Sketchmeets on the High Street

When the weather turned cold, my sketch group began meeting to sketch in our local arcade. There's lots to sketch in there with much needed morning/afternoon tea to look forward to after each meet.

Here's another day when it was sunny outside but at 10C was just too brisk to sketch outdoors. My sketch was done from a convenient bench outside the Fella Hamilton ladies clothing store. A fish and chips lunch at Row Your Boat restaurant up the street was a nice social end to the morning. The lunch was sketched with brush only (a Rosemary dagger brush) with no pencil or pen lines. 

This sketch was done looking across the street from Populus cafe on the afternoon of 25th May.  Covid restrictions were to be re-introduced that night! A rain shower sent some of us indoors to finish our sketches but it was still a very nice sketchmeet. 

Unfortunately our state of Victoria was put into full lockdown  on 28th May! Hopefully that won't last too long... 

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

Afternoon Tea and Fancy Teapots

Shop fronts in this neighbourhood aren't very inspiring to sketch but I wanted to practice sketching cars so this was an opportunity. Sketching on my board while perched on a narrow bench resulted in a somewhat wonky sketch but it was a pleasant exercise as the cold blustery afternoon unexpectedly turned into a warm sunny one! 

This sketchmeet with some sketch friends in Blackburne Square, Berwick finished off with afternoon tea. The cafe we chose has very fancy teapots. This one dripped BADLY! The almond raspberry friand cake was good though. 

I think I'll go back there to sketch and ask for tea in a different teapot!

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

Gippsland Day Trip

While out for a drive to enjoy a warm sunny day we lunched at Caldermeade Farm and Cafe. The LARGE dairy cow on a stand at the entrance (South Gippsland Hwy) can't be missed and there is another giant cow statue on the premises! Established in the mid 1800s it offers entertainment, education and good food. Pity we couldn't stay to view the daily 2.30pm milking. 

The unpainted secondary sketch, map and text block were added at home. 

Here's the BIG cow on the premises... conveniently visible to sketch from the cafe!

A very quick stop at a favourite spot on the way home – the tiny township of Tooradin. I had sketched at this very spot in 2017. On that occasion it was low tide and you could see the mud flats with myriads of soldier crabs. (This region by the way hosts the largest area of White Mangrove south of the tropics). This time it was high tide. A man was feeding some pelicans nearby. No wonder a sculpture of a pelican has been added next to where I was sketching.

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

#CaldermeadeFarmandCafe #Tooradin

A New Take on Pioneers Park

 I have sketched in Pioneers Park, Berwick many times in the past few years so it was time to try something different for a bit of variety on this visit. A splash of colour in a toned paper sketchbook and an ink sketch over that made an interesting interpretation of a boring fence bordering the park.

 

#Sailorfude pen, watercolour, #Stillman&Birn Nova Series (beige), 8.5" x 5.5".

New Outdoor Seating in Casey

This temporary concrete block seating (part of our new Covid normal lifestyle) is tacky! It's in the park area on the main road through the local shopping area. 

In the background is the Old Post Office, Berwick, Australia which opened in 1885 (municipality of Casey). 

The tree is a Bunya Pine, a very tall evergreen coniferous tree, the last surviving species of Bunya which was widespread during the Mesozoic period. 

I'm trying out toned paper for the first time. Mixed success but I think I like using it. #MelbUSKchallenge. Weekly sketchmeet with #CaseyU3A friends.

#Sailorfude pen, marker, #PoscaPen, #Stillman&BirnNova Sketchbook (beige toned) 5.5"x8.5".

Harkaway Cemetery

Harkaway Cemetery established in 1840 is one of Victoria's two oldest cemeteries. Buried here are many German settlers who came to the area in the mid 1800's. They include the Wanke family and if you live in the area you will know Ernst Wanke Road which comes off the M1. 

Peaceful rolling hills dotted with horse shelter boxes lie north west of the cemetery and pastureland to the south. 

Opposite the cemetery gates is the belfry of the former Lutheran Church. The bell came from Germany in 1869 but I didn't have time to sketch it. An unexpectedly peaceful and pleasant experience on a hot sunny afternoon, not at all creepy! Weekly sketchmeet with a few U3A friends.

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

#HarkawayCemetery #sketchingnowsketchbook

Olinda Tea House

Because of the sudden 5 day Covid lockdown all our plans were put on hold. It wasn't till we were released from lockdown that we met up with family for a celebratory Chinese New Year lunch at Olinda Tea House in the Dandenong Ranges. It's described as an asian-fusion restaurant – Chinese dishes and western High Tea. 

 The purpose-built restaurant opened 2 years ago but no one in our party had been there. It has very tasteful Chinese inspired gardens around it and a couple of alpacas and a miniature pony for kids to pat. I was surprised by the number of Asians dining there.

Yes those statues were RED!

The food was good, but nothing to write home about. Helpings were small but nicely presented (not your usual run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurant). Other than the couple of spicy dishes we had, the other dishes were mild tasting (perhaps to cater for a western palate). There was a big selection of vegan dishes which suited our party. Service was slow but this was a sort of dining experience where one was not expected to rush through.

We saw western High Tea being brought to other tables and they looked scrumptious! Obviously a lot of thought has been put into the planning of this dining establishment and I wish them well. 

An added bonus was a lion dance troupe which came to perform. What a thrill for the kids! It was an expensive meal but the presentation of dishes, decor and location made it altogether a good experience and an occasion to remember.

Sketched on-location except for the uncoloured secondary sketch on the second page spread which was done from a photo later. Colour and embellishments added at home. Some ideas from Liz Steel's online Sketchbook Design course. 

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

#olindateahouse #sketchingnowsketchbook