Last sketch for 2018

This last little sketch for 2018 was done in the waiting room of my doctor's surgery. The colour pencil touches were added at home. The visit was just for repeat prescriptions, luckily nothing else. Phew!

#FaberCastellPittPen, #HandbookJournal 5.5"x5.5"

Last Casey U3A Sketchmeet for 2018

Last sketchmeet for 2018 with sketchers from my Casey U3A sketchbook class. Hardly managed to get a sketch in amidst the coffee and chat. Bunjil Place, Melbourne.

#FaberCastellPittPen, #HandbookJournal 5.5"x5.5"

The Nobbies

It was blowing a gale at The Nobbies (headland at the SW tip of Phillip Island) so I had to be content with sketching through the window while having a sandwich in the visitor centre cafe. 

Luckily there was a nesting colony of gulls just outside to keep my interest. Seal Rocks just beyond Round Island is home to one of Australia's largest seal colonies. 

These gulls had very red legs and feet!

So very quiet in the visitor centre cafe...was it because of the week old sandwiches?

#FaberCastellPittPen, #HandbookJournal 5.5"x5.5"

Dinosaurs and Rugged Coasts

So exciting to be in dinosaur country (Bass Coast, south east of Melbourne)! This is looking towards The Caves from Eagles Nest. Eagles Nest is the site of the discovery of Australia's first dinosaur bone – The Cape Paterson Claw in 1903. 

The dinosaur dig at The Caves is the most productive in Victoria. There is also a Theratops foot print in the rocks near the stairs at The Caves but we thought it too dangerous to climb over the numerous rocks to look for it.

#FaberCastellPittPen, #HandbookJournal 5.5"x5.5"

Gippsland Gourmet Package

The Radius Restaurant at the RACV Resort, Inverloch is an excellent dining venue with a stunning view.  Inverloch is a small town on the spectacular Bass Coast in Gippsland just east of Melbourne. Mid week, off peak and with a members' discount is the way to live it up! 

Looking out to Bass Strait (and all the way to the south pole?) while J has a beer in the Zenith Lounge before dinner. The trees were starting to turn pink in the setting sun.

Someone sketching at dinner was new for the waitress. Not wanting to get paint on the white tablecloth, I added colour in the Zenith Lounge (with dessert) and did the final touch up later.

#FaberCastellPittPen, watercolour, #MoleskineWatercolourAlbum, 5x8” 

Coogee Beach

J's cousin Margaret used to live near the top of that very steep road that led down to Coogee Beach. We visited her a few times over the years. Today we were at the beach to meet family for a celebratory 70th birthday lunch for J at the Coogee Pavilion. There was a crowd watching a volley ball game on the beach and when the wind came up it blew a marquee over the wall from the beach. The crowd scattered...and my sketching had to come to an end.

#FaberCastellPittPen, watercolour, #MoleskineWatercolourAlbum, 5x8” 

The Carrington Hotel

What a wonderful stay at The Carrington Hotel in Katoomba. That's a township in the Blue mountains, an easy 2 hour train ride west of Sydney, Australia. The hotel was built in 1880 and called The Great Western. Under new ownership it was renamed The Carrington Hotel in 1886. Listed with The Australian Heritage Commission, it's old world atmosphere and artifacts made it a fascinating place to stay at! 

My sketch of the ceiling from the wine bar was a bit of a challenge (watercolour only followed by black pen).

Here's some of the *hundreds* of lamps in the hotel!

 

I never got the opportunity to sketch the interesting front of the hotel but taking refuge from rain on the last day of our stay I got in a sketch of the side from the Cultural Centre next door. The tower is what's left of the coal power station built at The Carrington in 1903.

#FaberCastellPittPen, watercolour, #MoleskineWatercolourAlbum, 5x8”

White Rabbit Gallery

These are sketches done at the rather charming teahouse in the White Rabbit Gallery, Sydney, while waiting for family to arrive. Chrysanthemum and Gogi Berry tea and dumplings says "upmarket"! 

The family were *very* late (no parking as usual) which meant more time for another sketch. (Empty bird cages hanging from the ceiling in an eatery in Australia was a new form of decoration for me...but it's catching on in other establishments).

The White Rabbit Gallery prides itself as having one of the world's largest and most significant collections of contemporary Chinese art. It was a bit of a thrill to see an installation by the artist/activist Ai Weiwei – a very large black (plastic?) splotch. 

#FaberCastellPittPen #HandbookJournal 5.5"x5.5"

Echo Point Katoomba

The Echo Point Lookout in Katoomba (part of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Australia) is the best spot to view the imposing Three Sisters rock formation. 

Unfortunately limited time prevented me from sketching them. I only managed a sketch of the general view when we took a break later in the morning. It was awe inspiring to read about the geographical history of this place. 

I only had a brown, grey and green Tombow pen with me on the day. 

Addition of some colour pencil after I got home sure improved this sketch. 

Interestingly, I read later that the blue of the mountains is caused by droplets of eucalyptus oil in the atmosphere!

#TombowMarker, colour pencils, #HandbookJournal 5.5"x5.5"

Around the World in a Sketchbook

I'm so happy to have such a strong supporter in Judith at the Mechanics Institute Library, Berwick. My little show "Around the World in a Sketchbook" was on display there recently.

The artist statement: 

Kathleen Newman is an Urban Sketcher and sketchbook artist. She has lived and sketched her life in several countries while accompanying her spouse on his work assignments. 

These sketches (dating back to 2012) were done on location. Addition of colour and touch ups could be completed later at a more convenient time. 

She was a tutor in the “Keeping a Sketchbook” course for Casey U3A (first semester 2018).

Adventures with a Sailor Fude Pen

Oops! A sudden switch in style brought about by an overly generous flow of ink from my Sailor Fude pen while sketching a corner of the garden.

Still experimenting with my Fude pen at Sawtell Inlet, Tooradin. This is a small coastal township at the top of Western Port Bay near Melbourne, Australia.

Another sketch, this time at Patterson Lakes – inlets, boats and retirement communities. 

After such busy traffic and miles of annoying roadworks, the Puerto Restaurant was quite a find. Right on a sunny inlet, it's quietly tucked away at the back of the chaotic Patterson Lakes Shopping Centre. 

More adventures with a Sailor Fude to come. I rather like the unpredictability of line.

#Sailorfude pen, watercolour, #MoleskineWatercolourAlbum, 5x8”, #HandbookJournal 5.5"x5.5"

Beaconsfield Village Bakery

A party pie (or two) is a treat on a freezing cold day! The Beaconsfield Village Bakehouse must be the most popular bakery in the area!

#TombowMarker, #HandbookJournal 5.5"x5.5"

Daily Life

Here's a sketch from the dentist's surgery. I'm still nursing sore thumb joints and tendon strain hence the very light lines which I darkened at home (and added the other colours).

A good fish lunch is a nice way to end an unexpectedly successful shopping morning (for arriving family). Too cold and blustery to eat outside unfortunately.

The lavender is out under that strange shaped tree across the road. That's the Berwick Mechanics Institute and Free Library across there. It's one of the last Mechanics Institutes which still operates as a library in Victoria, Australia and one I enjoy visiting almost weekly. 

#TombowMarker, colour pencils #HandbookJournal 5.5"x5.5"

Winter Garden

The winter weather has been really grotty but I'm pleased to still be able to enjoy my garden. Here I'm trying out a new Urban Grey ink. The ink company De Artramentis has recently released this ink colour on the request of Urban Sketchers who feel that black ink is just too stark.  (Their Dove Grey is too blue for me).  

The latch on our garden gate has had to be adjusted twice in the last 2 years in order for the gate to close. This is the result of shifting soils which apparently is a feature of our neighbourhood! 

After living in Canada for 14 years I'm still getting my head around having outdoor flowering plants in winter and it's been a good growing season going by the plants which are doing well. 

#Deartramentis #Sailorfude pen, watercolour, #MoleskineWatercolourAlbum, 5x8”

Over the Garden Wall

Looking over our garden wall (while watching some birds we are feeding). The only ones that come are Spotted Turtle Doves. They squabble and fight among each other and the only bird which gets to feed is a large dominant one. So much for doves being peace loving.

I did this ink-only sketch first with my Sailor fude pen.  A fude pen has a bent nib and this was a 40 degree one (as opposed to the 55 degree ones you can also buy). I sure like the ease of attaining thick and thin lines depending on the angle one holds the pen. 

This second piece I did with direct watercolour (no line) using a Rosemary & Co dagger brush.

Finally I added watercolour to the ink-only sketch with a waterbrush. 

Although I like all three, I was able to achieve more interesting colour effects with the greater holding capacity of the dagger brush as compared with the waterbrush. The direct watercolour technique is easier to do on quick drying paper and my Moleskine Watercolour Journal worked well here. (Much better than the slower drying Bockingford paper I had tried earlier in a home made journal). 

I added some text and “extras” later in an attempt to achieve a better page layout.

#Sailorfude pen, watercolour, #MoleskineWatercolourAlbum, 5x8”