The Berwick Show 2020

This is my third visit to this yearly agricultural show at Akoonah Park in the outer Melbourne suburb of Berwick.

Here's a hasty sketch as we headed into the showgrounds and watercolour was added when I managed to find somewhere quiet to sit by myself within view of the rides. 

I find adding paint to a sketch while standing just a bit demanding when being rushed along.

Bulls are good animals to sketch as they don't move around too much. Herefords seem very friendly. This Hereford bull took great interest in me. 

So polite too, he waited till I finished sketching him to lie down and go to sleep. 

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

Berwick Hoddle Grid

A new project for 2020 and beyond.

Robert Hoddle was the surveyor who designed the layout of the streets in the Australian city of Melbourne in 1837. It is known as the Hoddle Grid. (He also did the first blocks of the towns of Williamstown and Geelong west of Melbourne). The old area of the outer Melbourne suburb of Berwick (called Olde Berwick) also has an area called the "Hoddle Grid". I've not been able to ascertain if Robert Hoddle himself had anything to do with the layout of this area. 

Old houses are being demolished all too rapidly with new developments coming up. In 2017, Casey Council moved to protect the character of this area bounded by Princes Highway, Brisbane Street and Cardinia Street. New developments are restricted to two storey and nine metre height limits. Old trees have to be protected and there is a mandatory garden requirement. This is a move I highly approve of. 

I have always had an interest in an old ramshackle house in Berwick's Hoddle Grid – 15 Rutland Street (previously heritage listed). It has been for sale for some time and the house has become barely visible from the street because of overgrown vegetation. My aim is to document it in sketches, (especially it's overgrown garden) before it is demolished. I have been lucky to gain permission to enter the garden to sketch.

Here's the front entrance and the driveway leading to the deck. 

Here's the little gate under the deck leading to the even more overgrown back yard. 

Sketching at 15 Rutland St has been a spooky experience as it's so overgrown, hidden from the road and the house in disrepair. Irritating insects have been constant companions. 

The previous owners must have been keen gardeners as the garden is full of interesting plants (among them many unusual geraniums). The main art challenge has been sketching large clumps of overgrown vegetation. I found the best way to achieve this was to alternate pen (for details) and watercolour (for large areas).

Hopefully this house will be the first of many properties in this neighbourhood that I will be able to document before they are lost.

I returned to sketch (for the last time) at this address in May 2020. Read more here. 

For an earlier post and the architectural significance of 15 Rutland St, read more here. 

#Sailorfude pen, watercolour, homemade concertina sketchbook, 7 1/2" x 21".
#berwickhoddlegrid #15rutlandstreet

Wilson Street Project – a Year in the Life of a Street

A time to reflect on my main project for this past year  (2019).

I said I'd give myself one year to do a project on Wilson Street which is one of the oldest streets in Berwick (an outer suburb of Melbourne). The year was up in September 2019. My project was to sketch whatever took my interest walking up one side of Wilson Street (east of Wheeler Street) and back down the other side. The aim was to sketch and collect stories about the street from my own experience and from the people who live on it. It is also in essence the story of one year in the life of a street. 

As it's turned out I've sketched every building on the street and have collected stories from several occupants who have come out to speak to me. (I've only coloured in the houses to which I've been able to attach a story). 

The sketches were done on location. Colour and embellishments were added later with help from photo references. 

I feel my project is incomplete...the stories rather lame. Enough sketches I think, story collecting will have to continue.

#Sailorfude pen, watercolour, homemade concertina sketchbook, 7 1/2" x 21" (folded into 6 panels).

Personal Spaces

I really love documentary drawing and recently had the opportunity to document the home of some family members. After living there for 23 years, their apartment was soon to be pulled down for re-development. 

I chose to do the project in a home-made concertina fold sketchbook (working on both sides). This way images could flow from one to the next (more or less moving through the apartment) and telling the story of a very personal space. 

The sketches and addition of watercolour were all done on location. I worked directly on the paper with ink with no preliminary pencil drawings. Embellishments and text were added later. 

I did little planning for this project and this resulted unfortunately with not enough space to achieve a nicer design on the last flap. I'd forgotten that this last flap forms the front page when the sketchbook is closed. Lesson learnt! 

I could have filled many more pages had there been more time. It was a nostalgic challenge as I knew this home well. 

#Fabriano hot press watercolour paper 5.5" x 30", #Sailorfude pen, De Artramentis document (waterproof) ink, watercolour. 

Sketching in the Theatre

Some people think I'm crazy...!? Here's people during the intermission of the performance Turandot at the State Theatre. 

#TombowMarker, #HandbookJournal 5.5"x5.5"

Favourite Sketch Tools

This was my basic sketch kit 5 years ago. The only changes I've made to my kit today are replacing the Lamy pens for Fude (bent nib) pens and I've ditched the watercolour pencils. 

The only additions I've made are Tombow markers (I like the big range of colours). 

I tried a dagger brush for awhile, painting and drawing solely with a brush (no pen or pencil) but it caused my finger joints to ache (I must try it again though). 

The enduring thing I do like is brown ink!

Backyards and Beyond

Looking through my sketchbook I've come to the conclusion I like drawing backyards! Here's a few done in the past few months. 

Backyard in Ringwood.

Here's a couple from where I park my car before Qigong class at Fiddlers Green. There's nothing nicer than sketching in the car when I have to wait.

And a last one done while waiting for a friend to serve lunch. 

#FaberCastellPittPen and #TombowMarker, #HandbookJournal 5.5"x5.5"