A Nature Journal

With our movements curtailed due to Covid I decided at the start of Spring 2021 to document our garden over the next 12 months. There is just so much to observe when you take the time, I can hardly keep up! 

In a way I’m returning to my early natural science training and enjoying it now through an artists’ lens. I've kept artist and travel journals but never a nature journal. It's opened a whole new exciting world for me. 

I'm not a botanical illustrator and don't aspire to be one. I enjoy a freer depictions of nature.

Today is the first day of summer. Here are a few sketches from spring.

The Yarrow is finally producing flowers.

The Yarrow was done with #Sailorfude pen, watercolour, #Fabriano Artistico Hot Press Watercolour paper.

The rest, #Sailorfude pen, watercolour, #Stillman&Birn Beta Sketchbook, 8.5”x 5.5”

Bellbird Park

Bellbird Park has many tall tree trunks left standing like sculptures, lots of Eastern Rosellas and a gum tree oozing RED sap like rubies glistening in the sun! 

This means the tree is infested by borer! The tree fills the channels in the trunk dug by the borer with sap and this flows out of holes made by the borer when they emerge from the trunk as adults.

The main sketch was done on location. 

Spot illustrations were done later from photo references to fill the 2 page spread. 

#Sailorfude pen, watercolour, colour pencil, #Stillman&Birn Beta Sketchbook, 7.5”x 7.5”

Giant Gum Tree

Here was an opportunity to sketch this humongous gum tree in our neighbourhood. Plans to build 2 townhouses next to it was halted by the local Casey council a couple of years ago. The case went to arbitration and building only progressed when the height of the new buildings were lowered and safety of the tree was ensured. The townhouses are now up and I'm pleased to see the tree still healthy. 

This was sketched as part of the Urban Sketchers' global Sketch Together event. How exciting to be part of a global sketchmeet conducted live on social media. It spanned 24 hours across the globe!

Some text (and sky) added later improved the earlier second rate sketch.

#Sailorfude pen, watercolour, #Stillman&Birn Beta Sketchbook, 7.5”x 7.5”

A dip into Mixed Media

I've worked mostly in ink and watercolour but after attending a recent workshop called Playlab with sketchers Paul Wang and Suhita  Shirodkar, I'm taking a dip into Mixed Media. Here I'm drawing flowers in our garden using ink, watercolour, watercolour pencil and watersoluble crayons.

The Geranium cutting from our neighbour is thriving (I don’t know the name). 

The Calibrachoa Chameleon is flowering for the third year! 

I rather like this way of working! It's very tactile and feels nice to work freely. Just getting an impression and not worrying about total accuracy and photorealism!

Ink, watercolour, watercolour pencil and watersoluble crayons on Fabriano Artistico hot press paper.