Waiting Room Stories

It’s Covid vaccination booster day at our local GP clinic so it was rather busy. This is our 4th shot, the first two were AstraZeneca and the second two Pfizer. The lady with the handbag between her feet kept moving her hands!

I seem to run into the same people in the ophthalmologist's clinic at each of my check-ups after my recent cataract surgery. 

I had barely a moment to do a very quick sketch of this elderly lady before she was called but I also sketched her 3 weeks ago when I had a bit more time. 

She always wears a very big coat. I don't think it's the same person who comes with her but I'm glad she always has a companion. 

A bit dismal that so many of my sketches at the moment are at medical establishments. Looking forward to better times ahead.

#FaberCastellPittPen, water-soluble pencil, waterbrush, #Moleskine Sketchbook, 3.5" x 5.5”. 

Autumn Garden

 Here's a sketch of our autumn garden.

I usually work in small sketchbooks but with my lopsided vision due to recent cataract surgery I can only draw much larger than usual. I now have one new long distance eye and one old very shortsighted eye and crayons and a Pentel Brush Pen are my current tools of choice. 

The vision impairment I'm experiencing has resulted in more looseness in the drawing than I can usually achieve! Hopefully I can maintain this after I get my other eye corrected in a month's time!

Crayon and Pentel Brush Pen.

A Room with a View

Here's a view from the home of some very old friends. The Dandenong Ranges can be seen in the distance. They are unhappy about an old aged home being built just left of the house shown below.

I'm happy to be able to sketch again after my first cataract surgery 3 weeks ago, albeit with limited and very lopsided vision (one new long distance lens eye and one old very short sighted eye). I like the wonkiness and looseness in this sketch done standing up and holding my A6 sketchbook close up to my face.

The details and darks were added at home from a photo reference.

Brown and black marker pens, #Moleskine Sketchbook, 3.5" x 5.5”.

Eye Adventures

Thankfully my sketchbook helped fill in the inordinate waiting time for my cataract operation (2 hours in the hospital's Day Surgery waiting room!). Sketching also helps keep my stress levels down.

Looking NW across the road to Monash Health Casey from the Day Procedure waiting room at SJOG Hospital, Berwick and then looking NE when I was moved to the ward to begin the prep for the procedure. It was another 2 hours before I hit the operating table!

Faber Castell Pitt pen, watercolour pencil, #Moleskine Sketchbook, 3.5" x 5.5”

Sawtell's Inlet

 Outings with my grandchildren always tend to be slow paced and include some sketching. 

During the April school holidays I was able to enjoy some sketching at Sawtell’s Inlet with my 9 year old grandson who was finally able to visit from Auckland after 2 grinding years of closed borders due to Covid.  

The tiny fishing village of Tooradin, 57km south east of the Melbourne central business district sits at this inlet and is a quiet relaxing spot because tourists usually bypass this unpretentious township on their way to the popular holiday destinations further south on the Mornington Peninsular. 

There's lots to see and sketch at Tooradin – mangroves, mudflats, crabs, pelicans and giant fish heads left by fishermen after they clean their catch. We left feeling unexpectedly refreshed and calm.

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