyterian Church, 141 Ann St, Brisbane, Q.4000

51. St Michael’s Catholic Church, 250 Banks St, Ashgrove (Dorrington) Q.4060

52. Albert Street Uniting Church, 319 Albert St, Brisbane City, Q.4000

53. St John the Baptist, Catholic Church, 131 South Pine Road, Enoggera, Q.4051

54. Our Lady Queen of Apostles, Stafford Catholic Parish,70 Appleby Road, Stafford, Q.4053

55. St Clements on the Hill, Anglican Church, Eudunda St, Stafford, Q.4053

56. St Therese Little Flower Church, Catholic, 80 Turner Road, Kedron, Q.4031

57. St Paul’s Uniting Church, 7 Minimine St (cnr Webster Rd) Stafford, Q.4053

58. St Carthage’s Catholic Church, 115 Beaconsfield Terrace, Gordon Park, Q.4031

59. Holy Cross Catholic Parish, 28 Chalk St, Lutwyche, Q.4030

60. St Paul’s Presbyterian Sabbath Hall, 43 St Paul’s Terrace, Spring Hill, Q.4000

61. St Paul’s Presbyterian Church, 43 St Paul’s Terrace, Spring Hill, Q.4000

62. St Joseph’s Catholic Church, 26-36 Leopard St, Kangaroo Point, Q.4169

63. Kangaroo Point Uniting Church, 40/48 Linton St, kangaroo Point, Q.4169

64. St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral, 344 Vulture St, Woolloongabba, Q.4102

65. Islamic Centre, West End Mosque, 12 Princhester St, West End, Q.4101

66. Greek Orthodox Church, 33 Edmonstone St, South Brisbane, Q.4101

67. St Mary’s Catholic Parish, 20 Merivale St, South Brisbane, Q.4101

68. St Mary’s Anglican Church, 455 main St, Kangaroo Point, Q.4169

69. Bahai Centre, 26 Mayneview St, Milton, Q.4064

70. Hindu Temple, Hindu Society of Qld Inc. Gayatri Mandir, 178 Lyndhurst Rd, Boondall, Q.4034

71. Masjid Taqwah Mosque, 119 Telegraph Road, Bald Hills, Q.4036

72. Gurdwara Singh Sabha, 101 Lemke Road, Taigum, Q.4018

73. Greek Orthodox Parish of St Paraskevi, 241 Church Road, Taigum, Q.4018

74. Church of Christ, Queenstown Ave and Carlyle Road, Boondall, Q.4034

75. Sandgate Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 6/8 Depot Road, Deagon, Q.4017

76. Ching Chung Taoist Temple, The Evergreen Taoist Church of Australia, 41 Depot Road, Deagon,

       Q.4017

77. St Flannan’s Catholic Church, 194 Handford Road, Zillmere, Q.4034

78. Christadelphian Ecclesias Wilston in Zillmere, 110 Church Road, Zillmere, Q.4034

79. Brisbane Congress Congregation, Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Congress, Uniting Church in

       Australia, 385 Zillmere Road, Zillmere, Q.4034

80. St John the Evangelist, Anglican Parish of Green Hills, 181 Wardell St, Enoggera, Q.4051

81. Seventh Day Adventist Church, 97 Blackwood St, Mitchelton, Q.4053

82. St Matthew’s Anglican Parish of Grovely, 35 Church Road, Mitchelton, Q.4053

83. St William’s Catholic Church, 67 Dawson Parade, Grovely, Q.4054

84. The Gap Uniting Church, 1050 Waterworks Road, The Gap, Q.4061

85. Ashgrove Baptist Church, 7 Firhill St, Ashgrove, Q.4060

86. Rivercity Family Church, 59 Settlement Road, The Gap, 4061

87. St Mark’s Anglican Church, 1073 Waterworks Road/Kullaroo St, The Gap, Q.4061

88. St Thomas Anglican Church, 67 High St, Toowong, Q.4066

89. Toowong Baptist Church, 5 Jephson St, Toowong, Q.4066

90. Christ Church Anglican Parish of St Lucia, 3 Baty St, St Lucia, Q.4067

91. Chinese Christian Church of Brisbane, 83 Ryans Road, St Lucia, Q.4067

92. Holy Triad Temple, Buddhist temple, 32 Higgs St, Albion, Q.4010

93. St Andrew’s Anglican Church, 160 Vulture St, (cnr Cordelia St) South Brisbane, Q 4101

94. Free Serbian Orthodox Church, St Nicholas Monastery, 243/247 Vulture St, South Brisbane,

       Q.4101

95. St Clement’s Catholic Church, 74 Ernest St, South Brisbane, Q.4101

96. Gospel Hall, 50 Miskin St Toowong, Q.4066

97. Brisbane Australia Temple, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 200 River Terrace,

       Kangaroo Point, Q.4169

98. St Ignatius Loyola Church, 30 Kensington Terrace, Toowong, Q.4066

99. Toowong Uniting Church, 82 Sherwood Road, Toowong, Q.4066

100. St Peter Chanel Catholic Centre, 41 Chaprowe St, The Gap, Q.4061

All Paintings 21x21cm,

Oil and Acrylic on Canvas Board

$290 each

Installing the 100 Churches Project, Robyn Bauer

Installation shot, The 100 Churches Project, Robyn Bauer with the help of her son

Installing the 100 Churches project, Robyn Bauer with the help of her son

Individual images can also be viewed on my website.

www.robynbauer.com

More Black and White Sketches of Brisbane

I am really loving getting out and about in the mild winter weather. These drawings have all been done on location or en plein air in and around Brisbane.
They are all ink on paper, specifically Arches 300gsm smooth, hot pressed watercolour paper.

Jo Jo's Restaurant South Brisbane

Ithaca War Memorial

Fortitude Valley

Bardon Water Tower from Collingwood Street.

Breakfast Creek Hotel

St Matthews Mitchelton

Story Bridge Hotel

Japanese Garden Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens

Woolloongabba

Milton Fig Tree

Brisbane City from Southbank

Recent Urban Sketches of Brisbane

For the past year I have been venturing out at least weekly to capture the sights and activities of many varied locations in Brisbane.

Latrobe Terrace Paddington Brisbane, Urban Sketch

I wanted my drawings to have both strength and a strong design aspect so I decided to work just in ink. The ink is diluted into various strengths from ink black to pure water.
Brisbane has such strong contrasts with our harsh sunlight and very dark shadows so I thought ink was the perfect medium to achieve this. It can be extremely messy so I usually wear black on my sketching days! I want to indicate the bright colours of our urban landscape without using colour.

Rosalie Village Brisbane Urban Sketch

 Being a Paddington resident, and being so enamoured of the place I have no trouble finding appealing locations quite close to home. Finding a spot in the shade is the most overriding consideration and when I am comfortable on my fold-up stool I can always find a composition in any direction. Framing devices such as foreground trees or telephone lines are something I embrace. The clutter of the street really is the subject after all. I always do a quick thumbnail first through my trusty viewfinder. If I don't do this I always regret it!

Given Terrace and Great George Streets, Le Bon Choix, Urban Sketch Brisbane

Overhead telephone lines usually echo the topography of the street below so they provide a great compositional device. People and trees are my very favourite subjects as they provide the life and energy of the scene and give me chance to loosen up. If I am patient, a person that I can include will appear and if they move on I can morph them into the next person in the drawing.

Story Bridge Brisbane Urban Sketch

The landmarks of the city such as the big bridges are subjects that appeal if I can find appropriate shelter from the sun. Sometimes I work from the car. Even if I do focus on an iconic subject, I try to get an unusual view of it that is not stereotypical but is nevertheless accurate from a particular vantage point. Including the signage and the overhead lights and wires gives the sense of authenticity and accuracy that is important to me.

The Eternal Flame, Anzac park, Urban Sketch Brisbane

Some members of our group of Urban Sketchers Brisbane have architectural training and they gravitate towards producing detailed sketches of buildings. There is such a wealth of styles embodied in the buildings of Brisbane. Often in a single sketch different historical periods and genres are apparent. The silhouette provided by the shapes provides an important compositional device. Trees often do this job for me.

Ann Street Uniting Church from Ann Street, Brisbane Urban Sketch

Tonal values are paramount in this series of works. I do the big "squint" to establish where my lights and darks are and I usually go straight in with a fine pen that is slightly water soluble. I try to "disappear the line" by taking the tonal wash right up to it, as there are really no lines in the subject, just changes of colour or tone. This really creates a three dimensional illusion instead of just a drawing with lines. If I can "get rid of the line" then I do so. The change from dark to light indicates the subject in a much more realistic fashion. Also the drawings can take on the quality of an old black and white photo, which I find appealing and it creates another level of visual reference with historical overtones.

The Mansions, George Street Brisbane, Urban Sketch

The arched windows in the sketch above illustrate this point. There are no lines just changes of tone or value. As far as perspective goes, I think it is the last thing to be worried about. I use "sighting" or holding up my pencil vertically or horizontally to measure the angle of a building by sight. I never bother with measuring. I just compare to the constant vertical and horizontal of the edge of the paper.
The foreground framing of a concrete planter box and traffic lights gives sense of the crowded location. You can no longer step back from city buildings and get a picturesque view. It just isn't physically possible.

Rising Sun Hotel Rosewood, Urban Sketch

Even in surrounding small towns, the paraphernalia of the street intrudes on the subject. In the case of this hotel in Rosewood, I think the railway crossing provides an amusing angle. It is accurate from where I was sitting against the opposite fence.

Kilcoy Urban Sketch

I have traveled a little further afield and found some great subject matter. I am sure my powers of observation and subsequently my knowledge of these small towns is really enhanced by investing some time sitting in the street and sketching.

Rathdowney, Urban Sketch

Sandgate Town Hall

Oriel Park Ascot, Brisbane Urban Sketch

There is definitely a quality of recording aspects of Brisbane life of the present moment. Change happens relentlessly and some of these images are a snapshot in time. I am actually aware of this while I am working. Different things are visible in different seasons also.

Racecourse Road Ascot, Brisbane Urban Sketch

The giant fig trees that are dotted around the city and suburbs are something that makes my heart sing. I just can't go past one, even if I had another subject in mind before arriving.

The Watercolourist, at The Priory, Kenmore, Brisbane Urban Sketch

Everyone likes to come across an unexpected sketch of themselves, particularly if it is like "candid camera" and they had no knowledge of being captured at the time. I make it a mission to try and capture everyone in the group at some stage over the months.

Melbourne and Grey Streets Brisbane, Urban Sketch

I quickly captured another of our regular sketchers in the foreground here. It's always a good idea to put them in early on and just work around them. There is lot of camaraderie in our group and we have a lot of laughs when people see images of themselves. They would rather be sketched than photographed, that's for sure!

Tropical Dome and Succulents, Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens, Brisbane Urban Sketch

As I mentioned earlier, trees and people are my favourite subjects and the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens is my favourite place. There is wealth of material there for the artist and plenty of shade. These textures are a challenge to indicate just using the one simple medium. I often start with a bamboo twig to get a loose starting point. I then go in boldly with large 2 or 3 cm brushes to apply the tonal washes. Splashes of ink are great to indicate growth and movement. I love the use of the accidental mark. I actually provoke it. Spilled ink adds, doesn't detract.

Latrobe Terrace Paddington, Brisbane Urban Sketch

Queensland Museum, Brisbane Urban Sketch

The Three Monkeys, West End, Brisbane Urban Sketch

Collingwood Street Paddington,Brisbane Urban Sketch

Fig Tree and Sandgate Town Hall, Brisbane Urban Sketch

As you can see these trees really are a feature of my work. When the ink is dry (which happens pretty quickly in this climate) I can go over the ink with a white charcoal pencil to bring out some highlights and create volume.

Antarctic Beech Trees Springbrook

Antarctic Beech Trees, Springbrook, close up of roots.

Depending on the amount of time available, some sketches are more detailed than others. I sometimes think that the quicker and simpler the better.

It is only after spending the morning uploading all these images that I realise how many I have actually done! I am planning to put together a small book of these black and white ink sketches. I intend to have these at my next exhibition which is November 2018 at Royal Qld Art Society.

Hope to see you there!

If you are interested in joining Brisbane Urban Sketchers, you can find us on Facebook.