Sketching Vegetation

Part of the old homestead in the Old Cheese Factory grounds in Berwick, Victoria is now occupied by a cafe. Tables and chairs have been placed in the shade of this vine covered pergola. What a tangle of vegetation! 

I love sketching vegetation and have devised a method I like – working in layers, alternating drawing with pen and drawing with watercolour. Sometimes there's more watercolour drawing than pen drawing, it's certainly quicker and gives a more interesting rendition.

This was done at the March sketchmeet of Casey Sketchers on a hot 31C degree afternoon (that's why I took refuge under the deep shade).

To read a previous blog post on Old Cheese Factory, click here.

To read about the history of Old Cheese Factory click here. 

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

#OldCheeseFactory

Rumah Bebe

 A virtual visit to the exciting Rumah Bebe in Singapore to practice page design with the Casey U3A class I am a volunteer tutor for. This shop sells all things Peranakan Chinese (clothes, artifacts, food) and conducts beading classes and private tours.

My page spread shows the front of the shop, a set of Tingkat (a tier of containers for delivering food) and a plate of Peranakan (Nyona) cakes. 

The class called Sketch Your Story is held on Zoom and this exercise was done from 3 photos (the class pretended to be travellers going to the shop, not knowing what they were going to see or sketch next). 

The aim was to sketch from the 3 photos one after the other, designing on the fly ie. thinking about layout, main and secondary sketches, what to colour and what to leave uncoloured, improving the layout with headings, text and other embellishments. 

If I had done some pencil pre-planning I would have made the plate of cakes somewhat smaller. 

This class was a nostalgia trip for me as I am (on my father's side) a 7th generation Peranakan Chinese. 

To check out the shop click here. 

For a very short video on the Peranakan Chinese click here.

To learn about U3A and #Casey U3A click here.

#Sailorfude pen, watercolour, #Stillman&Birn Alpha Sketchbook, 8.5" x 5.5”

Singapore Shopfront Challenge

 I'm managing to meet (occasionally) the Shopfront Challenge set up by Singapore sketcher Alice Lim. She shares a weekly photo of a Singapore Shopfront on Facebook and Instagram and artists are invited to depict it in their own style. 

I've long been interested in this form of Singapore architecture and it's a bit of a nostalgia trip for me as I'm originally from that city state. Doing this challenge has stretched my skills – trying out new techniques and tools on a subject I don't usually draw. 

Here are a few sketches done for the Shopfront Challenge.

Hoi Chow Clan Association, Ann Siang Road 

I'm informed that this Cantonese clan association was set up in 1937 to look after the welfare of people who came to Singapore from Hoi Chow village in Guangdong Province, China. 

Tai Chong Kok @Sago Street

One of several outlets, it sells mooncakes and traditional Cantonese pastries, making them by hand from scratch since 1935. For some reason I found this sketch very difficult to do even though it's such a simple frontage. Maybe I'm still getting to know the paper (Fabriano Studio Hot Press), working at A4 (I usually work smaller in a sketchbook) or was it the shadows or trying to get some depth? 

The shop also sells piglet shaped biscuits in plastic baskets! Gosh! I've not eaten one since I was a child!! To read about what this shop sells, click here. 

Potato Head Restaurant and Bar, Keong Saik Road

A rooftop restaurant and cocktail bar inside an iconic heritage building. Also, a photo of the actual building (a challenge in perspective!).  

Momolato Cafe, Haji Lane

This is an ice cream place. I had great difficulty matching the colour of the purple building with my watercolours so I used a marker. A patchy outcome but the colours matched! 

You can read more about this form of architecture and my interest in it in a previous blog post. Click here.

First 2 sketches: #Sailorfude pen, watercolour, Fabriano Studio Watercolour Hot Press, A4.

Second 2 sketches: #Sailorfude pen, watercolour, #Stillman&Birn Beta Sketchbook, 7.5”x 7.5”

Thanks #shopfrontchallenge, #eurekawanders, #eureca1 for the challenges.

The Old Cheese Factory

The grounds at The Old Cheese Factory, Berwick, Victoria are looking surprisingly lush despite the recent long spell of extreme hot weather. This cheese factory was part of a farm in the mid 1800s. The old homestead stands next to the cheese factory and part of it now houses a cafe. Surrounding buildings have been added to house venues for art activities and the lovely garden is popular for weddings. 

With Covid restrictions eased it was so nice to be sketching again with friends from Casey Sketchers. The little group has its origins in CaseyU3A (U3A is an organisation which offers activities for seniors). 

A little more paint added at home to the previously unfinished sketch is an improvement.

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

Quick Sketching

 I tend to sketch wherever I am and in January several medical-type appointments gave rise to sketching opportunities. These included a record of our third Covid vaccination! 

With 10 minutes to spare while my spouse had an eye exam, continuous line drawing seemed the way to go! I like the quick, slightly wonky but confident lines this produces. 

I like working small for such quick captures and carry an A6 sketchbook in my handbag all the time. Sketching while waiting for medical appointments is also my way to reduce anxiety. 

#FaberCastellPittPen, #Moleskinesketchbook 3.5”x5.5”.

Garden Journal Summer 2022

Our Agapanthus flower stalks have grown very long this year (I think to ensure they get a lot of sun because the plants behind them are getting taller). They have all flopped over in the extreme heat.

It’s February and (I think) the worst of the summer heat is over but it’s already taken a toll on our edible garden. The birds are eating our tomatoes even before they ripen but the bees are still enjoying the spring onion seed heads.

They say sunflowers are easy to grow but it’s taken me 3 summers to achieve this. They really do need to start off in full sun and the seedlings need to be protected from being eaten. Although I did get them to their full expected height (5’3”), they aren’t particularly robust and didn’t fare well in the recent extreme heat. I’ll leave them for the birds to enjoy before I yank them out.

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

Sketch Journal 2022

These are the first sketches for 2022 in my sketch journal. 

We treated some of our plants to new pots from Berwick Pottery. The 2 small mushroom garden ornaments are to complement the one I already have and the Silver Heart (uprooted and moved 3 times has finally found a spot it likes – on our shaded deck).

Here's another page – This week in January. Doctors visits and three birthdays (mine, my daughter-in-law and my grand daughter). We bought the 7 year old a fairy house (shown on my page) and her first book by Australian author and illustrator Shaun Tan. He was one of 5 award-winning authors who won The Australia Post Australian Legends of Children's Literature Award in 2019 and had a postage stamp produced in their honour. I really like reading his books myself and hope she cultivates a love of his creations too!

#Sailorfude pen, watercolour, #Moleskine Sketchbook, 3.5" x 5.5”