Narre Warren Equestrian Trail Fail!

Urban Sketchers are about telling a story, not just about producing pretty pictures. 

It was such a disappointment to come across this equestrian trail in Narre Warren, Victoria, Australia only to find the commanding view marred by power lines! 

This area used to be a basalt mine but between 1983 and 1996 became the Narre Warren landfill. I guess it's some consolation that the gas is being used to generate electricity which is fed back to the grid.

The area was dotted with production wells collecting landfill gas. What an eyesore!

#LamyPen, watercolour, #Stillman&Birn Beta Sketchbook, 5.5x8.5ins. 

The Old Cheese Factory

This beautiful spot was in the 1860s the site of the Springfield Homestead, Cheese Factory and Kitchen Wash House. The buildings surrounded by lovely gardens are now a popular venue for weddings, social functions, community group meetings and a monthly farmers’ market. On weekends the Homestead Cafe is open and serves wonderful Devonshire Teas (nothing can beat scones baked on the premises). 

I started putting in colour with watercolour pencils but changed my mind and decided to wait till I got home to use my watercolours.

Not sure I made the right choice. The homestead has disappeared in the busyness of the surroundings. This is a recurring problem of mine, I should have decided on what my focus was to be and left what was unimportant uncoloured. 

#LamyPen, watercolour, #Stillman&Birn Beta Sketchbook, 5.5x8.5ins.

Should We Change the Date of Australia Day?

The 26th of January is Australia Day. It’s a public holiday and community celebrations are held all over the country. The lively celebrations for Casey County (on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia) were held in Pioneer's Park, Berwick. 

It was well attended with the crowds enjoying musical performances, wood chopping, wood sawing, a miniature train, horse and carriage rides, displays by emergency and fire services and the usual sausage sizzle (among other food stalls).

Celebrations on this day were accompanied by many protest marches across the country. Should the date of Australia Day be changed? I for one think so…but I’ll leave the discussion to another post. 

#LamyPen, watercolour pencils, #Stillman&Birn Beta Sketchbook, 5.5x8.5ins. 

Wedding Weekend on Scotland Island, Australia

My son got married recently. The wedding took place on Scotland Island which is a tiny island in a beautiful estuary called Pittwater just north of Sydney, Australia. 

As access to the island is only by ferry, the small wedding party met at Church Point (an hour’s drive north of Sydney) to make the ferry crossing together. After the crowds and traffic of the city, this area was wonderfully quiet and peaceful. With no restaurants, shops or public facilities, Scotland Island is not a tourist destination. It is an island of mainly bushland with holiday homes (many of which are also Airbnbs). There are 4 ferry stops around the island and our destination was the second stop – Eastern Wharf. The 15 minute ride was almost too short. 

Here is a sketch done at Church Point ferry stop while waiting for our ferry to arrive.

Only 1 kilometer in diameter, geologically Scotland Island was a hill in a valley. When sea levels rose after the last ice age, water flooded the valley forming Pittwater and creating an island.

The families of the bride and groom had not met in person before this wedding and the group spent the long weekend sharing a house on the island. On the first morning we were awakened (too early) by a brilliant sunrise, shining water and the roar of speed boats leaving the many piers. Even the kookaburras laughed at our rude awakening. What a wonderful way to start the day!

Here are a couple of sketches of the many piers around the house we stayed at.

The chef hired to prepare the wedding dinner did not disappoint. He arrived with an assistant, all his ingredients and cooked the meal on site for 16 guests. It must take a lot of confidence to produce a meal for so many in an unfamiliar kitchen.

Here's what we had for dinner!

I chose not to sketch during the wedding ceremony but here is a sketch of a quiet corner in the wonderful house we stayed at. 

The new extended family brought together people from Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. A beautiful wedding, stunning location, great house and a bonding of interesting people. It was such a happy and memorable few days!

I usually sketch in a sketchbook but these weekend sketches were done on pre-cut similar sized pieces of watercolour paper. I’m pleased to say my gift to the bridal couple of 9 sketches went down well.

A short version of this post was accepted as a guest post on the main Urban Sketchers website. See here. 

#FaberCastellPittPen, watercolour.

Trips to Sydney

Gosh, made 2 trips to Sydney recently - one at Christmas and again for our son’s wedding. Sketching time was limited but here are a couple of sketches done between family commitments.

Sketching at Circular Quay while waiting for the grandkids.

Looking down George Street. 

#FaberCastellPittPen, watercolour, #Stillman&Birn Beta Sketchbook, 5.5x8.5ins. 

The old Berwick Primary School

Berwick is an outer suburb, 45km from the Melbourne CBD. When the Berwick Primary School relocated in 2003, the building dating back to 1869 was slated for demolition and the surrounding area zoned for shops and car parking. Fortunately the local residents and the National Trust fought to keep the building and the lovely Pioneers Park was constructed next to it. Parts of the original building of the school have been restored and are heritage listed. Presently the building houses the rather nice Primary@Pioneers Park Cafe. There is also a small gift shop situated in one of the original classrooms and is run by the National Trust Society.

Sketched and painted this on a gorgeous warm sunny day while seated on the hard ground beneath a shady tree. (The comfortable park bench close by was being used by children and their doting grandmothers). I'm looking forward to taking my grandkids there when they come to visit.

Here is the front of the school.

#LamyPen, watercolour, #Stillman&Birn Beta Sketchbook, 5.5x8.5ins. 

Edinburgh Gardens Sketchmeet

Another sketchmeet with Urban Sketchers Melbourne this time at Edinburgh Gardens. What glorious weather! Most of us were focused on the Fitzroy Memorial Rotunda built in 1925. The gardens were established in 1862. 

I stayed on to finish a panorama sketch after a lunch of burger and chips from the very convenient food truck which pulled up. The chips were the best ever! Were they fried in duck fat!?

#LamyPen, watercolour,#Stillman&Birn Beta Sketchbook, 5.5x8.5ins. 

Pencil, watercolour, on #Strathmore400 series Watercolour Journal 7.75”x9.75”