Welkom in Amsterdam!

Bricks, a bicycle, a typical lamp post: welcome in Amsterdam!

[By Gwen Glotin, 2019 symposium correspondent, in Amsterdam] I cannot believe that in just 3 weeks (three little weeks!), there will be hundreds of people arriving in Amsterdam from all over the world for the best reason of all: to sketch!

We (the Dutch urban sketchers) have been talking about the Symposium for a loooong time now, and it has seemed to be an event set in the future for so long that it’s difficult to realize that yes, the big day is approaching (just three little weeks, guys!).

Approaching so fast, in fact, that it might be time to introduce myself and to give you a foretaste of the location where we will spend several days together – in real life or through this blog.

My name is Gwen, I’m French but have been living in Amsterdam for 20 years now – and I’m a drawing addict. My “thing” (hmmmm, yes, I do mean “obsession” actually!) is drawing people, but throughout the last 3-4 years, I’ve been enjoying drawing buildings too more and more. During the coming symposium, I will act as the local correspondent and try to report everything which is happening, together with my two “colleagues”: Mark from the United States and Orling from the Dominican Republic. The three of us are looking forward to this. A LOT!

As you might now, the central location where we will meet every day is the Zuiderkerk, so I thought that to begin with, I would take you there and show you around.

The Zuiderkerk (“Southern Church”) is a Protestant church from the 17th century (the date 1614 is clearly written in golden numbers on the church tower, so you might want to add a golden pen in your sketching kit – just saying!) that was used for church services until 1929. It had different uses since then and now serves as a municipal information centre. 

The beautiful church tower is visible above the other surrounding buildings, you cannot miss it – which is convenient if you’re not sure which way to walk to the central location! In the drawing below, it is seen from the Jodenbreestraat. I sketched it while sitting on the terrace of Café Orff, opposite to Rembrandt’s house – if you want to draw it (Rembrandt’s house I mean), it’s also a good place to go to (but be prepared to have to draw a LOT of windows then!).

The church tower of the Zuiderkerk.

From there, you just have to walk a few meters further away to reach the Zuiderkerk. While doing so, you will walk in front of another beauty, the café Sluyswacht, which stands alone above the water and is just begging to be sketched. It also has a terrace which should be very much appreciated by the urban sketchers.

Café “de Sluyswacht” – I’m quite sure it will be sketched a lot during the symposium!

But as I was saying, if you continue walking and cross the Sint Antoniesbreestraat (“St. Anthony’s Broad Street”), you arrive on the Zuiderkerkhof where the church is situated. It’s a quiet square generally, even though it is regularly visited by groups of tourists with their guide. There are several benches on the square, which I expect will be rather convenient for the sketchers who want to take a break or draw the church or the surrounding buildings, like I did a few months ago: 

The buildings and the metro exit next to the Zuiderkerk.

But the most famous view is without any doubt the one from the Groenburgwal, which was also painted by Monet. That view is also to be admired from the Staalmeestersbrug bridge, from where the Zuiderkerk is photographed every day by many many tourists.

If you go there, be aware though that this bridge is not just for pedestrians: ok, there are no cars there, but there are a lot of cyclists who use this bridge and who are not amused to have to slow down just because someone is standing in the middle of the street (well, of the bridge) in order to take a picture. As a rule, Amsterdam cyclists do not slow down when they can avoid it – they do “ding, ding, ding” and hope you will get the message in time – don’t say I didn’t warn you! So, be especially careful on that bridge! Actually, be careful everywhere and check out both directions twice before crossing any street. And do NOT walk on the cycle paths! (In many cases, you can recognize them through their pinkish colour – quite similar to Daniel Smith Potter’s Pink actually).

The Staalmeestersbrug (also knows as the Bridge of Love).

Speaking of bicycles, you will of course see a lot of them in Amsterdam. In every form and in every state – including bicycles that had a tragic ending, or the frequently seen “bakfiets”, the cargo bikes used to transport mainly children, but also dogs, plants, groceries, lamps – ok, everything!

Sad sight: a dead bicycle on the Groenburgwal.

A cargo bike in front of the “plants and earth globes” place (Amstel 43)

I cannot resist adding a few words about that mysterious “plants and earth globes” place, because you might want to check it out, as it’s near the Waterlooplein (which is where café Amstelhoeck is, where the Drink and Draw evening meet-ups will take place): I have no idea what it is, it doesn’t seem inhabited, it doesn’t seem to be a shop, I’ve never seen anyone inside – although you actually don’t see much, just plants (below) and dozens and dozens of earth globes (at the top). It’s been there, like this, ever since I can remember – so at least 20 years. If you find out what it is during your stay in Amsterdam, please don’t tell me, I kind of enjoy the mystery!

So, that’s it for now, I’m going to check that countdown again!