Top of the High Street, Berwick

During Covid in early 2021, white concrete blocks were put up in the garden median strip at the top of the High Street in Berwick (an outer suburb of Melbourne). These blocks were there to provide seating, encouraging people to spend more time outdoors. In late 2022, they were replaced with colourful blocks and matching umbrellas for shade. I can't say I like the garish colours but they have become a feature of the area. 

If you want to avoid the freeway, the High Street is a thoroughfare to the ever growing suburbs to the East, through what used to be a small quiet suburb with "an English country feel". Today the High Street is a busy road with too much traffic especially at school pickup time. There are so many schools in the vicinity it's not funny! I'm told that in the old days people from the wealthy Melbourne suburb of Toorak had country homes in Berwick (that would be north of the railway line as the area south was all farmland). Perhaps their children attended the private schools in the neighbourhood.  

This sketch was done in two sessions in the same week. I went back the second time to add a suggestion of background shops behind the umbrellas and to choose something to fill the page spread.  I decided on some plants from the nice garden area and not the statue of Edwin Flack. That will have to wait for another page. 

Here's the sketch before a suggestion of the background shops was added. I'm not sure which I like better – with or without. Both have their merits. 

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

Crepe Myrtle January 2024

Is this an unexpected bonus of Climate Change? Our Crepe Myrtle has never been as showy in the seven years this young tree has been in our care.  We gave it an extra hard prune but perhaps it was all that rain (and floods) this past year that has been to its liking. We usually have it much drier especially in the warmer months. 

I've now drawn this tree in our garden five times in different seasons! This latest was sketched through our study window on a hot sunny afternoon. 

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

La Baguette Cafe, Berwick

This cafe was extended and renovated about a year ago. We always meant to try it out but didn’t until January 2024 (to celebrate my birthday). The meals were good and being seniors size meant there was room for dessert! 

It's got a pleasant ambience, rather ambitious perhaps as it has extensive seating. On this day (lunch time on a Tuesday) it was reasonably full. 

You know me, I had to record the lunch with a sketch. 

Will we go again? Yes! I wish the owners well. 

#Sailorfude pen, Handbook Journal 5.5" x 5.5".

Christmas Lunch 2023

We had Christmas lunch with our son and his family in Melbourne but unfortunately it was too cold, wet and windy to enjoy their marvellous deck. The deck backs onto a stand of natural forest where cockatoos, lorikeets, possums (including one with baby) come to feed. It's only a small stand of trees and the neighbours' homes can just be seen between the vegetation but with a glimpse of the Dandenong Ranges in the distance it feels like a restful oasis far from human habitation. 

I sketched this from the safety of the dining room.

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

Garden Sketching

I love sketching gardens and went to sketch a friend’s lovely backyard. How could I forget my watercolours! So annoying! Consequently the sketch was done on site but I added the colours after I got home from a photo reference.

Looking forward to going back to finish these concertina sketch pages.

#Sailorfude pen, watercolour, homemade concertina sketchbook.

Wilson Botanic Park Second Visit

This was my second monthly sketchmeet with friends to the same venue – Wilson Botanic Park, Berwick. 

What a challenging day to be out sketching! Certainly one to remember, with 32 degree heat, wind gusts which sent lunch and sketching tools flying (my watercolour palette kept blowing shut) and a friend using a walker got blown over! 

I just had to draw a lady in our group who wore an eye catching long white gown! 

I tucked the sketch of the lady into the space left from the previous sketchmeet and put in a view of the far side of the lake to tie the elements together. 

The lake is home to hundreds of Common Long-Necked Turtles. They're also called "stinkers" because when frightened can excrete a really stinky substance from glands in their armpits and groin! Thankfully we didnt see any.

Our sketch group had to beat an early retreat as a thunderstorm was on our heels. The sketch page looks a bit messy but I'm happy with it considering the conditions of the day. 

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

A Buddleia Story

Each summer for several years we grew a vine tomato in a large pot in this sunny corner. After several poor harvests and battles with hungry birds I threw out this practice and instead planted the cutting I took of a Buddleia (also known as the Butterfly Bush) from Sharna's former garden. It has done well and deserves a page in this my second Garden Journal sketchbook. The butterflies love it! 

The page had been pre-prepared with a random colour swatch.

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