A Night at the Opera

A few San Diego Watercolor Society artists were invited to sketch night at the San Diego Opera’s Aida dress rehearsal. These sketch evenings at the San Diego Civic Theater offer artists a unique opportunity to capture the powerful performances of the opera with their artistic talents.

Drew Bandish – 8.5×11” watercolor – Verdi’s Aida / SD Opera / 10/16/19

SDWS Signature Member, Drew Bandish, shared his fantastic painting and overall feedback regarding the event:

The Aida dress rehearsal sketch event occurred on a school night during my own busy Term 2 back to school week (I teach adult ed art classes with Grossmont Adult Education). The anticipation of rush hour traffic after a full day of teaching in El Cajon was nearly enough to discourage my attendance but I am so glad I persisted! The performance, with full orchestra and costumes was such a treat. Painting/sketching from the dark, a hundred yards away from the stage, is a humbling and challenging twist on the plein air art movement. My appreciation for the entertainment artworks of Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas and many others has certainly been enhanced by such participation. I intend to add future San Diego Opera open sketch events to my calendar. 

Drew Bandish, artist

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